Today is definitely Shackleton day, as we awoke anchored up in Grytviken Harbour. However, overnight the boat had made a short diversion to Husavik to pick up some research scientists to take them on to the Falklands for their flights home - it didn't affect us, but those with cabins close to the zodiac lifting platform certainly heard them during the early hours!.

The zodiac landing at the Cemetery specifically to visit the grave of Sir Ernest Shackleton. As the group gathered round the grave, with cup of rum in hand, the expedition leader proposed a toast to "The Boss" - a quote (mostly) from Sir Raymond Priestley.

For scientific discovery, give me Scott;
for speed and efficiency of travel give me Amundsen;
but when disaster strikes,
and all hope is gone,
get down on your knees and pray for Shackleton.

Around the cemetery some king penguins lurked as well as a couple of fur seals, with other king penguins slowly adding to the group as they emerged from the water.

King Penguins

Swimming King Penguins

From here we walked slowly around the old whaling station to the church. It isn't possible to walk through the old whaling station now as it it being demolished. There is a train of thought among some that, although it was an environmentally unfriendly station in its day, it is now part of the South Georgia historical heritage and should be preserved, not destroyed.

After the church we walked to the Museum for a look round. It's a very nice, well laid out museum with some good historical exhibits. Neat little gift shop where you can buy postcards and stamps, which we do and post one home to us. After this we walk about a mile or so around the bay to King Edward Point, where the real post office is, then on to the point itself where Shackleton's former crew members erected a cross in memory of him.

Andrew and Val at Shackleton's Grave	Shackleton's Memorial Cross, Grytviken in background
		Shackleton's Memorial Plaque

As usual, we were on the last zodiac back, having had to make a mad dash from the memorial, dodging king penguins and seals en route then nipping into the post office to see if there were any really interesting stamps - which there weren't (see footnote).

It was time for lunch, and as we ate, the ship cruised to Fortuna Bay. The sun was shining outside the bay, but not in it.

We had to wait until the mist cleared a bit before we could land on the beach. The aim of this landing was to follow in Shackleton's final footsteps as he and two others walked across South Georgia at the end of their mammoth task of sailing a small boat 800 miles from Elephant Island to this island - how appropriate that the name of their ship had been "The Endurance".

The beach has some king penguins wondering what's going on, as we began our first long climb up a steep tussock covered hill, with small streams running down from the brow. Looking back there are some nice views over Fortuna Bay. After this it was only a gentle incline upwards. We passed a lake, with some nice reflections, possibly even the lake mentioned in Frank Worsley's account of the walk across South Georgia. A left turn then another very very steep climb upwards on big rough scree. Over the brow and a bit more flatness until we reach the point providing a view over to Stromness, possibly as viewed by Sir Ernest in 1916.

Fortuna Bay on right

Stromness ahead and down

From here it was very much downhill - a seriously steep rocky scree type slope requiring slow movement and a lot of care. Finally we were down and made our way to the waterfall that Shackleton and his companions descended all those years ago.

Finally we reached Stromness after a mile hike down a rocky river bed and boggy area (frozen when Shackleton did this route), to be greeted by seals and king penguins mingling around the ruins of the old whaling station. Total trip about 4 miles uphill and down dale.

Val at the foot of the
Waterfall

King Penguins inhabit the old whaling station

King Penguin at Stromness

Time to wander among the birds and mammals before catching the last zodiac back to the ship for a well earned rest.

Footnote: Someone on the trip asked if it was a good idea to buy up South Georgia stamps and sell them at a profit in the UK, but the reply was no, you can already buy mint South Georgia stamps in the UK for face value!
Since returning, I have been advised by someone who collects South Georgia stamps that if they have been franked in South Georgia, they are worth more than the mint stamps - we're not talking mega bucks, but it would be the better option.

Grytviken and "Fortuna Bay to Stromness"