Falkland Islands Day One (West Point Island)

October 28.  I am writing this in the library  at 11:40 am.  

It was a very  rocky and rolly night. Things fell of shelfs and we were tossed around in our cots.  I got up at 5:30 this morning as we pulled up to our first island, Suanders Island, part of West Falklands.  Two new birds, the Rock shag and another shag (blue eyed) that i managed to get a picture of.  But the real treat was the tiny little Commerson dolphins.

Commerson's Dolphin

The sun was mostly out and the waves were fairly low.  But as the morning progressed, so did the swells. 

Actually, trying to write this is pushing my little zapper to the limit.  We are currently in hurricane force winds as we lunge toward the next island.  I have to stop here for now.  

Now it is October 31.  We are on our second sea day after the Falklands.  It is rough.  I think swells of 8-10 meters! The waves are coming up and over our little porthole. 

Anyway, back to the Falklands on Oct 28.  

We were supposed to have our first landing in Saunders Island.  Penguins on the beach, lots of birds etc.  But the swells were too high to launch the zodiacs.  So, no Saunders Island, our first landing cancelled.  Very disappointing.  We did see those Commerson's Dolphins bowriding on the way to the island. 

But we pressed onto Westpoint Island, also just off West Falkland Island.  The weather improved enough for us to zodiac over.  Our first zodiac landing.  Very exciting, and nerve racking.  I don't want to tell you any secrets but I'm not the most graceful and getting into and out of a zodiac takes some coordination.  

We had signed up to zodiac groups.  Amy, Julie and I are in Adelie group.  We were the first ones called.  Julie was on Zodiac one (the young are speedy) and Amy and I were on the second one launched.  West Point is a small island owned by someone with a caretaker family running the show.  They met us as we landed.  They had a small dock so we didn't have to disembark into the water (wet landing) but we did get a lot of spray going over.  I didn't dare take out my camera so no zodiac photos

but here is some photos as we came into harbour (if you can call it a harbour)

Our goal, hike over a hill to the other side of the island to see a rockhopper penguin and black-browed albatross colony.  In full kit, and rubber boots.  No problem. 

I was waylaid immediately but all of the geese!  With goslings!  

Amy had long ditched me by the time I took a million photos of the shore birds.  I can see why everyone is so diligent about the biosecurity with Avian flu about.  There was goose poop everywhere.  If you step on one island and then onto another, without a thorough boot scrubbing, you are going to spread whatever is around to spread. 

Up the hill, such beautiful views!  

And more birds of course

Finally, up and over the hill and down a very muddy path, up onto a tussock hump to see the rockhoppers and albatross!  

Then back to the other side of the island.  It was a longer walk than advertised and I swear it was uphill both directions.  There was a full English tea at the end but Amy and I missed the turn and we didn't want to go back up the hill to find it so, we missed tea.  

The zodiac back was calm until we got to the side of the ship. There were 2 meter swells.  Which is not much but the zodiac is anywhere from a meter or more below or a meter or more above the landing.  It takes some major coordination to step, step and then hit the landing as the waves it the exact right spot in relation to the landing.  I didn't die but it probably wasn't pretty.  

By the time we got all of our layers off and back to our cabin, I was spent.  My legs were wobbly from the hike and the tensing on the zodiac.  I can't imagine if we had done the first landing on the same day.  Hiking in rubber boots is not easy.  I don't even remember if I went up to dinner. 

Side note.  I am writing this in the lounge. It is so rocky and rolly, people are arriving and careering all over the place.  The bottles behind the bar are rattling around.  One person has crashed to the ground but so far, no bottles.  It's hard to keep your eye on the horizon when it is above the window, then below, above, below ad nauseum (pun intended). I have to take a break but I'm worried I won't get through the Falklands before we get to South Georgia.  But i don't want barf in the lounge so it's a risk I'm going to have to take. 

Later, some more photos, just for good measure

Psst, come over here, I have a secret...

Smooch!

Day 3 & 4 (at sea)

I am writing this the morning of Wed, Oct 26.  It is foggy today and we are waiting for our call for a boot fitting and a bio-sterilization.  So, we are in our cabin.  As the cheapy, bottom deck cabins, we are going to get called last. 

Tuesday, October 26.  Our first full day at sea.  It was beautiful and sunny and the seas were calm.  As it was a sea day, they scheduled lots of talks for us.  One on identifying sea birds that basically confused everyone completely.  Big to little, white to black.  Our ornithologist was saying (and demonstrating) things like 'the royal albatross is easy to identify from the wandering albatross because it goes Glide, flap flap, and the wandering goes flap flap glide.  Well, that certainly clears things up for us.  He is on deck often though so we can just make him do the identifying.

Kevin, the bird guy

Between lectures, we spent time on deck (or napping to be honest, it's the low rumble of the engines and the gentle rocking of the boat that does me in).  Oh, I  should mention that I put on my zappyzappy wrist thing and it seems to have solved my nausea.  I am sporadically also taking doses of Bonine but it doesn't seem to matter if I take it or not.  Zappyzappy makes my tummy happyhappy.

Some birds spotted from deck.  Blackbrowed Albatross.  Great Skua.  Megellenic Penguins.  Others.  

Best sighting of the day was a humpback breaching.  Of course I did not get a good shot of a breach but I saw at least four.  Very exciting.  

Julie

flipper as proof

Oh so close.  there is a whale under that splash, I promise

We saw some right whales later in the day as well but they were far away and mostly just blowing spray.  I think I got a shot of a tail.  Let me check. 

National Geographic is definitely going to call me! 

After dinner, we went up to see our musician play.  He is good.  We are kind of hanging around with the same cluster of people but it is very loose.  It really depends on when you arrive to meals,  who has room at their table.  We aren't at the level of 'saving' seats or anything so formal.  

Shane the musician

Wednesday, October 26. 

Foggy!  All day.  I barely spent any time on deck.  The morning was taken up with Zodiac training.  It's a bit nerve racking.  Of course, they have to go over every bad thing that can happen, falling off, slipping and breaking body parts.  But basically, step on the pad at the edge, then on the step and then into the zodiac.  Use both hands offered by the crew.  No worries there, I will be taking all of the assistance I can get.  

This is from our nightly recap.  This red parts of the weather map are hurricanes.  

our daily weather briefing.  Green and Blue are good. 
Purple and Red at bad (wind!)

Here's the next day's (red/purple is bad)

Then bio-check and boot fitting.  It went by room so we were near the end but that was fine.  We are right near the mudroom but not the closest.  The mud room is actually very clean and dry and warm.  It is the area where you hang your gear to dry so it can't be damp.  No laundry though.  Which reminds me about laundry.  

mudroom (before we filled it with coats and boots etc)

Laundry prices are by the article of clothing.  Underwear is $1.50 US.  Shirts $3.  Pants, etc are even more expensive.  So, as you can imagine, I cannot bring myself to pay that much for someone to toss my undies in a machine.  On day two, I washed my socks and undies and t-shirt in the sink and then hung them to dry in my little cupboard.  Our room is quite warm so they all dried in a couple of days.  My plan is to just keep two days ahead at all times so I never run out.  

Julie has also done some sink washing.  Amy, the grown up in the group, sent out a load which came back within 24 hours.  

Ok, back to bio-security.  The real fear is the new strain of avian flu.  We had to take any outer layer we would be wearing on the Falklands and have it inspected.  Bags, coats, camera cases, hats etc.  Anything new was excused, this time.  My daypack and camera case were thoroughly vacuumed and a pick to the velcro to remove any bits  

Then onto the boot fitting.  I chose to use my own.  They were dipped in disinfectant.  Boots have to be disinfected before and after each landing. Bio-security has to be done between each area.  So, between Montevideo and Falkands, between Falklands and S. Georgia and between S. Georgia and Antarctica,

We were each given a 'station' to leave our boots, coast and life vests.  I am station 95.

In the afternoon we had a lecture on Geology that I'm sure was fascinating to some.  Our lectures are in the lounge.  One of the crew called it the womb because it is so easy to fall asleep. I don't think Amy has made it through one lecture without nodding off.  I was looking around today in the morning lecture and I would say I saw at least 10 people asleep, including some of the crew.  The next lecture as on whales of the southern ocean (excluding humpback and orca - they get their own lecture).  

No musician this night so it was early to bed.  

Thursday, October 27.

Fog is mostly gone but the seas are somewhat choppier.  So far so good with the zapper.

I had a very quick breakfast this morning because I could see a new bird out the window (cape petrel).  I have already gotten into a breakfast routine. Fruit and yogurt.  There is so much food at lunch and dinner, I have to conserve somewhere.  

Spent some time on deck, finally getting to try one layer of my free $15, 000 coat.  I was trying desperately to get a photo of flying grey birds against the grey sea.  A fools errand.  There are some pretty impressive cameras on this ship.  

Then we had a morning lecture on climate.  But first some news.  Two people in a triple room have tested positive for Covid.  I guess it was bound to happen.  Obviously it's not our triple room and not the one beside us because I saw some of them at the lecture.  We are still 'green zone' which is business as usual. Let's hope it doesn't spread or we won't be allowed to dock!!!  

Later that day I had a nap instead of going to the afternoon talk on Humpbacks and Orcas.  I hear it was a good one.  

Each evening before dinner we have a recap and briefing with the expedition leader. This night it was all about tomorrow - our first shore landing on West Falklands. One in the morning on Saunders Island where there are Rockhopper penguin and Black-browed Albatross rookeries.  But the weather is iffy so we shall see. He said get up early.  We will be arriving around sunrise (5:30 am) and there will almost certainly be dolphins to great us. 

There was a movie after dinner but I don't think many people went.  I just went to bed, too excited about tomorrow.  Plus, we are part of the first group to go to shore.  8am in the mudroom!  

Day one and two (Montevideo and embarking/sea day)

Sunday, October 23.  Day 1 of the cruise

Well, it was supposed to be day one of the cruise.  We all arrived at the Dazzler! lobby for our 2 pm bus transfer to the boat.  We had a little city tour on the way.  Nothing that I remember, I was so eager to get on the boat and get going!  

Amy and I were near the front of the first bus.  We wanted to be in our room when the thruple arrived.  If you remember, there was some question about whether or not we would have a third in the room.  Yes, we do.  And get this insult on injury (self-induced, I know).  She is a 21 year old, tall blond Dane.  Thanks a lot god of roommates.  

Julie in her top bunk, being a good sport

She is actually very nice but very quiet.  Her name is Julie.  Amy and I staked out our beds and sat on them to wait.  We didn't do anything so aggressive as get under the covers but we were sitting on them.  She arrived.  We sized her up, tall, young, nimble.  Do you mind taking the top bunk.  No, no problem. Yay!  And then we left her to unpack as we explored the ship a bit.  

It is a converted car ferry.  And while it is very nice, the windows remind us totally of the BC Ferries, it is a bit disconcerting.  I actually beelined straight to the library.  One other lady beat me there.  We both scooped a couple of novels and scurried back to our rooms to hide our hoard. I did put one book I had finished back so I feel somewhat less guilty.  I don't even remember what I took but it wasn't a German translation of a 1987 Daniel Steele so I consider it a win.  

Our room is not overly cramped.  Amy, pulled the 'you got the better bed in Buenos Aires' card and took the solo bed.  I got the bottom bunk.  It is fine.  I can sit up under the top bunk so it is pretty much the same either way.  And Amy did definitely get the crappy bed in Palermo Alto.  

(Julie just arrived back and we have just informed her that we snore.  Her sweet face almost broke for a split second but she recovered quickly and took our offer of ear plugs - poor girl)

We started making friends at the hotel waiting for the bus. Remember back when I mentioned that we had seen another single woman checking in and I wondered if she might be our thruple.  She was standing alone so I forced some eye contact on her and started talking to her.  I could tell she wasn't one to engage on her own.  Her name is Deborah. 

We had a welcome meeting at 4:30.  We all sat in the lounge.  The Hotel Manager (in charge of all inside boat activities) and the Expedition Leader (all activities outside of the boat) gave us a littlle welcome speech.  We got introduced to all of expedition team members and what they do (mammal specialist, geologist, photography guy, etc.).  Joe, you will be excited to hear that there is an onboard musician.  Shane from Ontario.  He is currently playing in the bar but we have already hit the hay. 

In our welcome meeting, the Expedition Leader, Jonathan, let us know that we won't be leaving tonight.  There is a fuel shortage in Uruguay and we have to wait until tomorrow to get enough fuel to get to Falklands to fill up for the next leg.  Big groan from the crowd.  But they said they would be able to make up the time and we won't lose any time on our landing days.  Plus, to keep us occupied until we leave at 4pm, they are taking us on a winery tour.  

It's been a long day so I am going to sign off for now.  Just a last thought.  Dinner was nice.  We sat with Deborah and she is a traveler too so we get along great.  

(next day).  I won't bore you each day with the menu.  Let's just say that there is no shortage of food.  I think dinner was four courses.  We had a person with a birthday at our table so we got free champagne.  But normally, if we want wine or beverages of any sort (except coffee and tea), we will have to pay extra.  Wine is only $6 and beer is $4 so it's not unreasonable.  But you know me, free is better. 

Monday, October 24 (Day two/one of the cruise). 

We were supposed to be having a sea day today but as I mentioned yesterday, we had to wait for fuel.  It is almost 6pm and we still haven't left but we've been told it is imminent.  I am in the lounge at the moment, camera and binoculars at the ready for when we leave port.  Oh, something is happening with the ropes!!  Engines are starting!!!  This is happening. 

9:46 pm.  We are at sea.  

But before we get to that, let me finish up today.  We had a 6:30 am announcement from the Expedition Leader just as our alarm went off.  7 am breakfast and 8:15 on the buses to go to the city tour and lunch at a winery.  The city tour was 2 hours.  Our tour guide was a bit drone-y so Amy kept falling asleep.  He was a retired Electrical guy so we would be driving by interesting buildings or somesuch and he would be telling us about the cables running in front of it.  I am exaggerating (a bit) but he was not riveting.  I remember nothing we learned but my pictures may help. 

The main square of Montevideo

There was some sort of official ceremony going on for the United Nations anniversary (77?) that involved soldiers and dignitaries etc. 

Highlight, we stopped at a sculpture of some cows that apparently Mussolini wanted to take away from Uruguay (?) but the interesting thing was the hummingbird on the tree beside the cows.  Hopefully the pictures I took are good enough for identification when I have access to my S. America bird book.  

Then we finally got to the winery after driving through some slums and industrial area and finally farmland.  More food.  So much food.  Another four course meal.  With wine pairing for each.  Lord help me.  I met a dog named Luna who was so sweet.  She is in my backpack now (I wish).  We had wifi at the winery so I got a FB post and an email to my mom out before we left.  

This picture is for Robynne

Back to the boat.  But first through Uruguay border security to give us our exit stamps.  

Then we boarded and had our safety drill.  We all met in the lounge.  And then we had to go back to our rooms to get our life vests.  And then a video and a lesson on how to put on the life vest although by then most people already had them on.    Then we mustered and got signed in.  It took so long to get everyone organized, we would have all been Jack trying to knock Rose off her door by then.  Then up to our life raft to see what a tiny space 51 of us would have to cram into.  That was probably enough to convince at least 5 or 6 people it would be better to go down with the boat.  

We left the harbour without event.  I took a Bonine anti-motion sickness pill right away. 

All of the passengers rushed to the deck to watch.  But, we've all been on boats leaving a harbour, there isn't that much too it.  But, it was exciting none the less, to be on our way for our big Antarctic Adventure.  Then it was back to the lounge for a meeting about the Falklands excursions.  We had to decide which excursion.  The short walk, the medium walk, or the treacherous long hike.  We went with the middle one.  That's the one with the best birding.  We will be walked to gypsy cove. 

Leaving the harbour

Dinner.  I could barely face it.  I think a combo of too much already, the dining room was so hot and some motion sickness.  I ate soup and then picked at my meal. I left before dessert, which as flan so you know whatever I have is probably fatal, I love flan!  I should mention that so far, the boat is very hot.  The AC is not keeping up with all of the bodies and the external heat.  

So, of course, next thing, as I am lying in my bed, there is an announcement that it's time to come to the lounge to get our parkas.  I went back up and put on a parka over my sweaty, quasi-nauseous self.   That took about an hour for everyone to get their coats and sign them out.  

Now I am back in bed writing all of this down.   There are like four talks tomorrow.  It's the first of three sea days so hopefully I will have time to add some pictures.  But not tonight.  it is time to sleep. 

Update two minutes later.  I closed my computer, drank a mouthful of water and puked.  So, it's not too much food or the heat.  It's motion sickness.  Damn.