To the very end difficult!

A hotel, a bath, a banana

Calm again before the storm

Unpack military gear - hand back

The warmth of Buenos Aires is in the air(es)

Now the game begins again - remember this is South America - I keep forgetting!

Dear Werner Dafeldecker arranges the taxi - of which the driver is a lunatic - he cannot drive 

I demand to find the seat belt which has been well and truly tucked away under the rear seat, as this must surely be his first time out in a car! He does not understand the basic concept of lane markings for some reason

The airport is a swarming mass of humanity - must partly be the Earthquake in Chile

The queue is 400 people long and expanding

An ugly fat bellied man tries to push in and nobody says anything - I go bonkers at him - 'go to the back of the queue sunshine '- at first he pretends not to speak English

He craftily sticks it out and slips just 6 places back - asshole

Now there is engine trouble on my Buenos Aires to Madrid flight which costs me 4 hours and then believe it or not as we were just about to take off at Madrid for London the plane is recalled and escorted by fire engines because of an engine leaking fuel!  So I then wait 2 hours to change planes...oh well! 

Interviewed a number of Penguins as potential students for University of Hertfordshire but they just don't seem interested in PhDs. I have a suspicion that they are setting up their own college...shame that...oh well took a photo of them being interviewed anyway. Will publish this new knowledge soon.

Frozen last night, down my left side...near the window. Serious conditions.How do you survive that in a tent? Returning continuously to my artworks in the snow they are slowly disappearing under snow, drift, wind and temperature - metaphor?

Late intense philosophical conversations with scientists. Relationships between art and science,logic and aesthetics.

Spirit, 'throwness', appropriation etc..Junctures and divisions. God and need...

Did not sleep well!

Same old routine, very difficult to explain

On a windy but sunny morning we are given 30 minutes to prepare and pack our belongings

15 minutes later, having packed we are told to stand down again (a?)

Engine trouble - no flight today

Its utter chaos. Waiting for parole ?

Food beginning to make me feel sick - pizza with an egg topping which you have to scrum for on a table in the middle of the dining room

Artists and scientists (from Czech Republic and Spain) are getting depressed...no wonder you have to have a psycho test before you come here. Madness is close to the surface

Australian artist Laurence English getting annoyed - cannot blame him...the other night is was the turn of Werner Dafeldecker (Austrian artist) - my turn to come?

Outside extremely cold but a wonderful sight - extraordinary would not of missed this opportunity

Real wonder of the world  

Have been tracing the history of human involvement with this place Antarctica its pretty sad yet 

intense adventure and resistance to accepted doctrine and the elements. Puts our little lot in our pre-made metal base (built in 1969) into perspective very quickly. 4 years away on a ship. 1 year frozen into the pack ice must have a touch more difficult. 

Well and truly stuck with the penguins here...

The weather dictates everything. When the plane arrives, we know not. There could be a technical, logistical or weather problem involved - stuck in Antarctica

Play a Blues/Jazz session with Austrian sound artist Werner Dafeldecker,  the soldiers leave the room!

Blizzard arriving....?

Snow track to the top of the giant Glacier Buenos Aires - incredible experience on top of a giant white cake - slices are disappeariing

Champagne and lamb for lunch as formal exchanges are made between the Argentine army commanders and the Bolivian crew of the newly arrived ice breaker ship in the bay

No one (except ourselves: artists and scientists) dare leave the table until the Colonel has retired.

Twin Military Helicopters across the frozen sea to Marambia Base: whales, seals, penguin tribes waddling away from the prop sound..

We are flown to the Swedish house (hut) at Snow Hill. Here the Scandinavian expedition were stranded for 2 two years in 1901. They had brought a flat pack cabin with them and dogs. They walked across the frozen sea for help

Marambia is chaos again. Too many people, no where to sleep except the floor in the lecture theatre. But we are getting used to it..

Cold cold day

Even the penguins huddle

No shower, no water, it will come - but when? It has to come from the Glacier - dam it!

Bread at lunch - very unusual.

Up at the Glacier filming and image making..actions

Deep deep fog rolls in - quick move it back to camp. Comes in fast. Cannot see the bay. Hurry.

Following the pipe line - nothing fancy - the waste disposal pipe to the camp

Penguins everywhere - they appear so innocent then they get eaten by the big birds

Military helicopter (they move in 2's) to Esperanza base

5 in the back - life jackets on

Over the bergs, channels, mountains, waters, past the Russian ice breaker

Into the wooden cantina like a boat on ice

Hut (house no 12) the old school place

Beautiful beautiful place, on the moon but with water blues to whites and greys

Penguins everywhere

No blanket

Landrover

Icey scenes and Bergs

Clear mist and Helicopters

Art arriving

 Action Stations:  Hercules being prepared, race to it, we go.....get dressed - full kit

Stop go back to the beginning, weather window closed - Stand down

I can't help but swear - ¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿¿

 So we eat, drink and play the guitar singing bad western pop songs and feel low..

Into my bunk on a windless Patagonian night

But you cannot sleep, the dogs outside are screwing, barking and howling all night long

Next morning sat on the runway they are so sincere and cute - please stroke me -

get lost you dirty little bastards !

Back again at miltary base B.A. Big Hercules arrives and we board.

Sat with the cargo on canvas straps. Very loud. But smooth and solid.

Up in the cockpit with the pilot and others.Looking towards the southern tip of Argentina

beyond to Antarctica.. Malvinas plastered all over their suits...sad.

They are good friendly people. Maps, dials, windows, lights, numbers, wires and a bed..tight space and no toilet for the flight - 5  hours..

Windy Patagonia..  onto the military camp. An hour later I get arrested and returned to camp for taking photos on the base (of the sky !!) - no problem.

Who knows?

Argentine time is different to other types of time.....on an on an on...

Trying to understand how to attach things to myself - not very successful..

Not enough tape, not enough space, not enough time, not enough nough - whats nough?

Partition of thoughts suspended in partitions

Buenos Aires weather wakes up at 6pm as if to say lets start the day

British Council and British Embassy in Buenos Aires are again informed about my trip to Antarctica with the Argentines by military aircraft.  Instruction training completed.