The Falklands

6^th March 2013

We left South Georgia on the evening of 28^th and immediately hit rough seas, which left me lying in bed for two days feeling really ill whenever I got up. I managed a bit of movement after that, even helping in the kitchen peeling spuds, and was glad to find I wasn't the only one who had been suffering.

Arriving in the Falklands on the morning of the 4^th I found the place to once again in warm sunshine and was grateful to be able to get ashore and go for a stroll into Stanley. It was great to be able to sit on the soft grass and eat an ice cream, watching the geese, ducks, vultures as well as a Caracara and flocks of bright red Long-tailed Meadowlarks that I didn't see when here in November.

This Caracara was stood with a vulture. That flew off as I approached, leaving this one to  carry a large bone away to what it decided was a safe distance before continuing to eat the scraps off it.

I'd been given a shopping list by Craig, Hannah and Steph, mainly consisting of snacks and souvenir tat. It was a little daunting going into a shop after 4 months leaving my wallet getting dusty in a drawer but I managed to restrain myself, aided by the paucity of truly fresh produce.

Blue sky and proper grass on the walk into Stanley.

Yesterday afternoon I got a lift to the Falklands dentist, a former BAS employee who had a look at a few x-rays and had a poke about in my mouth before giving me the options: a) whip that tooth out or b) undergo complicated lengthy surgery that may not resolve the problem. The first one was what everyone was recommending and sounded the most sensible, so I agreed to go through with it. I had thought the problem was an emerging wisdom tooth but it turns out it was nerve trouble in a molar with a massive filling.

Any anxiety was increased by the dentist and the ship's doc chatting about the various extraction tools out of my line of vision, but I must say all credit to the dentist – she pulled the tooth out quickly and cleanly with minimal pain and horrible crunching noises. I think I held my breath through the entire thing and as reward for being a brave boy was given a sticker and my tooth to take home in a tooth fairy bag.

So now I'm back on the boat with a big gap in my teeth yet feeling a lot more confident about being stranded in one of the most remote places I can be for the approaching winter.

Probable Peale's Dolphins seen from the boat on the way round to Mare harbour where we went to refuel.

Jerry.