South Georgia knows how to hide her secrets.
I am 36 and I thought I could not be easily amazed every day. I was wrong. Here in the south, everything is powerfull. Strong winds, big seas, abundance of life anywhere you look. I always liked it. And now - a woman! I fell in love. Her name is Georgia and of out the three well known by that name she is the most southern one.
She is passionate, mysterious, wild and extremely beautiful. That is why she is loved by many. Who knows her does not guestion her strong temperament. Some say she is the gem. All this makes a rather dangerous combination. You might even think she is tricky. Without any doubts she is also wonderfully rich.
I can not say I know her well. And the more I found the more I know it is not enough. I found her infatuately soft, warm, green, and whispering. Also sharp, icy white and screaming. She has a whip spliced of the most furious winds. She is a crystal now and unfathomable gray later. Gentleness of blue eyes of a little girl, unaccesibillity of dark fortresses never imagined by a man, ocean depths´ silence, all thunders´ roar and brightness clearer than any eyes can bear.
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She is full of life. You can look anywhere and anytime. Sometimes it is bursting out. Miracles. Cheereful lightness of tiny petrels, walking on the sea. Brisky flash by of prions, million times. Pure white of the huge Wanderer´s wings. Angels can not have much different. What did I hear? Striking roar. Giants -harmless to something as insignificant as me. But every beauty has her guard. The knights fight fiercefully. I was chased but I did not run away. And suddenly I was in a hive. Chatter of hundreds thusands flightless bees.
I am telling the truth. I am just not using scientific names. They are useless. I am in love.
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Looking at numbers, this island belongs to waterbirds
Mermaids of etherical beauty can be seen in local bays. Their seductive looks lead many ships to peril during the years.
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The guards are always on duty. Fighting fiercefully, no negotiating. Kings on the other hand delegated a spokesman.
Well deserved rest for elephant seals after ocean trips. Sometimes thousands miles long and occasiaonally about a mile deep.
South Georgia is unique from another aspect. The most
expensive island to touch. After paying 160 pounds I was allowed to go ashore. (If
I was planning to sleep ashore it would be 500 pounds more). I also received a
thick lot of valuable documents giving me the very essential information: „All
travel has inherent risks ... the Government of South Georgia ...will not accept
any liability whatsoever...“ (underlined). Deal. The money is not much usefull
on the ocean anyway. To cheer me me up I was given emocional support immediately:
„Drinking water is all free“. And „You can stay as long as you want“.
Show me more welcoming island in the whole universe!
Perhaps, the government provides a generous social wellfare program for all of the permanent citizens. Not an easy task at all:
Antarctic prions .......... 44 000 000 individuals
Burrowing petrels ....... 16 000 000
Penguins ............ 3 000 000
Albatroses ................. 260 000 (not so many, but they can live very long)
Fur seals ........ .....at least 3 000 000 and growing (Birth control education program was not very efficient but it cost a lot.)
Elephant seals ............ 200 000 (not many but look how fat they are)
Norway rat ................. ? too many but permanently boycott census
Homo Sapiens ............ 0 (the only specie where the exact number is known)
(approx. breeding populations)
The budget is covered by two main sources of income:
selling fishing licences in territorial waters and tourism. Thousands of
visitors (mostly on cruiseships). I believe they everybody is extremely happy to pay 100
pounds visitors fee. Besides who wants a goverment official to go starving
and since local inhabitants do not have any cash, the citizens´ honour was
delegated to us. Ich dien.
The old days of the good Sir Francis are long gone. Pirates became procurers and I am gratefull to be alived and still having my little boat. The Government of South Georgia and South Sandwich Islands is in the lead of this modern humanistic trend.
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Trollhul in September 1984 and December 2009. After seeing the photograph in Gerry Clark´s book I could hardly miss to go there.
Ledovec v zátoce Trollhul
(Graae glacier, South Georgia)
Otevírám vzácnou knihu
deník pana Jerry Clarka
když plul k dalekému jihu
on a jeho malá bárka
V zátoce v tom chladném kraji
mocný ledovec jen září
krása, že se až dech tají
obrázek jak v kalendáři
Je to jako s fotkou krásky
když jí potkáš po třech dětech?
Má i ledovec své vrásky?
Zjistím po dvaceti letech
Testoval jsem zemské klima
co z kolosu ještě zbývá
byla mi tam velká zima
zas tak moc se neohřívá
Není třeba vraštit čelo
chtěl bych uklidnit vás všechny
trochu nám to vopršelo
pořád je to ale pěkný
Kdo se ráčíš obávati
nadměrného oteplení
na Hrad běž se dotázati
vševěd praví: "To nic není".
Wirik Bay
(from South Georgia)
První den po velké bouři
když už vichr přestal dout
jachtař jenom spí či kouří
vzdutým mořem nechce plout
Já však budu kormidlovat
jsem z těch, kdo se nefláká
do Wirik Bay obdivovat
kosti obra - plejtváka
Zdálky se tam příboj tvářil
věru celkem nevinně
u pláže však můj člun zvrátil
v jedné hbité vteřině
Chytám vesla pro dny příští
a už nejsem znuděný
kdo se topil v lední tříšti
ví, jak je to studený
Nenasytný Atlantiku
zloději čepic a bot
pravá tekla, já mám kliku
to ti sotva přijde vhod
Usušit se domů spěchám
a vím, že jsem pitomec
ještě že tam kostru nechal
jen ten velkej kytovec
Elsehul
Elsehul Elsehul
pláž je dlouhá míle půl
lachtanů tam celé šiky
a jsou rychlí jako štiky
návštěvy si nepřejí
vyjednávat nechtějí
Elsehul Elsehul
já si na ně vezmu hůl
řvou na mě jak vzteklej medvěd
chtěl bych flintu ráže devět
maj infekční tesáky
prokousnou mi tepláky
Elsehul Elsehul
že já jsem sem vůbec plul?
Záliv krále Haakona
Mocný králi Haakone
fouká to tam, nebo ne?
Větru síly třináct stupňů
je pro mě tak akorát
chvíli mlčím a pak dupnu
všechny je mám stejně rád.
