"Dear Warden of the Penguin Resort, Falkland Islands"

[This is an occasional insight into a life in the Falkland Islands from the view of an expat living here for a few years.   After a recent foray "Up North" to the UK, life is settling into a routine with the onset of winter.....]

Damp horses on winter grazing.

After our hectic trip to the UK in April and May, it's been back to a more sedate pace of life in Stanley.  For some, it means going to work and returning home, in the dark.  For others, it means taking your horses to common grazing land outside Stanley.

Winter Dawn

Making an appearance in Stanley are BBQ huts, advertised as a comfortable way of enjoying the outdoor BBQ experience, but without risking hypothermia while the lamb steaks cook!   I've seen similar solutions in Scandinavia where grilled elk can be enjoyed without freezing in snow.  I wonder is open-air saunas will catch on here?  Watch out for a forthcoming report on the Midwinter Dip!

"Outdoor" BBQ hut

On the wildlife front, I haven't seen any penguins in the last month, but there are still lots of native birds and animals, and even some introduced species such as hares, which you can spot while out walking.

Endemic Flightless Steamer Duck

So, with the desire for some sunshine and wildlife spotting, a few of us set off on a blustery (alright, windy) day to see what we could see......

"To the Lighthouse!"

Cape Pembroke is the most easterly point of the Falkland Island, about 7 miles east of Stanley.  The lighthouse is no longer in use, but inside are displays of how the lighthouse keepers lived, prior to 1982, when the  imminent Argentine invasion prompted the Governor to order the light be put out.  (A smaller, automatic,  light a few yards away now guides marine traffic).

View from the top.  Next land is 12,000 miles  that way.

And, even on a blustery day, it makes a wonderful walk through the sand dunes to reach this point.  Talk about "Blowing away the cobwebs"!

Into the breeze

We did see some wildlife - including a house mouse and a variable hawk (both too quick for my  camera skills).  But it was invigorating just watching the huge rollers smash into the rocks that marked the end of the Falklands.  The next land due east is the west coast of Chile, 12,700 miles distant.  So these waves had had a long time to build up their energy.

A more peaceful day.

The public jetty

Around Stanley, the winter gives an opportunity to build or rebuild public buildings which would otherwise be in use during the tourist season (November to April).

Filling in the harbour

The public jetty, where most cruise ship passengers come ashore, is to have a long-term upgrade, and this currently involves truckloads of rocks being dumped in the harbour.  But the final vision is to  have a smart development which will welcome tourist and round-the-world sailors to this safe haven.  A far cry from the "Danger: Keep Off" sign that is often the first sight visitors see!

Multi-coloured Nordic Walkers, overlooking Stanley harbour.

The photo above was taken near Gypsy Cove, where I worked during the recent tourist season as a Warden at a penguin colony.   We had thousands of visitors this year, but one lady felt moved to write and thank the team for helping to find her sunglasses.

The vultures gather on a Stanley roof.

The postcard, from Ushuaia in Tierra del Fuego, which was probably her next port of call, was addressed to -
"The Warden in Charge
Gypsy Cove Penguin Resort
Falkland Islands
Falklands"

"Dear Warden,
I sincerely appreciate the trouble you took and effort you expended in finding my sunglasses.  Thanks a lot for going the extra mile to find them, Regards,  "

How nice of her to take the trouble to write and thank us, and I just love the idea of a "Penguin Resort".   In some ways, it was a resort for the penguins who travelled south from Brazil to breed, meet up with old friends and raise a family, before heading back to warmer beaches in the Autumn.

In May, the temperature here reached a balmy 13C, but also plummeted to -2C!

If you want to visit this particular resort, the Tourist Board site is a good starting point >
http://www.falklandislands.com/

More soon,
Peter

PS.....

Banned! 

As a postscript to our UK trip, we had been asked by friends to bring back some fresh fruit, so we paid a visit to a farmers market in England.  Unfortunately, despite recent relaxations on importing fruit into the Falklands from abroad, we hadn't noticed that melons were still on the banned list!

I considered having this blog entitled "Custom Officers grab my wife's melons!", but I was told that wasn't a good idea......So, that's goodnight from me....!

Harvest Festival!

[As the summer comes to a close, the weather in Stanley improves dramatically.  Just in time for the many visitors to take away good memories of the Falkland Islands.  I'm living and working here, and this blog is just some of my observations on the place.]


Last week, Stanley had several thousand cruise ship passengers visit the small town (population about 2,500; roughly the same as one of the larger ships.)

A pair of Turkey Vultures, waiting for the wind....

This week, we have about 60 representatives of the world's media in town to report on the imminent Referendum, being held next week.  It's getting difficult to go shopping without being filmed or interviewed!

Star Princess (and facilities on right)

The above photo shows the approach to Gypsy Cove, about 4 miles from Stanley, where many visitors take a minibus to see the penguins.   The "facilities" there are a toilet block and a bus that's been converted to a cafe.  On busy days about 700 visitors stroll round the cliff-top path and enjoy the scenery, and views of penguins.  The recent weather has been the best for months: showing off the location at its best.  It's a shame some tourists earlier in the year only saw it while trying to escape the driving rain.

Veendam and Seabourn Sojourn at anchor.

With others, I work as a Warden when ships are visiting to help ensure the wildlife is not overly disturbed and that visitors get information on the area.  People are keen to know more about the birds and dolphins, as well as the people and history of the islands.
A number of visitors are puzzled as to why the Islanders would have laid out so many minefields, which prevent access to beautiful beaches....

Falklands Thrush

There's a lot more to the place than penguins, but seeing them in the wild for the first time seems to be the main attraction for most people.

Gypsy Cove

Unfortunately, the breeding season is coming to an end, and only about 50 chicks are on the beaches at Gypsy Cove, waiting for their plumage to fully emerge before they can swim off to South America for the austral winter.

Port William, outer harbour

We also had a couple of Danish runners run by, early on Saturday morning.  They were doing one of those "777" challenges - 7 marathons, on 7 continents, in 7 days.    (If you say the Falklands is in Antarctica!).   After Stanley, they head for the airport and the weekly flight to Santiago, Chile.  After a marathon in the wee small hours there, it's on to San Francisco, Sydney, Abu Dhabi, Cairo, and finishing in Copenhagen!  Phew!

Danish runner, heading for Copenhagen, the long way.

There's also been a few luxury charter yachts in the harbour.  This one below, Hanse Explorer, has 7 cabins, and I think was chartered for a family trip to Antartica.

For more details of the boat, try here >>
http://www.charterworld.com/index.html?sub=yacht-charter&charter=hanse-explorer-yacht-1433

Hanse Explorer

A slightly bigger yacht, Sherakhan, had, I understand, a party of about 50 on board.

Sherakhan

There was certainly a party going on, on Saturday night, as the loud music drifted across the still harbour as Stanley enjoyed another calm day.  "Calm" as in lack of wind.  Nearby, the Globe Tavern was competing in the loud music stakes.  Stanley seems to be the "in" place to be!
http://www.sherakhan.com/EN/charters.php

Still, it didn't seem to disturb the wildlife.  A few yards away from the thumping disco music, a young seal was dozing.
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Meanwhile, the locals were preparing for the prestigious Horticultural Society Annual Show.  Although the summer weather had been poor, many gardeners had nurtured their best specimens for the show.

And even if you didn't have green fingers, you could always bake something or create  some jam or pickle.  Or even a flower display (assuming you could grow flowers.)

Cakes galore

My tomatoes are still green, and my potatoes are missing, believed trampled by horses.  So I didn't enter any produce.  Although I did have second thoughts, when I saw the standard of entries in the pizza section.  "I could do better than some of those", I thought, until I noticed it was for the Infant School children!

Creative cake-makers

Prizewinning Swedes, or, as I call them, Turnips.

Some of the produce was being auctioned off, and should fetch high prices.  The remainder was transferred next door for a display at the Harvest Festival!  Doesn't time fly ??

Not sure how this got here....wrong turning in the Dartford Tunnel?

Next Week -  will the Referendum outcome be as predicted?
Will some stunt be pulled in front of the world's Press?
Will people vote?

We'll see,
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STOP PRESS
A couple of weeks ago, I listed some job vacancies here.  Added to those, there are now vacancies for a Director of Health, a Head Teacher for the sceondary school, and a Rodent Control Operative!   What's going on?  Rats?  Sinking ship?   :-)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Peter

"Happy Birthday, Your Majesty!"

A very bright and cold day dawned on Saturday.   As you will no doubt know, it was HM Queen's birthday, and like loyal subjects everywhere, we were heading off to the celebrations....

First frost of the year

Walking down the hill, we could see HMS Clyde in the harbour, bedecked with bunting. As we approached Victory Green, the crowd grew as we waited for the arrival of the Governor and the military commanders.

Victory Green, with former Upland Goose hotel behind

The green is about 500 yards by 50 yards, lying between the sea, and the main road along the front of Stanley.  It's usually empty, but for some ceremonial cannon, a mast from SS Great Britain (which lay in the harbour for decades), and dozens of Upland Geese enjoying the high-quality grass and the tranquility.  

HMS Clyde and spectators

At one end of the green are a couple of good shops and the West Store, which stocks mostly Waitrose products.  Facing the Green, are Stanley House, a boarding facility for children from Camp attending school in Stanley; the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) office; the former Upland Goose Hotel; the Police Station (and prison!).  At the west end of the Green, on the shore side, is another great gift shop; the Bank; Town Hall; and Post Office.  Downtown!    

Geese enjoying the quiet.....

Around Stanley House and the BAS office is probably the highest concentration of trees on East Falkland.

Vultures - do they know something?

Punctually, His Excellency, the Governor, arrives in a shiny Range Rover.  (By the way, he doesn't govern! He is the Queen's representative.  A Foreign Office diplomat who works closely with the Falklands Islands government on policy matters.  The UK is responsible for the Falklands' Defence and Foreign Policy.  Everything else is run by the Falklanders themselves.)

Accompanied by military commanders from the British Forces, South Atlantic Islands  (BFSAI), he takes the salute as Flags are raised and lowered.  The guard of honour - made up of members of the Falklands Islands Defence Force and counterparts from BFSAI - is inspected.  All seems in order.

Inspecting the troops.

Feathers fly

I've heard gun salutes in London a couple of times, but they were probably a few miles away from me - perhaps in Hyde Park.  You would notice  them, and think "What's that?  Oh, it's the Queen's Birthday", and get on with your sight-seeing.  It was less intrusive than a car horn warning you not to step off the kerb.

"KA-BOOM!"

Not in Stanley.  Not when the guns are 20 yards away.  I heard the first command "Fire!", and that was about the last words I heard for about 15 minutes... The geese got the fright of their lives and flew off cackling for all they were worth.   20 more explosions followed, echoing off the hills, and filling the green with smoke.

RAF and Royal Navy make an appearance

Eventually, the guns fell silent.  Someone, I think it may have been the Governor, suggested "3 cheers for Her Majesty...Hip, hip...".   The guard of honour sloped arms and marched off.  The Governor's entourage made their way back to Government House for a reception, and some of us wandered around waiting for the geese, and our hearing, to return.....

Job done

As we were dispersing, we bumped into a couple of ladies we'd met on Sea Lion Island in February.

http://peterspenguinpost.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/sea-lion-island-where-giants-collide.html

Ashford Spinning Wheel

One of them invited us into her cottage overlooking Victory Green.  It was formerly part of the Upland Goose Hotel, which was the watering hole for senior Argentine officers in 1982, and, subsequently, members of the British press like Max Hastings.  The historic building has recently been converted into a row of cottages, keeping this part of town alive and attractive, although  there is still the occasional knock on the door from a visitor looking for the Upland Goose bar!

Warship in the harbour; Upland Geese on the Green

Our hostess was a retired travelling teacher.  On the sparsely-populated West Falklands, farms are so remote, primary schools are not viable, so teachers moved every few weeks from family to family.  Face-to-face lessons are supplemented by radio, and now Internet, teaching from the school in Stanley.

As she produced much-needed hot coffee and home baking, we couldn't help admire the many examples of her other skills in profusion around the house.  As winter was approaching, the spinning wheel was being brought out for the long, dark nights.  Crocheting, cross-stitching, felting, patchworking, knitting, weaving, basket-making, tapestry,embroidery and more was also in evidence.

There's quite a thriving craft "industry" in the Falklands, although it's definitely at the cottage level.  Cruise ship passengers usually snap up the high-quality, stylish  products, but I feel it could also benefit from a high-profile "Falkland Islands" brand - such as Fair Isle jumpers enjoy.  

Some reviews of shopping opportunities can be found here -
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/South_America/Falkland_Islands/Shopping-Falkland_Islands-TG-C-1.html

As I write, on St Georges Day, it is a Bank Holiday (for the Queen's Birthday) on the Falklands.  Here's hoping the traffic isn't too bad.

The Queen is 86 years old.  Who can remember another British Monarch?  Not many of us.  I wonder if the next monarch will get the crowds out in far-flung corners of the globe?

Happy St Georges Day to my English friends!

Peter
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