The whales, the seals and the penguins all provided fun and endless fascination. I could have spent every minute of my ten-day stint in Antarctica watching them.

The continuous chatter of the penguins to the growling seals made me laugh.  I even chuckled when the daring baby penguin approached me and bit my boot!

Perhaps their antics inspired me to enjoy my lighthearted side. One day after climbing a hill to get the best panoramic view I sat down and slid to the bottom, loving every moment except for the complaints coming from those who had to jump aside.  Another day when a French cohort was singing to himself in the zodiac I encouraged him to join me in singing “Frere Jacques”. Unfortunately due to my singing voice I might have been the only one having a great time!

I asked about the polar plunge and was told due to health risks this ship no longer participated so I had to substitute the pool!