Falkland Islands

Just to let you know we are in the Falklands. I will write a blog in the next few days when we process all the photos. The photo above is the Lady Elizabeth Shipwreck, one of many. Here I am phoning in the news to you from an obsolete British phone booth. It was interesting in that it had a real phone connected and it was free.  Who are you going to call in Port Stanley? This is a very small town about a three miles from the “ends of the earth.” if you are a flat earth person imagine the drop off edge being right there. It was 58 degrees, windy, partly cloudy and at one point we got caught in a ten minute sleet storm — and this is the middle of summer!

We could not dock in town and had to use the tenders to shuttle between our ship and the town dock. We walked around the town to check it out and them took a bus ride out to a cliff side trail to look at penguins and other sea birds. As there was another huge ship in the harbor, the town literally doubled its population for the day with about three thousand visitors. Happy merchants!

We were reminded by the local museum and various signs posted around the town the Falkands war is not forgotten and there is no love lost with Argentina who continuously lays claim to the islands after hundreds of years. The locals now are less concerned about another Argentinian invasion and more concerned about British politicians betraying them and give their homes and land away. Not pretty!

Meanwhile back in the countryside we did our own “march of the penguins.”

We were really disappointed to learn this evening that we would sail tonight instead of spending another day in the Falklands. Tomorrow promises 40 MPH winds which would be more than our shuttle boats could handle safely with all us old folks. We did get some great news that our mens Bible study member, Henry was released from hospital and allowed to continue the cruise after a fall which broke several ribs.