The icy village where you must remove your appendix

Discover more of our picks.Imagine that you had to remove your appendix to live in your hometown – and your family had to do the same.That’s the only option for long-term residents – even the children – of Villas Las Estrellas, one of the few settlements in Antarctica where some people live for years rather than weeks or months.Appendix removal is a necessary precaution for the handful of people who stay longer-term because the nearest major hospital is more than 1,000km (625 miles) away, past the tip of King George Island and on the other side of the Southern Ocean’s icy swell. Getting pregnant is discouraged – at least in the military – because it’d be too risky.The base commander’s son after a heavy snowfallChildren attend a small school, but often the snow gets in the wayCelebrating HalloweenA small sliver of green, in an environment dominated by jagged black rock and white iceVilla Las Estrellas might be the closest you can get on Earth to experiencing life on another planetPenguins that have never been hunted by humans wander up without fearIce sloshes against the stony beaches amid white seaweed and penguin carcassesIn the distance, a Russian church looks down over the Chilean baseTrinity Church is manned by Russian Orthodox priestsThe old post office, now replacedCubillos (front), a lieutenant colonel, leads a Chilean air force teamMedical facilities are basic, and any serious complications require evacuationGetting around requires tracked vehicles, or 4WD trucks……or boatsEarplugs are necessary for the two-hour+ journey, due to the C-130’s powerful propellersBack on the Chilean mainland, the Sun shines as the C-130 Hercules powers down.As the coach travels back to Punta Arenas, Chile’s southernmost city, the colour that leaps out most is the green.