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From Cape to Cape on the Explorer.


drron29
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It doesn't look like I can easily work around the photo problem so I will just do the commentary and hope I can work out a way to post pictures later.

So in March we cruised on the Explorer from Ushuaia to Capetown.Next year this cruise will be done by the Cloud so this just might be the last time the Explorer does this trip.

 

We were on a Round the World ticket so were happy that Silverseas were not making the flight to Ushuaia compulsory.They did have a package with the flight AEP-USH,transfer to a hotel for lunch and then to the ship for $US590 each.Seeing our flight was on our Global Explorer ticket that had no appeal.But the Silverseas Sydney office insisted the only way we would be able to board would be on the official shuttle and that would cost us $US49 each and we had to make our way to the hotel on the other side of Ushuaia.Quote for taxi was ~ $US55.Balderdash.Took it higher and of course you could make your own way to the ship.

 

Now our hotel had complimentary transfers to the airport but wouldn't transfer us to the port.So we got the transfer to the airport-had to time it for a departing flight and then walked straight outside and got a taxi to the port for $US8 including tip.

It was easy to access the port.Once again Argentinian security is a joke.There is an xray machine for all your bags.Only one fellow present who helped me lift my bags on and off the conveyor.Noone looked at the screen.We met the chef-Pia-on our way to the ship.We have cruised with her before and have enjoyed her cuisine.

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First the compulsory lifeboat drill.Sail away is delayed from 5pm until 8pm.So it is when we are at dinner so a little disappointing.Dinner with 2 American couples and we hear the saga of the Silverseas transfer from BA.Flight departed hours late so taken straight to the ship after landing and no hotel lunch.Glad we didn't do their thing.At least one other couple stayed at the lunch venue hotel the night before so then had to find their own way to the ship.

 

The nights meal had a seafood theme.Presentation was excellent and tasted good.

The next day was a sea day.Several lectures and the compulsory zodiac presentation.Lots of ocean and sea birds.

 

One of the lectures was on Falklands history.The Historian is Russian so presentation a little slow.However the Argentinian claim to the Falklands is really not very strong.The first settlers were the French in 1764 then the British in 1765 unaware that the French were there.Spain took over in 1770 only to be temporarily ousted by the British a year later.The British left in 1776.The Spaniards returned in 1780 but left in 1811 after the Peninsula War.Sealers and whalers ran the islands.

In 1820 an Argentinian privateer visited and issued a letter claiming the islands for the United Provinces of South America but the sealers and whalers ignored him and he left after 6 months.The Portugese considered him a pirate as he captured a Portugese ship.

The next attempt was Luis Vernet getting permission from the Government in Buenos Aires to try an establish a cattle business because of the feral cattle on the Falklands plus the right to all seals.However he also got permission from the British Ambassador in Buenos Aires and his second in command was British.

He attempted to assert his seal rights by impounding 4 US seal ships.The US responded by sending the USS Lexington.Most of the settlers were taken prisoner.The Argentinians then set up a penal colony in November 1832.His sailors mutinied and killed the naval commander.So the British returned and took over formally on 3/1/1833.

 

In again a funny Argentinian view of history they now revere Antonio Rivero for leading a rebellion against the British in August 1833.In fact his target was the Vernet company and his gang succeeded in killing 5 including the 2 leaders and the rest of Vernet's settlers fled.

 

Friday and my first view of the Falklands.It was pretty desolate,cold and windswept.I went on a hike to the colony of black browed albatross.Rojaan came later and was driven there.Penguins were happily living with the albatross.

Then A walk back to the farmer's cottage for afternoon tea.The couple on the island are managing the property for the elderly owner who lives in Stanley.They are uncertain of their future.They run sheep but the wool isn't great quality so they rely on cruise ships to supplement their income.We are the 33rd this year and 2 more are expected.In winter they depart and live in Stanley.They have tried to have guests but the airstrip is such that the flight in or out can only carry 2 passengers.It is not a regular service but an air taxi service-more of that when we get to Stanley.

 

It was a massive spread with food that I loved as a child.That was a long time ago.

We got to go back to the ship with Dominic the Asst.Expedition Leader.We have known him from our first Silverseas cruise.He has come up through the ranks and a really nice guy with a ton of talent.

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Whilst we had lunch the ship sailed to Carcass Island-named after a ship not a dead body.This is a rat free island so our birders were keen to see the Tussac bird.I stepped ashore with one of the birding passengers and was told this bird was a song bird.So I said does it sing like this and gave one of my bird impressions.This little bird flew down on to the beach and walked up to me.It was indeed the Tussac bird and apparently it does sing like me.The we passed ducks,oystercatchers and the odd penguin.

 

I then did the hike to the farmhouse and Rojaan took the direct zodiac there.A lot of birdlife but the standout was the caracara.Basically the Falklands kleptomaniac.

This time it was afternoon tea.Again a huge spread.This place is run as a guesthouse as well as the sheep and cruise ships.A Chilean couple are the cooks.

On the way back to the ship in the zodiac the Royal Navy checked on us.

 

Saturday and we cruised into Stanley Harbour.There were 4 Expedition ships in the harbour.There were a few unhappy souls aboard the Quark ship.They missed all their activities in South Georgia due to weather and a huge Chinese group aboard.

We began our day in Stanley with a city tour.We had an older guy called John.Really good sense of humour and knowledgeable about the history and characters of Stanley.He gave us his version of the Invasion in 1982.All of his generation were absolutely astounded that they invaded.Everyone was convinced the British Government was softening them up to be handed over to Argentina.

 

Stanley was bigger than I imagined and a nice looking place.The surrounding countryside though is featureless.We ended up at the museum.Interesting.On then to the memorial to the 1982 war.

At the gift shops and at the Philatelic section the Chinese were at their worst.Pushing other people out of the way,and being very loud.

One of the reasons for visiting the Falklands was because it was one of the places I collected stamps from when young.So a visit to the Post Office was a definite.Unfortunately we found ourselves behind 6 Chinese customers from Quark who were driving the Postmistress balmy.Whilst trying to take an order one of the others would climb on the counter and take the franking machine to postmark the stamps but getting things mixed eg cancelling Falkland stamps with a South Georgia postmark.so she ened up taking every thing off the bench and putting it all out the back.She also took the self postmarked stamps back and gave back mint stamps.

 

A Falklands "air taxi" flies overhead.If you want to fly somewhere you must ring the airline before 10am the day before.Then listen to the 6pm news,weather and sheep alerts before the routes and passenger's names are read out for the next day's services.By the way they decided to change the name of the Falkland Island Broadcasting Service as it was felt that in the era of acronyms it was not an appropriate name for a news service.

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Whilst we had lunch the ship sailed to Carcass Island-named after a ship not a dead body.

 

So I said does it sing like this and gave one of my bird impressions.This little bird flew down on to the beach and walked up to me.It was indeed the Tussac bird and apparently it does sing like me.

 

 

A Falklands "air taxi" flies overhead.If you want to fly somewhere you must ring the airline before 10am the day before.Then listen to the 6pm news,weather and sheep alerts before the routes and passenger's names are read out for the next day's services.

 

By the way they decided to change the name of the Falkland Island Broadcasting Service as it was felt that in the era of acronyms it was not an appropriate name for a news service.
Oh my goodness, how I miss you and your wit. Absolutely hilarious. Thanks for sharing the beginning of your voyage with us.

 

Give our best to Rojaan. I’ll let you know if everything is back in order at the P.O. soon.

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

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More penguins.

33531982611_a0d30723cc_n.jpg.33620571746_bba31d9f9e_n.jpg.

The last photo shows the 2 species-Gentoo and the smaller magellanic.

We can see our destination.

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And here are the Karakaras.Fierce looking.

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The things at the feet are today's lunch-

33661509235_4714668711_n.jpg..

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We had to scramble over rocks,stop for the tussac bird then avoid the penguin burrows to get to the walking track-

32848152843_36f4efc3ce_n.jpg.33620495876_d71feebaf4_n.jpg.

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Evidence of a moulting penguin as another heads for the burrow.

33531929241_6b5e7443cc_n.jpg.

The view from higher up-

32848118573_81b7280873_o.jpg.

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And now Rojaan's pictures of West Island.Here I am arriving at the albatross colony.Note I am not the last of the group!

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And we pose under the Falklands flag-

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The red carpet is out for our departure-

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Our friend Dominic-

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Afternoon tea before we all arrived-

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Loving the commentary and pics. I also appreciate your information about the transfer in Ushuaia as we are doing a cruise on Cloud in 2019 that begins and ends there. We are wanting to fly in a couple of days early. So your info is very helpful.

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Loving the commentary and pics. I also appreciate your information about the transfer in Ushuaia as we are doing a cruise on Cloud in 2019 that begins and ends there. We are wanting to fly in a couple of days early. So your info is very helpful.

There is no way that they really can stop you making your own way to the ship.Only 1 wharf.Little security.We also enjoyed our couple of days in Ushuaia.

But back to the cruise.Once again we were accompanied by seabirds.This time one of the blak browed albatross.Easy to recognise when you had seen them just a few hours before-

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Next morning we awoke as we approached Stanley-

33681063455_b0aeccae48_n.jpg.33551560801_263db94253_n.jpg.33524487632_d27bc728c5_n.jpg.33296918990_af82ec0aa5_n.jpg.33524474672_7bb81b93d6_n.jpg.

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