正如地理教材所述，南極洲是地球最南端的大陸，白雪蓋頂；繼亞洲、非洲、北美洲、南美洲之後，其地表面積名列世界第五名。大約98%的土地被平均至少1英里／1,600米厚的冰川覆蓋，高山巍峨，使得南極洲成為七大洲平均高度最高的一個。此外，它風力最強、溫度最低、人口最少，可以說舉世無雙。 

      Antarctica is the Earth's southernmost continent, encapsulating the South Pole as described on 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 on average the highest of the seven continents. In addition, it is also the windiest, coldest and least populated region on the planet.

(圖片來自網絡)

      Two years ago, we tried to set foot on South Pole while traveling cross Tasmania, Australia. However, it took at least 5 hours to fly over from Hobart of Oceania and made it impossible for us to take a daily shore excursion. Ever since then, Punta Arenas (Sandy Point) had become our dream place to reach out for Antarctica.

      兩年前，當穿越澳大利亞塔斯馬尼亞時，我們曾試圖縱跨南極。從大洋洲霍巴特出發，單程至少要花上5小時飛行，根本不可能當天往返。因此打那以後，我們立志要來蓬塔阿雷納斯(英文意指“沙尖”)實現夢想。

      Punta Arenas in southern Chile lied atop rolling hills, looking out over the Strait of Magellan. In the days before the Panama Canal, this was a major port as ships plied the waters of Cape Horn between the Pacific and Atlantic Ocean. It still remained a prosperous town today, thanked to its rich natural resources. To us, the city was the gateway to Chilean Patagonia, a maze of fjords, rivers, steppes, and Andes Mountains to the north. To the south reclined the great frozen mass of Antarctica. Adventure awaited in any direction at this port near the end of the world.

      蓬塔阿雷納斯是智利南部的一座名城，背面有連綿不斷的安第斯山脈，前沿有濤浪翻滾的麥哲倫海峽。早在巴拿馬運河通航之前，這裡曾為貨輪過往太平洋─大西洋交匯處合恩角的主要港口。至今因為富含自然資源，它依然欣欣向榮。對我們來說，蓬塔阿雷納斯不僅是通往智利北部旅遊勝地──巴塔哥尼亞、太平洋峽灣、沼澤河流、草原牧區的重要門戶，而且還是連接智利南部與南極洲的交通要塞，我們的探險之路應始於天涯海角、世界最南城市──蓬塔阿雷納斯。

      Mom booked the tour to Antarctica months ahead of our departure. Upon arriving at King George Island of the Antarctic Peninsula, we would visit the research center, one of the continent's oldest and most important meteorological stations. In the meanwhile, we were planning to embark on a zodiac to Ardley Island, a marine protected area where Papua Penguin colonies lived and to catch sight of the Chinstrap Penguin extending the narrow band of black feathers from ear to ear, the Gentoo Penguin sporting a wide white stripe like a bonnet across the top of its head, the Adelie Penguin waddling its signature white "tuxedo shirt" front, a killer (orca) whale or baleen whale with its pair of blowholes, etc.

      正因如此，媽媽早在出發前幾個月就把南極洲行程定好。我們計劃首先參觀南極半島喬治王島上的智利氣象研究中心，然後前往極地動物聚集地阿德雷島，除了訪問巴布亞企鵝家族棲息地之外，還要努力捕捉臉纏黑色羽絲的帽帶企鵝、頭戴白色羽帽的紳士企鵝、身着“燕尾服襯衫”的阿德利企鵝、實為海豚的逆戟鯨、長有一對噴氣孔的鬚鯨、等等。

(圖片來自網絡)

(圖片來自網絡)

      This morning, tiredness found me on the bus just when we arrived at Punta Arenas International Airport (PUQ). Here we boarded the chartered plane for the approximately 2.5-hour flight to Villa Las Estrellas, a Chilean Antarctic settlement and were supposed to have a 4-hour field trip on King George Island in Antarctic Peninsula.

      早起在通向蓬塔阿雷納斯國際機場的大巴上，我一直昏昏欲睡。包機要帶我們飛往南極洲智利“星城”考察站，來回總共10小時，路上耗掉5個鐘頭。

      Mom and I were covered from head to toe with some sort of cloth. I felt as if I weighed over 200 pounds/91 kilograms in my attire. Before I knew it, I was taking off layers of clothing. Soon enough, a disaster struck! Our plane to the Antarctic Peninsula was canceled due to the heavy fog and poor visibility. The wind must have 112 miles/hour or 180 kilometers/hour to blow away the fog. Otherwise, the fog was going to stay for today. According to the pre-travel arrangement, we had to change our plan to Perito Moreno Glacier in El Calafate, Argentina where an astonishing 230-foot/70-meter wall of ice sparkled with a thousand shades of blue among the 13 glaciers in Los Glaciares National Park.

      為了禦寒，我和媽媽從頭到腳里三層外三層，把自己裹得嚴嚴實實，感覺足有200磅／91公斤以上。沒過多久，壞消息傳來！因為南極半島持續大霧，能見度很低。如果暴風速低於每小時112英里或者180公里的話，老天休想趕走大霧。據氣象預報，今天一整天都不會出現大風天氣。這麼一來，機場關閉，我們無法着陸。按照事先部署的方案，我們必須改變計劃，取道飛往阿根廷卡拉法特的莫雷諾冰川，其內230英尺／70米高的冰牆號稱冰川灣國家公園13座冰山中最雄偉的。

(圖片來自網絡)

      The day couldn't get any worse. But oh, how naive I was indeed! At mid-flight, people from Argentina ordered us to go back to Chile. At first, I thought Argentina was at war against Great Britain over Falkland or Malvinas islands. Later, Mom overheard that the airport workers might have been on strike in El Calafate. No matter what, we floated in the air and landed where we took off a hour ago. Because it was not our fault, we got fully refunded.

      去不了南極，本來夠讓人晦氣的；可禍不單行，沒想到壞事接踵而至。我們從智利飛往阿根廷途中，卡拉法特機場拒絕讓我們着陸。我以為阿根廷人正為福克蘭群島即馬爾維納斯群島爭端忙着跟英國佬打仗，但媽媽聽來的小道消息卻說當地工人鬧罷工，顧不上接待這些不速之客。我們像無頭蒼蠅，在空中漫無目標閒逛了個把鐘頭，最終灰溜溜地打道回府。因為不是我們的過失，所以全部預付的費用將會退還回來。

      Mom could not let it go easily. She asked me if I wanted to tour Torres del Paine National Park, a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1978. But just as she finished offering, I exploded with a NO! After experiencing such fantastic exploration, I almost became melted and barely conscious. Of course, I couldn't blame anybody for waking up at the break of dawn in order to catch an airplane and came back with little savor memories. At the moment, I would rather dive into a swimming pool and soak myself in a hot spa. I did with steam fetching off my pants!

      媽媽心不平，氣不順，癮不過，事不完，見機跟我商量：“革命尚未成功，同志仍需努力”！她還想去智利托雷斯•德爾•潘恩國家公園，1978年被聯合國教科文組織列為世界生物保護區。“不去！”我斬釘截鐵。先前兩次“奇異經歷”把我折騰得夠嗆，我對外出觀光早已失去興趣。當然，我並不怪罪什麼，誰叫我天不亮就昏頭昏腦爬上飛機，在空中兜了一圈反倒哪都沒去成，徒勞無獲？此時此刻，我情願一頭扎進游泳池或者泡在熱浴溫泉里，讓不快煙消霧散。對啦，就這麼做！

(二O一二年十二月廿七日)

(圖片來自網絡)