Falkland Islands and Ushuaia, Argentina

Next stop on our cruise was Port Stanley, Falkland Islands a British territory.  Alternately named "Las Malvinas" to Argentines.  Dawn and I had first considered visiting Argentina back in 1982 when we were living in Panama, but war over the Falkland Islands broke out between Argentina and England, and we were advised not to go there.

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, alternating between clouds, rain, and blue skies overhead.  The weather was favorable for our ship, which anchored in the bay and tendered us to a pier. When my sister & husband previously took a similar cruise route, they were unable to make this stop due to adverse weather.  

No pictures of Port Stanley because there wasn't anything I considered picture worthy.  Unadorned houses and other buildings, no landscaping, and faceless streets.

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.  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 a passage through 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 the congestion of that metropolis.

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

Off to one side at Ushuaia was a bay with many 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.  Our ship is on the left.

We went on a long 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 blue and white Chilean flag in the foreground?

On our excursion into the Patagonian countryside, we first took a boat ride, then a train ride, and finally a bus back to Ushuaia.  The refurbished train was originally used to take mine workers to their work site.  What scenic surroundings!

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

It looks like a lush paradise.  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.  From now on, we will be experiencing Chile.