NEWFOUNDLAND

 After we left Greenland , we sailed across the Atlantic, and the the Labrador Sea to some small towns in Newfoundland. We have gotten into some rough weather, but just like the residents of these former whaling towns…. We toughed it out! We have some excellent hikes and visited locals and museums to see how these people lived in this extreme climate. RED BAY was so tiny and picturesque, and just full of wrecked whale boats, and abandoned structures. Yesterday we spent a LOOONG day in Corner Brook, which we decided was a very cool town. The friendliest people and they are so proud of their town. The city is just covered with outdoor trails and parks, and even when it starts snowing, the inhabitants have ski trails and downhill skiing and curling and all sorts of activities.

We have been sailing all day on  our way to St Pierre , one of the French speaking towns in NL… we’ll arrive in the am and catch a small flight to Halifax where our journey ends.

What do we do at sea for the days we don’t land? We have a solid crew of naturalists, environmentalists, biologists, and people dedicated to making the earth better for our children. Last night a local group came about and put on a really fun and fast paced program of Newfoundland music. Today we had lectures and programs all day and people can pick and choose their interest areas.  I have learned so much about the INTUIT populations of the world and truly feel they tough and candy people to have lived centuries in a harsh climate like the Arctic.

Some of the people are staying on  board and sailing to Antarctica ! Wow! 2 months on a ship! I need to feel some earth under my feet… but they will sail off to the Panama Canal after we depart the ship. 

GOODBYE GREENLAND

 We spent 4-5 days exploring Different cities and areas in Greenland. We learned about their colorful houses, which historically were painted colors, instead of addresses.The houses were kit houses imported from Norway . Different professions used different color, ex: yellow meant hospital and drs and nurses.Red were fireman, Blue were fisher people, and so on. Now days, these customs are waning as new modern high roses are popping up all,over, especially in NUUK, which is the Capital. 

We got to do some interesting hikes and we got to experience cold rainy weather. Most of the population is Inuit or  descendants of Inuit, with Danish people thrown in to run the place. 

We finally set course for Labrador and sailed for almost 3 days without touching land. We had some rough water and I was seasick half the time. On our sail, the crew did special events like quizzes, and Q &A and talks and  lectures on many subjects pertaining to this expedition.  We had a peregrine falcon land on our bow and used the ship as a form of transport for himself while crossing the sea. He would fly off, but then he’d be back perched on the bow. The staff roped off the area because some people cannot follow instructions to leave the bird alone. We haven’t seen him today, so it’s figured that he found land and also food.

We have finally landed in RED BAY and it will be the first time off the ship in a few days. Can’t wait.

NUUK

 We spent the whole day in the Capitol of Greenland..NUUK. A city of  OVER 20,000  and still growing rapidly. Everyplace we looked there were cranes, bulldozers, and so much digging and planning. It was rainy steady, but we decided to go explore anyway. The city bus dropped us off in the older part of town, and we ambled around all over and saw the national museum which was incredible with artifacts and information from the early days of mankind. There is so much to learn about these ancient  people.Denmark totally supports Greenland with health coverage, subsidized living and schools.  All the signs are in Danish and Inuit. The fishing industry in Greenland is responsible for much of the fish we eat in America. There are hardly any single houses  here…most are apts. no garages, no lawns, no flowerbeds.  Today everything looked bleak in the fog and rain…… but these populations are outdoor people and used to  extreme weather.

SISIMIUT

 Another rough night at sea and was happy to be dock side today when we landed. We had a whole day to spend in Sisimuit and we made the best of it. We started out with a city bus tour. It didn’t last long because it’s not a big town. But it’s colorfu l and we learned that the colors of the houses each correspond with the owners profession! Red=fireman, Blue= fisherman…. And on and on.

After lunch we decided to go on a hike with a guide , who was Danish. It was pretty energetic and we walked thru so much mud to a high point and we could see the town below. On the way back I lost my balance and slipped into the mud, which was like quicksand. The guide was able to help me out. It was a six mile hike and part of the Arctic Trail system. 

One odd thing is we had to walk them”dog town”, an area where people keep their sled dogs tied up until the snow comes. So so many dogs on chains. And puppy’s who are NOT chained until they are 6 months old.

DISKO BAY

 Well, 2 days at sea and we finally made it to Greenland. We landed at Ilulissat, a small town on the west coast. It’s claim to fame is ice, icebergs, scenery and fishing! The ice was making a big presence as we geared up and tried to get into town in our zodiacs. The driver had to dodge icebergs that move all the time. It was exciting. Our ship stayed waaay outside the harbor because the capt didnt want to get ice bound. And it happens. In fact, as we tried to go back in the afternoon…the ship was moving out at a slow pace and we had to  chase it down! 

Once  we landed on the docks, we took off on an incredible hike to Disko Bay. Just Google it. It’s where all the iceberg actions are and massive postings on the internet. The rain stopped and it was a great day and the hike was on a long board walk to the sea. After the hike we visited the Ice museum and then found a local lunch place in town. We ordered a Musk Ox burger and it was so so big! And so so good! So much so we are skipping dinner to give our tummy’s a rest! Fishing is the main occupation here and watching these small boats maneuver thru the ice flow is quite entertaining 

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POND INLET

 Woke up to a very different weather pattern. Cloudy, rainy and and headed to Pond Inlet, a rather larger community of Inuits. And they were expecting us! Capt wasn’t sure we could access the docks with all the wave action, but never underestimate sea faring Norwegians. The zodiacs were sent out for a trial run, and then we suited up! Just a few words of what it takes to go on shore. We are divided into groups, and the groups rotate every day. The staff gives a 10 min. Call for a group number to come to the boat den. We don our long underwear and then another layer. I use THICK wool socks. Then our normal winter jackets and water proof pants are put on. Most of our landing are in water and we literally step off the the zodiacs into 1 ft of water. Over our winter clothes we then put on a nice HellyHansen rain repellent coat. Add a warm hat, a neck gaiter and our huge and heavy rubber boots…and we are almost ready! We have been given life jackets also, which have to be put on in a specific manner. Then a mask, sunglasses, warm gloves and we finally waddle down the the lower deck to get in the rafts. When we return to ship , we wash our boots in a solution and then go thru a metal detector! This is a Canadian rule, not the ships rules, but Canadian waters are very strict for some reason. Yesterday the Canadian navy followed us along side for hours.  IDK why.

PondInlet is a far northern Hamlet above the Arctic circle. Some of the towns people met us as we landed on their docks and took us for a walk about. We saw their medical and police stations and the coop and ended up in a large cultural center where some of the I units were waiting to greet us and explain how they live in the harsh climate. They explained how the Canadian gov and missionaries literally beat their languages and customs out of them for so long. Finally, about 50 years ago they became a more sovereign nation and have brought back their customs and even their language. They are a proud but quiet people and we’re very excited to show our group how they live now.

We saw drumming, throat singing, and many athletic feats that they use to prepare themselves for the grueling ancient custom of hunting in this cold barren earth. They spoke and dressed in the native clothes and we learned so much.

HIKING IN THE ARCTIC

 This am, we moored in a delightful place called Dundas Harbor. No one lives here, but we got to hike around and explore the sites of old residences. The CanadianGov

sent crews here in the early last century to monitor the area , which they wished to claim as their own. It so remote and cold , it must have been hell for the few who were assigned this post. Some Inuit were paid  to show the Canadians how to survive, as everything had to be shipped in. Still, the Canadians lost most of their people to suicide and some deceases. 

Well, we zodiaced on the the shore and hiked about 3 miles . Some people got to go kayaking, but not our group and it would have been perfect. Calm and sunny. We climbed all over the place,  secure in the fact that our expedition team were stationed here and there on polar bear duty. The sea ice had completely chocked the bay and will probably stay here all winter. We spent about three hours exploring and when we got back to the ship, the restaurant crew has prepared a nice shish  kabob barbecued lunch. The head chef is from Turkey, and he wanted to show off his Turkish cooking skills. They even moved the bar outside and made some kind of celebratory drink.

We are now at sea and on our way to PondInlet, and the capt just said we were in for rough weather again with high winds and rain…. 

BEECHEY ISLAND AND RADSTOCK BAY

 Well, my seasickness has subsided and our ship landed in the am at a vast barren spot called BEECHEY ISLAND.  We suited up after breakfast and took the zodiacs onto shore. This remote and desolate area was where men from the NW Passage expeditions left there dead. There are eerie graves there of crew members and no one really knows how they died. Most were 20,or early 20s. Such a hard life of early explorers. The guides landed early and looked for bears and while we were hiking and exploring, the guides were stationed in areas where polar bears could approach. We didn’t see any…but it’s a safety thing. 

After we explored, the crew asked if anyone wanted to go for. Swim. Steve and a few others did it. They swam in the ICEY waters of the Arctic! It was more like a dip as they could not stay in very long.  Steve was cold!  Finally we made it back to the ship and it continued on a scenic sail along the RADSTOCK coast. We saw 2 different polars bears, each with cubs! Then to add frosting to the cake we watched a pod of beluga whales swim next to the shore. It was a calm afternoon to observe wildlife from our ships deck. 

Another weird thing is we have to change our clock time everyday forward one hour! It’s not fun. We think we just had lunch and bam! Dinner is served.  It’s raising havoc with everyone meal plans and sleeping, but it’s what one does at this end of the world. 

ROUGH SEAS AND OTHER FUN STUFF

 Yesterday we were headed to Fort Ross where the Hudson Bay CO. tried to set up stations to supply the old time sailing explorers. Actually, when I see these places and hear the histories it is quite unbelievable that anyone survived this harsh landscape. These were tough tough men with a drive to explore.  We had a wonderful ,historical lecture about the Errobos  and Terror, two ships who completely disappeared with all men aboard. Just recently with the ice melting, are modern crews able to find the ships at the bottom of the sea. It was a great lecture and we were going to stop this am and use Zodiacs to access the shore and go snoop around. But some rough seas came up and we could even get close to the area. Plus, I got so seasick after breakfast that I was good for nothing.

Since we were at sea all day yesterday we had chances to read, listen to lectures, sight see on the shore, from the ship, where we were able to spot 2 musk ox and a polar bear. Then Steve and I decided to go take an ICEY waters kayak class and hopefully if we ever see calm seas again, we will get to try out our new found cold water kayaking skills. The crew is strict about every little aspect and we learned alot of dos and mostly do NOTS!

I hope Mr. Steve was listening carefully, cause he’ll be my partner!

GJØA HAVEN

 As we started our adventure, we had a chance to visit our first Inuit village, Gøa Haven. It is hard to imagine a life here, so remote and very dependent on hunting for food. It’s a village of maybe 1000 people  and some, mostly elders,  still speaking some native tongue, but technology has crept in. Our young guide walking around the town had her cell phone, and there are dish receptors on most houses. She said it’s easier to speak English, for her, but her grandmother only speaks native Inuit, so she is forced to speak some. I was so interested in their life as they live now. Since the houses are on permafrost, there are no sewers, septics, or really, anything into the ground. All buildings are secured by drilling poles into the frozen earth below. Staples are brought in once or twice a year, and all dirty water/ sewage, etc is put in barrels and shipped out! All roads are dirt and sometimes it was difficult to tell where a road was! Most people have 4 wheelers to get around. There are nurses but no drs. No dentists. And of course, there are the same drug and alcohol problems we have in the states. 

We traveled to the shore by our zodiacs and had a wet landing, so we wore high boots. Still, as I jumped off the zodiac, I was I about  1 foot of water! Cold water! But I managed to get to shore QUICKLY!

The evening brought a fun celebration on board where we were introduced to our Capital and Crew and all the support staff. It was very international group and they also broke down the passenger nationality and we are part of 20 Americans. 70 Germans, 30 Aussies, and the rest are very small representations of many countries.

When I got back to our room there was a message from my nephew, Kevin, asking me what ship we were on. Kevin owns a beautiful sailboat and is captain of the Orion and CEO of Deep Green Wilderness. He said he had a very good friend who was one of the wildlife biologists on our ship! This morning I found Elizabeth on bow looking for whales and birds! We really hit it off and now I feel like we have our very own personal wildlife guide. 

We are in the ice now and won’t see land until tomorrow, but we hope to see whales and polar bears.

ROCKY START

  Well, today we were supposed to be up early and take off in a small plane for our first leg of the Canadian Arctic. Right after an early breakfast we got word the airport at Cambridge Bay was completely socked it with fog. .so the wait began. We had gathered in a patio and other area as our rooms were over. Every HOUR awe got an update…it got tedious. Making it more complicated was the group who had just gotten off the ship was waiting for our planes to arrive, empty us and fill with them for the trip back.

After about 6 hours, we were given a signal to go. The hotel kindly threw together box lunches as we were all really hungry. We boarded a bus and the lunches were passed out and we drove to the airport. The plane was much bigger than I thought, and the reason was they had a lot of people to transport in a shorter time, so they got the service of a plane group that supplies workers to the oil fields and mines in the Arctic. It was kind of weird and they served us BREAKFAST…..at about 4 pm. I wanted wine, but alas, this was a service plane, not a tourist operation. The good part is it went much faster than our original plane. 

We landed on a packed gravel runway, and it was surprisingly smooth. The airport was tiny, and the funniest part was the locals came out in their trucks and cars and transported us to the rubber rafts . Let the adventure begin!

NORTHWEST PASSAGE EXPEDITION

 Before Covid we had planned this great trip to trace the route of  Norwegian explorer  Roald Amundsen. After many explorers tried to find this route between the two oceans, and failed…he finally did it and we are going to be on his same route. There were many cancelations by the Norwegian ship line and

the Canadian government because of covid protocol. Finally ..this trip is a go. We are in Edmonton, Canada as I write this. After a 4 hr flt tomorrow in a small plane we will arrive in Cambridge Bay, which is a small Arctic Hamlet, with no pier. So after our flight we will board some rafts and be shuttled to the FRAM, a ship especially designed and refitted to go thru ice and snowy waters. 

It’s kind of weird looking at our “what to wear” suggestions for tomorrow…rain slicker, waterproof boots, warm hat and waterproof pants…because as we sit here in the outside Bar at the Fairmont Hotel in Edmonton, it is over 90 degrees! Steve and I tried to take a walk on the trails of the Saskatchewan River than runs below our hotel and we had to turn back because of heat! I’ll probabaly get it wrong and be too hot or too cold….but tomorrow we board our ship and take off on a 3 week adventure cruise in the Canadian Arctic.