Travels of THB: Day 6: Falkland islands: West Point and Saunders

Day 6: Falkland islands: West Point and Saunders

Weather: Cool and chilly, pleasant enough to dine outside on Deck 5 for lunch

Quote of The Day: Do albatross really cohabitate with Rockhopper penguins?

Department of Amplification: during dinner last night, THB started to feel a bit punk, then more than a bit punk. Managed to eat some of his main course and some coffee ice cream. Now, THB’s “patch” had fallen off that afternoon, so maybe he needed more magic to avoid seasickness. A bonine tab before going to be THB started to feel better. Next morning THB again feels pretty damn good. Turns out that the ship had reached the calm waters of the Falklands and now everyone could walk around the ship without lurching and lunging at random moments.

Sunset from last night

THB is up early, checks election results (pretty much as predicted months ago). The kayakers meet before breakfast, 6:45am, to discuss options. Turns out we can kayak in morning and have our cake too because we can come back to ship and change and return to West Point to do a bit of the land base excursion and have tea and cakes offered by the two people living on West Point. And it may be same for afternoon: we kayak a bit and then we’ll walk the beach excursion in our dry suits instead of going back to the ship to change first.

Carb loading for THB, pancakes and a piece of French toast with a lot of yogurt and fruit on top, plus a little bacon and grilled tomato. Other than the pancakes being cold, it wasn’t bad.

For all the layers we have on plus a very space age dry suit, there’s not a lot of maneuvering plus you don’t get a potty break once suited up (hence a number of kayakers heaving a sigh of relief (HAH! THB pun alert) to get to go back to boat to change and use the toilet.

Kayak very easy and basic for THB and DB in a double kayak, that is until THB got us hooked on a rock and one of the two kayak guides had to come over and rescue us before we turned turtle (in freezing water…would’ve been a good test of our kayak skills). From the water, we see a few animals (sheep) and birds (ducks, lots of geese and a few Rock Jumper penguins. The excursion, a scant 2 kilometers from where we got off the Zodiacs, is a rookery, half albatross and half Rock Hopper penguins, up close and personal…very close!

Back to ship for lunch on the deck: stir fry in a wok, your choice of veggies, noddle or rice, chicken or beef. DB and THB share the wok and leave out the green and red pepper. Okay, not great (needed a better/sharper sauce). THB manages to pull one of his glass stems out after the morning kayak: fixed by Nate the chief of the excursions in under 15 seconds (other chief is the captain of the ship.

The afternoon kayak is cancelled. THB and DB join the vast majority of cruisers and load on to Zodiac for walking amongst Gentoo, King and Rock Hopping penguins and a few skuas, and visit another combo Rockhopper/albatross nesting site. Supposedly there are Magellanic penguins here too, we just can’t spy them. There is a very old whale carcass almost totally intact on the isthmus – it’s a great piece of art!

Pics from West Point Island

Ben is the ship's photographer; he'll give everyone a jump drive when crusie ends

Non-kayakers start arriving, kayakers are first to leave ship

Dad

Mom

Pics from excursion on other side island. The kayakers have gone back to boat, zipped out of dry suits and are now back on West Point for the highlight of the day: Rockhoppers sharing a rookery with albatross

guano or birthmark?

THB and DB wander around for close to 2 hours, some of it spend picking up trash - this spot is relatively free of trash - similar to what THB has found on the beach in front of Monterey Dunes: there is a lot less trash washing ashore than 5 or 10 years ago.

We’re some of the first back to the ship (with group excursions, there’s always an option to go back “early” if you wish). Aboard ship we do a mini-tea: hot cocoa mixed with coffee, a tuna slider, and a cookie. That should hold us until dinner at 7:30.

A great shower!! A bit tight, good water pressure, hot water.

Dinner: THB has stuffed grape leaf starter (dolmas) and sea bream main and 2 scoops of coffee ice cream. No alcohol, Wednesday is metho-textrate day. We share a table with British couple from Sussex, second time. Very lively, and they have traveled extensively.

Still not clear if we’re kayaking tomorrow. Most of the passengers are going shopping in Stanley. THB will be making some issue (like weak thighs) in order to justify finding the boyfriend’s chair wherever we go.

Pics from Saunders Island: