It is possible that this post may turn out to be a disjointed stream of consciousness due to my current level of excitement and need to explain just how wonderful the Falkland Islands have been and how lucky I am to have this job and how much I like penguins and beaches and sitting in the sun and apple pie and early morning sunlight and having an afternoon doze in sand dunes. For anyone expecting my usual level of high quality factual information about my adventures, I apologise.
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| Gypsy Cove in the morning sun |
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| This is actually taken at Surf bay but I am too excited to order the pictures sensibly |
It would be impossible to imagine how the last four days could have been any better as the weather has been perfect every day and, since there is a hospital in Stanley, my services have not been required on the ship (not that my medical skills are required very often here anyway) so I have been off exploring. Every day has started with a 6am run to Gypsy Cove for a penguin pick-me-up and to enjoy the fantastic light which made everything look stunning and caused me to skip a little bit every now and again. Admittedly each morning when my alarm clock went off at 5.45 and I contorted myself in bed so I could see the small triangle of sky, which is just visible above the lifeboat if I press my cheek to the glass, a little bit of me hoped that I would see grey sky and/or rain so I could justify going back to sleep. However, once up, there were no regrets and it was more than a little disappointing that we lost our berth yesterday and have had to anchor out in the harbour meaning no run today. Rather surprisingly I managed to recruit company for the early morning activities which meant Rich (the ship's purser) was there to witness my totally uncontrolled delight at the penguins, and the baby ducks, and the baby geese and the general loveliness of it all - bemused is probably a good description. I was a little concerned that, after such a wonderful start to the day, things would only go downhill. Not so, for there are many exciting things to do around Stanley, particularly if you are in possession of a bike.
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| Surf Bay |
The cycling options available on the Falklands are rather limited as very few of the roads are properly tarmacked and my road bike would have been most unhappy if I had tried to explore too far afield. However, from where we were moored it was possible to whizz along the road to Surf Bay and arrive at paradise (albeit a rather chilly paradise) in less than 10 minutes. I then left the bike (tied to a post with a lock that was basically little better than a piece of string which I borrowed from the Chief Engineer - no crime here apparently) and walked along the coast to the lighthouse which I saw on the way in. For anyone that has seen the Anne of Green Gables TV show that was on when I was little, the lighthouse was exactly like the one in that, and in my mind I was rapidly transported to New England and Gilbert Blythe. Anyway, I digress. Along the way my eye was caught by a small movement on the beach and a large white object that appeared to be waddling. All I can say is thank god I was on my own! Lone king penguin wandering around on the beach. Clearly lost. Clearly in need of someone to look after him or at least to give him a little stroke. Luckily I managed to regain some composure after a small amount of hopping and squealing and settled for a couple of photos. If my excitement level turns out to be directly proportional to number of penguins seen I may be in trouble when I get to South Georgia and the colonies
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| PENGUIN!!!!!!!!!! |
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| Lying in the sand dunes I somehow summoned the energy to take a picture |
I returned to Surf Bay the following day as several people told me there were often dolphins playing in the water there, so I thought I should maximise my chances of seeing them. Sadly no dolphins, but I did manage a short afternoon nap in the sand dunes with the sea splashing up the beach - it is indeed a hard life!
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| Remembrance Day in Stanley |
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| Attack of the seagulls |
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| Elland Road 7970 miles - useful to know |
I have also wandered in to Stanley on a couple of occasions and managed to make it in for the Remembrance Day ceremony. Since it is the 30 year anniversary of the Falkland conflict this year, the event was probably a bit bigger than usual and included royalty (rather lost on me admittedly). The church service was standing room only and all the divisions of the forces had a marching party to accompany the veterans and marching band. It really was quite special - particularly the bit when a currently serving officer was screaming out mildly amusing commands to the veterans to get them into rank ready for some marching (apparently at a reduced speed to ensure the young guys could keep up with them). It seems you never forget how to march and the veterans looked equally as smart and organised as the serving troops but their presence was somewhat more poignant. Out of respect I resisted all temptation to photograph young men in uniform, but I figured the band was fair game as they looked all bright and shiny. I also spent a lot of time watching the world go by while sitting on the shore in the sunshine and am a little concerned that if I get much more relaxed I will never be able to return to normal life.
