Blanco y Celeste: Falkland Islands

David and Judith Silverlock from Perth had plans to travel to the Falklands for two weeks to look up his maternal relatives (both his grandparents born there), and wanted to take two workers. Wendy Cornthwaite and I came with them instead of going to our last convention place in Argentina. To get here we crossed over the Andes to Santiago, and from there a 3-hr flight to the southernmost tip, Punta Arenas, then about an hour and a half over to the Islands.

Workers first came in the late 50s, two English workers, lived here and a little group was formed. They've all died now, and now workers travel once every 1-2 years for a little visit to the three people that have remained in contact. They are Alana and Dave Morris, and Cindy (not sure of her surname). Alana's father and mother and grandparents were professing, Dave is from Liverpool, came over with the Marines. Cindy is from Saint Helena and her mother was professing there and when she died young her father quit and they all lost touch. She has lived here 22 years and never knew about the friends here, until she went to a gospel meeting in England four years ago and met Keith Drury who had recently returned there from a visit here! She is so happy to be back in contact and looks forward so much to the few visits. We stay in the home of Dave and Alana, Cindy works at the army base about 45 mins away by vehicle, so we can't see so much of her.

Here are a few photos, beginning with crossing over the Andes, because they are so stunning!

After the border there are 30 hair-pin bends

Lunch with the workers in Santiago

L-R Marta Ramirez (on home visit to Chile from Venezuela), Max Bowman, Loren Coleman, Belermina Perez, Laura Romagnoli, (sitting) Wendy, Heather McDonald, June

With David and Judith Silverlock

Flying into Punta Arenas. The temp had been 34oC in Santiago and when we got here it was 11oC!

First sighting of the Islands by air. There are 420 all up, two main ones - the East Island and the West

Driving from airport to Stanley

After Sun am mtg. L-R: Dave, Alana, Cindy, with Silverlocks at back

Some of the old houses around the capital, Stanley

The cruise-ship harbour. 2,000 passengers were about to arrive! Note the buses. The popn of the Islands is about 2,000 in total. The ships are too big to come in here, so they anchor outside "The Narrows" and send the passengers in on "tender boats".

Islanders waiting to ferry the tour groups out to the penguin colonies. Tourism is a huge source of income here. Four to five ships come in per week.

Same harbour with the sun!

Visiting the near-by West Store that has all products from UK. Our loot! Salt and vinegar chips for first time in 5 years!

Roast lamb meal, yummy

Intrigued by all the gardens in spite of the climate. Indoor roses!

Their heroine, the Iron Lady

Southernmost Anglican church in the world. Whale bones outside

Government House

Hanging the washing out is a real challenge! And keeping it on the line is the next... wind is a constant feature of life on the islands. A "breeze" would be 30 kmph. Weather is very changeable, one minute sunny, next a squall comes over with hail included.