2012 - STAR PRINCESS - THE FALKLANDS

WHEN I MENTIONED THE FALKLANDS TO MY SISTER, HER RESPONSE WAS - 'DISMAL' , OR WORDS TO THAT EFFECT.

HAVING NOW BEEN THERE, I WOULD NOT CALL IT DISMAL AT ALL.

FAR FROM IT.

YOU'LL SEE

BUT, NOT IF YOU DO NOT LIKE PENGUINS. THERE ARE GOING TO BE LOTS OF PENGUINS.

PENGUINS???

PENGUINS?

I WAS ON A TOUR IN NEW ZEALAND TO SEE PENGUINS & SAW PRECISELY ONE.
MAYBE THIS IS IT'S BROTHER.

I HAVE SEEN MY PENGUIN - TIME TO GO HOME....

NO, HOLD UP - HERE ARE PENGUINS.....EMPEROR? KING? DON'T KNOW. PRETTY ANYWAY.
AND NOISY, VERY NOISY

AND MAN O MAN, THE SMELL!!!

OOOOOH. A LITTLE BABY.....

JUST TO RELIEVE THE MONOTONY.....

....BEFORE IT'S SOME MORE - PENGUINS. DIFFERENT ONES.

DISMAL ENOUGH FOR YOU?

COULD NOT MAKE OUT WHAT THAT IS IN THE WATER. A SEAL MAYBE.

ENOUGH WITH THE PENGUINS.

TIME TO HEAD HOME.

ONE MAN IN OUR CAR WAS NOT LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS. A WARNING COMES WITH THE TOUR DESCRIPTION THAT PEOPLE WITH A BAD BACK WOULD BE ADVISED TO CHOOSE ANOTHER TOUR.
I GUESS THIS MAN MISSED THAT.

THIS IS AN EXTREMELY, EXTREMELY BUMPY RIDE. THE FIRST HALF HOUR OR SO IS ON TARMAC. THEN WE HEADED OFF ROAD. TUSSCOCKS IS MY WORD TO DESCRIBE WHAT WE WERE GOING OVER. LOW LYING SCRUBBY SHRUBS OF SOME KIND.

MILE AFTER MILE OF IT.

WE WERE IN A LAND ROVER OR SOME SUCH, COMFORTABLE ANYWAY. BUT IT IS AN EXCRUCIATING EXPERIENCE.

A LITTLE SPRINKLE OF RAIN. LUCKY, CONSIDERING THE CLOUDS WE HAVE SEEN TODAY.

THIS IS ODD. A RIVER OF ROCKS. LOOKS ARTIFICIAL BUT NO, IT'S NATURAL.

ONE SIGN IT PAYS NOT TO IGNORE...

AND ANOTHER........

INTO STANLEY AND TIME FOR A WALK AROUND THE QUITE PRETTY LITTLE TOWN SET ON THE SEA SIDE

I ASKED SOME LOCAL KIDS WHAT BIRD WAS ON THE CHIMNEY. A VULTURE THEY THOUGHT.

AND FINALY BACK TO THE SHIP. NOT THIS ONE. IT'S THE P & O ADDONIS WHICH WILL PLAY LEAPFROG WITH US FOR A WHILE TO COME.

LIKE I SAID - YOU HAVE TO LIKE PENGUINS & NOT HAVE A BAD BACK , BUT I ENJOYED THAT.