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Following two days at sea, the next step of the voyage was the Falkland Islands. This collection of islands comprises over 12,000km^2 (by comparison, Melbourne is approximately 2,500 km²) with a total population of about 3,500 (by comparison, Melbourne has approximately 5,300,000), nearly all of which reside in the settlement of Stanley. On a per capita basis, the islanders are quite well off, and to describe them as "quite British and a bit conservative" would be something of an understatement. Despite the small population, it does have an excellent museum. With few people and a rugged territory, wildlife is abundant, especially in the form of birds and sea mammals, and is quite notable. Penguins are, of course, a primary attraction, and a visit to nearby Yorke Bay provided the opportunity to encounter King, Gentoo penguins, and Magallanic penguins. The only land mammal that existed on the Falklands, the Falkland Islands wolf or warrah was hunted and poisoned to extinction by shepherds in the 19th century.
No discussion of the Falklands (or Islas Malvinas) can occur without discussion of ownership, especially in the wake of the 1982 war. To put the situation in a nutshell, the islands remained uninhabited until the French established a colony in 1764. The following year, the British established a settlement, but it is questionable whether they were aware of one another. The following year, the French surrendered their claim to Spain. A few years later, the British withdrew from the islands, and by the time of the Napoleonic Wars, the Spanish abandoned their colony and garrison, leaving behind gauchos and fishermen. Later, a German-born Frenchman of Argentine citizenship established an Argentine colony, but the United States turned up with a warship in 1831 and dissolved that government. The following year, the British returned and reasserted their rule. The British have remained ever since, and the Argentinians continue to vigorously assert their claims. At the time of the war, I recall a young girl phoning talk-back radio and saying: "There are two big islands - why don't they have one each?" Such a sharing arrangement, as charming and persuasive as it might be, is challenged by the assertion of right through violence.
Leaving the Falklands meant another two days at sea before landing at Montevideo. This is an opportunity to describe the exceptional culinary experience offered by the cruise. Every day, with breakfast merging into lunch and then dinner, there is a plentiful and diverse buffet of excellent quality, which varies in theme each day (the Christmas Day French lunch was quite an experience). For those who prefer a serviced dinner, several restaurants are also available onboard. If you pay a little extra, you can access even more restaurants of an even higher standard. Coupled with the grand hotel breakfasts of the pre-cruise weeks, I am quite prepared to say that I have never eaten so well for such an extended period of time, and, despite a wonderful gymnasium that overlooks the bow of the ship, I rather suspect I have put on more than a few kilos in the past month. Still, as a once-in-a-lifetime voyage (of which I have at least one or two per year) I have very few regrets with experiencing this culinary indulgence.
No discussion of the Falklands (or Islas Malvinas) can occur without discussion of ownership, especially in the wake of the 1982 war. To put the situation in a nutshell, the islands remained uninhabited until the French established a colony in 1764. The following year, the British established a settlement, but it is questionable whether they were aware of one another. The following year, the French surrendered their claim to Spain. A few years later, the British withdrew from the islands, and by the time of the Napoleonic Wars, the Spanish abandoned their colony and garrison, leaving behind gauchos and fishermen. Later, a German-born Frenchman of Argentine citizenship established an Argentine colony, but the United States turned up with a warship in 1831 and dissolved that government. The following year, the British returned and reasserted their rule. The British have remained ever since, and the Argentinians continue to vigorously assert their claims. At the time of the war, I recall a young girl phoning talk-back radio and saying: "There are two big islands - why don't they have one each?" Such a sharing arrangement, as charming and persuasive as it might be, is challenged by the assertion of right through violence.
Leaving the Falklands meant another two days at sea before landing at Montevideo. This is an opportunity to describe the exceptional culinary experience offered by the cruise. Every day, with breakfast merging into lunch and then dinner, there is a plentiful and diverse buffet of excellent quality, which varies in theme each day (the Christmas Day French lunch was quite an experience). For those who prefer a serviced dinner, several restaurants are also available onboard. If you pay a little extra, you can access even more restaurants of an even higher standard. Coupled with the grand hotel breakfasts of the pre-cruise weeks, I am quite prepared to say that I have never eaten so well for such an extended period of time, and, despite a wonderful gymnasium that overlooks the bow of the ship, I rather suspect I have put on more than a few kilos in the past month. Still, as a once-in-a-lifetime voyage (of which I have at least one or two per year) I have very few regrets with experiencing this culinary indulgence.
