This afternoon we're asked to meet in the lounge. One of the passengers has collapsed and needs to be taken to Frei, the Chilean base which is one of only two medical stations on the Antarctic peninsula. From there he'll be airlifted to Punta Arenas in Chile. This means a change of programme for us too. Instead of visiting Ferraz, the Brazilian base we´ll visit Frei and Bellingshausen, the Russian base next door. This is apparently not uncommon due to the older age of passengers.
The bases are basic to say the least and for some reason are decorated in 1970s styles and colour (brown and orange is popular). I ask an oceanographer and a glaciologist about their work. Most of what they say about their research goes over my head. Many are in their third or fourth season in the Antarctic which is usually a stint of 3-5 months in the summer, although there are a few that stay on all year. They tell me Antarctica is addictive and they´re drawn back every year.
Bellingshausen, the Russian base currently has 21 residents and its own church made from cedar wood imported from Siberia. The priest who welcomes us is a big fan of jigsaw puzzles. The finished items are displayed on the walls of the base. I ask the Oceanographer what they do for entertainment, (stereotypically) envisaging big drinking sessions but he tells me it took them a month to drink a bottle of vodka. We`re shown into the communal area where it`s hard to miss the huge plasma screen TV and several shelves of DVDs.
On the way back to the zodiac, I almost step on a seal lying on the beach. He is so well camouflaged among the stones and doesn´t move...
This evening we hear that the medical evacuation went to plan.
The sun sets at 10.30 tonight and will rise at 3am.
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