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Show people who ror Bfrom it all, want to get NORTH POLE flPn ,uu ic York-base- n, Hi) iffe away Lindblad has the place a vacation area that Ujusttotally unspoiled, never crowded and eternally cool, it's Antarctica New d Lindblad, a Swedish-bortravel agent, has been running his Antarctic excursions for the last six years. He's even built his own vessel, to carry shiploads of travelers to the frozen, southernmost reaches of the globe. Most of his custourists with a tomers are yen to gaze upon penguins, elephant seals and other frigid fauna, as well as to taste the relative solitude and peace of a voyage to the icecap. "Our passengers are people with curiosity," says Lindblad. "They have a lower age average than those you customarily find on cruise ships. We have many physicians, also businessmen, executives, professors. About half are women. You will not find any bored people I have never seen anybody play bridge aboard our ship." Lars-Er- J well-heel- JuUdLLj by Herbert Kupferberg PHOTOS BY RICHARD HARRINGTON v' L Norwegian skipper The vessel, named the Lindblad Explorer, carries 90 passengers and a crew of 61, headed by a Norwegian captain. It makes five voyages a year to the polar region, traveling there only during the Antarctic summer months of December, January and February. Most cruises last three weeks, with prices from $1500 to $2250. Starting point is Tierra del Fuego, the southernmost tip of South America. Passengers pay their own air fare there and back, adding about another $1000 to the cost. What do you do on an Antarctic vacation? Admiring the scenery is a major activity. The Lindblad Explorer steers channels and through glacier-drape- d For seas gleaming with ice. animal life, there are thousands of penguins gravely strolling about or happily sliding on the ice Hunting of any sort is strictly forbidden. Passengers take short spins on motor-driveinflatable rubber boats called Zodiacs. They visit Antarctic scientific stations operated by Chile, Argentina, Britain, the Soviet Union and the United States, where they always get a warm welcome. 2346-to- n -- ' jy b k fc, t n, XT iri. p" lr. j-- " " aSSaJ V"t ', crr -. .. X. No one goes hungry z high-qualit- XsfiSk-- ' ,' P" ?? 7xTV1 ffh . .;W r .T. p"P rNCrfr.e V 4 - !- -. vt Sk Welcoming delegation of penguins greets travel agent Lars-ErLmdblad as he leads a party of tourists to one of the ic 10 t 7- I ,v;...-- A V - ; - -- .. "''Jr V. v 'rc world's most unspoiled vacation-landbackground is his specially built ;ns fZt s, On shipboard Lindblad provides his passengers with food and a liquor supply that features hot grog. His cruise personnel includes scientists who give lectures on the geology and plant and animal life of the region. It's a great place for birdwatchers where else can you see a blue-eye- d gull and shag, a black-backe- d a wandering albatross all on one trip? This kind of touring fulfills Lindblad's philosophy of traveling, which is that a vacation should be as different as possible from everyday life. "I have a conviction that many of our i o. the Antarctic. In the e cruise ship. icebreaker-typ- y, PARADE MARCH 25, 1973 |