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CReSIS Aerial Survey of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet

Hello Gary- What an adventure- as I live through your journals. Thanks for the insight, fun, and beauty. Now to ask you all the questions I have been saving up... Ok, is there a tax collector in Antarctica? Is there any money exchange? What does a typical day in Antarctica cost? With 1100 people at McMurdo, are there several places to eat? Who supports the support people? Fire, computers...

Please share some of the tux and top hat photos. How do you fit it into your bags? Is the hat a collapsible one? Did you have to sacrifice anything to do that?

Have you been able to sing? Karaoke? Talent night?

A happy trekking to you-

Deanna Wheeler

Sun, 12/13/2009 - 20:00

Gary Wesche

Hi Deanna,
First the tux and tux shoes and top hat were a dorm mates.  You wouldn't believe the fun stuff that makes its way into people's bags.  
Raytheon Polar Services employes all the support personnel here.  They work a 6 day week and are contract employees.  Really you spend no money here unless you go to the little store.  Or buy a drink at one of the three evening venues.  
We all eat at the Galley.  They serve 4 full meals a day, breakfast, lunch, supper and midrats (midnight rations) which is a full meal for those who work the night shifts.  
McMurdo is like a small town.  Raytheon works very hard to provide ways for people to enjoy their time off.  After nearly 3 weeks here waiting for the weather to clear up at our remote site I have been interviewing 30+ people, and these interviews will begin to show up in journals.  Great stories.
If you need to buy stamps there is a US post office here.  All money used is US currency or credit cards. 
I have spent less than $100 total, and most of that is on gifts from the gift shop.
Oh by the way tax is figured into the price of anything you buy.
Raytheon is located in Denver, CO.
Hope that covers the questions,
I have a live event on Thursday in the states.  1PM central time
Great to hear from you,
Gary