It's hard to believe that Britain and Argentina spent billions of dollars fighting over this place. It's even harder to believe that thousands of people actually fought and died trying to takeover these islands. The place looks like a deserted, barren wasteland. 
They don't even have trees here. Any tree that you find on the island was brought over here by someone. In fact, the only thing that the land is good for is grazing sheep. (I would hate to see what countries would do if they had a really nice place to fight over.) As it turns out, we arrived in the Falklands just as things were starting to heat up between Britain and Argentina again. The day we shipped in, an oil rig had been parked offshore and we watched oil workers being transported to the rig. Army guys were walking the streets and fighter planes were practicing their maneuvers overhead. Apparently, neither side learned anything from the 1982 conflict and they seem prepared to go at it again. This time they are fighting over potential oil revenues. If oil is found, then the Brits want control of it. Argentina is claiming that the oil rig is in their waters so they should get control. Our tour guide said that this sort of nonsense has happened before. The last time the oil companies didn't find any oil and he doesn't think that they will find any this time either.
The 1982 war is not far from anyone's minds over here. In fact, there is a deep seated hatred between the 2400 residents who live here and the Argentinians. You can actually 'feel' the hate in the air. The irony of it is that the only residents who got killed during the war were killed by their own people, the Brits ('friendly fire' as the press like to call it). The effects of that war are still being felt today. Part of our tour was cut off because people were clearing land mines from the area. More than 25 years later they are still clearing mines! That war only lasted a couple of months. (Think how long they are going to be clearing mines from Iraq and Afghanistan.)
In Stanley, there are war memorials to the soldiers who died on both sides of the fighting. Here you can see the British one, which is located in the middle of town.
The museum contains many weapons and pictures from the war. It also contains some interesting Victorian antiques left behind by the early British settlers. As you can see below, the town of Stanley is very small. It only takes about 20 minutes to walk from one end to the other. 
A place this small doesn't have many tourist attractions. Most people come here just to say that they have been there (just like Antarctica). One of Stanley's premiere attractions is this whale bone arch.
It is made from the jaw bones of two blue whales. It was made to commemorate 100 years of British control over the Falklands.
Down the street from the arch is Government House. When the flag is flying, it means that the Governor is in and ready to do business. 
One of the residents in town is an anti-whaling activist. His yard is covered in various whale skeletons and signs against the whaling industry. 
Another home in town is covered in garden gnomes. The collection keeps getting larger because people keep donating them. According to our guide, people don't even bother to find out the the owner's address. They just send packages to Stanley marked with 'Place me in the garden with my other gnome brothers'!If penguins are what you are after, then you will have to walk about 1.5 hours out of town (or put up the cash to take one of the few taxis out to the rookery). Since you don't see any penguin pictures, it means that I wasn't about to walk or part with any of my money. However, I did see a stuffed one in the museum.
So much for Stanley's attractions! 
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