We were extremely fortunate to get onshore at the Falklands. We were told that the last three times the ship has tried to come here they were forced to turn away due to high winds and rough seas. Today the sea is quite calm and we were able to anchor offshore and take our tenders into the lovely port city of Port Stanley. This charming town looks like a quaint British village that fell out of the sky. The homes were painted in bright colors and were meticulously manicured. We even spotted a few of the famous British red phone booths.
When we reached the shore we were divided into groups of four and we piled into 4-wheel drive vehicles. Now, the first problem was that in order to enter the truck you had to climb about 4-feet up (not really, but it looked and felt like it)! Luckily, the driver offered a stool which I gratefully and readily accepted. I know she considered me to be a "wuss" but it was the only way I would be making my way into the vehicle. Otherwise, I would have been holding on, running alongside the truck!!! Bob rapidly grabbed the shotgun seat while the rest of us squeezed into the back seat. I don't even know how to describe the experience of riding in the back seat except to say that we became very cozy with one another and if one of us shifted our position, even slightly, we all shifted. One man was about 6'5" and probably weighed close to 275 pounds. I felt really bad for him since he was REALLY crammed. Also, since I was seated next to a window, there were a couple of accessories bolted to the inside and every time we hit a bump my head went bashing into them. Trouble is we were off-roading so there were LOTS of bumps. Bob later pointed out that there was a third seat which none of us in the middle seat noticed (this is Bob's input which Twila denies). Needless to say, I ran to the Advil as soon as we returned to the ship! Once we were squished into the truck the guide pushed on my door from the outside until it finally closed tight and we were off!!!
It was a unique environment, if not very interesting. It reminded me of Iceland except it wasn't as green. There were absolutely no trees or large bushes. The landscape was grass and ground cover that looked like tundra. Our small 2-lane road soon ended and we began our trek over gravel. We squirmed and jumped with every pothole. Hopefully, this was as bad as it would get (little did I know this was the easy part)! The drive across the island to where the penguins were located took about two hours. There was no air conditioner in the truck, so the back seat became quite toasty as we bounced over the gravel. The woman sitting next to me wanted to remove her jacket but it took some serious cooperation from the rest of us for her to remove it! We finally managed to get it off of her but the rest of us decided that perhaps it wasn't worth the effort so we remained in our jackets!
As our eyes scanned the surroundings we saw small streams flowing through the grass, cattle, sheep, and turkey vultures. A small, beautiful yellow bird, a sisken, flew passed us as we traveled through this wide open landscape. After nearly 1-1/2 hours our truck suddenly veered off the gravel road, paused momentarily to "push some buttons" and suddenly started driving over the ROCKY green landscape! Now the off-road adventure really began. We had no seat belts in the back seat (maybe they were buried somewhere underneath but we could have never found them at this point). Back and forth, up and down, side to side we were thrown around, jamming my head into the side with every big bump. This is not exactly the adventure I had in mind, although it was certainly a new and exciting experience. Just---get---there! That's all I could focus on. Our driver cheerfully informed us that we were nearly there (thank you, God). Suddenly, the front of our truck was facing quite a deep river, probably about 4 feet deep. We paused and then started heading straight for it!!! Oh my goodness I just took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Our truck skidded and growled its way through the water and soon we were on the other side. We probably traveled about 50 yards through the water. Ok, now I can say I have officially been off-roading!!! FINALLY, we reached our first stop which was a structure used as a rest stop for tourists on their way to see the thousands of penguins in the area. We had a chance to have a snack and use the facilities (although on a few occasions along the way it was almost impossible to wait for the "comfort" stop)!!!
Soon, we were on our way to the penguins. We pried our way back into the truck, pushed the door from the outside until it closed and headed back across the river. This time I kept my eyes open and saw the water rising practically to window level. Quite an exciting day! Within a few minutes we looked out and were delighted to see hundreds, maybe thousands, of penguins waddling along the beach. We opened the doors and lunged out of the truck onto the rocky soil.
A light fog gave the beach an eerie look and watching penguins as they bobbled along the sand was a bit surreal. It felt like I was in the middle of the movie "Happy Feet." Such an absolute delight. We walked slowly and steady, as quietly as we could, until were were within 5-6 feet of a large group of penguins. They didn't appear to be particularly bothered by our presence so we were able to get quite close to them.
Of course, Bob was off and running to remove himself from the crowd and get up close and personal with the penguins. I spotted him sitting on the rocky sand, waiting for the curious penguins to approach him. Although they got very close, none seemed to be curious (or maybe trusting) enough to come all the way up to him. He did get some amazing pictures. If any of you are interested in seeing his pictures of the penguins just email him at drbobusc@gmail.com. He's always happy to share photos.
Meanwhile, I was walking up and down the beach watching the funny little creatures wobble and bobble over the sand. They would hop, dance and sit to preen themselves. I watched three little penguins in a row follow each other around, chasing each other around the beach. They would stop periodically, form a tight huddle as if to plan their next move and then start chasing one another again. Incredibly cute. We saw three types of penguins, Magellan, King and Gentoo. They were all absolutely delightful. I was amazed to hear the sounds they made. They sounded a little like turtle doves cooing at one another. We were ale to distinguish the youngsters by the gray fuzz that covered the babies and the dark black feathers that covered the bodies of the adults. We were told that the penguins lay their eggs in October and it takes about 4-5 weeks for the babies to hatch. The couple takes turns watching the egg and keeping it warm while the other one looks for food. So sweet. We walked around, sat on the sand and watched these charming little creatures for a couple of hours before it was time to press ourselves back into the truck and start the return journey.
Although the ride back was just as bumpy and uncomfortable, there were a couple of interesting sites along the way. We passed the blades of an old helicopter which had been shot down during the Falkland Islands War in the 1980's. It was quite interesting to listen to the Brits with us as well as our driver and hear the animosity that continues to exist between them and Argentina. The British have left remnants of the war throughout the island as a reminder of the war. In addition, as we got closer to the town of Port Stanley we passed many, many workers in the fields, wearing day-glow yellow jackets with protective masks. These workers are specially trained in Zimbabwe and travel all over the world removing land mines. There are thousands of mines still in the fields after the 1982 Falkland Islands War so residents are not allowed to roam through the countryside in some areas.
Lastly, we passed by a large field, called Boot Hill, with sticks protruding up and a boot hanging from the top of each one. Evidently, when a British soldier has been stationed here for six months they go to the field, plant a stick, and leave a boot hanging on it. It's a peculiar site, but interesting. Not sure how this tradition got started but it makes an interesting site along the road. Now, it's back to our tender to ride back to our ship. Very ready for a couple of relaxing sea days. Next stop, Uruguay!!!
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