This is Vern Tejas reporting for Alpine Ascents International for our Mt. Vinson climbing team. We are now fully assembled and ready to go. Currently we are in the Southern port city of Punta Arenas, Chile. This is the traditional "Jump off" city for explorers bound for Antarctica. So after a very thorough orientation from our flight service this morning, we strolled to the plaza to immerse ourselves more fully in this tradition.

The plaza is a tree lined quadrant that the city life revolves around. In the center of the park stands a monument to early exploration of Patagonia and there is a large statue of one of this areas indigenous people. Sailors and other adventurers have made a habit of kissing the toe of this brass Indian in hopes that it will give them the luck required to return from Antarctica....needless to say, we kissed it profusely.