Falkland Islands and Ushuaia, Argentina

Next stop on our cruise was Port Stanley, Falkland Islands.  Alternately named "Las Malvinas" to Argentines.  Total population of the Falklands is about 3,600.  Much of what we experienced there was a low, windy, treeless, somewhat barren landscape.  We did see some nice beaches and a colony of penguins.  The weather was quite variable between clouds, rain, and blue skies overhead.  We were fortunate that the weather was favorable.  Our ship had to anchor out in a bay and tender us to the pier.  

No pictures of Port Stanley because there wasn't anything I considered picture worthy.

This is what much of the terrain looked like in our visit to the Falkland Islands.

The bay shown is absolutely beautiful.  If it weren't for the weather, you might think you are on a tropical island.

 

Pretty beach, pretty flowers, but rain clouds moving closer in the distant background.  Those rain clouds caught up with us on this hike.  Fortunately, we had an umbrella with us.  The wind-driven rain only made our legs wet.  Do you see the group of penguins in the middle of the beach?

With a zoom camera, now you can see the penguins clearly.

One penguin entering the water and another waddling a few feet behind.

There are low mountains, a few thousand feet tall, on these islands; this is only a rocky outcropping, but one of many.

Cruising passages in the Tierra Del Fuego area.  Dramatic views in every direction including cloud formations.

 

Sealions and sea birds living on a rocky outcropping, safe from land predators, surrounded by the sea.

A few of the many fog-shrouded peaks which marked our route toward Ushuaia, the southern-most city on earth.

Ushuaia city center, called "Fin Del Mundo", that is, the end of the earth.

Ushuaia is the southernmost city on earth and, as such serves as the gateway to Antarctica. Many cruise ships stop here coming and going from that white continent. The scenery is spectacular, snowy mountain peaks in every direction.  The city is currently experiencing rapid growth.  This despite the cool, windy, changeable weather.  Our young female guide told us that she had moved there from Buenos Aires to get away from that metropolis.

A snowclad, cloud wrapped peak directly behind Ushuaia.  In each photograph I took the cloud formations and lighting was different.

Off to one side at Ushuaia was a bay of colorful fishing boats.

A few of the excursion/expedition ships in the foreground and beautiful mountain peaks behind.  This area is the gateway to Antarctica.

A collection of larger cruise ships rounding the tip of South America.

We went on an excursion (boat, train, bus) to see more of Tierra Del Fuego which extended into Chilean territory.  Dramatic scenery everywhere.

How is that for a rugged mountain peak.  Do you see the Chilean flag in the fore ground?

The horses here have no owner; herds run wild in this remote area.

Remember that this is late Spring.  I wonder what it looks like in winter.    

The weather was very pleasant when we started this cruise.  Here we are starting to experience substantial Pacific swells coming from the west and colder water of the north-flowing Humboldt current from Antarctica.