The Falkland Islands, more recently know for it’s conflict in 1982, is a small country off the coast of South America, full of personality, wildlife, adventure, and is unashamedly British.
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I was chasing sunrises again this morning at 5:30am, still hoping for something as spectacular as the sunrise over Ushuaia. Although today’s was not quite as enveloping it was still very beautiful to witness and definitely tops the sunrises of the past few days. The temperature this morning was perfect. Cool and refreshing but not cold, combined with a nice sunrise and an empty deck made for very relaxing and peaceful solitude.
We rode out to the capital city of Stanley around 10:00 am and loaded up in the buses once we arrived to head out to Bluff Cove. The bus brought us along the country side that reminded me very much of the Lord of the Rings, and we saw shoe hill and the very interesting Mt. William.
Interesting Fact, The Falkland Islands have only had roads since 1982 after the war. However even now there are not that many roads, and most of them didn’t seem to be paved once you left the general vicinity of Stanley. As a result we disembarked the bus around half way to Bluff Cove and transferred to a fleet of 4×4 Land Rovers, each one bearing it’s own unique style and personality according to it’s driver. Our Rover had a red exterior with red tiger fur print seats and matching fuzzy dice hanging from it’s mirror.
This is where the fun truly began, at least for me, the young and agile one. Once we set off, the dirt road quickly disappeared and we were off-roading our way through the very hilly, bumpy country side. The rover bounced about, kicking up dust, and with every jolt of the terrain you could hear the echoed grunts, moans and pain induced laughter of the not so young in the back seat.
It’s moments like that which truly make the experience for me. It was also interesting to learn that before the roads existed this was how everyone got around.
At Bluff Cove I could not help but stand in awe and excitement at the sight of King Penguins. Not simply because they were there, but because they were so close. I could not believe that I was able to get within 5 meters of these marvellous and majestic birds. They stood with such power and authority while the nearby Gentoo Penguins flopped about and slept on the ground.
The nearby Cafe provided us with home made scones and the locally made Diddle Dee Berry jam. The Diddle Dee Berry Jam was very good, but ultimately just tasted like Jam.
We returned to Stanley on another adventurous rover ride and took some time to explore the town. It was in this exploration of the town that I learned the Falkland Islands are very, very proudly British. We visited the Falklands War Memorial and the statue of Margaret Thatcher, their hero and liberator of whom they deeply adore.
From the bright red phone boxes and mail boxes to the pubs, these inhabitants cling strongly to their British roots as they plaster the Union Jack around the place. It’s a country with a small town feel, primarily because it only has a population of 2,200, and this community is abounding with character and beauty.
Next stop, Puerto Madryn.
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