2016 NWP

For a quick visit, you can go to the Trip Video section and look for “NWP 2016”. Or continue reading this blog.

New York City, September 16-17

September 18, 2016

After a total of 8,805 miles on the cruise plus miles from Cincinnati to Anchorage and 12 time zones, we pulled into the NYC harbor at sunrise on a beautiful morning. The colors in the sky made the Statue of Liberty and Manhattan look awesome. After docking we spent the day at Lady Liberty, Ellis Island and the 9/11 memorial and museum. All are extremely emotional places to visit that remind us of the strength and hope that humans possess. After being fortified by on one last dinner on the ship that included 4 deserts because Chetan wanted to make sure that we tested everything, we spent the evening experiencing the craziness of Time Square and then watching the city from the top of the Empire State Building. This is one city that reminds us of how small we are and how big and diverse the world is.

Saturday we got up and left the ship. After stowing our now oversized luggage, we walked the high line, an ingenious park built on an elevated rail way. It was bustling and fun. After enjoying Chelsea, we had lunch in a wonderful little restaurant in the area and then headed to the airport. We are now safely at home and were appalled to see the news and know that an explosion happened close to where we spent the morning and early afternoon. Part of this trip helped us better understand and appreciate new cultures and people. This event makes me wish humans could be more open to other's differences.

This trip started because Dean wanted to experience being north of the Arctic Circle after our first trip to Alaska. Did we ever experience it! This has been the longest trip we have taken. We met many kind, interesting people who love their homes and way of life and were excited to share it with us. We saw parts of this planet that we never expected to see and revisited some that we have enjoyed in the past. We are blessed to have had this experience and this blog was partly written so that we wouldn't forget. We saw first hand how the world is changing and learned about the ever adapting plants, animals and people. I wish everyone could see this as it might cause changes in behavior. Finally, it reminded us that there is no place like home, wherever that may be.

New England, September 13-15

September 15, 2016

We are back in the USA. Back to early September New England warmth, tall green trees, no snow. The land of permafrost has its own kind of beauty, but we forgot how much we missed trees and being able to go outside without a jacket and not freeze until it was a possibility to do so! Tuesday was a beautiful day in Maine. We spent most of it in Acadia National Park hiking along the ocean and inland along a clear, beautiful pond. They have a wonderful restaurant by Jordon Pond in the park that feels like you are back in the Victorian era where one sits and savers a slow lunch on the soft green grass. They know how to cook lobster and make popovers!
Our last trip here was about 35 years ago. We camped at the park and Dean discovered a major attraction to filming sea gulls. When our film was developed, most pictures were of gulls. Well, he reignited that fascination. Now it is digital, so we only ribbed him a bit about the gulls.

Wednesday we spent walking the Freedom Trail in Boston and enjoying Quincy Market. Again, a beautiful day. It is good to be periodically reminded of the events and the risks that people took to start this country. Highly recommend doing the trail and listening to some of the National Park Services talks/walks. Mark was searching for an ancestor that had a pivotal role in Boston during the Revolutionary war. We found the church his ancestor, William Dawes, attended and cemetery where he is buried. It was on the Freedom Trail. There was a plaque near his grave describing his important role in the Revolutionary War. Sure does make history interesting when you are looking for an ancestor and find out information about him. Lunch was at an Irish Pub, lots of those in Boston! We had to try out the local beer. Really.

Thursday we were in Newport, RI. Newport is a seaside playground for the wealthy. I'm not sure that I've ever seen so many sailboats in one place. And, we were fortunate enough to spend 2 hr. riding on one of the last wooden built America's cup race boats. Mark, our resident captain, even steered for awhile. The crew was a hoot to talk to. They are mostly young gypsies who travel the world working on sailing yachts. They had great stories and ere all interested in the northwest passage. It was just plain fun! Also, there was a boat show in the marina. So, we left Mark there for the afternoon to look at boats and the rest of us went for a cliff walk which hugs the ocean and goes by a number of the 'cottages' built in the late 19th century. The ocean scenery was beautiful and the mansions weren't bad either! Tonight we have our going away party and early tomorrow morning we will sail into NYC. Can't wait to sail by the Statue of Liberty. We are told that news media will be covering it. Word is that NBC will have a helicopter flying over us. We knew that this was the first cruise of its type but had no idea that the news media would care as much as they have. Kind of feels like Ohio during a presidential campaign (we will be glad to be out of the spotlight.).

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Life on board the Crystal Serenity, September 12

September 12, 2016

Today is our last sea day. Part of me is cheering loudly as we have had many more sea days than I would prefer. We came to see and explore this new part of the world that we had never experienced, not to sit on a ship. But, to be fair, we didn't sit and this was part of the experience. Sea days can be wonderful. You can sit and relax or be as busy as you want. So, today Dean and I thought it would be good to let you know what we and Mark and Nancy have spent a lot of our time doing. This cruise has been highlighted and vilified in the news. For us, learning about the communities and experiencing the culture, getting to know the strong people who live here, learning about the environment and how it is changing will be our lasting memories. I'm glad we decided to take this journey. Also, life on the ship was a big part of our trip.

This ship has been luxurious and we have been over fed on wonderful food that we don't normally eat. The chef's prepare tasty and beautiful meals. Food can be found most times of the day, although we didn't have any midnight buffets that are famous on cruise ships. We did have Sunday brunches that made up for that, though! In our contest of how many ways can one eat chocolate or raw, stinky fish, the chocolate won although the chef is pretty creative with herring. In truth, if we had eaten more at the sushi restaurant, Dean would have won. Our waiter, Chetan, made sure we knew the best main courses, starters and deserts. And, if we didn't order his favorites, they came out in addition to everything we had ordered. Being the polite people we are, we had to eat everything! It was a tough job, but someone had to do it. He would find us at breakfast and lunch, too, to make sure we had the best time possible in the restaurants. It was fun to joke with and get to know the staff and learn about their lives and families. All the people who work here went out of their way to make our experience great. They were quite successful.

There were naturalists stationed around the ship to help us spot wildlife or answer our questions. Thanks to them we saw more polar bears, ox, various types of whales and birds, and plants on sea days than we could have imagined. We also had numerous conversations about the environment and about how it is changing and adapting. There was also a Cineflex system which is a very powerful movie camera that was always on the lookout for interesting things to see. So, you could sit inside where it was warm and dry and still see the beauty of the world that we were passing through. Also, one could partake in up to five lectures or classes each day on the culture we are visiting, art, science, the environment, computers, and government. Today's offerings were by a astronaut that worked on the Hubble telescope, a diver who showed us underwater pictures and videos taken at each of our stopping points on the journey, a Broadway historian talked on a decade of shows, and you could take an Adobe class, movie making class, or Excel class. There is an expedition team on board who would prepare us for what we were going to experience and then answer questions during our or after the fun. If you can't find a topic to your liking, there are also a number of exercise classes, a gym and running track, a swimming pool, or a dance class, a movie theater showed a new movie daily and there was a library full of books and DVD's to check out. Or, find a quiet place to curl up and take a nap. My favorite time was an early morning walk around the deck. The colors in the sky were beautiful as the sun comes up and the dancing waves are mesmerizing. We only had three days with winds so high you couldn't go out on deck. Not bad for this part of the world. Every evening we are entertained in a big show, by entertainers in a saloon, and there were several places where we dance until we were tired. So, life on board ship has been great.

Tomorrow we arrive in Maine and will have normal communications with you all. 5 more days in New England and we are told that we are getting a big welcome into New York City on Friday. I'll admit that I miss home but cooking my own meals and cleaning up after myself is going to be a challenge after this.

Enjoy the picture tour of the ship.

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Ice Camp, September 8-9

September 10, 2016

The big expedition choice that we made when planning this trip was to experience Ice Camp Kangerlussuaq which is in central Greenland at Ice Cap Point 660. We took a small prop plane to the US Air Force base in Knagerlussuaq and climbed onto a bus for a short drive to a restaurant. We were treated to an amazing high protein lunch situated on a beautiful lake in the mountains. Protein = 3 kinds of fish + caribou + muck ox + crab + shrimp + scallops. All are local, some were cooked, some smoked, some just cut very thin. Local beer, wine and schnapps accompanied the meat and a couple of salads. We were told that this would be our last big meal until we returned but this wasn't exactly true. We traveled 25 miles across the tundra in a bus with huge wheels stopping to see the edge of many glaciers, lakes and waterfalls caused by the glaciers, and many caribou, musk ox and Arctic hare. The environment was beautiful and stark. The plants and critters who live here must be strong to survive. Then the road ended and we hiked to the glacier and then on the glacier for about an hour to make our way to camp. We were given special cleats and poles to make walking safe. We walked up and down steep ice slopes to get used to the tools and to learn to trust them. Wonderful inventions! Ice camp was a large tent for cooking and eating and small one and two person tents with warm mummy style sleeping bags. Also, two tall, slender tents with our make shift toilets. As a child we camped and called the blue port-a-potties blue refrigerators. These were green and brought a new meaning to the term 'green refrigerator'. Yes, we were camping.

After coffee and tea to warm our insides we went on a couple hour hike. This glacier is not a flat surface like the edge of glaciers that we have been on before. This area is a stable (moves 2 cm/day) section wedged in between two fast moving (100 cm/day) glaciers. So, this is considered safe for people to spend time but it slowly rises, falls or shifts as force from the two moving glaciers is exerted on this area. Bottom line, lots of very high hills and valleys, deep crevices, surprising holes and it is continually changing. Oh, and it was snowing most of the time we were on the glacier so footprints get covered and it provided a beautiful yet eerie sort of atmosphere. Every hilltop had a remarkable view and the ice looked like it went on for ever. The valleys were kind of claustrophobic as you couldn't tell what was on the other side. Our camp sat on top of about a mile thick piece of ice. Hard to wrap my head around that. The ice sheet is two miles deep at its thickest point! Dean' pictures describe it better than anything I can think up. You want to have an excellent guide and you must trust this person completely. We had the right person!

Dinner was not your usual soup and a piece of bread. We returned to see tables set with formal dinner wear including two wine glasses. It was an interesting mix of camp table and stools and a formal dinner with salad, roast musk ox and pasta salad and a cobbler made with local berries. We were glamping! Dinner was late and it was still snowing, so no stars or aurora to look at, so we all headed for our warm sleeping bags. Warm yes, sleep, well not much. Maybe with some practice I can learn to roll over without having the small face hole roll to the back of my head. But the ice under me would still crackle with each move. Oh, well. Dean and I decided that our tent camping days are probably over.

Early the next morning we had breakfast. Thick bread, cheese, meat and hot beverage; no one is going to starve at this camp! Packed up camp and hiked out. Our main guide was a slender Danish woman who could swing a large heavy duffle over her shoulders like it weighed little and hike for miles. Like I said, we had the right person to lead us. Made our little packs look puny.

On the ride back to the airport we discovered that an ice dam on one of the large lakes we passed had broken overnight lowering the water level about 30 feet. This resulted in a large gushing river that left large ice boulders when it receded. So, there were large ice balls in and around the road. It was a good reminder of how unpredictable a glacier can be and how fast things can change in this environment.

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Greenland, September 7-9

September 10, 2016

After two days of cruising breath taking fiords, we had the opportunity to visit three towns in Greenland. It is the worlds largest island with a population of about 56,000 and is part of Denmark. The first two towns we visited had about 5000 people, and Nuuk, the capital was a city of 15,000. It feels like we have entered a different world. We are still north of the Arctic circle in a country that is 90% Intuit, but the 10% Danish population definitely have had a large influence! This land of ice and snow (second largest ice sheet in the world) and beautiful fiords has villages filled with small colorful houses and colorful apartment buildings sprinkled around its edges. Many of the houses are 100-200 years old and have a range of bright colors. The new buildings have the modern Danish look! Clearly, building materials can get here much easier than to northern Canada and Nuuk, in particular, is growing quickly and has numerous buildings going up. Another change from Canada is that the churches are mostly Lutheran! We kind of feel at home here.

Ilulissat was our first stop. It is one of the northern most towns and is built beside one of the fastest flowing glaciers. This means that there are many icebergs calving off the glacier. We were warned that the bay could get blocked with ice and we might not be able to enter. Well, after four hours of cruising up and down the coast trying to find an entry point the captain decided there was no safe way in. So, we could only see this pretty village from a distance and try and enjoy the plethora of icebergs. Lots of disappointed folks on board the ship, but we did appreciate the extra efforts made throughout the trip to keep us safe. The next morning we awoke in the Sisimiut harbor. Colorful village number two. It was a quaint place full of Danish speaking people. All of our guides in Greenland speak the Intuit language, Danish and English. They are all friendly young people who want to make our stay a great one and it was. We only spent a short time seeing this village as we flew out late morning for our overnight trip on the glacier. This will be another post. The next afternoon we flew back from the glacier but due to cabin pressure issues on our prop plane we couldn't fly over the mountains, the direct rout to Nuuk. This turned out to be a blessing as we traveled west to the sea coast and then followed the coast south to Nuuk. The pilot explained that the flight would be longer due to this change but was it ever worth it. We ended up with a window seat on the correct side of the plane to have the best view as we were last on board and no one wanted this back seat. This reminded me of the 'last will be first' admonition in the Bible. People on the ship are paying large sums to have flight experiences and see the beautiful landscape, and we were treated to 40 minutes of fiords, mountains, glaciers, small islands and villages!

We had a short time to experience Nuuk when we arrived. It was enough time to visit the historic area and walk along the coast. What a great way to end our visit to this island country. We are fortunate that we have been able to travel around the world. Most places we are satisfied to visit once. A few get put on the 'we must return list'. Alaska was put on that list 20 years ago and we now have returned to celebrate our 40th anniversary. We will return to Greenland, but hope that it won't have to wait 20 years!

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Pond Inlet, September 4

September 5, 2016

Pond Inlet on Baffin Island is our last stop in Canada. We woke to find a snow covered mountain range outside our window. Because sleeping in isn't something that I have learned to do in retirement, we watched the sun rise over the mountains (after I saw the view and convinced Dean he didn't want to miss this.) It was a wonderful way to start the day. We were on the first zodiac ride into the hamlet and the towns people were waiting for us. This town has about 1600 people and is a judicial hub for the area. One of our native guides who has been on the trip with us since Nome, is from Pond Inlet and was part of the planning group that worked so hard to make this a special day. It was fun to see it through her eyes and to meet her children. It is Sunday and the two churches are in session. They were spare outside and were warm and inviting inside. This seemed to be the trend of all buildings. We had to chuckle at the vehicles in the parking lot. Soon, there will be snow mobiles in place of the 4x4's. They have a wonderful library/visitor center here with guides who enjoyed answered our many questions. Every village that we have had the privilege of visiting has been full of people who want to tell us about their culture and their families, and want us to share this with others. It was wonderful. Nancy found a little girl to play with. You will need to ask Mark for the video. Even if we don't talk the same language, we can play and enjoy each other!

In the cultural center people again had their crafts and art to sell. Once again we had to make sure that we were not buying something made out of a marine mammal as they are protected and goods are prohibited. There was a large room set up with elders and the next two generations demonstrating how they use every part from a seal or caribou. They were skinning, drying hide, preparing the hide by chewing on it and finally sewing it into boots and clothing. They use every part of an animal. It is interesting to see the human creativity that was used to turn intestines into waterproof windows or garments, bones into tools and artwork, hide into shoes, gloves ore clothing. Most who were working the traditional Intuit jobs didn't speak English but had a grandchild translating. Even with this we found it easy to have a conversation and laugh at each other's jokes. Women were cooking local food for us to try. I could get used to banik (a bread/pancake). They said that they put blueberries in it in the summer. A little syrup and it is extra yummy.

We visited the grocery store. Every town has a co-op and a Northern (Hudson Bay trading company). There is a reason that they live mostly on food caught in the bay or hunted on land. Most food is 4-20 times what we pay for it. Ice cream was $20/pint! I'm not sure what I would give up to be able to enjoy that once in a while. They have to be very good at planning, too. Most shipments come in in September and if one forgets something, they wait until the next September to get it. There are numerous shipping containers in town holding the yearly supplies.

Back on the ship, about 30 adults and children came on board to do a couple of shows. They entertained us with drum dancing, throat signing and numerous games of skill that are part of the north Canada olympics. You won't see any of these on TV but that doesn't mean that their skills aren't impressive! There are just few people on earth capable of competing that can jump as high and have reflexes as fast and learn skills to make them stealth hunters. They got to enjoy the ship in between shows. This included the full buffet lunch, the hamburgers at the grill and the ice cream shop. Ice cream was a huge draw. I understand why after seeing the grocery store! Tomorrow we leave Canadian waters and work our way to Greenland. It has been an amazing experience. What a blessing!

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Kayaking in the Arctic, September 4

September 5, 2016

Dean decided that we needed to document what it is like to kayak in the Arctic. We have had three opportunities to kayak up here in the land of ice and snow. We have kayaked in rivers and lakes. This is nothing like that! We have sea kayaked in warm ocean waters, and this is nothing like that either! It takes about a half hour to get on on the layers of clothing needed to keep one from freezing or getting wet. First you put on your high tech long johns and two layers of socks. One must be warm, thick wool to keep your toes from dropping off. Some people wear three layers. Then, you put on your next layer of clothing. The stretchy, breathable work out clothing works as long as it covers everything. Next is a warm sweater or down jacket. Take off all jewelry and watches as they will tear the dry suit.You are now ready to start getting into the dry suit. It is a one piece waterproof/wind proof garment that covers you from your neck to your toes. There is a large diagonal zipper in the front that you open and use to step into the suit. This is the easy part! Now you slowly pull on one arm and the rubber gasket wrist band will begin to cut off your circulation. Now you do the same with the other arm. Now you do something that our Norwegian leader calls getting reborn. You shove your head through the tiny rubber gasket that will close in around your neck. It takes a while to feel like your circulation is not being cut off but it does get comfortable. Really. Now you zip up the front zipper and give yourself a big hug to 'burp' your suit do that you don't look like the Michelin Man and can bend. Put on your special kayak boots, your hat, gloves and gaiter and you are ready to go. No gloves as they get wet and make you colder. Next trip we will by waterproof gloves. Now you are ready to enjoy the great outdoors! These the male suits have an extra zipper in the front and the female suits have a huge zipper in the back that looks like a bustle. Now, with all the layers on underneath, I'm not sure why they think these are useful!?! They did give us something to laugh at and diverted our attention from the gaskets constricting our wrists and neck.

Kayaking on Tay Sound at Pond Inlet was wonderful. We picked you our kayaks on a snow covered beach. The sound is about 11 miles across, had smooth waters and half of the shore is surrounded by tall, rugged, snow covered mountains with glaciers flowing into the sea between peaks. Absolutely breathtaking! You just may see pictures on Christmas cards. Oh, forget that I mentioned that. The seals played around us but kept their distance as they live close to a community that hunts them and plenty of polar bears that consider them a delicacy. This time there were several schools of them. Lots of birds, too. The snow geese look majestic as they fly in large flocks around the bay with the snow covered mountains in the background. Summer is over and they are gathering for the long flight south as are many other birds around here.

We were the last group out to play in the water today so we got to gather the kayaks and bring them back to the boat. The pictures show how beautiful they looked on our zodiac ride back to the ship. Final step is to dislodge the dry suits from your body and go back to regular clothing. They do a great job of keeping us dry and warm.

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Ps from Dean: Actually, the final step is the wine and dinner and the breathtaking sunset.

Beechy Island, Sept. 1-2

September 2, 2016

The last two days have found us in the northern most part of our trip, Beechy Island, 75th parallel north. We have cruised bays with stark, rocky shores and hills and a awesome fiord fed on three sides by a large glacier. Zodiacs have carried folks to the island for hikes and for a close up view of the glacier. Since so many passengers want to go on these unexpected adventures, as they are dubbed, we are chosen by lottery to go out. So far, we go on one of these adventures about every other day. I'm very thankful that our chosen days so far have been for zodiac rides that have taken us for close up views of the glacier, icebergs and sea ice, and wildlife. Today we have watched birds soaring, several types of seals playing and fishing around icebergs in clear blue water in the fiord, a herd of musk ox on the rocky and icy slopes and a few polar bears looking for food. This fiord is so large that you can watch it snowing in one direction and sunny in another. Nice rainbows are a very pleasant result. Mark said that he is giddy and this feels like Christmas morning!

They had an early spring here, so the ice pack is pretty much gone. It is being followed by any early fall though, and the locals are expecting a bad winter.Because the ice in the waterways is less than expected, we are a day ahead of schedule which means we will have another day of unexpected adventures. As always, they are a surprise. All we need to do is relax and trust that our naturalists and expedition leaders have something wonderful planned. Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Victoria Straits and Bellot Straits, Aug 30-31

September 2, 2016

Sea ice, icebergs, snow and polar bears! This has been our focus the last couple of Victoria Straits and Bellot Straits, Aug 30-31days. We had our first snow storm Aug. 30 so summer is officially over according to our guides. There has been snow each day since. We road zodiacs through sea ice which is the ice that forms in the sea in the winter vs. the icebergs which break off from glaciers. And we discovered where there is sea ice there are polar bears. Many are sleeping between hunts. We were told let sleeping bear lie. We have seen lots of bears from mom's and cubs to large males who live alone. Evidently, a hungry male will eat cubs so moms keep them a good distance. Seal is the favorite food of the polar bear and we saw how quickly a bear can swoop up and kill its prey. We went through a couple of straits that felt like threading a needle with the large ship. The rugged edges of the straits are about 200 feet tall of glacier etched rock. And, we have come upon icebergs that are about 60-75 feet tall! They are impressive as they float by. The land up here is barren due to the weather, permafrost and the ground that is almost entirely rocks. The fresh snow each day has made it look a bit prettier but having 30 degree weather and sideways snow flurries in August reminds one of how inhospitable this part of the world can be. The ocean is teal blue and the sky, when not overcast is robin egg blue. It makes one slow down and to soak in this amazing part of our planet. The sky has cleared the last two nights for slow, multicolored sun sets. Awesome!

Sue Matz Sent from my iPad

Cambridge Bay

August 31, 2016

Cambridge Bay is a much larger town (1600) than Ulukhaktok with much more outside influence. Many of the homes looked the same as we saw in Ulkhatok but there were also sections of larger homes that looked similar to US buildings. This town is a hub for commerce and government. The business buildings have few windows and are mostly made of corrugated steel. The two unique buildings were the round high school and the new Canadian Arctic Research Station which has two stories of glass looking out on the bay. The bay isn't deep enough for our ship to enter so we stopped close by and had a 20 min. ride into town on whatever kind of vehicle was available. It looked like they had almost every vehicle from the town lined up to carry us in. We talked a pick up truck driver into letting us ride in the truck bed. Haven't done that since we were kids! We were joined by an Inuit boy and enjoyed talking to him during our ride. He was part of a group that was going out to the boat to perform and was pretty excited about all the new things he saw including a new type of cargo plane that had landed on their gravel runway to deliver our supplies. He was quite observant. Dean worked on the 737 engines at GE and couldn't figure out how they were able to land on a gravel runway. He found the right person who discussed the special modifications for up here. I was interested in the new research center and found a girl to tell me about it and their college. She was fun to talk with but I chuckled to myself as she kept called me 'sir' while talking to me. So, the locals clearly accommodated our geekiness. The communities that we have visited station people, mostly young adults and teenagers, around town so that we can talk with them and they can direct us to special places they want us to visit. We enjoyed hearing their views on things.

The annual art show was happening while we were visiting, and there are once again a number of very talented artisans although Dean was more interested in the vehicles with tracks that were outside the community center. Their church was a special place with small stained glass windows with vibrant colors and the scenes depicting Bible stories which were all set in the Arctic. Beautiful! They also had the bilingual Bibles and hymnals. A few ladies had made several of the local foods and gave us each a taster plate. Most items were very good, but the blubber was definitely an acquired taste!

The four of us spent the afternoon kayaking on smooth waters. The ocean is so clear that you can easily see about 6 feet down. Our companion on this trip was a male bearded seal. He swam and played all around us and seemed to be as interested in us as we we in him. With the clear water we could easily watch him swimming under us as well as watch him when he surfaced. Lots of fun!

Some of the local Inuits came on board the ship and gave several shows of throat singing (guttural rhythms and sounds), drumming, singing and dancing, and they showed some of the skill games that children learn to prepare them to be fast hunters. About 10% of our population can not maneuver stairs or a Zodiac so can not get to shore. So, the locals came to see our elders and the rest of us benefited if we were around. Again, an interesting and fun show. And, it was fun to watch the boy that we had gotten to know on our pick up truck ride.

Ulukhaktok, Aug 26-27

August 28, 2016

Ulukhaktok was wonderful! 40 singers/dancers came on board the ship the night before our visit; this is about 10% of the town. The captain had invited them to our 'house' to reciprocate for their invitation to spend the day at their village. They sang and danced and invited us to join them in the free style dances. Many of the elders, who are quite revered in their society, came in full Intuit dress. Zodiacs were used to transported them to and from the ship. On their trip back at about 10 pm the sun was setting. Sunset takes about an hour and is a slow motion version of what we get in the lower 48 with magnificent changing colors. The last two nights have been clear and the sunsets magnificent! So, the elders asked the zodiac driver if he could stop the boat and let them enjoy the sunset over the water. He told us the story the next day and said there was complete silence while they watched. When it had set, they were ready to return home. He was humbled by their request and in awe of their reverence for the earth.

Our Saturday started with our first Arctic kayak ride. Our group was the first off the ship at 7:00 am all suited up in our rubberized dry suits. They are designed to fit over layers of clothing and worked quite well once you get used to having huge rubber gaskets around your neck and wrists. We were warned that the weather could change in an instant, and it did! We had smooth waters with little wind, gusts of wind with the accompanying temporary choppy sea, and finally stormy weather with very choppy seas that finally made us get out for our safety. In the midst of this we learned how to surf in a kayak on the big swells. What an experience! Of course, in between those moments of happiness while riding high on a wave, we were paddling for our lives to try and not get turned over in the rough water. Some of our group had little kayaking experience, so we also learned to raft to help each other when needed, and when we finally made it to land, we gathered like penguins to keep each other warm until zodiacs could pick us up and take us back to the ship. One young guy put his mother on the first zodiac back and then collapsed admitting that he didn't dress properly. He was suffering from hypothermia so the group kept him warm enough by surrounding him until he could ride back to the ship where he could get help. We came for adventure and the morning proved to be just that. It also made me think that it was a lot like life. Sometimes we are riding high and sometimes we need to ask for help.

We spent the rest of the day in the village. The elders were sitting on the shore all day greeting folks as they arrived and left excited to talk to us and answer questions. They had tea sitting on the fire and a sort of sweet donut for anyone who wanted to linger and talk. About half spoke English. One lady had a pair of fur mittens with an intricate fur design. She told me how the design represented her family's journey to the village and about the journey and how her mother had hand stitched the fur appliqué on the fur mittens as a gift to her. They were beautiful and so was her story. This little village of 400 has a large number of talented print makers, carvers, weavers and knitters. There were beautiful items for sale at the community center, and by the time everyone on the ship had made it through the village, most items had been bought and are now in our state rooms for the trip home.
We walked around town and talked to the young and old. Most walk or zip around town on 4x4. The sleds and dogs are resting in the yards waiting for the next snow. There were young people stationed all over town and stationed on spots up the hill that was available for us to climb. They very much wanted to talk to us and we had fun getting to know a couple. We went into the church and sat and looked at their hymn book which was written in English on the left side and Inuktitut on the right. As with every place in town, it was very simple and met their needs. These people practice subsistence living. They get what they need from hunting and trading and don't ask or want for anything else. They also opened their school to us which is very new looking and had a room that is a museum for the children to learn about their heritage. Two young men walked us through all the items in the room and eagerly answered our many questions. The people hunt land and sea mammals and fish. We didn't see any mammals; what we saw were numerous birds. Some places that I visit I am ready to leave after a short while. This one made me want to continue to linger. It was a very full and good day!

Arctic Ocean, the exploration begins August 22-26

August 27, 2016

We have been at sea for five days. We passed through numerous Seas (Bering, Chukchi, Beaufort) and the Arctic Ocean. Some have been calm accompanied by clear blues skies and some have been quite rough with the sideways rain or fog to match. We started seeing ice and icebergs three days ago and have seen plenty of whales. Well, we have seen plenty of spouts, tails, backs and fins. We are assuming that the head that is voraciously eating this time of year is attached! We have spent plenty of time in the gym, Zumba and dancing to try and work off all the extra eating. There have been at least three lectures each day about the flora and fauna, geology and culture in this part of the world. Not sure if we get course credit but there are numerous professors and experts on nature here to teach and answer our questions. Yesterday we saw land for the first time in a couple of days, yeah! It was the smoking hills on the east coast of Cape Bathurst. The geeks in us, OK, really the chemistry geek really enjoyed seeing a place where Mother Nature has set up a system to keep the firing burning. These fires are caused by pyrite oxidizing and giving off heat, lots of heat. The pyrite in these hills just happens to be situated next to lignite which is a type of coal. The pyrite causes the spark/heat and the lignite has been burning up here for centuries! Cool! I mean, hot!

So, after five days at sea we arrived at the entry of the Northwest Passage and the RRS Shackleton met us with its helicopters flying and zodiacs circling our ship. Quite a greeting! This icebreaker will be with us until we leave Greenland. We have come to our first stop in the Arctic, Ulukhaktok. We have learned a lot about the Inuits who live in these northern regions (Eskimo is a derogatory term, by the way) and tonight and all day tomorrow we get to meet the local folks and enjoy their hospitality and this region of our planet. We are brushing up on our Inuktitut phrases so that we can communicate. This language wasn't written until 1920's and it is challenging. Makes German and French seem easy. Tavvauvusi (Goodbye)

Diomedes Islands and Artic Circle, August 22

August 23, 2016

The last couple of days have allowed us to experience the Bering Sea, Bering Strait, and Arctic Ocean. Gale force winds produce not only huge waves but can knock you off your feet. Dean has his glasses fasted to his head and has threatened to tether Sue to the deck. We pulled out the parkas for the first time and they are great! We have been fortifying ourselves in the dining rooms. Dean is on a mission to see how many small, slimy, smelly fish he can down during the voyage. Sue is testing as many ways as possible that chocolate can be consumed. Not sure who is winning yet! We have enjoyed everything from computer and photography classes to history lessons to dancing. One can be as busy or not as you want.
We hit two milestones today: we passed the Diomedes Islands which is the only place on earth that you can see Russia and the USA, the Pacific and Arctic Oceans, not to mention yesterday and today at the same time and we passed north of the Arctic Circle. We are officially into expedition territory.

Here is an Intuit blessing: May you have warmth in your igloo, oil in your lamp and peace in your heart.

Nome, August 21

August 23, 2016

Nome is a small town that is the shipping hub and connection to the outside world for a number of smaller villages. We met so many wonderful people who were excited to tell us why this part of the world is so special to them. A family who trains and races Iditarod dogs told us about these strong, little athletes. Talk about a fun business! Nome is also where much of the gold is mined in Alaska and it is quite a business. It seems dangerous and tedious but there are many mines on land and the sea. We had our first big challenge, climbing Anvil mountain. It didn't look that big from the bottom, but 1000 feet up in less than two miles walking on a blanket of thick tundra plants was a challenge and fun. The guides discussed everything from the plants, animals and rocks to global warming, and of course, why they find Nome to be the best place on earth. One critter that is in large supply here is the musk ox. They roam everywhere including the mountain that we climbed. We haven't yet seen any of the famous bears that fill this part of the world but have been well warned on what to do if we meet any. We met the little animals that they like to lunch on, but the plentiful fish are their preferred diet so the little critters scurry around. And, this place is a birders paradise!

Dutch Harbor, August 19

August 23, 2016

Dutch Harbor is about halfway down the Aleutians and is where much of the King Crab is caught. There are many more crab traps than people on this island and the folks love to tell you about the fishing! One of the largest fish processing companies is here and you only need to follow your nose to find it. We heard much about the WWll battles that most of us skipped over in history even though they were strategic and the negative effect on the native's villages and population.
This island is full of eagles. They seemed to be perched or soaring everywhere. But then, this place is filled with their favorite food, fish. During our walk, we came on about two dozen sea otters playing, fishing and generally having a fun time in the bay. We enjoyed watching these not so little clowns for a long while. They seemed to have fun check us out, too. Before heading off for dinner, we sighted our first whales. It is fun to watch the reaction of adults to all these critters. Everyone seems to revert back to their 10 year old self at each new sighting!

Seward and Kodiak

August 18, 2016

On our third day we headed to Seward to get on our ship and visit the community. It is a small fishing community and we enjoyed our time at the docks liking at the fishing vessels and all the folks coming in to weigh their catch. A 2.5 hr. trip reminds us how large Alaska is (They like to say that if Alaska was divided in half that Texas would still only be the third largest state.) and how magnificent the untouched land is in this part of the world.

We have now started the expedition which is a cross between being pampered and a true expedition. Our first stop was Kodiak, second largest island in the US. Kodiak is a small town on an island that is part of a series of island protected by the National Wildlife refuge. We thank the wise people that decided this part of the world should be protected! Today, we watched sea lions play. They are graceful and comical! We took a 10 mile hike in a temperate rain forest that was truly awesome. Of course the paths were muddy since it rains most days, sideways, and yes, we got to experience that too. Only one of us slipped in the mud and it wasn't the guy carrying the extra camera bag! The washers/dryers work great on the ship. Again, we met warm people. One elderly lady in a Greek Orthodox Church was telling us how the ground zero fog (their swirling sideways rain) that lasted for over a month protected them from the Japanese bombers who were flying overhead looking for villages to bomb. So, for her this fog is a blessing that not only forms this beautiful land but also protects.

Anchorage

August 18, 2016

We spent most of a day immersed in the Native American cultures of Alaska at the Alaska Native Heritage Center. It was a wonderful day of learning and talking with people passionate about their heritage. We have also managed to find new plants, animals and birds each day. There are eagles everywhere!

Anchorage

August 15, 2016

After 90+ degree weather in Cincinnati, we are loving 60's. The locals are happy because their three straight weeks of rain has broken. Our first stop was to one of the two microbreweries, 49th State brewery. They just tapped the Augustfest beer (no one is around in October so they moved their celebration up a couple of months!). After Mark and Nancy got here, the second stop was to Glacier Brewhouse. We started the trip off right.
We are enjoying talking to folks here although we have found few natives. A young woman from Serbia who was hired in for the summer, a young man running from something who calls himself a gypsy, a young woman who is living off the land and teaching others here about gardening. The fly fishermen are lined up daily almost shoulder to shoulder to pull their three allowed salmon out of the fast flowing waters. They clean the fish by the water and the sea gulls are anxiously waiting for the discarded parts.
There is a beautiful bike trail along the coast that leads to state parks. The ride is through birch, pine and spruce woods filled with birds, tiny squirrels that chirp and moose. We think deer can do damage to plants in Cincinnati. You should see the ravaged trees and bushes after a lone moose gets done with lunch! There are so many kinds of wild flowers, ferns and grasses and mushrooms. One trail was called middle earth so we kept looking for hobbits. Found magical looking mushrooms but no hobbits, yet!