Where the southern birds go · 5:11pm Jan 25th, 2018
A wee heads-up that from tomorrow onwards, I'm likely to be only intermittently online until the 30th, and from then on, totally absent until mid-February-ish.
Usually when I naff off for long periods like this, it's because I'm away to a wee family croft in the West Highlands, beyond the reach of all those modern frivolities like the internet, or electricity, or running water, and suchlike. Not this time, though.
Off to Antarctica, via a plane from Edinburgh to Madrid, a plane from Madrid to Santiago, a plane from Santiago to Punta Arenas, several days of faffing around in Punta Arenas, and then ten days on a ship cutting around the Weddell Sea! It'll be my first trans-Atlantic crossing, and my first time in any of the Americas, and my first time in another hemisphere, and a whole bunch of firsts in general. Chances to head down to that particular part of the world don't come along every lifetime, and I count myself damned lucky to get this one.
(Some uncharitable souls might note that this requires me to competently navigate my way through multiple airports, and may be tempted to start a betting pool around which continent I'll end up in. Perish those uncharitable thoughts.)
(Apropos of nothing, what's 'Please take pity and help me, I'm an idiot who got on the wrong plane' in Mandarin? Asking in case and in advance for a friend.)
I'll post a wee update here confirming my survival and respond to things once I'm berthed in Punta Arenas. Expect photos on my return of whatever icebergs, penguins, exceedingly lost polar bears, and sublime landscapes presented themselves. Expect horsewords if they happen during the trans-Atlantic crossings. Don't start any exciting drama or burn the site down while I'm gone, and take care. 
Thats incredible! I hope you have tons of fun!
4781530
Thank you! I'm sure I will.
I wish you the best of luck on your extended adventure.
(FYI, my bet is on Australasia)
4781536
Thank you! I would be indignant that you're engaging with the betting pool, but at least you're being kind and expecting I'll end up in the right hemisphere.
Bring lots of ice, I hear they're running out down there. :C
4781544
Got my ice packed, and my ozone. I'll see what needs patching while I'm there.
Wow that's cool! Have an awesome time.
(Also I read the easternmost point of the Weddell Sea is Queen Maud Land. I'm just saying.)
Sounds exciting! Hope you have a blast!
4781553
Exceedingly cool, so I'm told.
If they don't have rocks there, pointed letters of complaint shall be written to the relevant authorities, mark my words.
4781556
Thank you! I fully intend to.
That'll be a fun time, I'm sure. Happy travels, Carabas. I eagerly await your return.
Congrats on having such an opportunity, I'm sure it couldn't happen to a more deserving soul n_n
Take the sun with you! You are going to need it. And don’t worry, I won’t burn down the site too much while you are gone though I believe our definitions of “too much” is very subjective and I may be leaning towards the “arsonist” side of the spectrum.
And with your luck, I bet you will take the flight to Texas. If you do, I will be waiting with my horse, my cowboy hat, and my six shooter. I except a chapter of Wedding March as tribute and if you don’t, I will show you the other side of our “southern hospitality.”
I will throw you into a bull rodeo with a red cape.
Have fun on your trip. Bring back an ice cube for sentimentality's sake. They wouldn’t be around for eternity down there.
4781564
Fun times'll definitely be had! I hope another human squeaky toy presents themselves for your entertainment while I'm away. I know I'm irreplaceable in that regard, but make do with someone deserving.
4781566
Delighted to have the opportunity! I've been sitting on some of the Wodehouse you sent me in anticipation for the Atlantic flight, so if I come out in Chile with what passes for my sanity intact, I'll have you to thank.
4781570
Perpetual sunshine there at the moment! Celestia's got free reign of the place, until she hands it over to Luna for her few months. I'll pass on your regards if I see her.
For my same unnamed friend's benefit, what's Texan for 'Please take pity and help me, I'm an idiot who got on the wrong plane'? I assume a mix of hallooing and wild shots into the air with a six-shooter.
Now you know we can't promise that first part.
In any case, best of luck in both getting there and staying unfrostbitten. And remember, if all the ice looks suspciously like overpasses and strip malls, you may be in my neck of the woods.
4781574
You respond with your own six shooter obviously. Haven’t you seen a Wild West film? You don’t apologize. You pretend as if that was your plan all along. Though, for your sake I hope you have a quick drawing hand.
In the event that you end up in locales against your will or design, then I hope you end up only in ports where there are others that speak languages you speak and signs in a language you can read.
*being lost in a rural Chinese airport wasn't fun.
4781577
Och, I know, but I ought to try.
Hope to remain un-frostbitten and to get to suitably icy parts! If I end up in your neck of the woods by mistake, then I can pay for shelter with flailing ineptitude and cackhandedly-written horsewords.
4781578
Duly noted. If approached by Texan, draw a pretty picture using six-shooter as a paintbrush somehow in order to allay Texan. Got it.
4781581
Ouch. Jings, you might have actually needed that phrase in Mandarin.
If all else fails and my hopeless monolingualism lets me down, I hope I can cut a suitably pathetic figure across any and all language barriers.
That sounds like a super sweet trip!
On it!
Awesome! Have a wonderful time!
When you're working your way through that many airports (and then, by necessity, navigating your way back through all those airports), the real question isn't even whether you'll end up in the wrong hemisphere by mistake: the real questions are a) how much in the way of inevitable delays and reschedulings are you going to encounter, and b) at the end of the day, are you going to still be in the same continent as you luggage?
Jokes aside, I hope you have a wonderful time! What I wouldn't give for a chance to see something like that myself.
4781595
I'm sure it'll be deid saccharine!
You all saw him. You all saw him substitute those ellipses. I bear no responsibility.
4781598
Thank you, and shall do!
4781600
My sister, who has experience travelling through Santiago airport, recommends the following two items for navigating one's way through it:
A) A calm and resilient outlook.
B) A sense of humour.
I'm sure it'll be fine. Mostly fine. Worst-case scenario, I never specified which mid-February I'll reappear in.
That's amazing! What's the occasion? How'd you get the opportunity to visit Antarctica?
Hope your travels are safe, and that you end up in the same universe as your luggage. You can't always bet on that.
4781609
Folk in my family've done a fair amount of work in the polar regions, and keep coming back with fun stories and photos. Couldn't resist the temptation to head out there myself, and when an agreeably-priced offer came up, I took the chance. Still a decent dent to my wallet, but some things are worth a wallet-denting.
4781549
I leave our planet's climate in your capable hands, then! :D
4781620
Neat! Have a great time, and try not to fall into any interesting fissures!
Oh wow! Now I'm envious.
Have a great time and do report back - I expect a hooves on account.
Look out for penguins. They've got a vicious streak a mile wide!
4781621
4781625
If I should find any interesting fissures screaming 'Tekeli-li' and suchlike, rest assured, I'll stay well away.
4781626
Accounts'll be forthcoming! Unless I cock up and end up elsewhere, in which case, pleading and/or face-saving fabrication'll be forthcoming.
Awesome. Have fun, and make sure and bring back a couple of penguins and albatrosses. Just to confuse and disorientate the natives of the north.
4781631
Fun'll be had! I'll see about smuggling a penguin or several under my coat on the way out. I'm sure bribing customs officials with a penguin of their own'll resolve any difficulties along the way.
4781605
Wise advice, that. I also find that bringing a few good books never hurts.
Awesome. I hope your time in the frozen south of Earth gets replicated in the Frozen South of your world too. Good luck behind the wall!
4781639
Should Antarctica turn out to really be populated with unspecified Eldritch Thingummies, I'm sure events'll be replicated perfectly.
4781642
I mean, Emperor Penguins are probably pretty close...
Well you’ll have gone to the one continent I haven’t visited. Consider me officially jelly! Have fun, and safe travels!
4781674
Thank you! I've only been on two continents so far, and you've got ample time to correct that jellyness, why not. Book your own Antarctic cruise. Or if funds say otherwise, invest in a rowing boat and a strong pair of arms.
4781684
Being Canadian I could walk most of the way, but then it’s been done before. Drat!
4781712
Hmm. Any unset records for this? Walking backwards? Hitchhiking? Walking while speaking nothing but Ancient Sumerian? I'm sure there's potential.
Ten bits on the Sea Of Tranquility.
4781716
Take a pony. Photograph said pony on as many continents as possible in as short a time as possible.
4781746
Oh, have a good trip! And good luck not finding what the mammoths are afraid of. :)
4781790
Thank you! If worst comes to worst, I'll trust to my blissfully non-eidetic memory to smooth over the more sanity-bending details in good time.
That's badass! Not many can say they've seen the southern continent.
I hope you have fun, make all your connection flights, and meet many interesting people!
4781716
Akkadian. And I’d better learn some Spanish and Portuguese, just for good measure.
4781946
Thank you! It's a rare continent to visit, definitely. Looking forward to doing my own wee share to upping its visitor numbers.
4781981
Proto-Quechua as well, maybe? I'm not sure what sort of things happen in South America, but we can't rule out spontaneous time travel.
What a wonderful opportunity! Good luck, have fun, and don't bother the penguins too much.
I myself will avoid the betting pool, as I tend to be really bad at it and me entering wouldn't guarantee you to stay on the same planet.
4782086
Current bets comprise Australasia, Texas, and the Moon. I'm not sure how much worse-off you can make me!
Typing this while plonked in Madrid airport. That's the first hurdle over and done with.
Somehow, I missed this earlier. This sounds like an awesome trip; good luck for your voyage, and please take lots of photos to share with us!
4782999
Hoping for best of luck, and rest assured, plenty of snazzy pictures'll be taken. I trust Antarctica to make them snazzy, seeing as how the cameraman's a gowk.