Colon
It was a sad day today as we walked down the gangway of MS Fram. We waved goodbye to the crew and Expedition Team and headed off to our different destinations across the globe. We all came away with hundreds of photographs to look through and thousands of memories. Most importantly though were the f...
Panama Canal
Transiting the Panama Canal had most of us out in the sun for the fascinating 8 hour journey through the Panamanian jungle. There were tropical birds flying around us, including the magnificent frigate bird. The whole operation was narrated by a local guide who was able to give us a huge amount of i...
Río La Chunga
Today we headed out from the ship in fast open boats for an hour sea and river boat journey. We turned into a tributary we were greeted by local men and children wearing traditional garments and the jagua-juice temporary tattoos of the Embera people. We walked through the jungle to their village of...
Bahia Solano
We were delighted to be ashore in this charming Columbian village. We were taken on a walking tour and our very informative guides gave us a lot of history about the people and their culture. The calm waters of this bay were ideal for our wonderful kayaking trips with Candice. Later that afternoon,...
At Sea
Another busy day at sea with morning exercise, a mind-bending session on knot tying and a hilarious scavenger hunt which kept participants busy for hours. We had a Talks of the Seas session with four of the team sharing their expertise - including learning to speak ‘pirate’! After photo feedback, th...
Equator
Today was a special day starting with our morning stretch and lectures on navigation, ocean acidification and the effect on marine life. We also listened to a talk about the French Geodesic and a fascinating ship’s tour with Candice. The highlight of the day was the crossing of the equator with a vi...
A day at sea
A sea day brought an energetic start for some with Candice's morning stretch but after that, it was one of relaxation and yet the hours flew by. We had a programme packed with indoor and outdoor activities and talks. It was a ‘bird day’ with a talk, a workshop and outdoors, a citizen science activit...
Salaverry
After a morning which included a photo workshop and a talk from historian Jane, we entered the Peruvian desert port of Salaverry. Sadly we faced swell which even when docked, would have put the ship at risk. Captain Jon, prioritising our safety, made the difficult decision to cancel this port and sa...
Callao (Lima)
From the port of Callao we visited the huge city of Lima after saying goodbye to some guests who left for a tour to Macchu Picchu. Later in the evening we welcomed more on board who were returning from the same wonder of the world as well as the Galapagos. During the day many of us enjoyed a city to...
Paracas
A great day in Paracas included an excursion for most of us to the Ballestas Islands where we saw a profusion of wild life including some Humbolt penguins and sea lions. The adventure had the additional fun of being a trip done by a small local boat. Others of us headed off for a once in a lifetime...
Sea day
Another busy day kicked off by Candice with an exercise session out on deck. We had practical activities in the form of Art Corner and a convivial Knit and Natter session with Jane. We also had a fascinating lecture by Rudolf and Science Co-ordinator Caroline about the Pot Pourri that is South Ameri...
Arica
We spent the whole day in the town of Arica in northern Chile. Our excursion took us to wetlands where we saw many species of birds including giant egrets, tri-colour herons and brown headed gulls. We also learned a lot of history from our guides who told us about the history of the area and we ende...
Iquique
Nearly all of we guests on board went out into the Atacama desert on the excursion to the fascinating ‘nitrate’ towns Humberstone and Santa Laura. What an insight into the harsh life of the saltpetre miners. This made our talk given later from geologist Linda especially relevant. Marine biologist Gi...
Tranquillity at Sea
For some our fun day began with an exercise session before breakfast with Lead Activity Guide Candice. For aspiring artists, our historian Jane introduced us to South American Street Art with a short talk before our practical painting session. We also heard from George, our ornithologist, about the...
Coquimbo
Today was our first voyage ashore in Coquimbo and La Serena for those of us who opted for the included excursion set of in high spirits after we’d docked in the afternoon. Our guides told us stories of piracy along this coast and tales of buried treasure hidden in La Herradura Bay. There was a chanc...
Valparaiso
The skies were grey and a light mist hung gently around the good ship Fram as we boarded in the port of Valparaiso. However, our spirits were not dampened because the weather forecast bode well for a great voyage. After collecting our expedition jackets, we settled into our cabins and got ready for...