Falkland Islands

At the dock where the tender boats drop off the tourists.

11 March 2014

The air has steadily cooled as we headed further south from Montevideo, Uruguay. And the seas have gotten rougher with big swells rocking the ship to and fro. We had two stormy days at sea before reaching the Falkland Islands. We spent the days attending lectures on the upcoming ports, listening to music at the various venues and being entertained at night with some nice musical shows. Mostly we relaxed, read our books and enjoyed watching the rain come down outside while we were warm and cozy inside.  I had downloaded something like 15 new books onto my Nook before we left on this trip. Unfortunately, I think I am going to run out before the trip ends. It is a good thing they have a nice sized library on board.

Port Stanley, the capital of the Falklands, is where the ship anchored. Because tender boats were used to ferry people ashore, I did not go ashore. Russ did go ashore and took a trip out to a penguin preserve where he saw King and Gentoo penguins. It was a wild 4WD trip over open land which even Russ said was pretty bouncy. The weather held for the most part, just a few sprinkles. But it was cold and blustery. Russ was very glad that he brought his gloves and winter coat.

Russ’ trip went to Bluff Cove which is on private land. There are approximately 65,000 penguins that roost there; in the area he visited he saw about 200. I guess the rest were out and about in the sea having their lunch or they had already left on their seasonal migration. There is another island that tourisms aren’t allowed to visit that about 2 million penguins call home.

The place has a feel of Britain and much of the British crew enjoyed being able to shop for some of their favorite biscuits and snacks. There were a couple of nice pubs which were well attended by the tourists. And the building architecture is very reminiscent of a small British village.

Everywhere there were reminders of the war that was fought in the 1980s. While in Argentina, we got an Argentinian view of the war (at least our young guide’s view) which was the war was an unnecessary political move by an unpopular dictator and a massacre of poorly trained young Argentinian solders. The defeat led to the downfall of the military regime (remember "He Who Must Not Be Named?") and the eventual restoration of democracy for Argentina, which is now enjoying a thriving economy. For the Falklanders, the war was also a tragedy with many locals killed and the loss of a Navy cruiser with most hands. There is a continuing reminder of the war as many mines remain in the lands. The locals don’t seem to be worried about them as the areas are clearly marked and everyone knows not to wander around those parts.

The islands (there are two large islands and hundreds of small ones) are 375 miles off the Patagonia coast of South America and are very isolated from the rest of the world. They were unpopulated until the 16^th century. The islands passed back and forth between the Brits, the French and the Spanish until everyone withdrew in 1811 on economic grounds. The British have continuously occupied the islands since 1833.

The economy has struggled in the islands since the decline of the wool industry. Currently the islands get over half of their revenue from fishing and much of the rest from tourism. Bird watching is a big thing here since there are over 120 species to look for.

After his drive out to see the penguins, Russ had some time to walk through the town. It is quite small (I think there are around 1,800 residents) so it didn’t take long to see it all. The country is flat and rocky and very few trees are to be found. The climate is relatively inhospitable; while it never drops below 12 degrees Fahrenheit, it is possible to have frost in any given month and there are 250 days of rain or light snow. The temperature was in the 40s the day we were there. Gales are also frequent. Overall a harsh environment in which to make a living.

 



A view of Port Stanley from the ship. Bright colors are the order of the day.

The 4WD that Russ rode in to the penguin preserve.

The route was rough and muddy. The driver said he had to vary his route each trip to prevent the formation of ruts in the land.
 



The land is grassy with lots of rocks. You can see the cloudiness for the day we were there.

 

This is about as hilly as the island got.



One of the fields with landmines still embedded.

Some of the terrain the 4WD traveled over.



Gentoos!



The white flags designate the areas the tourists are to stay out of.



What you looking at?



Some King penguins kind of grouped together but also mixed in with the Gentoos.

 

Happy Dance!



Russ with several of his new friends.



These are not the biggest species, but they were good sized.



The birds are in the midst of molting, which occurs just prior to the start of their migration.



A small museum and café were open for browsing and getting out of the cold.



Bluff cove.



On the way back, Russ saw several of these cattle; we like to call them Oreo cows for obvious reasons.



Typical British architecture is the standard for Port Stanley.



The inside of the cathedral was simple but pretty.



This is the mast of the Great Britain, a ship that was launched in 1843. She was the largest ship in the world at the time. Damaged in a storm at Stanley in 1886, she was abandoned and became a familiar part of the landscape until she was returned to England for restoration in 1970.



This is the general post office, town hall and community meeting room, complete with a British phone booth.



A memorial to the Falkland conflict. It was designed by a Falklander, paid for by public subscription and built with volunteer labor.



Our ship moored in the next bay over from the town, so it was a 20 minute bumpy ride to the dock.



A typical street in Port Stanley.



Christ Church Cathedral which was completed in 1892. The arch in front is made of whale bone and commemorates the centenary of British rule.

Victory Green along the harbor.