SANAE 47 = 47 … x2!
Our time in Antarctica lasts more than a year – recent policy change regarding the timing of the annual summer expedition mean we will spend more than 16 months away from home and 15 of those in Antarctica – and so everyone on the team gets at least one chance to have a birthday. It’s a big trade-off: You either have your birthday in the summer months, and thus endure two traditional snowbaths, or you have it in the winter, which means only one snowbath but the temperature will be 20° colder! No-one has tried both and told us what the difference is…
Particularly special to SANAE 47 is that two team-members – Richard and Gerhard – are celebrating their 47th birthdays on the expedition. Richard’s has passed during takeover (and so he’ll be able to celebrate 48 with SANAE 48 when they arrive), but today we celebrate Gerhard’s 47th. Here’s a picture of him in fine form infront of the base. Gelukkige verjaarsdag, ou maat.
