Land Ho! The Falkland Islands

By late evening yesterday, while I was wandering around finding people to talk to and things to see the storm outside (granted, that is a good place for a storm) was raging! Decks were closed off.   You could see the driven rain against the windows.  The ship rocked and shuddered.  All hope was gone during the night that we could possibly land in the Falkland Islands.  I was disappointed but most often ships can’t put people ashore because it is a tender port and high winds are not within the tendering guidelines.  Tendering means you are basically getting a ride in a lifeboat.  Some docks are not built to handle large ships like ours or even smaller ones like Viking Ocean.  Sometimes there is only one dock and more than one ship in town.   During the night the balcony door whistled in the wind and I thought I might sleep in.

In the morning the sun was rising and shining thorough a space between the curtains.  Unbelievable! We sailed into the far harbor, the near harbor has the town and dock, and it was beautiful.  From my balcony I could hear the penguins calling.  I think the babies were saying, "Where’s breakfast?”  The Malvinas chain has about 700 islands but really the East and West Falkland is where the population is.  Mostly, West.  Port Stanley is the southernmost capital city in the world.    It also has the southernmost Anglican Church in the world.  Although at one time the French colonized the island it has been British for centuries.  The Argentinian government laid claim to it and in 1982 there was The Falklands War

The history of this war is complicated, like all wars are.  Untrained young men from large and small Argentine cities and towns were taken from their homes and schools and put directly onto to ships to attack the island.  Some had never even held a gun and they had no boot camp to teach them how to follow orders.  I think the mission was doomed from the beginning.  The consensus is that the Dictator of Argentina was getting push back from a country that was not doing well.  This was a way to puff up his status by taking back what was felt to be rightfully theirs.  In England, Margaret Thatcher was also up against it and therefore sent shiploads and planeloads of well-trained British military to respond to the weak attempt.  Her continuation of power depending on retaining one of the few remaining British outposts.  Nothing was going to be lost on her watch!

The plan was to sneak into the capital city on April 2, 1982 and just switch the flag and claim supremacy.  That didn’t happen because the British on the island ‘phoned home’ and six weeks later the British Navy arrived.   About 1100 men and boys and three civilians were killed during the war.  The civilians were ladies who had safely hidden away and stayed out of the fray.  Then Mr. Johns convinced them they would be safer and more comfortable at his home.  A stray English missile struck the house and the women were killed in the ‘friendly fire.’  Mr.  Johns was not home at the time and survived.  The small cemetery is visited by veterans of both sides of the battle.  British veterans are able to come and visit the island and there has been a camp set up to house them during their visit at no cost.  Many come during the anniversary of the Falkland War to remember and mourn their lost comrades.  We passed this on our return from our excursion.

This was the only port I booked a day trip.   We signed on for a private tour through Cruise Critic.  The tour started at 10:00 and we were to meet at 9:30.  Our tender ticket time would not have gotten us there on time so I had to prove we had a tour.  I showed the young lady the note from Ron and Elaine who booked Penguin Travel for us.  Not good enough because it was hand written.  The receipt of payment wasn’t good enough either as the tour time was stated.  I thought this was insulting as though Ron and or I were liars.  Luckily Linda had internet and could pull up the email.  The woman scanned it, I know she didn’t read it but then let us go.   Lucky we did.  If we had followed the guest services recommendation to go down and get our ticket at 8:30 we definitely would not have made it.  In line at 7:10 we were ashore almost a full hour later!  Four members of our group, indeed, did not meet us and we waited and extra 25 minutes for them to arrive, leaving the meeting point at 10:25!

Since we did leave the ship in a timely manner we did have time to walk around the small town.  No gleaming capitol dome here.  In fact there is only one brick building.  Lumber is cheaper to ship in and resources have been limited.  The island was form during the shifting of the tectonic plates that divided the continents.  The landscape is harsh.  Darwin himself commented on the gleaming rivers of stones that look like cascading waterfalls.  But the economy may change as now there has been oil discovered offshore.  The hope is that the Argentinians do not try to again establish a claim because of it. It could be an opening for another war.

 Views of the Governor's House.

Famous ships are memorialized in rock.  Used to be maintained but the local Boy Scouts. 

Now it must be maintained by an official office.

Southernmost Anglican cathedral with its whale jaws arch.

We drove southwest across the island to Bertha’s Beach.  It is named for the ship ‘The Bertha’ that once was run aground here for repair.  I thought it might be named for Mrs. Fitzroy.  The beach is on the Fitzroy sheep ranch.  One day penguins started showing up so the family took advantage of that and allows a few tours whenever ships are in port.  It was about an hour’s drive along roads that were paved for only the first 11 miles.  Then gravel road that is being paved gradually as far as the military base.  This deteriorated into a dirt lane and then really just off-roading in our minivan!

Turns out that most of my video clips are too long to post so hope this is a good one!  Enjoy.

The reward was great as we were up close and personal with the Penguin Comedians – the Gentoo!  Their orange beaks and feet mark them well.  It is mid-summer here so molting is the main activity.  For many of the chicks it is too stressful and they just sleep.  The King Penguins pretty much stand around and don’t move.  But these Gentoo are the clowns of the penguin world.  They are curious and come quite close to the human visitors.  They also run to and fro and talk to each other and to you.  Quite entertaining!  It was funny making up the conversations.  There are often three or four and you are sure they are saying as they gather around one and flap their wings at another, “He’s my friend, no he’s my friend, no you go, wait, don’t leave me!”

 I love these guys who are so casual.  "We will just lie around until we are finished molting."

"Okay.  Is this a good pose?"

 "Hey, wait for me!" 

"Let's go!  Follow me!"

Our day ended all too soon.  But the private tour was the way to go.  We were only 8 plus we picked up the Hot Glass guy from the ship on the way out and also his girlfriend on the way back.  Our driver was Jackie, a contractor policewoman.  Our guide was Mark whose wife is a contractor for the government working on internet building.  Cell service was non-existent and WiFi was super expensive and super slow.  Most didn’t’ even try to access it because Mickey warned up about it.  Contractors are advertised for mostly in the UK and Australia.  They commit to two years at high salaries with a completion bonus.  They get 60 days paid vacation and a flight home and back.  They get their end of contract flight as well.  Free education is for all the children, there are 260 on the island.  The little ones who are not in the city get visiting teachers once a week to follow up on their home schooling.  The ones from ages 11 to 16 all live in town in that one brick building on the main street.  There is a high school/rec center.  Day care at the elementary schools is $4 an hour.  If you have a skill that is needed contracting may seem a good thing for you.  The climate is actually moderated by the sea.  Very little snow.  But most days are not as beautiful as the one we experienced.  There are definitely more jobs than there are workers.

Today the population nearly doubled.  The 2000 locals were very gracious to the over 2800 on our ship.  The Viking Sun was also moored in the harbor.  That is another 900.  The tendering system went better in the afternoon.  Much quicker but still the goal of having the last boat leave the island at four o’clock was not met.  When we got in line we thought it was long but it was soon at least double of that.  No one wanted to leave and our passengers stretched down the main street, Ross Road, for about a half a mile!

Back on board we sailed away from another beautiful memory into a glowing sunset.  Dinner was delicious, the service excellent, the company delightful.  I went to the 8:00 Game Show, Majority Rules, and happened to meet up with part of my trivia team.  We are not so good at this game.  Too realistic I guess.   The singer was Laura Wright who sang different types of music.  Lots of Broadway and Standards.  I checked out the White Night Party in the Sky Lounge and then got my new usual, Amaretto English Breakfast Tea and read myself to sleep.