Monday, January 18, 2016: Port Stanley, East Falkland Islands

Weather Forecast: mostly cloudy; temperature approximately 46-55°F; strong breeze SW 20-25 knots. Sun sets at 9:00 tonight and rises at 5:00 tomorrow morning – that’s new.

Visiting Stanley (formally known as Port Stanley) after two weeks in the Antarctic and South Georgia is like stepping into a new world. There are people, roads, electricity, homes, cars and green grass – it’s all a bit surreal. Founded in 1843, Stanley is the capital of the Falkland Islands and main population center, home to 2,100 people.

Ship repair and sheep farming used to be the mainstays, but now much of the economy is dependent on commercial fishing and tourism. There are days during the summer when two or more cruise ships dock in town, tourists can outnumber the local residents. The police station contains the island’s only prison, with a capacity of thirteen in the cells. There is rarely any crime as everyone knows everyone in town.

Mark played golf while I strolled around town with the NatGeo photographers working on my “street photography” skills. The traditional buildings are brightly painted with immaculately maintained gardens. Older houses frequently have intricately carvings while newer homes have corrugated iron roofs, the light weight of which makes them most practical to import. Was not unusual to find sheep or chickens in the backyards.

Lots of birds…

 And they love their penguins.

 

The Falklands War

In 1982 Argentina invaded the British-owned Falkland Islands which led to a brief, but bitter, war. Argentina hoped to reclaim sovereignty of the islands, saying they had inherited them from Spain in the 1800s. The UK, which had ruled the islands for 150 years, quickly chose to fight. Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher said the Falklanders were “of British tradition and stock.” After ten weeks the conflict ended with the surrender of the Argentine forces.

The Argentines renamed the town Puerto Argentino, and although Spanish names for places in the Falklands were historically accepted as alternatives, this one is considered extremely offensive by many islanders. Many other memorials remain throughout town including the British ships’ names shown on the hills.