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Art Garfunkel, Eric Weissberg, Warren Bernhardt and Stuart Breed (along with their families) are aboard the Ocean Explorer I for a one week cruise to welcome in the new Millennium. They set sail from Ushuaia, the capital of Tierra del Fuego at the southern tip of Argentina.  The cruise will take them through the scenic Beagle Channel, then into the Drake Passage where they will cruise around Cape Horn and head south to the very remote continent of Antarctica.   Icebergs will be abundant as the ship sails past the South Shetland Islands and crosses the Antarctic Convergence. 

This is a special charter cruise sponsored by the "Young Presidents' Organization."  Members include 8,000 of the world's most influential corporate presidents who rely on one exclusive network to connect them.  The "YPO" unites these global business leaders to exchange ideas, pursue learning and share strategies to achieve their vision of tomorrow.

Day 1 - December 28, 1999
CITY AT THE END OF THE WORLD

Well, here we go - the first entry in my journal. We are in Ushuaia, the southernmost city on the American continent, the last bastion of shelter on Tierra del fuego (Land of fire) of which Ushuaia is the capital. Ushuaia, is 1,824 miles south of Buenos Aires and its name means "bay penetrating west," population just below 50,000.

Ushuaia's remoteness and inaccessibility made it a perfect location for (you've guessed it) a penal colony, the prison built in 1902, contained 380 cells and was home to 600 convicts, many of whom had been found
guilty of murder and even cannibalism. The only way to stay warm for the prisoners, was to work, they became the workforce that built the town and the railroad, the prison now serves as a Naval base.

I went on a 5 hour tour of Ushuaia which included a visit to the Tierra del fuego national park, which nestles in the southern tip of the Andes (which are on the end of your armies, get it?). The visit to the park only served as a reminder, that I am indeed on the trip of a lifetime. At one point I was standing on the actual Southernmost piece of land in the Americas, it was a little strange because we were completely surrounded by Chile, arguments over land rights between the 2 nations have been going on for centuries, and continue to this day. Daylight here at this time of year (summer) is from 3am -- 11pm, at last enough hours in a day for me to get everything done.

We embark on our cruise at 8pm, sailing out through the Beagle channel and onwards toward Antarctica. I will endeavor to keep this journal updated everyday, but satellite links become pretty tricky as we get closer to our destination.