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The Icy Village “Villas Las Estrellas” Would anyone like to travel with me to the Icy Village where inhabitants are required to remove their appendixes if they want to live there for a long time? Does it sound strange to you? Please don’t be scared. I shall take you there along with me if you are brave enough! We shall return together with our appendixes intact inside our body if the visit is for a week or so! Just imagine that you have arrived with me in such an Icy Village named “Villas Las Estrellas” for a short site seeing tour! On arrival, you must not be surprised to learn instantly how far we are away from civilizations! The welcome sign and the pillar of arrows pointing to distant cities will reveal the information to us. For example:“Beijing: 17,501km”.. Iquique, Northern Chile: 4,675 kilometers! Perhaps readers are eager to know where Villas Las Estrellas is exactly located. Here below is the answer: It is a Chilean Settlement (being maintained as a “civilian settlement” mostly) located in that part of Antarctica claimed by Chile as its territory. It is presumed that the next question would be about the total population of the settlement. How many people live there? Are the allowed to live in this sub-zero village with their parents? What are the facilities that are made available to the residents of the settlement? We need not go far to find the answers to the presumed questions. According to Richard Fisher of BBC, “the settlement in Antarctica has a school, a post office and a huddle of homes. It’s like other sub-zero villages, except for one thing: families must have surgery to move in”. Oh, I forgot to add here that this town or village has a small grocery shop, a hostel, a bank, two teachers in the school, a gym, a church as well as a souvenir shop! While during summer (of course ‘the Antarctic Summer), the total population of the settlement goes up to 120 people, the number goes down as low as 80 people during “Antarctic Winter”. One can travel to the settlement by air also from the city of Punta Arenas, located near the tip of Chile’s Southernmost Patagonia region. A gravel landing strip nearby is the primary route in and out of the Icy Village. Most of the tourists avail cruise ships to travel to the settlements during tourist season. One can ask why appendix removal is necessary for those who intend to stay there for longer period. It is because only a very few doctors (maybe, not more than one at a given time) are available on the military base, and none of them are specialist surgeon capable of doing an Appendectomy! We are aware of the fact that Appendectomy is normally performed as an urgent or emergency procedure to treat acute appendicitis and since the nearest major hospital where such procedure is available, is more than thousand kilometers away from the settlement, there is no other alternative for the people but to get the appendix removed before arriving in the settlement to live for a longer time there. The settlement is populated mostly by rotating scientists and personnel from Chilean Air Force as well as Navy. Those who required living there for a longer time usually like to bring their families! The intending traveler may like to ask about then weather condition that prevails in and around the Icy Village. Those who can not tolerate cold temperature should best avoid going there to live for a longer time. Though the temperature in the settlement is warmer than the Antarctic mainland, yet the yearly mean temperature is -2,3C. Sometimes, during winter the people living there can’t leave their homes due to extreme cold, and during such time, they are compelled to remain in home confined for weeks! The Icy Village is one of the safest places in the world. Why? It is because Villas Las Estrellas is a crime free place. Lovers must not go there to live. Dogs are banned there because they might introduce canine diseases to Antarctic wildlife. However, elephant seals and penguins (Adelie penguins) can be seen around the village. Do you want to learn more about this land? Then you must look for more information on the net. You would find them informative and readable too! So go ahead. Things are easy to find now a day within seconds. You need just a click to find! Sources: Net and Media           |
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The Wonder World.....!
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How very interesting!!!
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How very interesting!!!
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Interesting, but I hope you won't be offended if I don't go.  Be a prism, spreading God's light and love, not a mirror reflecting the world's hatred.
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It looks cold. Abracadabra 
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deborahsu hello, I am delighted to read from you here once again after a considerable long time. Thank you so much for the comments left on here too. All my past life, I desired to visit this part of the world to learn more about nature as well as people who survive living there fighting against all odds that they usually face there. However, the desire remained unfulfilled because I was busy with other productive job that involved much traveling too. No doubt, the village is really cold for warm weather people like us. We can be there for a short visit but living there even for a month is simply unthinkable. Thanks again. Stay well and happy.
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Interesting, but I hope you won't be offended if I don't go. No, I would not be offended if you don't travel with me to this Icy World! The village will be really cold for us. Even in summer, the sun shines there for a few hours only! The winter nights are too long too! The nights would appear endless to us. Hope, you are passing through autumn there in your country. Enjoy the sunshine and be safe always.
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It looks cold. True, it looks cold! Factually, it is colder than it looks! Thanks for stopping by. Take Care.
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I feel really happy to read from you here once again, Karin. You are welcome here always. I am sure that the base commander of this Icy Village would allow you to live there in one of those container like houses as long as you like to stay. The BBC Future described the inside of the houses as follows: "Inside the structures, however, it is cosy and welcoming. The walls feature memorials and photos to past expeditions and visitors – there’s even one plaque marking Stephen Hawking’s visit." But you must keep in mind that it will be industrial living!! Stay well. Happy Sunday. Anam
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earthytaurus,hello I live in a tropical country that qualifies me as a warm weather creature like you! Maybe, that's why I like winter so much. It may be that the mother of your student lived in the other settlement administered by Argentina located nearby Villas Las Estrellas if not there.
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THAT REMINDS ME OF THE FRENCH SCIENTIST WHO DEVELOPED BREAST CANCER AND NEEDED TO BE EVACUATED FROM THE FRENCH RESEARCH STATION IN ANTARTICA. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BUT SHE DID GET BACK HOME FOR TREATMENT IN VERY TOUGH CONDITIONS. YOU AND I CANNOT GO THERE BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DREAM.
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Earthytaurus,hello Monsoon is the longest season here in my country. Though Monsoon is supposed to be for two months like our other five seasons, it overlaps summer as well as early autumn too. By the by, we have six seasons here in my country. The Seasons are: Summer, Rainy Season (monsoon), early autumn, late autumn, winter and spring. Duration of each is two months. We are now passing through the end of early autumn. Our winter is not cold like your winter. The weather is cooler here in winter and bearable too. No snowfall either. I was born in a winter night and maybe, that is the reason, I like it. Take care ET and stay well.
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THAT REMINDS ME OF THE FRENCH SCIENTIST WHO DEVELOPED BREAST CANCER AND NEEDED TO BE EVACUATED FROM THE FRENCH RESEARCH STATION IN ANTARTICA. IT WAS EXTREMELY DIFFICULT BUT SHE DID GET BACK HOME FOR TREATMENT IN VERY TOUGH CONDITIONS. YOU AND I CANNOT GO THERE BUT WE CAN ALWAYS DREAM. I must say that the French Scientist was lucky for she did not develop appendicitis while working in the French Research Station in Antarctica! You know that acute appendicitis can not be treated outside a proper hospital where specialist Surgeons is not available. You are right. Neither you nor I can go there now. We can dream though. Stay well and cheerful, dear Archer.
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Hello Joannita, The post that you have left at above on my blog has made me again thoughtful. And in response to the post, I can only say that human lives are full of endless possibilities! Humans are only required to open their minds to find them and then select one for living! There was a time in my child hood when I wanted to walk through the falling rains! There was also a time in my life when I wanted to live a life of a hermit. But I ended up finally choosing a life of a Banker! Thanks once again for reading my blog and also liking it. I wonder what made you to leave the wonderful country where you born! Take Care and Stay Cheerful Always. look
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Queen hello, You would surely find ways to survive if you are required to live is such a cold place..lol. Thanks for stopping by and for the post you left here. Take care. Stay cheerful.
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