Antarctica to Zimbabwe – Day 39 – Silver Wind, Falkland Islands can be found here.
Day 40… it’s hard to believe we’re almost halfway into our journey. I won’t say that the pace has slowed, but I’m taking moments to really soak everything in. This trip hasn’t always been easy but it has been rewarding in ways that I never expected – and I’ll accept its end when it arrives.
Up slightly later than the day before – just after 6 am so that we’re ready for room service to arrive at 6:30 am.
Usual drill – sunscreen, rain pants, parka, backpacks, lifejacket – though it’s a jetty landing today so we can wear our hikers instead of our Bog boots. That knocks a few minutes off the departure time.
Windy today, and wavy. Our zodiac driver Andrew does his best to tack through the waves so as to minimize the splash, but there’s no way around it – and the front passengers are thoroughly soaked.
We arrive at the jetty and learn that it’s expedition guide Jess’s birthday today, and we sing happy birthday to her as we disembark.
Off to Gypsy Cove!
We wander up the narrow pathway, hemmed in by rocks and tussac grass. The pace is ponderous but the scenery is beautiful, so there’s ample time to take it all in.
We’re rewarded with views of Magellanic penguins hidden amidst the grass – and in their burrows! A big relief as they are never guaranteed, particularly at this time of year.
We soon crest the hill and find a naval gun that watched over Stanley during the Second World War. It was never fired at an enemy vessel.
Then back around in a broad circle that brings us back to the start – where we discover our bus has broken down!
So far we have had a delayed flight, a dead zodiac, a burst zodiac compartment, and a broken-down bus. We appear to be escalating.
But the expedition staff handle it well – they call it in to the Wind, who confirms that another bus is on its way. They then take us around for another quick loop around the path to spend some more time admiring the wildlife and landscapes.
The replacement bus arrives not long after. We board for the return trip to Stanley, stopping briefly to take photos of the Lady Elizabeth – an iron whaling barque (three masted sailing ship) that failed to cross the horn and blew into the cove in 1936.
We return to Stanley, and set off in search of fresh tea berries and diddle-dee berries – as well as a hot drink and some tasty treats.
We’d swung past the Waterfront Kitchen Cafe on our previous trip, and had made a mental note to return there. Thankfully we’re back nice and early this time. It’s even nicer than we expected!
Our daughter has the lemon meringue pie:
And our son has the chocolate cake, so tempting that he can’t wait for the photo before sticking his spoon into it:
We sit and munch for a time, watch the waves outside the windows, and listen as the expedition staff joke around with each other. It’s a lovely reprieve from our hectic pace.
Then back around Stanley once more:
We stop briefly in the grocery store to pick up some odds and sundry, including a copy of the local newspaper – the Penguin Times:
I’m pleased to report that the Falklands feral goat eradication committee appears to be making headway, and that Falklands kennel owner Pauline Sackett has claimed a rosette at the renowned Crufts dog show. Congratulations, Pauline!
No tea berries or diddle-dee berries at the grocery store, so we continue on to the Historic Dockyard Museum:
It’s very much worth the stop. We enjoy the way in which it includes natural history, the settlement of the island, and the history of the Falklands war:
Some fine work by “Stuffing Steve”, the top taxidermist in the Falklands according to expedition leader Jamie. Also some dry British humour on display: “Please don’t feed the birds. They’re stuffed.”
There’s also a very fine ‘looks and feel’ exhibit that the kids quite enjoyed:
They also have a very thorough exhibit on Antarctica, including a reconstructed expedition hut:
But it’s soon time for lunch, so we once more return to the Malvina House Hotel for some fish, scallops, squid, and pizza.
Then back to the gift shops again searching for tea berries, diddle-dee berries, locally made fudge and some stickers for the kids. We manage to find diddle-dee jam and the stickers – close enough!
We debate attempting to visit further gift shops in search of fudge, but decide instead to bid adieu to Stanley and return to the ship.
Back aboard in time for trivia. We struggle today, and only manage to place third – though it was a proper third, not a participatory third. I missed that a polyandrous woman would have more than one husband, and that a group of polar bears is called a celebration or an aurora.
But I did know that the head bartender’s name is Colin! Not even expedition guide Jonathan knew that. One fellow team member says, “I’m not sure whether I should be impressed or concerned.” I reply, “Why not both?”
Off for Martin’s full-length lecture on sea birds.
I was surprised to learn that the Tristan albatross on Gough Island is among the very rarest of the albatrosses – they are being pushed toward extinction by invasive mice. While the initial attempt to eradicate the mice in 2021 has failed, further efforts are planned in 2026 and will take into account lessons learned from that initial attempt.
And then back to the Show Lounge for a recap of our adventures in Stanely and in West Point Island.
We have a lot of ground to cover but weather is looking very favourable over the next few days. Swells of only 2 to 2.5 metres, and a following sea! Though the following sea is typical for this part of the world. Glad we’re not headed in the other direction.
Off for dinner at the Grill. It was a very tasty and efficient meal this evening, though there was nothing particularly new this time around – apart from the sea bass, but that looks like any other fish – so no food photos.
But I do manage to capture the sunset:
Clocks are moving forward tonight, so we’re planning to wake extra-late so that we can rest up before we hit South Georgia in just a few days time. We only stopped briefly in the Falklands, but we’re all ready for a sea day!
Continue reading Antarctica to Zimbabwe – Day 41 – Silver Wind.