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James FrithJames Frith
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traveled in 17 countries Read more Newton Abbot, United Kingdom
  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 19

    Terminal 5

    March 12 in England ⋅ 🌧 8 °C

    Glad to get off one of the worst flights ever. The club world cabin had an electrical fault so the seats couldn’t be operated, if you needed them adjusted the cabin crew had to do this manually. No menus or wash bags had been loaded for the return flight either. So quite pleased to get off, however having priority tags on the luggage also proved to be a waste of time as people in back of the plane received their luggage before we did.Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 18

    Back in Buenos Aires

    March 11 in Argentina ⋅ 🌩️ 25 °C

    Staying overnight at the Emperador in Buenos Aires this time. The warning on the coach from the airport was “if you want to go out for a walk turn left out of the hotel. Don’t turn right it is too dangerous.” We had no problems checking in, but a couple and another woman who we had met on the cruise did, as they were unable to offer credit cards. The lady had somehow managed to get her card blocked whilst away and the couple only had a debit card, we did offer to assist but fortunately Hurtigruiten were able to negotiate with the hotel to get them their rooms. Restaurant was closed so we had a bar meal and then went out for a brief way in the evening, turning left as advised. Found a fairly exclusive shopping arcade which we walked around, seeing a few people spending money, a contrast to the couple of people we saw scavenging in the bins on the way back to the hotel.
    Coach back to the airport for the flight home at 09:15 tomorrow.    Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 17

    Ushuaia Again

    March 10 in Argentina ⋅ ☁️ 5 °C

    Arrived back at Ushuaia harbour at 06:00. We were on the late flight back to Buenos Aires so had an hour to wander around Ushuaia. However being a Sunday almost everything was closed. Still drizzling we walked back the to the Ushuaia letters, almost mandatory if you have time, to have your picture taken here. There are two memorials to the Falklands war, one to remember the Argentinian dead with a display of pictures taken at the time. The other is a “waxwork” like display showing the raising of a flag, on display next to this are the busts as a memorial to Eva and Juan Peron. The drizzle finally stopped and you could clearly see the mountains, now with slightly less snow than a fortnight ago. Back to the coach for the ride back to the airport and the 3 1/2 hour flight back to Buenos Aires.Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 16

    South Atlantic - 54deg south

    March 9, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ 🌬 8 °C

    Left New Island at lunchtime yesterday, as we sat in the restaurant we could see grey clouds on the horizon, before we had finished lunch the rain drops were hitting the windows. Continued to rain, an announcement saying the top exercise deck was closed was made, not sure when it ended but had stopped when we got up at dawn.
    Today we return boots etc and get final instructions on disembarkation procedure, we do know we are on 2nd flight so won’t be back in Buenos Aires until mid afternoon tomorrow.
    Photo of dawn breaking over the South Atlantic.
    Mid afternoon and just seen some whales, not close enough to get good picture but can see them spouting in the distance.    Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 15

    New Island

    March 8 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌬 10 °C

    Sailing overnight to New Island, wind and waves dropped so has been a very smooth cruise.
    Waiting to hear confirmation that we will go ashore, if so we are 2nd group at 07:35, so will be no time for breakfast. The island is now a nature reserve, but very misty so don’t know lhow much we will be able to see. Landing given the go ahead, so into wet gear ready to be called.
    5 minutes in the zodiac and disembark into the sea and we have arrived. The colonies are on the other side of the island so we have to walk across again, advised to take a walking pole as it was slippery. Met one of the rangers on the walk, he said although was ok today, very unusually it had been raining most of the week, so instead of a very dry walk it was now very boggy everywhere. Like the last island saw plenty of pairs of geese on the walk across. Albatross and Rockhopper colonies with plenty of young ones. In the muddy conditions it was difficult to manoeuvre around the number of photographers with long lenses an tripods who had set up on the narrow trails around the bay. The local guide indicated since the mid 90s when they took over the number of breeding pairs now on the island had increased x10.
    On the walk back to the ship Karen was attacked by a bird, the villain in this incident is picture 10, believed to be a young caracara. Back to the ship, restaurant closed so will have to wait until lunchtime, at the cabin to find our departure instructions on the door. I did the trip to collect the passports, but only allowed to collect mine, so Karen will have to go as well.
    This afternoon we will start the final leg of the trip, heading back to Ushuaia.    Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 14

    Saunders Island - The Falkland

    March 7 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌬 9 °C

    The sea was getting rough when we left Stanley to sail around to Saunders Island on the west side of the islands. Rougher still overnight with the ship rolling from side to side and culminated a piece of ceiling cornice falling off narrowly missing the bed. The plan for today is a landing, 10:30 for our group, on Saunders Island, but presumably will need conditions to improve if this is to happen. Now announced that it is too rough to land so will move to an alternative site and try there this afternoon. Had some dolphins alongside during part of the journey ( no good photos though) as we moved to West Point Island, which as the name suggests is the most westerly of this little group. The bay was calm, the island is inhabited (1 family) so there was a small jetty which we used. The sun came out and the wind dropped (a little) so was a really pleasant autumn afternoon and we probably didn’t need all the layers we were wearing. Two walks available, one across the island to a bay with rockhopper penguins and an albatross nesting ground and a second along the coast where there were Magellan penguins. We decided to go across the island so started the long climb from the jetty, then crossing the central plain then a slight descent until we were on top of the cliff above the penguins and albatross chicks. A circular trail had been mapped out to weave closer to the nesting grounds and return to the top, the route was quite overgrown and very muddy, but the one way around system was working quite well until two elderly Australian women decided they didn’t want to do the full route and headed down the way back. Managed to get quite close to the albatross chicks,, even managed to capture a chick being fed. Bit further away from the penguins but you should be able to see their ears which is one of the distinguishing features of a rockhopper. Back across the island we started along the coastal walk to the Magellans. The track was a bit narrow in places where we were crossing some hill slopes, not helped by the camera enthusiasts stopping to balance on their tripods to take pictures. Lots of geese (mostly in pairs) everywhere we went, didn’t spot any sheep or cattle although saw evidence that there should be some somewhere. After 3 hours of walking we caught the zodiac back to the boat.Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 13

    Stanley - Falkland Isles

    March 6 in Falkland Islands ⋅ 🌬 7 °C

    Arriving at Stanley, we have a guided walking tour at lunchtime, otherwise free time to explore the town and try some local walks. Well the guided walk didn’t happen, no guide available for our time slot, so told we could join another one - next one in an hour or any up until 4pm ! So we did the “walk” ourselves. Basically Stanley has one long road that runs parallel to the sea and most things are on that. The first houses you see make you think you could be in Newton Abbot, Jubilee Villas is a typical Victorian terrace of four houses, a short walk further on is the cathedral and the whale bone arch. We next went to the Maritime museum, this has some old room settings including one of the British Antarctic huts, similar to the one we saw at Damoy point. The post office still has the old red style phone boxes outside, but were told they no longer work. Further along is the Governor’s Mansion and a number of memorials, commemorating the 1982 war, the World Wars and one specifically to the marines who apparently helped in the original establishment of the colony. In Victory Gardens there is part of the mizzen mast of Brunel’s SS Great Britain, which was abandoned here for many years before being taken back to Bristol and restored. Back passed the jetty in the other direction is the Cross of Sacrifice and the cemetery, the cemetery is part local and part war graves, looking at some of the early graves you see how hard life must have originally been as 50 to 60 appeared a good age. Whilst on the walk we saw a number of geese, believe the ruddy headed variety and black-browned Albatross flying overhead, supposed to be rockhopper penguins but didn’t spot any of those. But we are around the Falklands for the next couple of days so perhaps we are in the more remote areas. Too many pictures today have uploaded some for the sights mentioned.
    Across the bay from Stanley, laid out in white stone are the names of some of the old naval Antarctic and Falklands protection vessels, Karen’s father - Roy, served on the Protector in the mid 50s down here in the South Atlantic.
    Trivia facts: Karen recorded 13000 steps I recorded 10000, Karen walked 7.2km I walked 7.4km.    Read more

  • TravelerAntarctica and the Falklands
    Day 12

    Drakes Passage - Falklands Bound

    March 5, South Atlantic Ocean ⋅ ☁️ 6 °C

    Another sea day, mostly grey with the odd appearance of some weak sunshine breaking through the clouds. Not really rough but you can feel the ship move side to side and when on the running track on the top open deck you see the bow rise and fall as we plough through the waves. To clarify, we use the running track for walking, the wind has increased as well, so you are fighting the wind when heading to the bow and blown back on the return to the stern. Final picture is tonight’s sunset.Read more

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