Colour of Time: The Falkland Islands

Tuesday, February 04, 2020

The Falkland Islands

After leaving Ushuaia, we had anticipated crossing the southernmost of the South American continent and sailing around the Cape of Horn. That opportunity was dashed after the Captain announced in the morning of 30 December 2019 that the ship would not be sailing to Cape Horn because of bad weather and big waves. It would instead sail straight to the Falkland Islands.

Without seeing Cape Horn, many had hoped to see at least one other species of penguins well known in Falkland Islands. Falkland is known to have at least five species of penguins: the macaroni, rockhopper, king, gentoo and the magellanic penguins. Unfortunately, this hope was also dashed when a much less demanding tour was arranged by the tour company - a bus tour to learn about the 1982 Falkland War.

Since the French first set up a colony in one of the islands in 1764, the British and the Spaniards had since fought a few times for sovereignty of this group of islands. In 1832, the Argentinians too joined in to gain a foothold. The British returned in 1833 with a naval force and expelled the Argentinians and regained permanent control of the islands.

Then after almost 150 years, the Argentinians invaded Falkland and gained control albeit for a short period. Seven weeks later, the British returned and after intense fighting, forced the Argentinian garrison to surrender on 14 June 1982. Soon after, Leopoldo Galtieri, the President of Argentine who mooted the invasion was removed.

Margaret Thatcher, the British Prime Minister at that time is considered a heroine because of her steely determination and resolve to confront the invasion of the Argentinians. Every year on 10 January, the people of Falkland celebrate Margaret Thatcher's Day. A street is named "Thatcher Drive" after her.

A statute of Margaret Thatcher.

Thatcher Drive.

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649 Argentinian military personnel, 255 British military personnel and 3 Falkland islanders died during the war.

A memorial stone has been erected to honour the Gurkha
solders who fought for Britain during the war.

A map illustrating the final decisive battle on Mount Harriet
on 11-12 June 1982.

The wreckage of an Argentinian Chinook helicopter is still visible on the mountains. It was destroyed on the ground by a British Hawker Sidderly Harrier.

A Chinook and a Hawker Sidderly Harrier

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Just a short drive out of the capital Stanley, its landscape almost instantly turns into a vast uninhabited undulating empty land. With just a population of under 3,400, I asked the guide, "What is the chance of a foreigner being accepted to settle here?" His answer: "He/she must prove he/she can survive on his/her own!"

If anything that I found peculiar, it would be the "stone run". Rows and rows of stone fragments of varying sizes "spread motionless" along series of channels along the gentle slopes of the hills, the longest is said to be 5 Km length.

The shore of Stanley has some buildings of amazing architecture. The islanders have over the years abandoned sheep farming and agriculture and move to tourism. The latter has become one important contributor to the island economy. Each year, Falkland handles some 60,000 visitors from at least 80 cruise ships.