The Adventures of #NORMASFANFOLLOW in South America Part III

Next we invade the Falklands (oh wait, that was Argentina)!   Temps today are about 38 degrees Fahrenheit and winds are blowing at 30 mph (just under gale force winds).  Its slightly overcast.  Today’s adventure is a 4 x 4 trip out to the Bluff Cove Penguin Rookery. 

Please remember, that several of our older cruisers are coming along, especially, Charlie who has this equipment to help him with the rigorous walk and climb to the penguin rookery!

Charlie is prepared with his resting spot if the going gets rough and it doubles as a cane! (Too bad it didn’t convert into a shovel).

We took a tender into the port and got on minibuses to go to the 4 X 4 area.   As we drove, we got a little history of The Falklands.  All together there are about 2,900 people who live on the island.   On April 2, 1982, Argentina invaded and occupied the Falkland Islands with 85,000 troops in an attempt to establish the sovereignty it had long claimed over them. The invaders immediately planted over 27K  land mines along the water.  On April 5th, the British government dispatched a naval task force to engage the Argentine Navy and Air Force before making an amphibious assault on the islands. The conflict lasted 74 days and ended with the Argentine surrender on June 14, 1982, returning the islands to British control. In total, 649 Argentine military personnel, 255 British military personnel, and three Falkland Islanders died during the hostilities. I never knew what all the fuss was about at the time of the invasion, so it was interesting to hear about this difficult time on a very peaceful, self governed British territory.  

Falkland Island War Memorials

As we drove out to the 4 X4’s we saw land mine deactivators working to remove the land mines after all that time. 

Next we piled into 4 X 4’s and headed out to the penguins! Charlie (with seat/cane/shovel) is still hanging in there with us.

Friends, there is something they don’t tell you about seeing the penguins.  The entire area where they roam is covered in penguin poop.  At least 2 to 5 inches deep.  I’ve seen penguins before at the zoo in those fake white “snow” plateaus, with the water that is enclosed by glass so you can see how fast they swim!  

No poop!

No poop!

No poop!

No poop!

Does anyone see any penguin poop?  No!  The poop has been vacuumed up before we arrive, which is the only civilized way to do things.  Do you think they’d have a penguin poop vacuum in the Falklands?  Noooooo !

Well, Charlie finally met his waterloo.  Took his seat/cane/ shovel and planted it right in the middle of the poop (that was on top of the soggy ground).  He immediately fell over like the guy on the tricycle on Laugh In!  Slow motion….. In stead of helping, I was paralyzed laughing as Charlie rolled around in the poop!  I felt awful!  (NOT) Charlie wasn’t hurt.

Picture this with a lot of gray penguin poop on the ground. Too bad Charlie didn’t have a raincoat!

Here’s a good view of the poop!  I wore my penguin boots!

Looks like rocks….it is rocks or soggy grass plus 5 inches of poop!

@beulahcrusoe lent me these Penguin Poop Boots

After we righted Charlie, we spent time up close with the penguins.  I was encircled by them.   (Probably the herring necklace I wore)! 

After I threw my necklace at them, they stopped chasing and honking at me.   Here are some of the views I saw!

 

Here I am expecting to tango my vacay away, and I end up on a poop beach, with penguins chasing me and freezing to death!

That night at dinner, I saw Charlie sitting all alone, because the tomato juice bath he took to kill the penguin poop smell, didn’t work!  They made him sit outside!

Sorry, Charlie!

My waiter in the dining room was very competent that evening! I was well-served!