The long journey south- part 1

Getting to Bird Island is not an easy feat. It starts with travelling to Brize Norton RAF base near Oxford for a flight to the Falkland Islands via Ascension Island. The RAF like you to be there extra early, so I arrived about 5:30pm for a 11pm flight. It’s very different to a normal airport in that you have to get a security pass to get into the place with your picture on it. Once inside the terminal some things are the same, you still get the baggage trolley and queue up to check in (luckily I was just under my weight limit so didn’t have to pay any extra!). Other things are not the same, there were lots of soldiers in the airport, as there was due to be a flight in Camp Bastion, Afghanistan the same day, there is no duty free, or really any other kinds of shops (apart from a Spa). There is also no Wetherspoons (which seems to be a staple in most airports these days), because it is a dry airport (not sure if that is because they don’t want the soldiers having a few too many before flying or what).

The flight left just after 11pm and much busier than I expected. The plane was 8 seats wide and most of them were taken. It was fairly comfy and we were served snacks and orange squash (again a dry flight). Not long after take off they came around with ipads for all of us with films to watch. That was really surprising after being served orange squash for drinks, but hey ho! The flight was around 7.5 hours and then we landed in a slightly damp Ascension Island. We were only there for an hour and a half and were kept in what could only be described as a cage in the airport. I was really looking forward to my last bit of sunshine, but disappointingly it was over cast and a bit damp. 

After the plane had been refuelled we all got back on for the next 8 hour flight to the Falkland Islands. We arrived at Mount Stanley to glorious sunshine, which I really wasn’t expecting! Outside the airport we stripped down to just t-shirts (I’d packed a hat and gloves in my hand luggage ready for arrival- but I definitely didn’t need them). From the airport it is a long drive to Port Stanley (the capital of the Falklands), not because of distance but because of the lack of proper roads. Our journey was made longer when we had to stop because part of our bus was dragging along the road! Eventually the offending piece was ripped off and we continued on our journey and eventually made it to Port Stanley and our ship. 

The view while we waited for our bus to be fixed. That is the main road between the airport and Stanley!