1900hrs 23 Mar 2005 UTC Stanley, FI Map Ref 123
This was going to be a ‘here we go again’ update but not quite – we’ve postponed the dockside party until tomorrow morning because we still have a bit of stowing and shopping to do. The wind has changed to the NW and there’s a big high sitting splot in the middle of the S Atlantic so it may last for a few days. All depends on the exact wind angle when we get out there but should give us a reasonable start.
The Falklands has been a wonderful experience. A community with a sense of cohesion and a hard edge and – once you get used to the place – amazingly helpful and interested. We have been privileged to be allowed to write our names in blackboard chalk under a substantial piece of Government property at Government House – we were told it’s how they economise on floor cleaning bills. And there will be more marathons – watch the FI website, all you macho headbangers out there. It’s definitely the one to do and to brag about. Coverage of last Sunday’s inaugural in the local newspaper from next Friday at www.penguin-news.com. [ed: Penguin News is by subscription. We have asked for an extract]
Another silly memory from Sunday’s toil over the hills – there are a lot of military personnel here and there were a few running, with many of their oppos out there rooting for them. As an old geezer with grey locks dangling dank around my ears, I probably stood out a bit, but they all called me Sir. Odd really – haven’t been called sir ever since about 1964 and to be encouraged in a marathon by loud cries of ‘Come on, Sir – you’re looking good’ in broad Geordie and Scouse is novel and surprising when the brain is basically non functional – do they really mean me??
From Cyril L.: Ice cold
Dear Alex,
Just heard about this website recently and the email facility. I am
working my way through the logs – makes me reach for my sweater I must
say. I am delighted to see what great progress you have made, and hope
that things continue to go well.
Hi Cyril – not too many leaves to burn out here!
Graham H: Hello from tassie
Hello Alex and Peter,
Congratulations on your epic journey so far, reading the daily log brings a welcome relief from the mundane routine of my boring office job and is all the more interesting given that myself and my kids have had the opportunity to have a look around Berri at the end of the last 2 S2H races courtesy of Malcolm R. I was interested to read that Alex did the FI marathon, I too have run 9 of the bligters so know what its like. The reason I was e-mailing you was that that I was doing a little surfing on the net and found out that there is a guy called Jesper Olsen who is currently running around the world. Yes you do read that correctly, he started out from Greenwich in London and has been across all of Europe down through Japan, Australia and is just going across America with a plan to run from Glasgow down to London finishing new years eve this year. The web site is www.worldrun.org
The other reason I e-mail is to ask do you hav any plans to write a book of your adventures when you return, you write with such eloquence and your words and pictures deserve to be in print as they so paint a topographic picture of your adventure, perhaps your story could be a Hollywood film!!!! if so who would you like to play you?
Anyway good luck on the next leg of the journey to Blighty, Im sure my compatriots will give you a warm welcome and have plenty of the Dublin doctor to welcome you!!!
From Kristen M.
Your marathon story made me laugh and turn up my new stereo loud and
dance around giggling. The cat wanted to be picked up so I danced
around with him–he decided dancing wasn’t his thing and got down
again but I kept laughing at the audacity and obstinancy and
motivation of running a marathon after months at sea. Wow. I feel so
privileged to come along for the virtual ride. Thanks. And
Congratulations!Of course the astronauts would think that y’all sailing Berri is cool.
They are human too–highly trained humans, but you two sure are as
well. And they clearly y have an interest in exploration and
journeys. So they have to drink their tea in zero grav–probably
easier than the washing machine sometimes. I think that it’s great
that you got to talk to them and once again I feel so lucky to be part
of the Berri family, even if I claimed excontinence and didn’t make
the party this year.Up here on northern hemisphere dry land earth things are somewhat less
ambitious. I’ve been doing some odd home-improvement projects. I’m
following my instincts of when in doubt go on vacation and taking 3+
weeks to go cycle in Ireland in a month. Another privilege–the
ability to flit across the pond for a bike ride. I come home to a
visit from my professor buddy who is “”retiring”” but really moving to
Scotland to keep being a professor, reading and thinking and lecturing
and writing on all sorts of brilliant things, just not in the US. I’m
going to keep following his and your examples of acting young.Happy Trails,
And Graham H and Kris and AlexL and Mick and Rob. Kris, I like excontinence – excontinent is just how one feels at the end of 42k. Or, I suppose, when the cat leaves home.
The logs ramblings can be cryptic, so we have added: