2012-12-29

【Aiden in English】

        Cape Horn in Chile is located at the latitude 55 degrees 58 minutes 47 seconds south and the longitude 67 degrees 16 minutes 18 seconds west. It is the southernmost point on Earth, other than Antarctica. It covers the two most significant bodies of water, the Pacific and the Atlantic Oceans, and is known as a notorious graveyard for sailors.

        This morning, I awoke to three

2012-12-28

【Aiden in English】

        By December, a hot summer came to the south atmosphere. However, the cold still numbed my teeth as we waited on the sun deck for the glaciers and sheer mountains to appear over the horizon in the Strait of Magellan between the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. 

        Due to tidal constraints, we had to delay our arrival time by two hours in Ushuaia, Argentina, this afternoon. Unexpectedly,

2012-12-27

【Aiden in English】

        Antarctica is the Earth's southernmost continent, encapsulating the South Pole as described in the geographic textbook. It's the fifth-largest continent after Asia, Africa, North America, and South America. About 98% of Antarctica is covered by ice that averages at least 1 mile/1,600 meters in thickness. Its mountains cover such a significant area that it makes Antarctica the highest of the seven continents on

2012-12-26

【Aiden in English】

        So, there I was with my mom, standing on the balcony of Star Princess at the crack of dawn to see the Amalia Glacier in the central part of Chilean Southern Patagonian Ice Fields. The glacier descended from the Andes Mountains and sat like a frozen river above the sea. It had immense weight, and the oxygen had been pressed out of the ice, presenting it with a stunning crystalline appearance and a strange blue glow that

2012-12-24

【Aiden in English】

        As I learned along the way, Chile is nicknamed "the Shoestring Country" for good reason; 24 times longer than its average width and in no place wider than 150 miles/241 kilometers, it stretches nearly 2,700 miles/4,345 kilometers, a span of latitude that encompasses parched deserts, fertile coastal plains, dense rainforests, and, finally, continental ice caps, fiords, and glaciers.

    &nbs

2012-12-22

【Aiden in English】

        I woke up this morning to the sound of people coming from the streets. I stepped onto our private balcony outside the hotel room in Valparaiso, the largest port city in Chile. At sight, the spectacular hillsides were dotted with various colorful houses. A series of peculiar boats sparked the beautiful bay in the distance. I checked the date and cheered myself up immediately. Yay! It's Saturday. I looked forward to

2012-12-21

【Aiden in English】

        In a Chinese proverb, an hour in the morning is worth two in the evening. It's always pleasant to start a new day with a scrumptious breakfast. I had fried eggs and toasted bread with strawberry juice. The eggs with white bread looked plain but yummy, and the juice tasted fresh and very berry. As we loaded up our luggage and checked out, I made a French silent farewell to the hotel and the great city of Santiago.

&n

2012-12-20

【Aiden in English】

        I awoke @ 9:00 am this morning by the sharp sound of a phone ringing! I started to get dressed while my mom answered the call. When she hung up, she looked alarmed. The tour guide was already here! I ran to get my shoes on and took a quick, sloppy wash. Then, we dashed to the hotel restaurant and gulped down some croissants with a cup of fruit juice before running to our tour pickup bus. We had to switch buses for our

2012-12-19

【Aiden in English】

        When I woke up early this morning, I still felt sleepy. But I had to catch the plane @ 7:58 am to the Chilean capital city of Santiago. My mom and I had a quick breakfast at the bar. We took a hotel shuttle van and rushed to Rapa Nui Intl—airport (IPC) on Easter Island. I couldn't believe my eyes. The airport was so delicate that the plane seemed the same size as its building! Why didn't I realize the fact as

2012-12-18

【Aiden in English】

        Walking toward our new tour guide this morning, I felt a sense of dread crawling up my stomach. This tour would be a long hike on the side of the crater, which would be at least 10 miles. When our tour group arrived at the archaeological site of Ahu Vinapu, the heat started to act up. Before I could change my mind, I trekked up the hill. But not long after, I was exhausted from climbing, and my feet were sore from walk

2012-12-17

【Aiden in English】

        Today was my first day exploring South America after connecting a series of flights for more than 23 hours. As soon as I stepped off the plane on Easter Island in the Pacific Ocean—the Navel of the World—I knew this would be an extremely hot trip (not including Antarctica).  

        When I woke to the rooster doing its morning chorus of "COCK-A-DOODLE-DOO", I