Wednesday, 14 February - StanleyValentine’s Day and we should be sailing for Antarctica tonight. It’s been a gorgeous day in the Falklands in fact one of the first sunny days we've had, although the wind is still strong. Kevin and I have been busy filming on board including a fire training exercise in which we both got absolutely soaked - something we didn’t anticipate! The crew of course found it very amusing!  | | HMS Endurance at Mare Harbour |
Most of the day has been spent trying to organise flights for us to return home next week. So far we’ve managed to hitch a lift on a British Antarctic Survey aircraft which is prepared to make an unscheduled stop at Marsh Airport to pick us up but that will be Monday. If we miss that we’re on the ship until March 1st….not sure I’ve got enough knickers to get me through!! I guess I’ll be spending some time in the laundry room. The one thing I’ve realised being out here is just how uncertain arrangements can be, even if it feels organised suddenly it will all change and it’s usually due to the weather. The famous Antarctic phrase I’ve been putting to good use is ... "hurry up and wait". Hurrah - we’ve just left … so Antarctica here we come … let’s just get across the Drake Passage first! Tuesday, 13 February - StanleyCan things get any worse? Still no news on whether we're off to Antarctica, we wait. In the meantime we're supposed to be picked up form Stanley by helicopter to film some aerials, we're packed and waiting at the airport but no helicopter. So we phone to find out that both helicopters are out of action for the day and the gale force winds mean the road to Stanley is now closed to traffic! Call me paranoid but first we're stuck on the Falklands, now we're stuck in Stanley unable to leave….what next? I feel like Patrick McGoohan in The Prisoner, any time soon a big white balloon will be rolling down the beach! So another day in Stanley and thanks to the local residents, in particular Joyce and John Allen and their family who have taken us in and looked after us. They even invited us to a Scottish Dance evening to celebrate a late Burns Night. I didn't know Kevin could dance!!!!!!! It was good fun and all our worries were quickly forgotten, not sure about the smell of haggis though! If we're going it will be tomorrow, Wednesday so I sincerely hope that by the time you read my blog tomorrow we will have sailed for Antarctica. Once again thank you for your lovely emails that keep us going 8,000 miles away. They're great to read. Positive thoughts might help us now!! | 
