There were a good number of king cormorants at the Rookery, both on the cliffs and a little further inland. Although you have to respect a 20ft distance from the wildlife, sometimes the birds make up their own minds and disregard the rules. This chick’s parent flew in and landed a couple feet away…
When I was in the Falklands before and first saw albatrosses, it was November and mating season. Now it’s late summer and the albatross colonies are full of chicks. I was surprised to see such a range of maturity amongst the chicks with some still at the the bundle of fluff stage and others in…
I saw three types of penguin at The Rookery – rockhoppers, gentoos and magellanic penguins. The gentoos and magellanic penguins can be found at the beach and in the green areas close by, with the magellanics forming their nests in burrows. I found both the gentoos and the magellanics here very nervous, unlike previous times…
Already a week has passed on the Falkland Islands and when Friday came around it was time for my first excursion, to The Rookery on Saunders Island. Flights between the islands are operated by FIGAS (Falkland Islands Government Air Service) and run somewhat akin to a taxi service. Flight requests have to be in the…
Having gone to sleep in a howling gale, listening to the sound of rain on the camper van roof, I woke up to silence and opened the doors to find a beautiful blue sky with the Torres del Paine in all their glory. I got dressed at top speed and jumped into the driver’s seat…
I was up at the hospital in good time this morning so that I could use the internet card I bought yesterday to connect to the wifi hotspot in the hospital before the ward round. Internet here is satellite based and unlimited data use is not a concept that exists! There are a number of…
I woke up this morning to the sound of ducks quacking. Turns out that they live over the road from my B&B. What a great way to wake up. Kay managed to find me some unworn long sleeved t-shirts and a pair of knickers in her cupboards so I turned up at the hospital clean this…
I was up early, if not so bright, this morning to catch my rescheduled flight to Stanley. A 6.25am departure meant a 4.45am pick up for the airport, which thankfully went without a hitch. When I arrived at the airport, however, I found a long queue of people stretching the length of the terminal building,…
I was up bright and early this first morning in Chile, in part thanks to my fellow guests and in part because of camper van anticipation! With my rudimentary Spanish I managed to ask the owner of the hostel to arrange a taxi for me to the Wicked Campervan depot and the taxi duly arrived…
After months of anticipation it’s finally time for me to head off on my elective (a self organised placement during your medical degree which is usually, although not necessarily, carried out abroad) – 6 weeks at the King Edward Memorial Hospital in the Falklands, with a short trip to Chile on either side. I suspect…