Last of the Falklands

This is Mt Tumbledown, about 400 metres above sea level! (The highest "mountain" is only 700m).  It was a fairly short hike, so we did it one very, very windy day.  It has good views of Stanley, and was one of the battle sites in the "conflict" of 1982.  There is an abandoned Argentine army field kitchen up there, and a memorial on the summit to the British soldiers who died there.  Everywhere you go on the Islands, there are memorials to soldiers (British) who died.  About 250 British died, and 800-900 Argentines.  The Argentines were very poorly prepared, young boys off the streets from up in the north of the country where it's very hot, taken down to that cold climate in April-May, and were not properly fed or clothed by their own country.  They acknowledge today that the British took better care of them than their own authorities.  The people tell of the Argentine soldiers coming into town begging for food!

           The field kitchen all rusty, but with stainless steel cooking pots

Lunch stop out of the wind

Looking back to Stanley

This is what the peat looks like

Peat embankments.  On the East Island peat is no longer used for heating (they use kerosene to fuel their radiators), but it was used in times past, and is still used on more remote parts.

View of Stanley and the harbour

The surrounding countryside, we had to battle the wind to not get blown over the cliff!

Going up the path toward the field kitchen

Wendy held up by the wind

View from the top of Mt Tumbledown.  War memorial cross

Another memorial on same mountain in different spot to different men.

We went to Cindy's house for lunch one day.  She lives on another part of the East Island, called Fitzroy.  It is actually a sheep station, which has sold off some of the houses and plots of land.

Silverlocks, Wendy, Dave and Alana, me, Cindy

View from her kitchen window

View from other side of house

On our second to last day we decided to attempt the Gypsy Cove walk again to see the Magellanic penguins, that live in burrows.  The day started out really calm but did the wind get up and it was COLD!! Beautiful though...here are some pics of the cloudy skies on the way...

We couldn't get right down onto the beach due to the landmines

This grass is native to the Falklands but has been decimated due to sheep farming.  They are replanting trying to get it back.  Called Tussac grass.

There were burrows all along the walkway, here's a little fella waiting for his parents

He got back in with his brother when an idiot tourist came yahooing along and scared him.

Saw this in a supermarket!

The last hurrah...coffee and carrot cake complete with marzipan carrot at Malvina House day before we left.