The first day was white – white as in snow, as in hail, as in ice. As in spray from the waves, a wild landing and white as in toes that have been cold for a while. White (and a little wet) landings at Fort Point and Yankee Harbor. Sometimes we have blue skies here for weeks. We might hear the voyage crew say 'I did not imagine Antarctica to be like this!' We do not have this problem now, not at all. It is exactly how you would imagine it to be – white in many ways.

The second day was black. Black as in lava, rocks and ashes. Black beaches black mountains black sand. We sailed into the collapsed caldera of Deception Island –  passing the narrow entrance in silence without engine. Started the day with a long walk over the black mountains and snow – grey snow this time, covered by black sand blown up by the strong winds typical for Deception Island. The afternoon was spent well packed in our clothes – wind and spray and overwhelming views at Telefon Bay. All those layers of clothing came of in the evening– bathing on the same black shores at Pendulum Cove, in the same wild wind. Even though the last eruption took place about 50 years ago, the water is still around 70 degrees. Sometimes, at the right moment the hot water mixes with the seawater and creates a temperature that is just perfect. It was.