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Published: October 28th 2017
Falklands
Kate using the BatphoneOn our way , 262 miles to Port Stanley, Falkland Islands. 58 knot winds make for a rough ride but I think most are getting used to it. Not many missing meals. The Zaandam handles the heavy weather well. We took the bottle of Champagne that Kate won up to the Crowsnest Lounge. They will chill it for us and we will share with our friends. Tommorow, Penguins!
Some of the best weather conditions possible here on the Falkland's for todays visit. CAVU ( ceiling and visibility unlimited). Our guide mentioned , 2 days earlier we would have had to sail right past. The winds they blow! Boarding the tender I got the best seat on the boat, right at the entrance door, great for views and picture taking. Then about 30 gallons of sea came through the opening.
Transferred from a mini bus to a Land Rover Defender, about 1988 version. Off road through the marshes. The Defender was a great choice for this terrain, not hilly but the truck never saw better than 2 nd gear. Would have been an interesting contest for man and nature if our journey was in the rain.
The Gentoo Penguin Colony , with a few King Penguins was what we had been hoping for, lots of photo ops. The Gentoo's were hatching their eggs and Kate was right in front of one that stood and exposed the egg , which doesn't often happen. Spoke with our dinner couple , who mentioned they had
walked along the beach and come across about a dozen King Penguins with their teenagers , who were still in their brown baby coats. 9 born last year and still 7 surviving! Into Stanley Port for a look around and some local beer. I choose to drink Iron Lady , which I felt fitting. Shopping in Stanley proved to be very expensive, Kate did find a Christmas tree ornament , which is a tradition with us. There was a funeral taking place in the Cathedral , so the girls did not get to enter. The hearse was a stretched wheelbase Land Rover Defender , beautifully polished, way cool.
2 parallel streets about 4 blocks in length bring you the Post Office , Police Station , City Hall, High School and Cathedral on the waterside.
Couple of pubs on the higher
street. So you can walk on a level smooth sidewalk going to mail a letter , but have to negotiate a crumbling angled pathway in the dark exiting the Pub!
Rough ride back in the tender to the Zaandam , with 45 knot winds.
My cold has now arrived , as expected , drugs are being used but not putting a dent in the symptoms. Will just wait it out. I have a lack of energy , so a number of daily routines have been downgraded to sitting around and sleeping. Oh , I still have a reasonable appetite.
2 sea days and then docking in Uruguay. The ride was rough last night , but improving as we cruise Northward. We are skirting a Continental shelf , which at present is 4200 metres in depth. You know the old adage about only the first few feet being of any consequence.
At the top of the Zaandam now , the Crowsnest Lounge , many people coughing , no hiding anywhere. Kates's a little better and I am 3 days behind her!
Today there are 2 lectures. Margret Thatcher gets spoken about , followed by
the excursion port girl and Buenos Aires. Looking forward to both the ports of Montevedio and Buenos Aires , which is called the Paris of the South. Considered the cultural capital of South America.
They are televising the World Series games! Not many people showing much interest. Our friends are kind enough to humour me with comments and questions.
Just finished a history lesson on the Falklands War , I well remember the event , which occurred in 1982. Still a lot of signage in town , berating Argentina and its ongoing claims to the Falklands. With a 200 nautical mile extension of their coast which encompasses the Worlds major squid fishery , I get it. If you eat calamari , chances are it was caught in the Falklands. Reminds me of eating local crab on the famous piers of San Fransico and seeing the shipping boxes stamped Product of Washington State!
Kate convinced us to play an organized game in the Crowsnest , which involved matching your answers to other teams with maximum matches winning points.
Another bottle of champagne was the result.
Montevideo, Uruguay , not on my radar at any
time. So lets see , resting on the mouth of the worlds widest river is cool. Jackie O' had a residence here once , thats cool. Nice beaches , fantastic barbecues , beach soccer , high level of national pride , good infrastructure. Won the first World Cup of Football, tell good Argentinian jokes. Whats not to like!
The weather was heavy rain for most of our 3 hour van tour, where we saw plaza's and cathedrals , legislature buildings and football stadiums. 53 different varieties of marble used in the legislature buildings interior. I did sense a positive vibe in this city and both Kate and I decided we liked it. If the weather had even been marginally better! Did not stop for a beer , which is unusual, maybe the remnants of the cold. They have a section of railway track taken from the original line to Auswitche, Germany where so many had perished , along with a Park and monument representing the Jewish faith, thats cool. Half the countries population resides in the city.
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