We have spent an incredible three days �"trapped' by ice at Port Lockroy, with a tenuous link to the shore after the sea ice closed in again with a fresh southerly on the afternoon of the 20th.

Port Lockroy is one of those places that are sometimes avoided when you want to get away from the almost daily - twice a day normally - cruise ship traffic, not to mention a default anchorage for the various yachts that are sailing in the central Gerlache area. Not so this time, as we had the rare experience of no traffic due to the brash pressing up against the base, preventing any landings by the cruise ship Zodiacs. The team at the base Ð Helen, Jane, Sarah and Christy were most welcoming as they hadn't had a cruise ship landing in weeks - normally they are flat out lecturing the tourists, conducting tours through the museum and running the souvenir good quality stuff shop Ð good quality stuff - in addition to doing ongoing maintenance to the base. We couldn't offer showers on board, dinner and drinks, re-provisioning nor a laundry service that they enjoy as part of the cruise ship visits Ð only our company was mutually enjoyed and we spent the last three evenings to gether in the luxurious Nissan hut they are billeted in, cooking up delicious meals, playing cards and spinning yarns.

While I loosely monitored the cruise ship traffic to see who could accommodate a change of plan for Elena to transfer over and for Dave to somehow get out, there was plenty to do. While Andrew was back filming his Gentoos and Ruth was doing set ups for the children's film, Lara, Luca and I kayaked in the open water that came and went, hoisted everyone to the top of the mast for a view (several times in Luca's case and he finally summited . . . ) came to grips with a penguin survey (more on that later) and decorated the Christmas tree and most of the interior of the boat Ð all home made Ð so much so that for the adults it is a veritable obstacle course to get from the chart table to the galley ducking and diving under various contraptions. All magic stuff!

This afternoon I kayaked around to Jougla Point, alternatively with Lara and Luca in our two man kayak and walked across the sea ice in Alice creek to visit four crab eater seals hauled out. Nearby on the shore, the first Blue Eyed Shag chicks have hatched during the last day or two and all the Gentoos are sitting firm on their eggs.

Only today has the ice retreated with a light northerly breeze, and one yacht has dared to enter, now anchored at Jougla Point. Dave is going over for a drink and to gather information on ice in the southern Neumayer, as the Ushuaia with Elena on board is due in tomorrow afternoon, in time for Christmas Eve, ice permitting.

Alas, our relative solitude, will be shattered as a direct function of the retreat of the brash ice, and the ships will rush in . . . .

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