Falkland Island Posts from Nate and Sophie!

From Sophie:  The Falkland Islands

The Falkland Islands were super cool!  I saw Magellanic penguins in their natural habitat!  Next we saw the Rock Hoppers.  They were amazing hoppers!  We also saw the albatross and their babies.  On the way back a Cara Cara bird (huge bird of prey) hovered over me.  We also saw sheep on the hillside.

From Nate:  Carcass and Saunders Islands  (Small Islands that are part of the Falkland Islands)

We got up early to go to Carcass Island and once we got there I saw my first (in the wild) penguins!  So we explored the area for a while then we walked about 21/2 miles.  On the walk I saw lots -- and the word lots here means tons of penguin poo splattered everywhere!

At the end of the walk we saw a settlement owned by one person.  We went inside and had some cookies and tea!  It was a really flabbergasting walk.  The island was bare with no trees but filled with plant and animal life.

After we had lunch back on the ship we went back into the small zodiac motorboats to shore and I saw literally hundreds of penguins.  I will tell you the names.  Megellanic, Gentoo, King, and Rock Hopper penguins!  I also saw nesting Black-Browed Albatrosses!  On the way back to the beach there was a sand storm but mild!!

Ciao!  (that means bye in Spanish!)

Happy New Year's Eve from the Southern Ocean!

First, I will probably not be able to provide many photos...takes too long to down load...even when downsized.

We are on our third day on our ship.  Our cabins are small, neat and way up in the bow.  During rough seas we hear the waves smack the sides of the ship right by our heads!  A very dramatic lullaby!  The swells push us into our mattresses then lighten us--no one has been lifted out of their beds yet!  The first day was a little rough.  Nate, Sophie and I all felt quite queezy.  We now feel much more acclimated and are really enjoying being out at sea.  The color of the southern ocean under the bright sun looks like a cross between and emerald and a sapphire.  

Our time in the Falkland Islands was an incredible taste of what is ahead.  We visited a small settlement and took a long gorgeous walk starting on a beach bespeckled with funny and playful gentoo penguins.  Imagine a white sand beach, rolling green sheep fields, NO trees, and penguins everywhere!  We made another trip into our zodiacs for a second landing onto another spot called Saunder’s Island.  Nate said it well--we were pushed to our limits!  Winds at 40mph, sand and grit (a polite terms for penguin poo) blowing in our faces and then a hillside trek to one of the most incredible spots we have ever seen.  A cliffside nesting sight for Black Browed Albatross.  I’ll let the pictures tell the story eventually, but suffice it so say we sat on the edge of an island, on the edge of the world watching these birds built to glide out over the rough Southern Ocean play and swoop, feed their young, and preen each other.  Some of the pairs with chicks were as old as 60.  Yes, 60.  

Along the way around every hillock we found a little burrow with striking black and white Magellanic penguins sticking their heads out to give us the eye.  Did you know some penguins dig their own homes???

We are on a two day crossing towards South Georgia now and gearing up to celebrate New Year’s!

For those of you who know me well: an update.  The bird thing has been fine so far.  The scenery is so dramatic and the birds have plenty of room and I haven’t gotten spooked once.  I did hear of a passenger who had their hat pulled off their heads by a huge bird of prey (a Cara Cara).  That would test my new found bravery...!!!!  Jonathan was never scared until he heard about a Cara Cara taking off with someone’s fancy camera and giant zoom lens.  This was enough to really spook him!

Buenos Aires We Love You!

     Our time in Buenos Aires has been wonderful.  I can't believe this is just the warm up act before our "real" trip!  We have walked and walked, and seen so much.  Our first day was spent walking in the Recoleta area and winding around this incredible cemetery full of beautiful and somewhat spooky family tombs..  Wonderful sights in the city punctuated by sumptuous meals.  Grilled meats, sweet breads, and gorgeous herb sauces.  Delicious!!  The lamb tongues were a bit of a disappointment.

     

     We spent quite bit of time wandering around a crafters market where we found a boomerang booth that boasted a national boomerang coach???!!!  It was incredibly hot and humid the first day when my folks and Melanie were here.  We have had dry, sunny and hot but not too humid spectacular days.

     Our Christmas Eve black tie affair was completely over the top--opera singers, my men in tuxedos, something chocolate at the end that I can't really even talk about.  They say that dinners happen late here and that kids are welcome.  This was proven when they rolled in two pack and plays to the dining room and a family just plopped their toddlers in at around midnight!  Lots of lingering over meals!!!  Nate and Sophie had a blast and I was the only one tempted to climb in my own pack and play!  Sophie slept in until 11 the next day...!

     Am already behind in my record keeping.  We had a big day trip today to the colonial town of San Antonio de Areco and an estancias (ranch estate) on the pampas (plain) called Camino Pampa. More on that later--Sophie and I rode horses with the gauchos!  Nate and Grandpa chose the pool.

Tomorrow we move hotels and meet our group.  Wish us luck!  Or maybe it is our group that needs the luck before they meet us!

Recoleta Cemetery

Sophie at Recoleta

Schwartz Family at Recoleta

I swear I didn't eat all of this!

Nate getting a lesson from the National Boomerang Coach!

Our Christmas Eve Costumes!

Sitting on the Mansion Stairs Before Dinner

Obligatory Silly Camera Shot!

On Our Way!

Sophie Hugs House Goodbye

Kids and Our Pile @ Dartmouth Coach

We're off folks!  I am sending a post from the Miami airport so that I can keep my new found blogging skills sharp.  This is all new to me!  (Thanks Jenn Lynn!)
First nature observation from Sophie?  "The clouds look like mashed potatoes!"  Hopefully many more to come.

On Our Way to Miami! Note: In Their Own Row!!

Look Mom, I'm a Blogger!

Greetings from a cozy Thanksgiving weekend in VT.  I'm trying out this blogging thing as a way to make communicating while we are on our big trip as easy as possible!

Here goes!