Read from BBC: Lake Vostok drilling in Antarctic 'running out of time'. Also, see some "e-postcards" from Vostok Station, Antarctica.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wostok-Station_core32.jpg

I would love to receive some real postcards from Antarctica [from Vostok and all the other stations/research bases (28?)], written and stamped, preferably addressed to me, showing images like the above from wikipedia, my most favorite website. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:GISP2_team_photo_core37.jpeg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:LakeVostok-Location.jpg

"The lowest reliably measured temperature on Earth of −89.2 °C (−128.6 °F) was in Vostok on 21 July 1983^[9] (See List of weather records) Lower temperatures occurred higher up towards the summit of the ice sheet as temperature decreases with height along the surface."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vostok_Station

Read this very interesting article from BBC:

"With only about 50m left to drill, time is running out for the Russian scientists hoping to drill into Vostok - the world's most enigmatic lake.

Vostok is a sub-glacial lake in Antarctica, hidden some 4,000m (13,000ft) beneath the ice sheet.

With the Antarctic summer almost over, temperatures will soon begin to plummet; they can go as low as -80C.

Scientists will leave the remote base on 6 February, when conditions are still mild enough for a plane to land."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-12275979

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In other news from Antarctica:

First woman that successfully ended the 7 Volcanoes Circuit. Romanian 16 years old Crina COCO Popescu is the youngest mountaineer worldwide and also the first woman that finishes the Volcanic 7 Summits Circuit - reaching the summits of the highest Volcanoes on 7 continents!

Read more

Coco in Antarctica: the long wait is over

After the success obtained on 4th of January, when Coco completed the ascension of Mt. Vinson – a new age record for Romania, it followed a range of days in waiting of the departure to the next objective: Mt. Sidley, the highest volcano in Antarctica.

Read more

COCO - the world’s youngest alpinist that climb Mt. Vinson (in Antarctica)

Crina Coco Popescu finished Tuesday, 4th of January 2011, the ascension of Mt. Vinson - the higher peak of Antarctica, in her most important expedition, ”Antarctica 2010 – 2011”.

Read more

Read more about this exceptional girl from Romania:

http://www.celmaisus.ro/?lang=en

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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!

Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/

"From Antarctica, with love!" - rare, circulated Antarctic cover (autographed by Father Coleman) from USAF McMurdo, Antarctica to Steven McLachlan, in Christchurch, New Zealand. The cachet and pictorial postmark depict The Chapel of the Snows, Antarctica - the southernmost religious building in the world!

Thank you, Scotty, my friend! 

I think that you really are the world's foremost authority in hands-on polar philately, after handcancelling, with various pictorial postmarks, over 10,000 philatelic items for collectors from around the world, while working many summers and winters, until 2008, in Antarctica as official USA Mail Clerk/Postmaster.

"Chapel of the Snows is a non-denominational Christian church located at the United States McMurdo Station on Ross Island, Antarctica. The chapel is the southernmost religious building in the world and has regular Catholic and Protestant services. During the Austral Summer, the chapel is staffed by rotational chaplains. The U.S. Air National Guard supplies Protestant Chaplains and the Archdiocese of New Zealand supplies Catholic Priests. The chapel is also host to services and meetings for other faith groups such as Latter Day Saints, Baha'i, and Buddhism and non-religious groups such as Alcoholics Anonymous."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chapel_of_the_snows

Interesting people: Crina "COCO" I. Popescu (Romania), age 15, dreams and takes action to become the youngest woman to climb the Seven Summits and Volcanic Seven Summits!

Someday, maybe I'll be able to create a maxicard with elements similar to the above ones. The stamp would better be from Tanzania, for geographical concordance, and it would have to be postmarked onto the postcard, of course.

But the purpose of this post is connected to the background of this postcard - Mt.Kilimanjaro.

"Kilimanjaro, with its three volcanic cones, Kibo, Mawenzi, andShira, is an inactive stratovolcano in north-eastern Tanzania and the highest mountain in Africa at 5,893 metres or 19,334 ft above sea level (the Uhuru Peak / Kibo Peak).^[3] Mount Kilimanjaro is the highest freestanding mountain as well as the 4th most prominent mountain in the world, rising 5,882 metres or 19,298 ft from the base."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mount_Kilimanjaro

Probably it's not among the MOST difficult alpinist feats, since even actress Jessica Biel was able to do it. She's good - but not a fanatic alpinist.

"In 2010, Biel climbed to the summit of Mount Kilimanjaro with members of theUnited Nation Foundation to raise awareness of the global water crisis.^[28] Also in 2010, Biel's humanitarian and charity work (as well as her popularity with young people) earned her a nomination for a Do Something Award. The awards show, produced by VH1, is dedicated to honoring people who do good and is powered by Do Something, an organization that aims to empower, celebrate, and inspire young people.^[29]"

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jessica_Biel}

Let me tell you about a 15-year old girl who hiked/climbed all the way to the summit of Mt.Kilimanjaro, AND MANY OTHER SUMMITS!

From her website http://www.celmaisus.ro/?page_id=254&lang=en: 

"Hello! ...… I am Crina Imola Popescu but everyone knows me as Crina COCO Popescu. My friends call me Coco. I ’m 15 years old and I’m a climber.

I was born in Rasnov, a town close to Brasov [Romania] and I climb mountains since I was 6 . At first I climbed around my hometown: the Bucegi Mountains and Postavarul. Then I’ve started with higher mountains. When I was 11 i went to the Alps and climbed the 4000 m  high Dente del Gi[g[]ante. Next were Olympus, Ararat and Mont Blanc."

"While surfing the internet I found what the Volcanic Seven Summits and Seven Summits are. I immediately wanted to do the whole tour! In 2008 the Altitude Mountain Club was born and my dream began to become a reality. In late 2008 we went on the Ojos del Salado in the Atacama, the world’s highest volcano, then Aconcagua – the South American giant in January 2009. They were followed by Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and Mount Elbrus in the Caucasus again. I had three peaks of the Seven Summits and 4 of Volcanic Seven Summits. For these achievements I received the title of Master of Sports, a great honor for me.

In autumn 2009 I have decided to climb Cho Oyu. Due to an imperfect acclimatization we decided to descend from an altitude of 6700m, putting safety before everything. I learned a great deal of experience from an expedition with a 8000m  target: it was a great test which phelped me prepare for the future. In January 2010 we went to Oceania where I climbed mount Kosciuszko, Carstensz Pyramid and  Giluwe. I’ve got it all. Now I have already conquered four, respectively five peaks of the Seven Summits and Volcanic Seven Summits. And 6 age records!    Just these past weeks – May – June 2010 I climbed Pico de Orizaba in Mexico & McKinley in Alaska, highest volcano and summit in North America."

"I gained a lot of experience in the past years together with our Club support team & my father. With my mother’s support – who is and will always be my best friend -  and my father whose always training and joining my expeditions I hope to fulfill my dream: to become the youngest woman to climb the Seven Summits and Volcanic Seven Summits."

http://www.celmaisus.ro/?page_id=254&lang=en

Those who can, and want to help sponsor her (the National Geographic Channel is one of the sponsors, just so you know) can do it using the accounts below.

Crina Coco Popescu is preparing herself to take part in the expedition „Antarctica 2010”, where she will climb Mt. Vinson (4897m) and Mt. Sidley (4181m); she will climb Mt. Everest during the next year. The „Antarctica 2010” Expedition costs are 70,000 Euro.

[I am editing and adapting the translation from translate.google.com]:

"Join Coco in establishing records of the "Antarctic 2010-2011"! She has been training and is determined to succeed!

You are needed because these are some of the expedition costs:
• Expedition fee• Transport - Flights• Accommodation• Food• Equipment• Satellite Phones• Electronic equipment (video camera, laptop)• Insurance• Local transportation• Other unforeseen expenses
Please contribute to the expedition, if you want and if you can!

Got questions? Feel free to contact Coco, her parents and her alpinist friends.

Contact

---

If you want to help me, please use the following contact details:

Mountain Sport Club Altitudine

Contact person: Radu Teodorescu

Email: radu.teodorescu@celmaisus.ro

Phone: 0742 381 169

Bank accounts (open accounts at BCR RASNOV – CIF 23461968)

MOUNTAIN CLUB ALTITUDINE

RO62 RNCB 0058 0987 5236 0001 –  lei account

RO35 RNCB 0058 0987 5236 0002 – euro account

RO08 RNCB 0058 0987 5236 0003 – usd account

==========================

Thank you, on Coco's behalf! :)

No, it's not a current photo of the White House

Yes, in the Greater Washington, D.C. area we are covered in snow, ice, and more snow, but this image is NOT from the White House lawn.
And those penguins are NOT politicians in disguise, although they always have fishy agendas on their minds.

From Japan to Antarctica

Japanese men in Antarctica.