Submitted by ibuder on Sun, 04/28/2013 - 10:36
There's not much time for recreation when you're working 12+ hours per day.
Submitted by ibuder on Sat, 04/27/2013 - 17:05
Sundays has brunch instead of breakfast or lunch--just like old times in college. I got a made-to-order omelet with olives! People tend to be a bit more relaxed on Sunday or so I am told.
To get to work we had to put our ECW back on and walk 1 km from the Elevated Station to the "dark sector," where the CMB experiments are. The first time was quite difficult, partly because I was still acclimating to the altitude, and partly because I was carrying the box of scientific equipment. I didn't feel too cold, but the temperature was only -10 F and there was no wind.
Submitted by ibuder on Sat, 04/27/2013 - 15:16
I was already getting cold standing outside the station so I was happy to head inside. First they showed us a 10 minute briefing video, and then they sent us to lunch. It was cafeteria style with a few options including vegetarian. So far quality has been good, but not amazing.
Submitted by ibuder on Fri, 04/26/2013 - 15:10
People here work in shifts so the dorms are permanent quiet hours to allow everyone to sleep. So I got up (Dec. 7) quiet as a mouse in the dark. After breakfast I tried to visit the balloon facility, but apparently I walked right past the pickup location and missed the bus. So that plan was a bust. Instead I hung around town and played tourist.
In the afternoon the wind started picking up so I cut short my photography expedition. The best shots were the landscapes, I think. The only really attractive building is the chapel on the coast.
Submitted by ibuder on Thu, 04/25/2013 - 19:41
Eventually.
We recruited another CMB colleague and had dinner at The amazing Brewers Arms. For dinosaur eaters the options included wild ostrich, kangaroo, and venison. The beer and vegetarian pasta were good too. Dessert was a date cake a la mode. Rating of "tasty."
Submitted by ibuder on Wed, 04/24/2013 - 18:42
Surprisingly, given how the trip had gone so far, the SuperShuttle to the airport was exactly on time. Everyone on it was going to Antarctica so we shared advice, worries, and troubles. I wasn't the only one missing luggage.
Submitted by ibuder on Mon, 04/22/2013 - 17:58
[Note: This is the first in a series of posts adapted from emails I wrote while traveling to the South Pole for research in 2012--2013.]
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