Czech-ed in!

There's still a lot of to write about Antarctica, but think we all need a quick break and some hot weather! May is a good time of the year to visit Czech - comfortably hot at around 25°C during the day and 12-14°C at night.

This was actually the second time I've visited Czech Republic and again with the main purpose being to attend a Kempo seminar, sightseeing was limited, but we did have plenty of time to sample the famous Czech beer and meats!

Like the UK, Czech is one of several countries in the EU that have not taken the Euro as its currency. I made the mistake of exchanging £200 worth of Euros last year but I wasn't going to fall for that again.

Ben and I landed at the Prague Ruzyně International Airport at 10.30pm and despite having a piece of oversized hold baggage that came through separately, we were out on a bus to the city centre within half an hour. The modestly sized airport was efficient and fully equipped with automatic biometric gates.

We took bus 119 from just outside the arrivals lounge to Dejvická which is the terminal station on the metro line A (green). A single ticket cost 40Kč (Czech koruna) from the bus driver but if you had 110Kč in coins you can buy a 24-hour ticket from the machines, which gets you on the metro, buses and trams.  

Note: your ticket is only valid if you stick it in the validating machine (on the bus/tram or at the metro entrance) which puts a time-stamp on it. You only need to do it once.

Day 1: Prague
The Wallenstein Garden and Palace (free entry) is situated right next to the Malostranská metro station, on the west side of Charles Bridge. As we were pressed for time, we only managed a 30 minute super tour of the grounds, capturing the fountain, peacocks, bronze statues and the artificial dripstone wall.

We wanted to see the castle as well but ran out of time as we had to travel to Karlovy Vary, but just to set the scene of the food you should expect, here's half a duck I had for lunch, which was almost twice the size of any ducks I've had in the UK!

Day 2 & 3: Karlovy Vary
We spent most of the 2nd and 3rd day at the training seminar, but managed to spend an hour or two walking around KV before we left. KV is a small town about 130km (2 hours) west of Prague, famous for its spa resort rich in iron and minerals. There is an abundance of hot spring taps in the town centre for you to taste (quite salty in my opinion), but if you want a proper spa you'll need to check in to a local hotel. 

As our friend and organiser of the training seminar is a police officer, we were put up in the police station, which has a training room covered with judo mats and had all the martial arts training equipment one would ever need. We slept on the mats and used kicking pads as pillows, which was a much cooler (if somewhat uncomfortable) option than spa hotels.

KV is overrun by Russians. I'm not sure whether they were just tourists, or whether they've permanently settled here, but there were loads of them, to the point where some of the billboards in town would put Russian first, then Czech, then English. Of course this is what my Czech friends told me - I myself didn't know any better whether the people/language were Czech or Russian! 

To my surprise KV is twinned with quite a few different places around the world (although none in the UK, I would expect Bath to be the top pick).

Apart from the beer and meat, if there's one thing you must try when you're in Czech, is a liqueur called Becherovka (38%) produced in KV, which is supposed to be good for your health (obviously only if drunk in moderation) due to its herbal ingredients:

For lunch on both Saturday and Sunday, we went to a local pub near the training venue, Ventura Pub Evropak - highly recommended and is where a lot of the locals hang out. The Pilsner Urquell was delicious and only cost £1.50, but the deal breaker was the meat dishes. After two days of training, I decided to go for the "roasted pork knee (about 1.5kg) with old Bohemian garnish", only for 214Kč which is about £7! You really have to see if for yourself:

It was epic, the most meat I've had in one sitting, and even a whole weekend of training couldn't justify it. 


Day 4: Prague
I spent Monday having another go at sightseeing with Ben, and the weather was perfect for it. We started at the National Museum and worked our way to the Astronomical Clock, Old Town Square, Charles Bridge and finally the castle and St Vitus Cathedral (sadly we didn't have enough time or korunas to go into the buildings). 

I did notice there were quite a few people whizzing around town on segways, which really annoyed me as they were too big and they generally didn't have any awareness of other pedestrians. I risk sounding old and grumpy but segways really isn't my idea of fun.

Wenceslas Square in front of the National Museum

 Local cinnamon rolls

 Praha ham

The Astronomical Clock, the 3rd oldest in the world and still going!

 Looking at Charles Bridge

 Entrance to the castle

 A gargoyle on the Gothic St Vitus Cathedral

Beautiful structure of St Vitus cathedral

Ben was flagging a bit after much walking around in the sun, so we decided to sit out the rest of the afternoon with Czech's finest. Ben ordered us a large beer each. Usually a large meant 0.5L but this place served 1L, not the worst mistake though. The location was great, down a quiet side street just outside the castle compound, although you do pay a premium at 350Kč for each beer (compared to an average of 50Kč for 0.5L we've been paying, this was quite a lot!) I was half way through munching the bowl of crisps until Ben noticed a sticker on the bowl saying 45Kč. I stopped eating and luckily either it was actually free or there was enough left in the bowl for them not to charge us, as we were down to our last pennies!
 

I think it would have been nice to have spent more time travelling around the country. There's so much in Prague that I haven't seen, and definitely lots more outside the capital around this former communist state. If I come back for the seminar again next year, I'm definitely going to take a whole week to explore. That said, this weekend was all about Kempo training, catchning up with old friends, drinking beer and eating meat, which were all very enjoyable.

Where to stay in the Falklands - review of accommodation

I merely spent 2 days in the Falklands pre-Antarctic and 3 days post-Antarctic, and both stays were with the Waterfront, so whilst I'd like to offer some observations, this is by no means a comprehensive guide or review of the many choices of accommodation in the Falklands.

Also a huge thank you to Simon Smith and James Dong for their contributions to this post, both of which have made this far more interesting and rounded.
 
Booking accommodation in the Falklands is straight-forward - there's practically only one website listing on the internet that has a comprehensive-(ish) list of options: the Falklands Tourist Board. Stanley is the capital and has most choices, but there are also lots of interesting places to visit outside the capital (the "camp"). The relatively short timeframe of my 2 stays in Stanley meant it made more sense for me to use the capital as a base and take day trips.

The Waterfront Hotel by Will Ng - overall 6.5/10
I had pre-booked the Paddock B&B for my pre-Antarctic stay (through booking.com) but to a very pleasant surprise 2 days before arrival, I received an email from the general manager who had kindly upgraded me to a double room at the Waterfront Hotel (and kept the room rate the same as the original B&B, which was a saving of around £30 per night). Score, what a great start to the trip!

I actually stayed at the Waterfront twice, pre and post Antarctica. The hotel has 2 floors. The ground floor has a cafe and dining area, a conservatory, a lounge with sofas and armchairs, and a bathroom. The bathroom has the only bath tub in the hotel, but I was told I shouldn't use it during the day in case other people wanted to use the toilet.

All the rooms were on the first floor. On my first visit I was in a double en-suite, which had a small shower pod and a small toilet cubicle. On my second stay I was in a standard single (£20/night cheaper), which also had a sink and toilet cubicle, but used a shared shower. The rooms were basic but comfortable, although I did notice a lack of tea or coffee making facilities. The TV only had 3 channels: the BFBS which is the British Forces channel, Warner Brothers and a kids channel. I wasn't sure whether these were the only available channels in the Falklands, or just what the hotel offered.

Whilst the staff was very helpful and friendly, both my stays could have been a lot more comfortable, to the extent that it felt like I slept better in a smaller bed whilst being rocked and thrown about at sea. The double room I had pre-departure seriously needed their windows repaired and sealed. There were gaps around the edges and the wind just whistled as it blew through the gaps all night. My second stay was even worse. There is only one telephone in the hotel which is conveniently placed in the hallway on the ground floor. The staff's last shift usually ended around 11pm, so when the phone kept ringing at 4am, practically everyone in the hotel was woken up by the ringing. This happened for 2 nights in a row, and I wasn't impressed (even though I was told it was a one-off as there were lots of journalists there to report on the Falklands referendum).

The hotel has a nice cafe which seats around 30 people. Breakfast is quite straight-forward, with a choice of cereals and muesli, and a full English breakfast to order, although it was limited to one rasher of bacon, one sausage, one egg, some beans and toast. You were allowed more if you asked for it though. I was surprised and even more impressed when they left me with a packed breakfast on the morning I flew out when I had to leave the hotel by 6am. It included a sandwich, an apple, a really nice chocolate brownie and 2 drinks.

For lunch there's usually 2-3 choices each of hot and cold dishes and would cost anything between £6 to £12. It was quite a casual affair as you would find in a small English cafe. The sandwiches were all homemade, evident from the fact that they were all wrapped in cling film. For me the presentation was slightly unappetizing. If you were going on a day trip, you could also pre-order a packed lunch for £12.50. It was a very steep price tag so I never found out what amazing food I'd missed out on. On the plus side the staff was very happy to store the food I'd bought from the supermarket in their fridge.

Pre-booking is required for dinner, which I never did given I wasn't sure who I would be eating with at what time.

I was particularly impressed by their cakes though. Almost every day they would have freshly baked cakes which looked and tasted fantastic. I didn't rave about their breakfast or lunches, but I did look forward to having tea and cake in the afternoon every day I was in Stanley.

All in all, my stays at the Waterfront were OK. Whilst the website definitely looks a lot better than the real thing, and the rooms could really benefit from some maintenance, the staff was all friendly and helpful. The hotel does also have nice decor and good atmosphere, especially the quaint lounge and the bright conservatory overseeing Stanley bay. 



The Malvina House Hotel by Simon Smith - overall 8/10
From the outside you could be forgiven for mistaking the Malvina House Hotel for a large private dwelling, but looks are deceiving. Inside is a spacious, modern and well presented establishment. The prices were reasonable, with prices ranging from £108 for a standard room (single occupancy) to £170 for an executive room (double occupancy). I went with the former, although I was tempted by the executive rooms, which I believe are located in the new extension to the hotel.

I stayed at the hotel twice, each time in a different room along the same corridor. The first was a twin room, with one bed serving as somewhere to lay out my luggage. The second was a double, which was more like a king in regards to bed size. Both rooms were nice enough - clean, light and roomy. They were also quiet, with no noise problems at all that I can recall. There was no air conditioning, but there was a large window that opened as far as anyone would want and a full length radiator below. The climate of the Falklands is regulated quite strongly by the surrounding ocean, and with little precipitation at all (except the freak weather we brought with us on our return from Antarctica) the air temperature stays within a chilly-mild range - air conditioning is therefore of little use 99% of the time.

The choice of television was very limited, with a couple of British Forces channels, a couple more Spanish-speaking channels and the local Falklands channel. Don't rely on television for entertainment. There is a full phone system installed, with external calls being added to the bill.

Internet access at the Malvina House Hotel was supposedly the best in the islands. For my first stay, the hotel had the Cable & Wireless wifi system which is used throughout the islands. At £5 for 50 mins, £10 for 100 mins it was certainly not cheap compared the options normally available in UK hotels. However, to my pleasant surprise this had changed in the month that we were at sea, and on our return I was able to purchase in longer blocks for a much more reasonable price. Only residents were able to purchase the longer times, however visitors could purchase shorter time periods. This wifi system was only available within the Malvina. Everywhere else still used the C&W system at the time of our second visit. Access speeds seemed quite reasonable given the method of connection to the rest of the world - a massive satellite dish at the C&W building that was visible at a distance from both my rooms.

The hotel serves as the only 'real' restaurant in the entirety of the Falkland Islands, although there are a few small fast-food type eateries around, as well as some pubs where it seems hit-or-miss as to whether they are serving food. The nourishment on offer at the Malvina was delicious, and very well presented. Cooked breakfast had presentation placed before portion size, but it was still a welcome meal. Prices aren't unreasonable, especially given the scarcity of vegetables on the islands, with a lot of produce having to be imported from Chile. Advance booking of a table is highly recommended, particularly for dinner.

There was a small selection of draughts on offer at the bar, but most drinks were served from bottles. If you like cider, you might be disappointed wherever you go on the islands, including the Malvina - only small bottles of Woodpecker were available when we were there.

The reception and housekeeping staff that I met was friendly and helpful. Some of the staff were a little less enthusiastic, but remained professional.

There was also a lack of a lift in my part of the hotel - a bit of a pain if you have heavy luggage or mobility issues.

Overall my experience at the Malvina House Hotel was very pleasant, and I'd love to stay there again if the opportunity should ever arise. 


The Malvina House Restaurant by Will Ng - overall 4/10 
My only experience of the Malvina was having dinner there twice. It has the most expensive restaurant in Stanley, although I'm not sure if it was the best. Sure, ingredients were fresh and dishes well-presented, but for the price tag I think the overall experience could be a lot better.

For a start the restaurant staff all looked grumpy and robotic. It was as if the "I never want to smile" switch was permanently turned on. It wasn't just the waiters or bar staff; the restaurant manager was equally expressionless and blank, even when I tried to converse or to ask for his opinion on a dish. It really annoyed me actually; I would have expected far better service in this allegedly the best establishment in Stanley. Call me a snob if you like but I did pay a premium for the dinner no?

The quality of the food was hit and miss (my taste buds possibly partly tainted by the service). The fried squid and the black toothfish were both excellent, but the other fish dish I had on the second visit was disappointing and had a bitterness. The chocolate taster dessert was good though.

I would have loved to score Malvina higher, but I had high expectations and the staff really failed to deliver. They should invest in more training and development, and perhaps a beginners' course on how to smile.



Various by James Dong
With only 3,000 or so individuals, the Falkland Islands is one expansive small town, albeit with a diversity of landscapes and wildlife to rival that of the most impressive eco-destinations.  Staying in any of the resident owned B&Bs in Stanley or the outlying islands and this fact becomes very obvious.  More importantly, when you step through the veranda, what you realize is that these aren't business owners so much as they are Falklanders.  They have their own incredibly rich history building a life and a family in one of the world's most remote destinations.  And where you're staying can't be considered lodging so much as it must be considered a portal into that history.

Our first stop was the Bennett House.  Cheerfully painted in soft lilac and rich burgundy, the interior reminded me of a dollhouse.  Celia, the proprietor, reminded me strangely of Professor McGonagall (yes from Harry Potter).  They both had the demeanour of someone wise and stern that belies a genuine kind-heartedness.  As I discovered from visiting the Waitrose store, Celia has her own shelves of baked goods stashed among the breads and cookies of who knows what other local chefs!  During the day, the house warmed with spicy and sweet as her oven churned out trays of savoury buns and sugary pastries.  The "smoko" was never so good once I left! (Well... maybe once.)

The next, was the self-catering lodge at the Neck on Saunders Island.  To get there, we jostled our way in an old 4x4 down the uneven slopes while David cheerfully explained the local geography.  He and his family had been on the island for generations.  And, as I later discovered, not only were they successful farmers, but also dutiful naturalists as well.  Suzanne Saunders contributes regularly to ornithological surveys and wildlife publications, David is an incredible photographer, and their daughter earnestly wants to carry on the family tradition.  The self-catering lodge was just furnished enough--after all, in such a beautiful environment, a little shelter from the cold was all we needed.  And I have to conclude by saying that, despite the slurry of animal dung that is now irreparably lodged into my boots, this might be my first choice for a future honeymoon destination!

All too soon we found ourselves on Carcass Island, where, seated at the dining table with a grand view of the few trees painstakingly nurtured from the dry soils of the Falklands and dotted with the ever-present striated caracara, and served an endless stream of delicate pastries and meats, I felt like an anachronism.  Did I slip into dream of the antebellum South?  Not that I would dare pose such a question to Rob and Lorraine, whose hospitality and company withered any such curiosity.  Here we passed the night when the Falklanders uttered in great unison their desire to remain a British overseas territory.  Over breaks in the news, Rob eagerly outlined the history.  He'd lived through some crucial events and indeed the passion and fire were clearly far from gone.

The third island we visited was the most touristic--Sea Lion Island.  Billing itself as the most southerly eco-lodge in the world, Sea Lion Lodge really did astound me.  By far the best out-fitted place we stayed, the place deserves its reputation.  And because of its small size and rustic location, it's still seems less hotel than large boarding house, with an air of familiarity and sociality that pushes all the residents into casual conversation late into the evening. Jenny and her staff are clearly proud of the sheer natural beauty that dominates the island, as it is now fully conservation space and free from animal husbandry.  With the weather finally clearing on the two days here, this was the most beautiful Falklands experience.

Finally, we spent a quick day in Weddell Island.  The lodge that Mike has established is refreshingly new and modern.  With a greenhouse entryway, and a clean white interior accented with leather and wood, I could have pulled it from the pages of an upscale contemporary living magazine!  At least we got to learn that Mike is also a fantastic cook (despite the official cook being on vacation during our stay).  Another strong contender for a romantic getaway!

Upon return to Stanley, we spent one final night in what might be considered the only true "hotel" on the Falklands. The Malvina House Hotel, newly renovated just in 2012 to include an expansive restaurant, one recommended by pretty much every resident as the "it" place to dine, might be the centrepiece of the Falklands' hospitality industry.  Yet personally, I would prefer otherwise.  The B&Bs resonate with a Falklander-ishness that is difficult for any hotel to match.  And this is the reason that I could see myself eagerly returning.  I look forward then to catching up with David & Suzanne about the state of the new king penguin colony on Saunders Island.  I look forward to talking with Rob about how the referendum has shifted both how the Falklanders perception of how the world perceives them has changed.  I want to see Sea Lion in a proper sunset, and marvel at the wealth of biodiversity Jenny's conservation efforts have helped create.  And I want to share more stories than we could this time around with Mike.  Any visit is inextricably tied with these people and their stories.  Beyond the natural beauty and untamed wildlife, they are what make a vacation to the Falklands a unique and magical experience.



Shorty's Motel by Will Ng - overall 7/10
This motel has a diner (Shorty's Diner) attached to it, which was a very good and decently priced greasy spoon where a lot of the locals hang out. Plenty of choices on the menu but most items are either deep fried or grilled. Service is excellent - all the staff were very polite, friendly and helpful (perhaps they could go and show the Malvina staff how to smile?)

I did notice the massive portions of desserts on display but I never had enough room to stomach one. I would also highly recommend the fresh fruit smoothies - they were tasty and probably the only healthy items on the menu there.

What to do if you travel to the Falkland Islands

Having spent 30 hours and over £2,000 travelling to the Falklands, I was eager to spend some time exploring this island rather than just passing through it for Antarctica. So I was very much up for going on a day trip when my fellow traveller Anthony suggested it. We had a full day the day before we set sail, so we decided to visit Volunteer Point, which has the biggest colony of King penguins in the Falklands region. 

Volunteer Point is a headland in the north eastern tip of the Falkland archipelago. On the map it looks quite close to Stanley, in fact a direct line between the two is just under 20 miles. However in reality there is a bay between the two places and to actually get there requires off-road driving in a 4x4 and takes about 3 hours. None of us had off-road driving skills, nor would the car rental companies provide the insurance for such a potentially hazardous endeavour, so getting a local guide to take us was the only option.

We went with a lady called Charlene who Anthony found on the Falklands Tourist Board. She was very friendly and talkative, and was willing to answer any questions we had about life on the island, which made the 3 hour drive much shorter and more pleasant.

For a day trip to Volunteer Point, tea and coffee included but BYO lunch, we were quoted £150 for 1, £280 for 2 or 3, and £330 for 4 people (as of February 2013). Cash payment only so make sure you bring enough Pounds to the Falklands as there are no ATMs on the island and the only bank (Standard Chartered) charges a fee to withdraw cash (see packing list here).

We had been told to meet at 7am to beat the cruise ship that was making a landing in the Falklands that day; apparently there would be about 200 people filling 60 or so 4x4's. Really not my idea of how to see penguins. Luckily they landed the day before, so we didn't have to fight for space, and we didn't have to leave til 8am. The extra hour of sleep was bliss, and it still meant we got there by 11am and still had a good 3 hours exploring and photographing penguins.

There were plenty of mine field signs in the East Falklands, especially around Stanley - a stark reminder of the recent Falklands War. I'm still not sure how slowing down would help though if you were driving through a minefield...

After three hours of on and off road driving, stopping for the occasional scenic shots, and lots of bumping up and down (apparently it was good practice for sailing), we arrived and left our lunches and bags in a small huts provided as shelter for visitors. It had a coffee table and a few chairs, with some information posters and maps on the wall. Next to the hut were 3 portable toilets and a tap that didn't work (mental note to self, don't get hands dirty, and don't drink too much tea). Just imagine what it would have been like if those cruise boat tourists descended on this place.

Apart from the usual "don't leave any rubbish" rule, Charlene emphasised two specific ones:

1. Don't touch the penguins (that includes hugging, picking them up, stroking, harassing, booting...)

2. Don't cross the stone circle around the king penguin colony. The circle marks out where they generally breed, lay eggs and raise the chicks. Going inside the circle means getting too close which in turn means potentially scaring them off and leaving their eggs or chicks exposed.

We were first greeted by a small group of king penguins, who looked on with an air of dignity and indifference. In fact, most of them didn't even bother looking, and just carried on walking about minding their own business. We followed them down to the main colony, stopping to photograph their comical movements and behaviour, and a few astray gentoo penguins.

At just under 1m tall, the Kings are the 2nd tallest penguins behind the Emperors, but just as colourful and beautiful. Their back and flippers are charcoal grey, while the front is a beautiful white. Towards the neck the white plumage smoothly gradients into a brilliant golden orange, which extends around the neck like a collar, while the rest of the head is black. Kings are also characterised by a black and orange bill.

The vibrance of their golden necklace illuminated the scene. Some stood tall, raising their heads and scrooching to the rest of the crowd; some just lay down to rest, while some pretended they could fly...

Slight digression; I still cannot believe I fell for this April Fools'... (full credit to Eric and Simon for making me believe, full credit to me for being gullible).

Photographing the Kings was easy; photographing the Kings' behaviour was way more challenging. But the most comical award had to be this:

  
We spent an hour or so photographing the kings' colony. We really took our time, I guess partly because we were so excited seeing penguins for the first time, and partly because we wanted to get as much practice at shooting with our cameras before the real deal.  

As we started making our way back to the hut for lunch, we came across a smaller and looser group of Gentoos. These were mainly chicks or juveniles, and were far friendlier and more inquisitive. As soon as we slowed our steps, 4 of them came over and crowded around us. Another two just went mad and started running around crazily, screaming and flapping all the time. They got quite friendly mainly with Anthony, pecking/sneezing/spitting, even jumping onto him (including sensitive areas). But we didn't care, the photo opportunity was priceless. When I finally picked a patch of grass where I could not see any penguin poo or snot, I too decided to sit down and one very inquisitive chick came up close and pecked me in the leg. It hurt more than I had expected, and my slight sudden retreat must have startled the chick a little. He kept his distance after that.

Anyway, Charlene said we weren't allowed to touch them, but she didn't say we weren't allowed to let them touch us.

We went down to the beach after lunch, and what a beautiful beach it was. White sand, almost completely unoccupied except for a few Kings waddling around, occasionally jumping into the radiant green turquoise water. The only things missing were palm trees and hammocks. It would have been a paradise if it were not for the penguin poo dotted around, and the extreme windchill which forced me to wear 3 windproof/thermal layers even though it was the tail end of the summer. It was actually so windy that at one point I was transfixed by the constantly changing patterns made by the fine grains of white sand as they were blown ferociously across the beach. It would have been great to take time lapse shots, but hindsight is always bliss - it was only the first day I tried out my brand new Canon 600D properly and I hadn't even heard of the terminology.

Despite the windchill, the penguins seem to love it though, so I guess at least someone was benefiting. 

On the way back to the 4x4 we took a quick glimpse of the Magellanic penguins, even spotting a dead one lying on the ground. I didn't get to spend much time with them, although I really would have liked to. It later turned out this was to be our only opportunity to see this species.

It was a great day trip and I would highly recommend Volunteer Point to anyone visiting the Falklands. The 6 hour return journey of bumping up and down in a 4x4 was definitely worth it. Although I only spent a few hours with them, I already had a lot of admiration for these wonderful creatures and their ability to survive under these sub-Antarctic conditions. 

What a fantastic prelude to the Deep South.

For more information about Volunteer Point and the various penguin species and colonies in the Falklands, visit the Falklands Conservation website, where you can also adopt a penguin.