Winding down
After arriving in McMurdo from our 6 weeks in the field, most of us raced for the showers (where some of us even shaved!), then for the dining hall, then for Gallagher's, where we celebrated our survival. The rest of the weekend we kept busy unpacking and cleaning our gear and sorting it for next year's groups. I went to a rugby match in the snow between the Kiwis and Americans (the US nearly scored this year!) and some of us got to tour Scott Hut, where Scott's and Shackleton's men spent many months around the turn of last century. Many things are just as they left them, and there is even food still in boxes, pans, and containers. Look at the state of their poor clothes! It's amazing what those who came before us went through to aid the exploration of the last continent. We journeyed over to Scott Base for more souvenirs and goodies, and I took a jog up in the cinder cone hills near McMurdo. We all said goodbye to friends and made our way home on a C-17, much newer and faster than the C-130 - but still not many windows! I loved spending time in McMurdo, and enjoyed resting up before heading home. I'll miss Antarctica and everyone in our groups tremendously!
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