Allen resident competes for a free trip to the coldest continent in the world

by Sarah Blaskovich

ALLEN — Allen resident Mike Mezeul says he's a Texan through-and-through. Despite the fact that he was born in Rome (temperature: mild) and then lived in upstate New York (temperature: pretty chilly), he's grown used to the Texas heat. But he'll put that all aside for a chance to win a free trip to Antarctica and explore the great icy unknown. (Just to be clear, the temperature there is below freezing.) Brr.

The contest, executed by Quark Expeditions, pits bloggers against one another for a simple majority vote. The winner gets to pick a guest and take a trip to Antarctica, valued at $20,000. And Mezeul is currently in fifth place, behind a radio personality from Portugal, a girl scientist from New York City, and two others. If you're interested in seeing a local guy's pictures of blue snow and penguins, Mezeul needs your help here.

He says Antarctica is the most “in touch” place he could dream of going. “Everybody can get a ticket to Italy or Hawaii. But to get to Antarctica is something extraordinary. I want to be that person,” he says.

Prisca Campbell, who works for Quark Expeditions, has traveled to Antarctica and said it's “absolutely life-changing.” (She also went to the Russian arctic and the North Pole, both places the expedition group books for excursions. She didn't see Santa Claus, though. He was on vacation.)

“We live in a world of 'everything's the same,'” Campbell says. “If I go to a mall in the U.S. or Canada, I see the same stores. You go to Antarctica, and there isn't anything there that you see anywhere else: There's no Blackberries, no signs, no roadways, no power lines. So this assumption that we are in charge of everything gets shaken up. You realize just how puny and small you are in the world.”

It's that feeling of isolation and excitement that Mezeul and about 290 other bloggers seek. The contest runs until September 30, and if he wins overall, his promise is to blog and take photos daily during the trip.

“I share my experience with the rest of the world through words and photographs already,” he says. “I actually do storm chasing. And I'm a photographer, so that comes naturally.”

The expedition is extreme: The winner and his or her “date” will fly to Ushuaia, Argentina on February 20, 2010. Then they embark upon the icebreaker Lyubov Orlova for the next 11 days. (Take note: The company doesn't sail from late March through October because there are 24 hours of darkness, too much ice, and often no wildlife. That's probably a good time not to visit a place that's already cold to begin with.)

While in and around Antarctica, the trip includes zodiac excursions, visits to research stations, educational program and lectures, and a whole bunch of other cool, cold stuff involving glaciers and icebergs. Those on the excursion sleep on the warm ship unless they decide to pay extra to camp -– which Campbell carefully calls “intense.” That is, they bring a ton of extra equipment that constantly needs attention. The tents have special waterproof features made specifically for those who want to sleep outside in the coldest place on Earth. And those people actually exist.

“You don't sleep in your pajamas, I'll tell you that,” Campbell says, laughing. “Most people stay fully geared and kitted out [while they sleep.] Generally, people only need to do it for one night before deciding the ship is nice and warm. Lovely, really.”

The $20,000 is lost revenue for the company, but they gain friends through it all. Nearly 15,000 people have voted for someone in the contest, and Campbell thinks that's revenue enough.

So for the next two months or so, Mezeul is on a mission for more votes. “I'd like to see a healthy competition,” Campbell says. “Why not have Dallas send someone to the Antarctic? It's up to you.”

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