Back South for the next stint

Hello All, I am back in the Falkalnds following a months break consisting of a week in the Caymans, and three weeks at home (including a week's holiday in Portugal) with the family. It was a great break and I am now missing them enormously and I don't mind admitting it was a bit harder getting on the plane this time. But I have been back for a week and I am settling back into Falklands life.

I flew the long way back South stopping for 24 hours in Santiago in Chile. Flying over Chile was stunning with views of snow covered mountains for most of the journey. I popped down into the city for a wander around and found Santiago to be a very pleasant city.

It is a modern city at its heart with some great architecture but also stunning views over to the Andes.

There is only so much you can see in a few hours so I think a family holiday is in order in the near future. Especially for Jimmy I discovered where Assasains go to eat!

The exciting news back in the Falklandsis that I am now a chicken keeper! I have two very attractive young ladies who will hopefully lay eggs for me. The one below is a bit of a bully to the other hen but is stunningly good looking. She hasn't laid yet but should do soon.

The other is good looking too and has already laid two eggs for me in a nice pale blue colour!

Hopefully they will settle down in their lovely house. The Ark cost me £30 and the hens were £20 each. I have bought layers pellets and corn for them to eat and have spiked their drinking water with garlic and apple cider vinegar (as I am told this is good for their condition). The ladies share this beautiful detached residence.

So thats it from me for now. I hope you are all well and happy. Next update in about a month's time. Best wishes Mark. Suggestions for names for the hens would be greatly appreciated!

A change from the Falklands

Its the end of August and a couple of really exciting things have happened since my last post.

Firstly I won a prize in the raffle at the senior school fete. As you can see it is a very tasteful and elegant sculpture - I did have to put it together myself and it now takes pride of place next to my television.

 The second exciting thing was attending a Human Rights training event on the Cayman Islands. This involved flying from the Falklands to Punta Arenas, to Santiago, to Miami and then to the Cayman Islands. I arrived on Sunday and went for lunch at Coconut Jo's (as recommended by the taxi driver).

 And had a plateful of chicken wings and rum punch while being checked out by the walking menu!

I was put in an OK hotel near the beach (everywhere is near the beach as the island is only about 25 miles long and not many miles wide for most of it) The hotel was a bit run down and had a slight damp smell - but the Cayman's are hot (33degrees) and humid. The beach however was very nice and only three minutes walk from the hotel and the water was lovely and warm - a real contrast from the Falklands!

It's a tough job but someone has to do it - but to be fair the training was 9 to 5 everyday apart from Wednesday when we were given the afternoon off. With the help of some locals it was arranged for me to go to Sting Ray city and have a swim and touch and if you want, kiss a sting ray! (I didn't kiss one).

 At the end of that week I flew back to the UK for a well deserved break! So I am writing this month's blog from Devon at home and tomorrow we go on a famliy holiday to Portugal. I fly back to the Falklands later in August via an overnight stop in Santiago - more on that in the next instalement. Hope all is well with you all - Love Mark