Day 28 - January 31, 2008 - Port Stanley, Falkland Islands

Port Stanley photos
Up early today to be ready for our excursion. We were advised that it would be windy, sunny and chilly, about 50F today. It was all of those plus partly cloudy in the morning. The wind was out of the south, so it was a really cold wind. Our tour information advised waterproof pants, sturdy boots and dress warmly. We had an early breakfast in LaVeranda and then back to the cabin suit up. We brought all this gear along with us that people say they wear from maybe Puerto Montt or Punta Arenas all the way to here, this is the first time we got any of it out and on! Not that we are complaining! Better to have it and not need it than the other way around. There was a small local boat that picked us up on the port side of the ship and took us to the jetty at Sparrow Cove. That boat trip was only about 15 minutes. From there we were divided up and put in Land Rovers for the 30-minute or so trip across the sheep farm to the Gentoo penguin colony. All of this island was apparently landmined during the Falklands-Argentine war and is still unsafe, so they have to avoid certain areas. We saw Steamer Ducks, Upland Geese, Skua, tons of Gentoo penguins and 1 solitary standing King penguin at a distance. The wardens told us there were 2 and one was lying down, but you couldn't tell it by us. We also saw sheep and horses. We were out there in the stiff breeze walking around the penguin rookery and then the older molting penguins and then to a 'teahouse' for about an hour before meeting back up with our Land Rovers for the ride back to the launch and the boat ride to the ship. We came in and stripped off some layers since the woman on the boat told us that it was more sheltered from this wind in town. Plus we figured we would be in and out and not so cold. We took a tender to Port Stanley. It was about 25 minutes on the tender. We rode up top and it was a cold and wet ride! The spray was blowing in our direction. We walked around the small town and did some expensive shopping, then had a pub lunch at the Globe. Clay and Margie had fish and chips with peas. This place has the best fish and chips we were told. Margie didn't like hers at all and Clay said it was not near as good as in London. Debbie had a cheese and beans toastie with chips. This was the prize winner both for tastiness (surprisingly!) and weirdness. It was a grilled cheese sandwich that had like some canned pork n beans inside it! It was good though.Then we walked and shopped some more before returning to the Visitors Center area and the Public Jetty where both Mariner and Oceania's Insignia were tendering. There were signs and women pointing the way to a sheep shearing demonstration, so we went in there. It was interesting. The talk was by Barbara, a Canadian who lives and works here now, and whose work we had purchased earlier in the day, so that was fun. We got to see her spinning wheel being worked by a man named Peter and Barbara's loom. She said she would have demonstrated it, but she had just broken it. Not sure what happened, but a work in progress was on there. Then we went to our tender area and had a hot chocolate while waiting for the tender. As we were boarding the tender, a trio of dolphins jumped out in unison. It was like a trick! We rushed up top on the tender and 2 jumped out in unison again. The third one jumped out some distance away. The tender ride back to the ship was not nearly as cold and not wet at all. We had really good weather again here. Arjan told us last night that last year this stop was canceled due to weather, so we feel really fortunate that we got our day here. We had a really good day.
Tonight is Country Club Casual and the beginning of almost 3 full sea days. Keeping our fingers crossed for continued smooth sailing. Dinner was an interesting menu that we all enjoyed. We tried the local cheeses for dessert: Wensleydale with apricots and Red Dragon mustard seed and ale cheese. We liked both! We saw Terry Breen in the grocery store today and she was disappointed that she had arrived too late for a good selection of cheese and had gotten the Wensleydale with onions. We liked the Wensleydale we had as well as the mustardy one. When we looked at the menus this afternoon before sailing, we realized that fish & chips had been served onboard for lunch! Margie and Clay were both disappointed that we had not known that because it would assuredly have been better than what they got ashore! Debbie was fine with her cheese & beans toastie! Terry also told us that she had followed up with the whole star-gazing from the ship below the equator and that she was disappointed that it had not happened. We agreed that time is running out for it. Terry thought that it would probably not happen now, since it had not with all the clear nights when it was being actively discussed and a new Captain coming aboard in a few days after this Captain had OKed it and then it didn't happen. Oh, well, we tried and so did Terry, but someone dropped the ball. Speaking of which, we had kind of expected a certificate for Rounding the Horn since it is kind of a big deal in sailing, like crossing the equator, but nothing. Margie like last night's show which was a piano player who played a lot of Billy Joel and Elton John. No one is planning to go to the show tonight though, a Broadway singer, Jeri Sager. We advance our clocks one hour again tonight. We are all exhausted from the almost daily time changes back and forth! Not sure how many more we have in the next few days before we reach land again!
We found invitations on the bed for a Galley Tour tomorrow (weather permitting). We will look forward to that anyway. It is time to do laundry again and the debate is on for which day will have the least demand with the segment ending in Buenos Aires. No doubt whenever we choose will still be very busy. Tomorrow, we start a new month onboard Mariner.
Port Stanley photos