July 25 - SV Linden cancelled
At work yesterday, Petra called: "The boat has been cancelled". What!? Apparently we were the only guests, so we did not reach the "minimum of 4 people". Okay. But it was confirmed!? And why now, 24 hours before departure!? Petra is on the phone all day with Sanne from Beluga Travel, who does her utmost to find all possible alternatives. Unfortunately a lot is already full. Or unbookable because we are the only ones again. Also cancelling is discussed, but a real amount is not mentioned.
Ultimately we agree with the first proposal. We are mainly on land and not at sea. Pity.
This morning, on the way to the airport, Petra was still very sad and angry. She felt put in a corner. Had been awake all night. Didn't really want to go. After two failed holidays it is understandable.
We're going anyway.
Once we landed in Oslo, where we have a 6-hour stop-over, we decided to take the plunge and head to the center. Good choice. Long walk. Enjoyed it. Much better than hanging out at the airport.
We are now waiting for our flight to Longyearbyen. It is a long day and we still have to go to the end of the world.
78 ° North
July 26 - Isfjord Radio .... Cancelled
We chase the non-setting sun to the north. At about 1 o'clock in the morning we dive through the clouds and lands in Longyearbyen. And yes, it is daylight, even though it is midnight. On the way to our hotel we see our first Arctic Fox. At 2 o'clock we check in, time to go to sleep.
Breakfast is great with a nice view. Time to explore Longyearbyen and be a tourist. It is wonderfully fresh (8 ° C) with an occasional cold wet breeze. We stop for a nice lunch and then rest in the hotel.
Phone. Sanne from Beluga. "Wind, waves, cancelled". Basecamp has canceled Isfjord Radio because the boats, because of the high waves, cannot leave the fjord, let alone land at the point near Isfjord to load people in and out. Man, what a disappointment! We are both silent about it ......
Phone. Sanne from Beluga. "Wind, waves, cancelled". Basecamp has canceled Isfjord Radio because the boats, because of the high waves, cannot leave the fjord, let alone land at the point near Isfjord to load people in and out. Man, what a disappointment! We are both silent about it ......
Sanne sends us to (?) At Basecamp to discuss our alternatives. Well. Not really many alternatives. Boats she does not want to offer because they are likely to be cancelled. Dog sledding and walking is the advice. No, that's not what we want. We also want to stay at the Funken Lodge and arrange our own food. On the way back we call Beluga. They'll take care of it. Back at the Funken Lodge, the front desk confirms that we can stay in the same room.
We book 2 boat trips. Friday evening and Sunday afternoon. Monday is already booked. We'll see on Saturday. Maybe walking, or just nothing.
It's the end of the world .... the rest is being worked on!
July 27 - Glacier Ice and Whiskey
We are only picked up at 6:30 pm, so a long day without a program. Morning breakfast. Very tasty. A lot busier than yesterday. Different time, or just a "group"?
After that, a small rest and then walking towards the church and beyond. The sky opens up completely. Awesome! On the way back quick stop at the COOP (more choice than at home in the supermarket!) And lunch at the Svalbar. Dish of the day: Beef Béarnaise with fries NOK125. Big beer and cheap. Local, in Svalbard, brewed beer. Great!
After some rest, chatting with Elly and the last mountain stage of the Tour, it's almost time to go.
Pick up between 6:30 PM and 6:40 PM. We are ready much too early. After waiting for half an hour, it is now 6:50 pm, no one arrived yet. Called to the excursion company: Closed, voicemail. Then try Basecamp, because Beluga has booked through them. "They called as they will be half an hour late. But we couldn't reach you as we didn't have any contact details." We are picked up at 7:20 PM.
The boat is less than half full. Fine. It is 2.5 hours by boat. According to the guide, the wind has subsided, so it is probably better to do than in the morning when the sea had been rough. After just under an hour a lot of people are seasick. Fortunately Petra and I are not bothered by anything.
The light is beautiful and the sky dramatic. The Wallenburg Glacier very impressive. The blocks of ice around us are incredible in color. Mint green. White. Blue. Black. Very impressive.
When we arrive at the glacier it's time for, cheap, whiskey on centuries-old glacier ice.
The food is, as expected, not great. Very unfortunate is that they serve whale. Even worse is that people, for example a group of German students, eat this. This way you keep stimulating the hunt. The timing was also weird (they made mega apologies afterwards), because dinner is served while we are just at the glacier. Because we were more interested in the glacier and therefore have dinner later, almost everything is finished (something is quickly arranged).
The same route back. The glacier is right in front of Longyearbyen in the Isfjord. We are back in the harbor at 1 AM. Last ones to be dropped off, so it was almost 2 o'clock (at night) before we slept.
It remains strange that the middle of the night is just as light as during the day.
No nights, endless days.
July 28 - SV Linden
// We were barely on the road yesterday when Petra received an email from Sanne. Basecamp had arranged a trip with the SV Linden. Whether we wanted to come. Of course we wanted to come! //
Pick up at 10:20 am, so a short night. After picking up the boots and overalls, we go to the boat. We are 11 guests, the crew and the family of Rasmussen the captain (wife, 2 daughters and a son). The atmosphere is good right away. We sail towards the other side. Once we leave the fjord at Longyearbyen, the wind appears to be strong enough to sail. The sails are hoisted and the engine cut. Wow!! (since that moment "Suck my Kiss" from the Peppers has been screaming in my mind ...). The wind is very unpredictable here, due to the many local pressure areas between the mountains and the fjords. Plan A becomes plan B becomes plan C. // Doesn't matter, it is wonderful to be outside and gaze over the sea. //
Lunch is served. Man, man, what a work of art! [yes, two nights on this ship would have been great] If we sail along the coast someone thinks to see a polar bear. Ehhh … no. When we’re almost back Bram (PABO, Camping) tells us that, despite his fear of heights, he is going to climb into the mast. Hats off. I'm not going to do it. Another guest did also accept the invitation.
At half past five we are back in Longyearbyen. A wonderful day of sailing. Glad we could do that.
July 29 - The not Von Posten Glacier
Our excursion is only planned for 2:00 p.m. So to the COOP to get apples and something to eat. Petra sees 2 reindeer outside. We cross the street and walk into the river bed. Petra quickly takes some pictures, but they are too far, on the other side of the river. We walk through the bed to the bridge and hurry towards the reindeer. They just stand still and come closer.
The COOP will no longer work. Eat something quickly at the hotel. And then ... stomach ache. Petra doubts whether she can come. Fortunately she tries anyway.
Allen, our guide, picks us up. We pick up 3 other people. An Icelandic couple and a Norwegian woman. On to the office for explanation (for example that we are not going to the "boring" Von Posten Glacier, but to the Tuna Glacier), safety instruction and to put on the big suits. On to the boat. "Rock'n'Roll" on the front, and "Easier" on the back. We are in the middle, with the young Icelandic couple in front and the Norwegian woman behind us.
The weather is beautiful and gets better during the trip. Man, man, what a view! We first stop at the bird cliff. Allen explains. Then on to the Trappers hut, where Allen tells the entire life history of the original inhabitants. And on to the glacier.
Wow. So beautiful. And beautiful in the sun. Just when we want to go back we see a seal on the ice. Really a polar moment. "Dinner" on the beach. Then, bouncing over the waves, to go back to Longyearbyen. One last stop to tell about the fossils found here.
Wow. So beautiful. And beautiful in the sun. Just when we want to go back we see a seal on the ice. Really a polar moment. "Dinner" on the beach. Then, bouncing over the waves, to go back to Longyearbyen. One last stop to tell about the fossils found here.
This was another great day, we both enjoyed it.
July 30 - Arctic Summer
Today the boat trip to Prince Karls Forland is on the program, with the Walrus as the main ingredient. One of the guides picks us up and he has fun. "Hike excursion?" he asked, laughing as he got off the bus, "No no, walrus of course". On the boat the other guide: Niels, with the steel handshake. We are on our way with a comfortable closed speedboat / RIB. First stop after an hour at a beautiful bird cliff. The weather is also beautiful, it is radiant blue and windless. So a mirror-smooth sea. It is still more than an hour racing to the walrus colony. Suddenly fog. Not thick, you see the sun above you. But you see very little in front of you and around you. When we arrive at the colony, the fog is not completely cleared yet. Yet you can see them well. For the photos it is not good enough yet and the sun is actually on the wrong side. The fog slowly disappears. The walruses are getting restless. Nice for the photos and the movies but the guide sails back because he knows it is because we are getting too close.
We go back after an hour. Before we arrive in Longyearbyen we stop at the Esmark Glacier. It seems close and not that high. In reality it is at least 700 meters from us and 50 - 80 meters high! Wow.
Enjoying the trip and the beautiful weather we arrive in Longyearbyen again. Another wonderful day!
July 31 - Pyramids
Nothing at 8:10. Man man, what now!? I call the excursion company several times, but nobody answers. Petra calls Beluga. Apparently they arrive at 8:30. The man next to us also joins, and confirms that. They arrive at 8:45. Well-known staff, because the same boat as to the Wallenburg Glacier. Bram and "Austria" from the SV Linden excursion are also taking part. The weather is fantastic. We sail along the bird cliff to the ..... Glacier, with lunch on the way. The glacier is beautiful. On to Pyramids. First a tour through the Russian ghost town.
We check in at the hotel. "You have paid?" "Ah, Full Board?" "You also have excursion still?" "Let me call my manager and see you in 30 minutes at the bar." The room is great with a great view. Let’s go down to hear what she learned. Fortunately Petra has the voucher on her phone.
Back at the bar. "Can we combine the hike and the fatbike tour? As there is only one road." Strange. Anyway. Tomorrow at 10 o'clock then. With the same guide as today. Now go outside first. Hey, an Arctic Fox. Petra's had seen him before, but now he was just sunbathing in front of us. Unbelievable. And joyfull.
Time for dinner. A group of Germans, a group of Norwegians (or Swedes?) And 2 single travelers. And us of course. We hear 83 guests landing tomorrow. We will see how they will arrange that with 10 people (because that’s all the people living there in Pyramids).
August 1 - Two Persons Missing
Despite the bright room, the sun does not set and very thin curtains, we both slept wonderfully. The breakfast is, just like the dinner yesterday, a bit different and simple, but it okay. At 10 o'clock we go cycling with "Svetlana" (I still don't know her name, sorry). We continue on foot from the lake. Beautiful views with reindeer in the distance. On the way back we cycle to the bottle house and to the coast. A wonderful three and a half hours in which she tells everything.
Lunch at 2 pm (soup, main course: hussar salad, borscht and spaghetti with balls or something). Half a liter of beer. We are full.
After she has guided 83 boat guests, she is going for a short trip with us. "School & Swimming Pool". She is ready and the guests of Henningsen are leaving. Then she walks towards us. "Are you sure you are on Aurora?" "Henningsen is missing 2 persons" We show our travel description to the Henningsen guide, with whom we came yesterday. She thinks the 2 may already be on the boat.
When we start the tour she says: "Henningsen is still missing 2 persons, and Aurora had no idea about you two. But I'll figure it out later I guess." A tour of the school and the pool and then it's time to go.
Pyramids is really a magical place. Glad we went.
August 2 - Final Day
The breakfast is suddenly "different". No service at the table, "you can order at the buffet". They are out of croissants? At half past eight, with an hour and a half and many guests still to go?
One more thing to do: A selfie with the famous "polar bear traffic sign". According to the reception it is about 20 minutes, just outside the village at the first Husky Kennel. Oh, it's not that far. A wonderful walk, with birds and of course the huskies en route.
Yes, Longyearbyen is small. Alan, Von Posten Glacier excursion, cycles along with dogs. We meet Niels, Walrus excursion, en route with a group. This time on the quad. And in the village we bump into the crew of the Aurora with whom we came from Pyramids yesterday.
In the afternoon a quick siesta. At the end of the afternoon, through the rain, to the Coal Miners Cabins to eat. Then try to rest a bit "ahead of time", it will be a long night.
At 0:15 am the Fly Bus to the airport. Much too early, but the people who have just landed have to go to their hotel with the same bus. More than an hour later Bram arrives from the campsite across the street. Still well on time.
At 2:30 we take off. After a stop of almost 3 hours in Oslo, we land in Amsterdam. Man, man, how hot it is. At Eindhoven, the thermometer hits 36 ° C!
We are home just before 2 in the afternoon. It was a long day. And a super holiday !!
[in my mind the entire vacation: Together Again - Janet Jackson. No idea why.]
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