These early mornings of rising followed by strenuous exercise are wearing me out! I will need a holiday to recover!!! Having never trekked before, I am now becoming a dab hand at it! Sturdy boots, adjustable walking poles, binoculars and camera around tbe neck…I feel and look like a Great Explorer! And yes….I can hear those comments to from you……! Ha ha ha!!
Early Friday, soon after 7 o’clock on a bright crisp morning we landed on shore for a 6 km trek to the top of a cairn where a Nordic hunter was buried at the start of the 20th Century. These burial mounds are covered in large rocks so that the Polar Bear, who has a very keen sense of smell, cannot get to the remains! We also saw a hut where trappers or hunters, would have spent the long, cruel, cold winters. Very basic in its structure, their food supply was also limited and many died of scurvy. At the top of the Cairn, the view was fantastic, out along tbe fjord. One could see for miles along a beautiful narrow gauge of water, bright blue under the morning sky and surrounded by mountains reflecting tbe hues of Nature and In-between were tucked small Glaciers.
Another Zodiac cruise in tbe afternoon and for the first time it rained. Miserable ,drizzly, rain, making it difficult to be enthusiastic about more birds!!! On our return, A gin and tonic was called for with like minded people that marked the start of a hilarious night. Dining with three Swedes in a fantastic Italian Restaurant the chat was bi-lingual, at least for them…,my Swedish isn’t great…..( non existent) . A music quiz followed in tbe bar with a wonderful pianist playing themes from the Movies, with the effervescent Martin dancing, singing and encouraging us to follow suit! Not that we needed much persuasion, as we were well plied with alcohol! We were a noisy lot of young Americans, British and Swedish, but we didn’t win last nite! Then it was time to dance and party!
When the alarm went out on Bear Watch this morning at 06.30 I was regretting that last Mojito, but a Polar Bear had been spotted and I now understand the phrase “All hands on deck”! There was a stampede to the viewing decks in all sorts of apparel! One chap beside me, pushing me to tbe right as he positioned his very long lens camera seemed to have dressed in a white night shirt with black footless leggins under that! Saville Row it aint! I actually got dressed, but didn’t stop to do my eyes!!! What a disaster, I hear you say, but that would be a first for me! The Bear was ambling along tbe seashore quite a distance away and I could not see him with the naked eye, but luckily I had my binoculars. So … I SAW A POLAR BEAR IN THE ARCTIC, Yipee! Mission accomplished!
Of course breakfast was a hotbed of swopping stories of how quickly, how easily and how long one saw The Bear! Then it was time to see the Walruses. Another Zodiac ride from where we had to wade in the water to disembark and along a beach lay a herd of about 20 Walrus, with two of them swimming nearby in the water. These guys are HUGE! Up to two tons in weight with tusks about a metre long, they waddle along though they were all lying about today. We had to be very quiet and could only approach in small groups accompanied by members of our young Expedition team. Their smell was quite over powering but to watch these creatures that almost seem pre historic, was amazing. What a morning!
Along with our trips, there are daily lectures on various topics. I attended one on Whales given by a young South Africa girl. She was fantastic, identifying Whales as our Eco Engineers. The statistics she gave us for the destruction that Whaling is causing on the Whale population was quite devastating. She also gave us plenty of positive and interesting facts on what the Whales contribute to the planet, both in practical and in ecological ways.
Answering the call to the Artic 