Ottsworld Travel and Life Experiences

06/11/2024

Let's spin the globe! Can you identify where this photo was taken?

06/11/2024

A zodiac cruise through the icebergs at Elephant Island in Antarctica. You can't even imagine the size of some of these beauties that broke off from the nearby glacier!

04/11/2024

03/11/2024

Drygalski Fjord was extraordinary! Surrounded by enormous peaks on the southern tip of South Georgia, its long tongue of water terminates in magnificent blue glaciers calving straight into the sea, making it a breathtaking place for our last cruise activity in South Georgia!!

03/11/2024

Where to Go & When is a guide I’ve compiled from years of research. A list of destination ideas based on time of year. These are places that I’ve personally traveled to and experienced, and are some of the best moments of my travels. For each month I’ve chosen 3 destinations or experiences to satisfy different travel styles with a short overview of the interesting, cool and quirky things to do there.

02/11/2024

Let's travel today! Can you identify where this photo was taken?

02/11/2024

Gold Harbor was filled with elephant seals! The big boys ( beach masters) and their harems were fascinating to watch and listen to. I feel so lucky to get to see them since they are really only around South Georgia at the start of the season! The crazy thing is that the pups that are born were concieved last year. And then the females mate right away again.

31/10/2024

Our landing at Grytviken was special for a few reasons. First it is the only old whaling station that you can safely visit. They even have a museum and your that you can take to learn more about the pretty gruesome whaling industry.
It's also where Shackleton died and is buried. I was able to visit his grave and learn more about his exploration in the museum.

So in case you think Antarctica is just about wildlife...it's much more than that!!

31/10/2024

Our landing at Stromness in South Georgia was absolutely perfect. Perfect weather with bluebird skies, great temperature, and jaw-dropping scenery. The old abandoned whaling station was a stark reminder of the past. This was also the valley where Shakleton and his two crewmen hiked to safety after being shipwrecked and lost at sea for 2 years. That piece of history about a figure who I admire was the cherry on top of this landing for me.

30/10/2024

Just a few of the animals we saw on Day 2 of South Georgia Island landings!

29/10/2024

It's easy to overlook the landscape in South Georgia when you have thousands of penguins and seals vying for your attention! But damn...these landscapes are amazing!! And there are even penguins in this shot!

29/10/2024

We had our first landing in South Georgia Islands at Fortuna Bay and were greeted by 10,000+ King Penguins and chicks! The chicks were brown floor alls who who curious and precocious as you would expect toddlers to be! Many are starting to moltfor the first time which will allow them to get in the water and find their own food! Until then, mom and dad still are responsible for feeding them. The chicks are so rotund they look like a fluffy soccer ball!

And the noise ...it is non stop chirping and trumpeting. The adult kings were also stunning to see as they walked in from the beach with full bellies ready to feed their chicks.

Colonies like this is why I wanted to go to South Georgia! And this is just day 1 of 4!!

28/10/2024

Arrival into South Georgia!!!! As we cruised into South Georgia this morning we were greeted by icebergs ( with penguins!), glaciers, jagged mountain peaks, and welcoming birds! What a welcome!!

The first pic is zoomed in of the huge iceberg with penguins.
The second pic is the full iceberg with the penguins ( you can barely see them!)

27/10/2024

2+ days at sea to get from the Falklands to South Georgia. The seas were pretty kind to us - we had the wind and swell from the back/west most of the time. However- I have got my sea legs now and I'm feeling good! At sea I did a lot of reading, went to lectures, and ate too much!

27/10/2024

Ever since I completed the 500-mile-long Camino over the course of 5 weeks, I’ve been scouring the world for long-distance hikes similar to it in style, comfort, beauty, and challenge. Actually, I haven’t just been researching them; I’ve been doing them. I have amassed a number of alternatives in all parts of the world and have finally gotten around to writing about them all as a guide to alternative thru-hikes to the Camino de Santiago.

Thru hiking, long distance hikes and pilgrimages are addicting. If you are looking for thru hikes similar to the Camino de Santiago - I have 9 of them for you!

27/10/2024

A sunny day in Stanley - the capitol of the Falkland Islands! A cute colorful town with a big history. Who remembers the Falkland War? I barely remember it but have now learned a lot about it. Falklands is a part of the UK - hence the King Charles pamlet.

This is our one and only town that we visit on this adventure so it was fun to look around and stick up on candy!