These are 3 islands in the middle of the South Atlantic, between the fat parts of South America and Africa.  They’re not easy to get to, but well worth it.  You can take the RMS St. Helena ship several times a year from England, and after 3 weeks, get to Ascension Island, then another 3 days to St. Helena, and once a year, they stop in Tristan, a 4 day ship journey from St. Helena.  It is then 5 more days to Cape Town, South Africa.  But if you don’t have the time for that initial 3 weeks journey, you can fly on the RAF Supply jet from Brize Norton Air Base in England to Ascension, which is their fuel stop on the way to the Falklands.  I was one of two women on the 280-seat former Pan Am jet, and the only non-military.  We had a hot meal but no movie on the 8 hour flight, so there was plenty of time to sleep. 

Ascension Island is a former US/British military installation, and there is still NASA tracking equipment on the island.  There is AFRTS for television, and they have APO addresses so you can order from catalogs and have access to the outside world.   The houses are nice and modern, the streets clean and the water is beautiful.  Then you take a tender out to the ship, which carries cargo and passengers and acts as a shuttle between Ascension and St. Helena for the workers stationed there.  It is a modern ship and the food is excellent, and fortunately for the 3 day sail to St. Helena the water is smooth.

We arrived in St. Helena, and my penfriend Ivy is waiting for me!! Her family runs the hotel there, Wellington House, built in 1781. She showed me all around the island.  There’s a lot to see and do and 3 days isn’t enough time!!  We saw Napoleon’s tomb, Radio St. Helena, Governor’s House, and the French consulate which is no longer staffed, but a reminder of the relationship this island has with France. Napoleon’s House is a very interesting museum, and the beach is beautiful.

One side of the island is dry like Southern California, the other side is very green.  Main Street is full of cute shops and at the end of Main Streetis there is a long set of stairs to the top of a mountain called Jacob’s Ladder ,which is steep and challenging, but there’s a fantastic view at the top worth seeing.

I also had a chance to talk on a ham radio from there, which was very exciting since you don’t get to see (or be!) a ZD7 every day!! People there were so friendly and helpful and I really felt at home there.