Thursday… It’s wet – it’s the Falklands!
Jul 18th 2008PeterGetting My Life Back!
I had a good flight down, although he aircraft was late taking off – delayed by about 40 minutes because of a problem with some ground handling equipment. Much to my surprise, I found myself sitting up at the sharp end, instead of down in the back where indulgence passengers usually go. (Indulgence being the term for passengers taking available seats for a nominal fee). I’m not sure it was an upgrade – but it felt like one!
The trip down to the halfway point at Ascension was uneventful, and I managed to get about 3 hours sleep. ound for the aircraft to be refuelled for the next leg. Ascension was its usual self – a walm balmy early morning breeze as we waited in the compound. Would that the Bourgainvillea at home had been like this one!
I was met on arrival by my friend Angela, who is working down here and arranged my flight and is looking after me! I did have a bit more sleep on the final leg, but while there is only one hour difference between Ascension and the UK, there is 4 between Ascension and the Falklands. I slept for a couple of hours on arrival, and felt pretty much OK after that, so by this morning I felt I had caught up up on the time zone change.
After breakfast I went over to the main complex on the base to revisit a few haunts. This visit is a bit like “recherche du temps perdu” in that it is all familiar, but I am in it, not of it. There have been a few changes – there is more housing – the road where I used to live is now block paved (it was a very muddy track!) but otherwise it is much this same. The weather is drizzly, not particularly cold, but very grey and with a low cloud base. There a few Upland Geese around – one of my memories of the Islands – and almost an icon!
In the afternoon I went for a long walk – unfortunately I don’t have transport – to see how the infrastructure for one of the projects had been implemented. I had forgotten how far it was on foot – I suppose I walked for about 3 miles, mostly on road, a bit on grass, where I disturbed a couple of hares – too fast for me to get a photograph!
I was pleased that I didn’t find the walk to tiring (a walk I would have done without second thoughts when I was really physically fit) t it did represent a bit more ‘getting my life’ back. I was pleased to see that it looked as if everything had gone to plan on the project too! The weather starting turning even murkier at that point, but I hitched a lift back in a passing Landrover, so I didn’t get too wet.
The real thing that struck me once again was the silence and the freshness of the air. There is very little pollution and a great the sense of space and wildness – things I rhad only half emembered.
I am going to do a bit more walking around tomorrow morning, before we go to Stanley (the capital) for the weekend – about 30 miles away.
The photos here are a small selection – the others, as usual, are (or will be!) in the gallery.
Onwards and upwards!
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.