Several places allowed you to send postcards, but we weren't told beforehand. The expedition was somewhat ad hoc, depending on weather and incidental happenings. It was, we were told, very unusual to visit both Palmer Station and Vernadsky Station. I managed to mail postcards from both, but since we technically couldn't use either postal service I had to make due.

As for the postcards as travelogue: Yeah, I did a bit of that when I went to Europe in the 70s as a student. This time, I had a laptop and could use the net to find the ship's itinerary. What a difference 30 years makes!

I've been putting the postcards I sent myself on the refridgerator. Some things don't change.