Antarctica is a land of extremes: it is the coldest and driest continent on Earth and has the highest average elevation.
As the fifth largest continent in the world, Antartica is also the most Southern, overlying the "South Pole". Scarcely touched by humans, the frozen land boasts breathtaking scenery, broken by only handful of scientific bases and a "permanent" population of scientists numbering only a few thousand. Visitors to Antarctica generally must brave rough sea crossings aboard ice-strengthened vessels, but those who do are rewarded with amazing scenery and tremendous and unique wildlife.
Although several countries have laid claim to various portions of Antarctica, it is governed by the 1958 Antarctic... (more)
Although several countries have laid claim to various portions of Antarctica, it is governed by the 1958 Antarctic Treaty, which establishes the continent as a peaceful and cooperative international research zone. There are no cities per se, just some two dozen research stations with a total population ranging from 1000-4000 depending on the time of year. These are maintained for scientific purposes only, and do not provide any official support for tourism. The laws of the nation operating each research station apply there.
A list of contributors is available at the original article on Wikitravel. This text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 license.
Antarctica
I was totin' my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road,
When along came a semi with a high an' canvas-covered load.
"If you're goin' to Winnemucca, Mack, with me you can ride."
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside.
He asked me if I'd seen a road with so much dust and sand.
And I said, "Listen, I've traveled every road in this here land!"
I've been everywhere, man.
I've been everywhere, man.
Crossed the desert's bare, man.
I've breathed the mountain air, man.
Of travel I've had my share, man.
I've been everywhere.
I've been to:
Reno, Chicago, Fargo, Minnesota,
Buffalo, Toronto, Winslow, Sarasota,
Wichita, Tulsa, Ottawa, Oklahoma,
Tampa, Panama, Mattawa, La Paloma,
Bangor, Baltimore, Salvador, Amarillo,
Tocapillo, Baranquilla, and Perdilla, I'm a killer.
[Chorus]
I've been to:
Boston, Charleston, Dayton, Louisiana,
Washington, Houston, Kingston, Texarkana,
Monterey, Faraday, Santa Fe, Tallapoosa,
Glen Rock, Black Rock, Little Rock, Oskaloosa,
Tennessee, Hennessey, Chicopee, Spirit Lake,
Grand Lake, Devils Lake, Crater Lake, for Pete's sake.
[Chorus]
I've been to:
Louisville, Nashville, Knoxville, Ombabika,
Schefferville, Jacksonville, Waterville, Costa Rica,
Pittsfield, Springfield, Bakersfield, Shreveport,
Hackensack, Cadillac, Fond du Lac, Davenport,
Idaho, Jellico, Argentina, Diamantina,
Pasadena, Catalina, see what I mean-a.
[Chorus]
I've been to:
Pittsburgh, Parkersburg, Gravelbourg, Colorado,
Ellensburg, Rexburg, Vicksburg, Eldorado,
Larimore, Admore, Haverstraw, Chatanika,
Chaska, Nebraska, Alaska, Opelika,
Baraboo, Waterloo, Kalamazoo, Kansas City,
Sioux City, Cedar City, Dodge City, what a pity.
[Chorus]
By: Sam Smith
Antarctica
I wanted to be a scientist and study things in Antarctica. now i don't. I also wanted to be the first person to live there. I know its impossible, but i like doing the impossible. now i realize that i have more important things to do than prove the entire world wrong.
Antarctica
debo ser uno de los pocos "guevones" de este planeta que siente interés por ir a un lugar donde debe hacer un frio que te c... y no hay botellón por las calles (o eso espero)
Antarctica
It's the cleaniest place in the world. what ever is used and left over down there is brought back from there. Everything from A to Z. If it doesn't have a use there it is tooken off the ice and processed. Being the largest desert (by definition: lacking moisture) can be a different place hour by hour. On minute it might be Sunny, Clear and no wind wearing shorts and a T-shirt outside and the next you are in your extreme weather outfit freezing your ass off. We aren't necessarily the top of the food chain there either. The Emperior Penquins are a formidable adverary. the can move faster across the ice than us and are armed with a beak the can kill, they are very protective of their yound who are curious about us which make a threat though they are protected. Orca whales can be equally as dangereous. Our shadows on top of a thin ice layer is easly misstaken as a seal. A delicatcy for them unfortunately we do not taste good to them which by then is too late. I've been there three times now. One by ship adntwice by Aircraft with skies. We land on the ice shelg near McMurdo station and Scott's Hut. Once we arrive to off load supplies for the winter and backload all non useable items it is a 12 hour on 12 hour off work fo he nect 15 days. As soon as the ship is set for sea the 3 bars open up and it is a non stop party till our flight off back to New Zealand with the Auzzie's and Kiwi's(New Zealanders) 8hr flight to Christchurch NZ, 2-4 hr layover then a 2hr hop to Auckland, NZ then 14 hr flight back to LA, Ca. then sit around up to 10 hours to catch the final last 6 hr leg back to Norfolk, Va usually landing after the 15th of February.
By: Randy Brubeck
Antarctica
The penguins, snow, ice and stunning views of antarctica would be some of my many reasons to go there.
No place on earth compares to this vast white wilderness distilled to an elemental haiku: snow, ice, water, rock. Antarctica is simply stunning. The enormity of its ice shelves and mountain ranges invariably heightens feelings of humanity’s insignificance and nature’s grandeur. Antarctica’s peculiar beauty may haunt you for the rest of your days. Even the trip over, crossing the Southern Ocean is an experience – with no landmass, low-pressure systems circle clockwise unimpeded, eventually reaching incredible speeds. The Falkland Islands in the South Atlantic are often included in a trip to Antarctica
Antarctica
It is too expensive to go there right now. I have to fly to Argentina to take a cruise but it will cost about 10K at least for 9 days. So, I will wait until either the package prices goes down or I become super rich.
By: Eric Chan Lee
Antarctica
I want to visit the South pole. I know it's not how I am imagining it (cute penguins dancing around), but there are way too many scientific experiments and discoveries down there for my nerdy self to resist. I don't know if I can actually see the really deep hole through the ice that discovered bacteria that can live in sub-zero temperatures without air, or all the other weird magnetic experiments I've read about, but hey. I want to go near it.
By: Linda NaEun Lee
Antarctica
Aboard the Polar Star we achieved our goal to venture below the Antartic Circle in 2010. Spent an awesone 30 minutes with a leopard seal... watched whales bubble net and scoop their food from the waters... saw the Bark Europa sail by (thats a whole other story) penguins really smell bad!
By: Joe Shelton
Antarctica
For our 30th Wedding Anniversary Jeff took me to see Penguins! We saw LOTS of Penguins! Along the way to Antarctica we were in Brazil, Argentina, Chili, Uruguay, and even stopped in the Falkland Islands!...3 weeks of non-stop site-seeing but grand!! It was several years ago but I still remember all the different colors of ICE...lots of different kinds of ice.... :)
By: Mavis Rosbach
Antarctica
Visiting Antarctica in January 2009 was very special for us - definitely a trip of a lifetime. For Heather Sonia and I it was the "last continent" to visit. Despite being "so close" to Antarctica in New Zealand, we flew to Argentina and crossed to the Antarctic peninsula from there. We were on the "Akademik Ioffe", a Russian research vessel, with 110 passengers. It was a very quiet, highly stabilized ship and very comfortable with great food and crew. Highly recommended.
By: Clive Holland
Antarctica
In 1976, I heard this radio story, probably on NPR, about people working in Antarctica. Wow, I'm thinking, that's cool! 1996, I'm getting off a C-130 on The Ice at McMurdo Station. Guy asks me where I'm from. "Phoenix, when I left the temperature was 110 degrees." He says, "Welcome to McMurdo, it's 80 below today."<br>
<br>
Three weeks later, a guy walks into the mess hall and whacks a guy in the head with a hammer. He got 30 stiches. I was collateral damage, I got 5 stiches. A few weeks later, I was being interviewed by the FBI. Case made legal history, was tried in Federal Court in Hawaii. The perp pled guilty of assault with a deadly weapon. I stayed the summer. Went back for another two years. THE most awesome place I have ever been.
By: Joe Stermer
Antarctica
I lived at the south pole for 4 months while working on the station on a contract job with Raytheon Polar Services supporting scientific research in the Antarctic region. Coldest I felt was -90 degrees F and the warmest 8 degrees F.
By: Lisa Morrow
Antarctica
Blue of the Seven Seas;
Gold of God's great sun
Let these our colors be
Till all of time be done-n-n-ne,
By Severn shore we learn
Navy's stern call:
Faith, courage, service true
With honor over,
honor over all.
Antarctica
Very Cool Story. When im in Palawan i saw a big nice vinta its a small boat , with a sharp edges, good for 6-8 people, i use the vinta to travel antartica, it took me 8 months of travel."syempre boyscout ako nabuhay ako",.its a living hell,. i saw flocks of penguins, big fat polar bears and the mysterious wendigo, medyo mahaba ung kwento ilang chapter kaya hindi ko na tutuloy.,.
By: Aron Dabu
Antarctica
I don't know any cities in Antarctica not mentioned in Stargate Atlantis.... Cold all the time! Views of the sky impossible anywhere else! Penguins! Isolation, with ATMS, booze, and Internet access! This is the place for me.
By: Jan Safran
Antarctica
Port Lockroy, Deception Island, and other stops on this expedition trip. This was truly an adventure! Getting through the Drake Passage was the ride of my life! At one time, we had 45' swells. I should have known when we boarded the Exploer that we were in for rough seas. The tables, chairs and piano were all chained down to the floor! Eating was quite the balancing act and we soon learned where at the table to sit so the plate for drink from the person across from us didn't wind up in our laps! And, of course, there was the fruit rolling on the floor all around us in the dining room. My favorite part of the trip was Iceberg Alley. It is difficult to come up with words to describe the magnificence of Antarctica...the penguin colonies, the whales, seals and sea birds. Another fun thing was sitting in the water on the shore of Deception Island. We dug trenches in the volcanic sand so that the hot water would go into the freezing water to become tepid. Chuck and Sally were CRAZY. They waded out until the freezing water was to their waists for a photo op! Burr........ Bill and Marjorie returned to Antarctica after a couple of years so that Barbara and Pamela would have the opportunity of seeing Antarctica. My trip was a back-to-back trip for Ilene, who suffers from motion sickness. I was fortunate. Many fellow shipmates were sick for days after we got there from the rocking and rolling of the Drake Passage.
By: Joan Reyes
Antarctica
Savannah, Ga. I have enjoyed this town with it's old ghost stories and horse and buggy ride. Lots of interesting history here. Everyone always loves a story of a long lost love...still haunting..
Antarctica
Cruised the Antarctica Peninsula. Totally awesome! I can't tell you how breathtaking the glaciers and ice bergs were. We also took some Polish scientists onboard to tell us about their research and living in Antarctica - fantastic trip!
By: Sherrill Ann Nee
