South Pole tourism

A couple of kilometers out past the ceremonial pole is an "NGO site"--where various companies who run (extremely expensive) tourism to South Pole can set up tents and have people stay overnight at Pole. Some people just come for a few hours on their Twin Otters or Baslers that make multiple stops between South Africa or South America and South Pole. Either way, the tourists generally want to see South Pole station while they are here. So all of us who are living here had the opportunity to volunteer to give tours if/when one is needed when we are available. Of course, I volunteered! Not too long after that, there was a Sunday morning tour that worked for my schedule. So another station resident and I headed out to the visitor's center that some of the South Pole crew dragged out near the ceremonial pole...

...and waited in there playing cards while we listened for the Basler bringing the tourists.

I can't imagine what it must be like to land here in a tiny plane for only a few hours! (By the way, that's the South Pole Telescope in the background of this shot.)

We walked them into the station and did our best to show them around for about an hour and a half, though I didn't get any pictures of that. Though it doesn't matter because you are familiar with the station at this point! It was three tourists (two women pilots from the U.K. and an Indian man) plus three pilots and three employees of the tour company, including their doctor, who always comes along in case of altitude sickness or other issues. So interesting!