December 30

Day 25 Sunday Brunch

We left camp on a clear cold day -19 with a wind in our face. Less than
an hour out and Eric turns and sees a black spot moving towards us. We
glance back and keep skiing. Half hour later up pulls a tractor, train
pulling a piston bully tractor pulling a tractor, two sleds of gear and a
caboose with a radar array behind. It happened to be a joint ANI
(Adventure Network International) Chilean Government Expedition. Only
the second tractor train to go this route. Measuring snow, ice movement
and scanning for shallow crevasses. Aboard is Mike McDowell owner ANI.
There are two US, one Canadian, one New Zealander, One Brit, three
Chilean scientists. Their expedition is to the South Pole and then with
Pole of inaccessibility. The furthest point from 2000 one way, 4000 km
round trip. We posed for pictures and then got invited in for omelets
and fresh bread. I ate seven pieces of fresh bread one hour after we
had breakfast at camp. We posed for more photos, they then gave us wine,
cashes, more bread. Mike McDowell gave me a couple of cigars (given to
him by the son of Fidel Castro). It was all over quickly and soon back
on the trail. We did 21.5km today. George