Into every life a little rain must fall. Actually, this was not rain, but a force three gale. We realize that most of you have been having weather that is far worse, but as Dr. Johnson succinctly put it, being in a ship at sea is like being in a prison with a chance of drowning. Conditions in Port Stanley were not such that a landing in tenders could be contemplated, so the Amsterdam sailed to the west of the Falklands, and our chance to see the King penguins there was “gone with the wind.”
This is not as uncommon as one might think. We’ve talked to at least one person on board, who has now missed the Falklands on three occasions. The Captain was a bit dubious at first about Isla Robinson Crusoe (where there have been at least three deaths due to the earthquake-related tsunami) and there has been at least one port change later on in the voyage (which we’ll cover when we get to it). As someone aboard said, “If you look at your tickets real close, you’ll that none of the stops are guaranteed!”
The turbulence we encountered made it clear that this was a good decision (something that was ratified by the port agent in Stanley), and we can live, at least for a while, without seeing the hulks in the harbor, visiting Goose Green, or buying stamps at the local post office. There is, however, a lesson here. Travel is a privilege, not a right. If you’re sitting on the floor, surrounded by both shores of tropical beaches, cliffs of ice, and the like just remember that even after you have your tickets in hand and have boarded the ship, there’s no guarantee that you’ll land in that special port of call. Or it may be raining, or you may have sunburn or (as happened to friends in La Serena, Chile) your camera may be snitched.
So just enjoy each day as it comes and “go with the flow.” Maybe we’ll make the Falklands next time.
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