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Falkland Islands Tour

By : Hubert Hall
Trip Begins November 4, 2011
Trip Ends November 20, 2011

Falkland Islands tour come true. It was a truly amazing tour! Actually it was a spiritual adventure in some ways and this was made possible by the warmth and friendship of all the people we met in the Falklands. I can't say enough about this tour to adequately say how much it meant to us. We didn't realize how moving the whole experience was until after we had returned home and gone over the place, people and photos. Thank you Adventure Life for making it all possible.
See my photos : Falkland Islands Tour

Want to go? Falklands Quest

I went to: Chile, Santiago, Falkland Islands, Darwin, Pebble Island, Saunders Island, Carcass Island, Sea Lion Island, Stanley, Port Howard, Mount Pleasant Airport, Falkland Island
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November 4, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Santiago, Chile

At the immigration check in we learned that the entry fee into Chile is $132.00 USD, not $120.00, but this fee is good for the life of your passport.

After the usual tiresome overnight flight from Toronto to Santiago, Chile we checked in mid morning at the Holiday Inn directly across the street from the airport main entrance.

Of course our room wouldn't be ready until noon, but there is a comfortable lounge just off the lobby. There are several computer terminals in the lounge that are free for guests use. However, if you do not speak Spanish this can be quite a challenge as the keyboards and screens are all in Spanish. Another challenge was to find the symbol @. I found out from another guest that you have to simultaneously press ALT, SHIFT and Q - which did the trick.

The hotel has a very adequate continental breakfast which opens at 0500 and may or may not be included with the room rate. We had to check out on the morning of Nov.5 by 0600 so didn't bother with breakfast at the hotel.

This hotel is an excellent place to stay if you are just staying overnight to catch another flight. You can leave your luggage on the airport trolley and just wheel it across the street to the hotel entrance.

There is an excellent Gatsby's buffet restaurant in the upper level at the airport which has a vast array of food choice at a reasonable price.

November 5, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Pebble Island, Falkland Islands

We got an early start this morning to catch the 0715 flight to Punta Arenas and then on to Mount Pleasant Airport, Falkland Islands. This is the military airbase and home for the 2000 troop garrison that is permanently based in the Falklands since the war with Argentina in 1982. I will refer to this in future simply as MPA . After the long overnight flight from Toronto this flight was a pleasant change with the changing views of the Chilean landscape passing below our window. The five hour flight was broken up by a one hour stop at Punta Arenas where everyone had to leave the plane taking all hand luggage with you. Lan, formerly known as Lan Chile provides a snack on both legs of the flight.

We arrived at MPA about 1330 and were met in the airport lobby by Sally Ellis of International Tours & Travel Ltd. of Stanley, Falkland Islands and given an extensive portfolio of brochures and detailed tour itinerary.

After weighing in our luggage, and ourselves we were ready to board the Falklands Islands Government Air Service Norman Islander eight passenger plane that would fly us to Pebble Island in the West Falklands. I shall refer to this air service in the future as FIGAS, the normal term used in the Falklands for this very efficient service.

It was a very windy day and we experienced considerable turbulence during the flight and also a period of thick fog during which the pilot turned and said to the passenger behind him that he couldn't find Pebble Island - a not very assuring statement for him to make! Since the planes fly only on visual flight rules that was not good news, especially on our first flight with FIGAS. The pilot flew up to a higher altitude and was able to see Pebble Island in the distance which luckily was not fogged in. We landed about 20 minutes late on the grass runway and were met by our hosts Jacqui and Allan.

They drove us the short distance to Pebble Island Lodge and showed us to our rooms. Much to my surprise we were given the same room in which I had spent three nights there in November 1998 during an earlier visit to the Falklands.

Of course we were offered the usual tea and cookies, which is a staple at all the lodges and guest homes in the Falklands. There were several other guests for dinner after which Jacqui took our orders for breakfast. Pretty much any kind of cooked or dry cereals were available.

November 6, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Pebble Island, Falkland Islands

This was our full day tour of Pebble Island with our hosts Jacqui and Allan in two separate land rovers since there were more guests than one Land Rover could accommodate. We were in Allan's vehicle and he proved to be an excellent guide and explained everything of interest very well. He was especially good with the history of the Falklands War of 1982 in which Argentina invaded the Falklands in an attempt to gain control of the islands. Because of the iron will of Prime Minister of Great Britain at the time, Margaret Thatcher and the strong backing from her parliament, the British were able to defeat the Argentine forces some three months later. We visited memorial sites, the grave of Argentine airmen and the site where British forces destroyed 11 Argentine aircraft that were parked on the landing strip as well as the memorial to a British frigate sunk by the Argentines in The Sound just off Pebble Island.

We took packed lunches and ate them while viewing a Rockhopper Penguin rookery. Nearby was a large nesting area of Giant Petrels, or 'Stinkers' as they are called in the Falklands. Later we visited a Gentoo Penguin rookery.

Pebble Island is named for the marble size stones, or pebbles found on some of the beaches. They are an agate like stone that can be tumbled to a very glossy finish.

We also were shown some of the native fauna, including the beautifully named and delicate flowers 'Lady Slippers' and 'Pale Maidens'. There are many different plants, but due to the constant winds they are mostly very short stemmed. The two fern species are aptly named 'Small Ferns' and 'Tall Ferns'. There are large areas called 'Diddle Dee' deserts covered with a low, densely packed plant related to the crowberry family. Sheep will not eat it making those areas useless for grazing purposes.

Like most of the islands there are only about half a dozen people living on Pebble Island.

Very welcome tea and treats were waiting for us when we returned late in the afternoon.

November 7, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Saunders Island, Falkland Islands

Today's flight to Saunders Island was much more pleasant than the one from MPA and more in the nature of a sight seeing flight. Most FIGAS flights are made at an altitude of under 1000 feet and usually in good visibility which gives an excellent panorama of the islands.

Here we met our hosts for the next two days, David and Suzan. We found out we and another couple from Alabama would be going to the self catering cabin at The Rookery, not at The Neck as shown in the itinerary. It didn't matter to us - it would all be a new experience anyway. Before we left for the nearly one hour drive by Land Rover across the hilly and very rough track. We had to stock up with enough groceries for the two days at the small store run by David and Suzan. We had elected to buy provisions from the store rather than have meal packs sent from Stanley, which we found to have been a good decision. The store is small, but is adequately stocked with canned, frozen and fresh food. We bought bacon, eggs, canned beans, a frozen chicken pie, sausage rolls,bread, fresh milk produced right at the farm, margarine and juice. As it turned out we had just the right amount of supplies for the two days - good planning or good luck? There was tea, coffee, cooking oil, salt and pepper, sugar and other staples at the cabin. The cabin has a modern kitchen, large living/dining room and two separate bedrooms.

Power comes from a generator and storage battery setup which David showed us how to turn on and off. The generator had to be run three or four hours per day to keep the batteries charged. To plug in electrical devices in the Falklands you need a British three pronged plug unlike any North American plugs. Current is 240 volts.

The cabin is located a short hike from a Black Browed Albatross nesting site and a large Rockhopper Penguin colony which is also used by Blue Eyed Shags as a nesting area. The two species get along very well together.

The other couple had thought of hiking to The Neck from our location but found that to be nearly impossible, although someone had written in the guest book of having done it.
Another short hike from the cabin is a long sandy beach which has Gentoo and Magellanic Penguins coming and going to their nesting areas. Cows and sheep also roam the beach foraging on seaweed and Falkland Islands (flightless) Steamer ducks and other ducks also use the beach.

David left us a VHF radio for communicating with him should the need arise. This is an isolated place to stay with no traffic or other people wandering past.

The two days and night spent there passed too quickly and at 0800 on the 9th David's Land Rover hove into view over the crest of the hill while we were still bagging up our bedding and cleaning up the breakfast dishes.

This is the place to get away from it all!

November 8, 2011
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Falkland Islands Quest

Saunders Island, Falkland Islands

Nov. 9 flight from Saunders Island to Carcass Island.

November 9, 2011
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Falkland Islands Quest

Carcass Island, Falkland Islands

Our flight from Saunders Island to Carcass Island was another delightful sightseeing experience. It is amazing how much land area there is in the Falklands! Looking at a map of South America or the South Atlantic the Falklands show up only as a small dot, but in reality the islands cover vast areas of mostly uninhabited land.

We were met at the grass landing strip, which is about five miles from the settlement, by our host Rob McGill and then set out in his Land Rover for his home, which would be ours as well for the next three days.

The landscape on Carcass Island is more grassy with rolling hills and some higher rocky outcroppings and less diddledee deserts than on Saunders Island.

It was nearly lunch time when we got to the home and after a brief rest we were treated to one of the nicest meals of the trip - but then all the meals at Carcass were some of the best. Rob employes three kitchen staff from Chile. They are under the direction of the wonderful 'Chef Hot Stuff', or so his chef's hat proclaimed. His attention to detail amazed us and a good illustration of this occurred that night after dinner when he came into the dining room to ask us what we would like for breakfast When some of us asked for oatmeal his response was: 'Do you want it cooked with milk or water?' The next night when I was a little bolder I asked for pancakes and he asked if I wanted them American or Chilean. I had no idea what he meant, but learned that American style are thicker than Chilean which are more like crepes.

That afternoon after lunch Helen and I walked across the beach to Dyke Bay retracing the steps I had taken when there in November, 1998. We saw the dapper little grass wrens and some gentoo penguins doddling on the beach on their way from the water to their nesting site. It is interesting to watch them both coming from and going to the sea as they stand around as if in deep contemplation of whether or not to continue on their way.

There is a large area of fenced in tussac grass in this area. It has to be fenced in to keep the sheep from eating it and efforts are being made to re-introduce it. Originally the Falklands had huge areas of tussac grass but sheep farming all but destroyed it. Those hungry sheep! Walking through the clumps of it is quite a challenge in places because it is higher than you head and can be matted together and very difficult to get through.

November 10, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Carcass Island, Falkland Islands

This was our day to explore Carcass Island on our own so after breakfast and getting a packed lunch we set out to hike to the northern point of the island to visit the elephant seal colony. We followed a path along the fence by the tussac grass on the western side of the island taking in all the views and birds as they popped up from the grass.

It took about three hours to reach our destination after crossing one of the higher ridges and walking through the grassy landing strip to the beach. There were a couple of dozen elephant seals, mostly pups and a few females. After having lunch on the beach watching various wading birds and ducks we walked back to the landing strip where we had arranged for Rob to pick us up in his four wheel drive. He has a Japanese vehicle, which he claims are more reliable than the traditional British built Land Rovers. He said pieces kept falling off the Land Rovers and I noted a discarded Land Rover in the rear of his farmyard. He told us it is very difficult to get rid of trash on the islands. Unless you have the means to dig a large pit there is nowhere for stuff to be disposed of resulting in unused and discarded items to languish in backyards, which is part of island life.

This afternoon a nap seemed in order.

November 11, 2011
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Falklands Quest - West Point Island

Carcass Island, Falkland Islands

Our all day tour to West Point Island, which was conditional on weather permitting was a go since it was a sunny day with only light winds. Our boat, the CONDOR, which was a German built North Sea trawler, was a sturdy and comfortable seaboat and travelled at a modest eight knots.

It is a two hour trip to West Point Island, which has one family living there. Along the way we saw only a few seabirds, namely Wilson's Petrels, some terns and a feeding frenzy of Black Browed Albatross. Ahead of us we could the see the aptly named Slipper Island. Approaching it from the south, as we were, it is shaped exactly like a Romeo style man's slipper.

We did a circumnavigation of the island and arrived at the settlement before lunch time. After a ''mug up or smoko'' as it is called in the Falklands we elected to get a drive to the north side of the island to see the Black Browed Albatross and Rock hopper penguin nesting areas. The two species intermingle freely and except for minor squabbles when the penguins snitch bits of the albatross's nesting material, they get along just fine.
We ate our packed lunch overlooking the nesting area and marveling at the cliffs and high hills on both sides of us. Then we walked back to the settlement and had a rest and another treat of tea and sweets. There are some beautiful gardens at the settlement - all suitably fenced in and surrounded by thick rows of cedar tree windbreaks. There are no native trees on the islands, but many settlements have had rows of trees planted as wind breaks. On Carcass Island there even a few palm trees.

In one of the gardens here there are part of the ashes of pioneer cruise ship operator Lars Eric Lindblad, who was very attached to West Point Island. I visited this island on Lindblad's purpose built ship; EXPLORER, ex LINDBLAD EXPLORER in November 1998, but it was operated by a different company then.

Later we settled in on the CONDOR for the voyage back to Carcass Island. I spent the entire crossing in the wheelhouse chatting with the captain about the CONDOR and his life in the islands. There was barely time for a short happy hour before it was time for another of Chef Hot Stuff's delicious dinners.

November 12, 2011
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Falkland Islands Quest Tour

Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

Today we were in for another treat - a sightseeing flight from Carcass Island to Sea Lion Island. This flight of 45 minures is one of the longest of the whole tour. It included one stop along the way to let off and pick up other passengers and a crate of small puppies.

Approaching Sea Lion Island one wonders what there is to attract people to the island because from the air it appears only as a flat, grass covered island with no outstanding features. However it is home to 38 species of birds as well as seals, whales and dolphins which can frequently be seen from the shore. The island is a nature reserve and is rat and cat free and of course has no sheep.

The landing strip is only a few steps from the lodge entrance and the hostess, Jenny soon had us settled in our room, which was labelled as 'The Royal Suite'. Sea Lion Lodge is the only facility on our tour that is a purpose built lodge or small hotel., but it had the same warm hospitality and cosiness of the other farm manager's homes/B&B's.

We decided to spend the afternoon hiking around the southern end of the island, which is in plain sight from the lounge at the lodge. From the lounge can be seen a nearby gentoo penguin rookery and Magellanic penguins. There are many rock hopper penguins on the northern end of the island.

Just down the beach from the lodge there are many elephant seals with a few large males which tend to be a bit aggressive if you approach too closely. I think they are mostly jealous of your possible attentions to the nearby harems of females.

Dinner was tasty and well presented by the Chilean chef and servers.

November 13, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands

Today our hostess, Jenny drove us to the north end of the island to see the rockhopper penguins at their nesting sites. The tour also stopped at a memorial to a British frigate that was sunk just offshore by the Argentines during the 1982 war. Some spectacular vertical cliffs nearby challenged the nimble rockhoppers during their climb up to their nests.

The weather which was in the low 60's F or about 17 C was the warmest of the tour.

In the afternoon we were treated to a spectacular show by the local pod of orcas which had made a kill of either a young elephant seal or a penguin, which caused a feeding frenzy amongst the orcas and also attracted a large number of skuas, gulls and giant petrels. This all took place only a couple hundred yards offshore.

At the same beach area there is a large nesting colony of the dapper looking dolphin gulls and a few brown hooded gulls. Oyster catchers are frequently encountered along the beach and this season there are young ones scampering around in the seaweed and beach stones. The adults can be quite aggressive when they feel threatened by beach goers.

One day while on Sea Lion a large search and rescue helicopter from MPA landed to let off about 20 day trippers for an unguided tour of the island. The island hostess has a good rapport with the military staff at MPA as they are able to offer mutual assistance at times.

November 14, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Darwin, Falkland Islands

This was our day to fly to Darwin, a small settlement on the mainland of East Falklands. Our hosts Keith and Fiona live there at Darwin House where we were booked for the next two days. It is a large, rambling two story house with lovely views of the surrounding countryside and waters. In whichever direction you looked you were rewarded with large patches of yellow gorse. Gorse was introduced from the U.K. and thrives in the Falklands, but is very intrusive and has a root system that defies removal.

After lunch we hiked along the shoreline to the next settlement of Goose Green. Along the way we passed one of the uncleared minefields left behind by the Argentines from the 1982 war. Apparently some of the mines may never be removed since they are made of plastic and can only be found by probing - which can be a hazardous undertaking.

At Goose Green we had tea and cookies at the local diner, 'The Galley'.

We had arranged to be picked up by Keith who then offered to take us on a side tour to the Bodie Creek Bridge. This bridge, which as span of 400 feet, was built in 1924 by the Falkland Islands Co. to facilitate the movement of sheep to the shearing sheds at Goose Green from outlying farms and eliminated a three day walk for the sheep. This is the southernmost suspension bridge in the world and deserves its place in history, but due to its deteriorating condition has been closed since 1997. It is only 8 feet wide and was not designed for vehicular traffic, although vehicles did use it at times. There is no road leading to the bridge, just the tracks made by Land Rovers and other vehicles traveling to the bridge from Goose Green. Local people who care about their past are not looking forward to its eventual fate - falling into the creek below.

November 15, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Darwin, Falkland Islands

This morning we were taken on a tour to San Carlos, about 20 miles from Darwin. We drove through rolling hills and the 'rivers of rock', so aptly named by Charles Darwin during his visit to the area in 1833. San Carlos was a major military area in the 1982 war and we were taken to the British cemetery where many of the British military personnel who were killed during the war are buried. We also toured the small, but interesting museum at San Carlos.

In the afternoon we were taken on a 'battlefield tour' which followed the advance of British troops in the battle for Goose Green in which they eventually caused the Argentine military commander to surrender his 1500 troops. He was not impressed when he learned that he had been defeated by only 48 British personnel.

We also visited the large Argentine war cemetery near Goose Green. In all there were about 700 Argentine casualties.

November 16, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour

Today we flew from Darwin to Stanley, the capital of the Falklands and the home of most of the 2500 Falkland Islanders. We were met the the Stanley Airport and taken on a tour of Stanley, which included a visit to the impressive museum, which is housed in a former Argentine airline office. The Argentines no longer reure the building. The only Argentines who visit there either come by cruise ship or on a once monthly Lan flight from the southern Argentine city of Rio Gallegos.

Early in the afternoon we were delivered to Lafone House, our lodgings for the next three and final days of our Falkland's tour. Lafone House is run by Arlet, a charming and very warm lady who made us feel completely at home in the first few minutes we were there. By luck, I guess, we were assigned to the master bedroom of the house which has a lovely view across Stanley Harbour. The house, which came to the Falklands in kit form was built by the Falkland Islands Co. as a manger's home and is of modern Scandinavian design.

Also staying there were eight Argentines, who were all photographers. Many of the Argentines who come to the Falklands are veterans of the 1982 war.

Dinner was not included at Lafone House so we went up the hill to a nearby restaurant named Shorty's. They featured Chinese style meals as well as fish and chips. The fish used is mullet; a locally caught fish, not to be confused with the once popular hair style of the same name.

An interesting feature at Shorty's was a play area for small children at one end of the dining room. We were surprised by the large number of young families who brought two and three year olds out to dinner with them which made the play area very useful.

November 17, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour : Volunteer Point

Stanley, Falkland Islands

This was an important day for me because of the tour to Volunteer Point, about 20 miles east of Stanley, and more importantly to go farther on to a site near Cape Carysfort to view the remains of the Norwegian steamer GUVERNOREN. On Dec.6, 1917 this ship, then named IMO collided with the French steamer MONT BLANC in Halifax Harbour, Nova Scotia. The resulting fire aboard the MONT BLANC caused her cargo of explosives to explode which resulted in the largest man made explosion up to that time. Halifax was devastated with over 2000 people killed and as many injured. Later the IMO was repaired and put back in service as a whale oil carrier named GUVERNOREN. Her life under this name was short lived and on Nov. 29, 1920 ran aground near Cape Carysfort and was wrecked.

Our Falklands Quest Tour included a day trip to Volunteer Point to see the king penguin colony. I was able to arrange with the kind help of Sally Ellis of International Tours & Travel Ltd., of Stanley to be driven the additional hour or so to the site of the wreck of the GUVERNOREN. She had warned me that there wouldn't be much of the wreck visible and then only at low tide. I was able to find out before leaving home that low tide on Nov.17 would be at four thirty in the afternoon which suited our travels perfectly.

The driver who took me in his Land Rover had visited the site a few years ago on a family outing so knew where to look for the seldom visited wreck site. On the drive from Volunteer Point we crossed peat bogs and drove across the beautiful and pristine Cow Bay before stopping for lunch at a rocky beach. Here we found some of the smoothly polished, roundish pebbles found in some places in the Falklands and for which Pebble Island is named.

Finally we arrived at the headland overlooking the wreck site. At first I couldn't see anything of interest, but after looking more closely I could see some part of a ship visible just above the water a couple of hundred yards offshore. It is thought to be the ship's boiler. Then we went down among the rocks near the water's edge and found one of the ship's very large anchors, three piles of anchor chain and a few bits of cast iron parts which may have been from a hawse pipe. Luckily it was low tide that afternoon because at high tide there would be nothing of the wreck visible.

Earlier when we arrived at the King Penguin colony at Volunteer Point we met up with the convoy of 26 Land Rovers that had taken passengers from a cruise ship visiting Stanley for the day. The penguin colony is a modest sized one and had both adult and juvenile King Penguins. It was amusing to note more people lined up waiting to use the toilets than were looking at the penguins.

There are wardens attending the colony who live nearby for the summer in a warden's house which can also be rented by the day on a self catering basis by tourists.

On the way to Volunteer Point we stopped to view the remains of two Argentine helicopters that had been blown up by British forces during the war in 1982. Also viewing these remains were the eight Argentine photographers that were also staying with us at the Lafone Guest House in Stanley.

After the long return drive back to Stanley I retired to our master bedroom at Lafone House for a rest before dinner. My wife, Helen had elected not to go with me to Volunteer Point and spent a very pleasant day poking around Stanley.

Later we went out for dinner and decided on the 'Victory Bar', an old style English pub. This was a really interesting pub with local people and lots of memorabilia on the walls. We decided on the usual pub fare of fish and chips. The fish here is the local mullet, which in this case was really quite good.

Just to illustrate how small the world is: There was a small group of men at the pub chatting so I stopped by to say 'hello' and the very first person I talked with is the nephew of a good friend who lives just a few houses from us. He was part of a Canadian helicopter crew servicing an offshore oil rig.

After a refreshing walk back to Lafone House we were ready to call it a day. However the Argentines staying there had other ideas and were just setting up a bbq to cook a lamb. It sounded really good, but us old folks couldn't wait up for the final result. I learned the next morning that it was 11 pm before the meat was cooked and the party went on until two the next morning.

November 18, 2011
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Falklands Quest Tour : Stanley

Stanley, Falkland Islands

Today was our last chance to explore Stanley and its interesting variety of gift shops, the museum and post office. But first we had arranged a tour to Cape Pembroke to visit the 150 year old cast iron lighthouse which had been fabricated in England, brought to Stanley and then the cast iron panels bolted together. It had been in nearly continuous use until the war in 1982 when it was damaged by the invading Argentines.

At this site there is a memorial to the British containership 'ATLANTIC CONVEYOR' that was sunk by the Argentines using an Exocet missle. They actually thought it was a British aircraft carrier which they very much wanted to sink. Actually the 'ATLANTIC CONVEYOR' was nearly as important to the British as the aircraft carrier because it was carrying many helicopters, spare parts and much other important war materials.

Part of this tour included a visit to the very scenic Gypsy Cove area. All of the beautiful white sandy beach there is off limits because of a mine field. The drive to Gypsy Cove is somewhat marred by the location of a landfill area through which the only road winds its way.

Our tour ended at the museum where we had the pleasure of meeting the curator.

We wended our way back towards Lafone House stopping at many shops and had lunch a neat little diner/cafe. Across the street is a really neat little shop called 'Falkland Island Collectabels' loaded with post cards, covers and lots of ephemera.

On the waterfront the Falkland Islands Co. has a pier and an old wooden sailing ship that was formerly a warehouse, but it has now fallen into poor condition and is no longer usable. I was able to get permission to visit the old ship, which was built in New Brunswick, Canada in 1850. There used to be several of these old wooden sailing ships at Stanley used as warehouses, but over the years they have gradually fallen apart. But considering that they have been there since the 1870's they lasted pretty well.

The bow section of one U.S. built ship, the CHARLES COOPER has been placed ashore for future preservation at the soon to be new location of the Stanley Museum.

After another interesting dinner at 'Shorty's' it was time to spend our last night in the Falklands.

November 19, 2011
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Falkland Islands Quest Tour

Stanley, Falkland Islands

Our last day in the Falklands! I had time in the morning before being picked up at Lafone House at 10:30 to visit the Falkland Islands Collectibles shop for a last minute look through post cards and covers. The proprietor agreed to come in earlier than usual for my benefit - and his.

The drive to MPA from Stanley takes about 45 minutes over a mostly gravel and very dusty road. The landscape is through low rolling hills with rocky outcroppings and some views of the shoreline.

We were amazed when our driver told us that the following day he would be acting as one of the support vehicles for a bicycle tour of East Falklands. We could not imagine wanting to cycle over the available roads - all rough, dusty and buffeted by the constant winds. The cyclists must be made of tougher stuff than I am!

Arrival at MPA was the beginning of our return trip home and this leg of it, at least was something to be looked forward to. The waiting room at MPA is quite Spartan, but adequate.

Our flight on LAN to Punta Arenas included a stop at Rio Gallegos in Southern Argentina to let off the Argentines who had been visiting the Falklands on the once a month flight for the allowed by the Falklands government.

Rio Gallegos is on a coastal plain and appeared to be a fairly large city. Our stop there was brief and we were off again towards Punta Arenas, Chile. An hour stop there got us through customs and back on the flight to Santiago where we arrived about 10:00 pm.

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