Think it got rough around 2am and the ship is still rocking & rolling. Wind is 40mph and swells 15 to 20 feet so no one allowed on open decks today. At noon the Captain says we can expect this today on our way to the Falkland Islands and then again on Wednesday when we are at sea again on our way to Puerto Madryn, on the coast of Argentina. Got my patch on!!
There is no dock in Port Stanley, the Falklands, so we will have to take the ship's tenders (life boats) ashore tomorrow. The Captain hinted that the 25 minute ride may be a rough one in the small boats. There is a chance that it may be unsafe and then ship will skip this port. Personally, I don't care. We saw some penguins a few days ago so no need to see more. Other than that, it doesn't sound like there is much else.
The Falkland Islands are a British colony. Thirty years ago this April the Argentines tried to take the Falklands back from the British by invading the islands. The war lasted for a couple of months killing over 600 Argentine soldiers and over 200 British troops. The islands were heavily mined and many of these mine fields remain to this day. There are only 5000 inhabitants in Stanley and a few little fishing and farming villages. Sheep farming is the major industry as there are over a half million sheep being raised for wool and meat.
This morning we went to a lecture about flora and fauna in the Falklands. There are several different types of whales, sea lions, dolphin, penguins to name a few that hopefully we may see in this area. We are 300 miles from land right now and there are several different kinds of birds soaring around us.
