Dirk and I went to the Chilean Armada base this morning to make contact with Christian (from AWI) who is due to arrive into Jubany on the Polar Pioneer. The Polar Pioneer is a Russian ship which has come from Poland via Buenos Aires to pick up the rest of the Jubany Dalmann scientists (from AWI and Oldenburg University in Germany and the Argentine Antarctic Institute) and who Steve and I will be working with in Jubany at the Dallman labs. Maybe they can pick us up, maybe not. The weather is so bad and the ship needs to get to Ushuaia to start the tourist rounds but was still having problems docking at the Polish Arctowski station to drop off cargo, let alone Jubany.

Later, excitement was caused by seeing a plane coming in to land. We have only been here a week but rushed quickly to the airport, laughing at our response and realising how excited our own welcoming committee had been after months on end before seeing a plane. But it turned out to be the Chilean air force training and we later saw a helicopter flying across towards Jubany – taking our equipment across during their training (though minus the toilets which were being stored away from the elements in a container!)

We later heard there is a Brazilian ship, Maximiliana, picking up people from Marsh to take to the Brazilian Ferraz base in Admiralty Bay in the next couple of days so are hopeful we may be able to get a lift round to Jubany if Polar Pioneer cannot make it round. Sounds like we might make the journey in the next day or two which is very exciting.