For the first time in my life I've had to buy sunscreen due to the lack of ozone over Antarctica.But it turns out that my bike kit is more or less appropriate clothing, according to the packing list, so I don't have to buy anything extra (they have a supply of rubber waders on board the ship).

If you're interested, you can read all about the cruise at http://www.antarpply.com/public_html/index.html.

Anyway, the campsite is full of Swiss and French in Landies, plus a few Germans and a nice pair of Colombian kids. Fernando and Patricia are going to look after the bike for me while I'm away. And a word about the lupins: Patagonia is full of them, rampaging all over the place. They're mostly purple and white on the western side and red and pink in the east; presumably something to do with soil acidity like hydrangeas. There's also a fair population of fuchsias and gorse bushes.

You may be interested to know that an old Routemaster is alive and well serving the city tour route here. I gather they've been junked in the UK, but there are plenty in the rest of the world, and they just won't lie down and die.