HAPPY ST. PADDY’S DAY FROM PORT STANLEY, FALKLAND ISLANDS!

We woke up this morning at Port Stanley, Falkland Islands!  Although it was overcast and dreary, the winds were not quite thirty mph, therefore the decision was made that we could anchor and tender over to the island!  Oh, and, HAPPY ST. PADDY’S DAY!


It was a beautiful island (in its’ own way), but it was VERY windy!  (Patte decided to stay on board due to the weather wreaking havoc on her restless legs.)  Mike, John and I walked “the loop” at Gypsy Cove, caught some awesome scenery, and were thankful we didn’t blow away!



And we saw a penguin!  We saw a penguin! (And it wasn’t even stuffed!)

           

Mike pointed out said penguin!  Do you see it?



We also saw this dude who, we quickly surmised, was a tad cray-cray!  He was all alone and it was soo darn WINDY!  (But he was fun to watch!)





We saw another penguin in his burrow!  (Looked like a skunk, but we were told it was definitely a penguin!)  There weren’t many at Gypsy Cove as the big migration had already begun.



We also saw five dolphins (I forget what kind), that were just hanging around in the seagrass!  (Look closely and you’ll see their fins—I promise!)



After completing “the loop” walk, we got bussed back to the pier where we walked into town in search of a Guinness!  (It was St. Paddy’s Day, after all!)



Would you believer there were three pubs in town and all of them were closed until 3:00PM?  On St. Paddy’s Day?  CRAZY!!!


We headed back to the pier, the wind was blowing wildly and we were COLD waiting for the tender.  (That was when the fun truly began!)


We got on the tender and began the trek back to the ship.  The ride itself wasn’t too bad, it was when the driver tried to dock at the Jupiter that it got hairy!  Because of the winds, the currents and the waves, our tender CRASHED into the ship a couple of times and had to make several passes before we docked successfully!  OMGoodness, it was the ride of a lifetime!  



We almost died (that’s my story and I’m sticking to it), but due to the skill of our Viking tender driver we made it back safely!  And the fact that our Captain was onboard the tender with us, gave each of us a boost of confidence that all would end well!

Dinner was a delight.  John came down with a cold (I wonder why), so he opted to stay in the room and rest.  (And order room service!)   Mike, Patte and I enjoyed our meals tremendously!




After dinner, the Viking Vocalists put on a show with West End London and Broadway hits!  Luckily, John joined us to watch the show, as it was a delight!


BUENAS NOCHES, everyone!  And HAPPY ST. PADDY’S DAY from my two favorite leprechauns!








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