Live from silversea explorer Churchill to kangerlussauq Aug 25-Sept 8 2013

[RachelG]

Day 3-August 27,2013-Arviat Canada

 

Arviat is a small Inuit community on the north west coast of the Hudson Bay. The bay around it is very shallow, so we had to ride in zodiacs about 4 miles to get to the town. Half of the passengers were assigned to the morning group and half to the afternoon group. We drew morning.

 

The weather was just perfect. Bright and sunny, very calm sea with just a mild breeze, totally opposite from yesterday. Temp was about 40F. Stefan gave us a very dry zodiac ride which went quickly in the good conditions.

 

We were greeted on shore by our local guides, who are Inuit people who had lived there all their lives. They had several activities planned for us. We went to a reconstruction of a traditional camp where two elderly residents showed us the various implements traditional used for hunting, sewing, cooking, etc and told us a bit about how they were made. It was quite interesting, and the local people seemed pleased and proud to share with us.

 

Then we went to the visitor center where they have a small but well done museum with exhibits about traditional life, as well as a stuffed polar bear. We had a tour of the town, seeing the school, churches, lots of local dogs, and ending at a crafts shop which had some outstanding stuff for sale. I am not a big souvenir shopper, but this would have been a great place to pick up something as everything except the t-shirts was locally made. There were a lot of carvings from caribou bones and horns, some of which were very intricate. They also had mittens and wallets made from caribou hide which were quite nice.

 

Finally, our guide took us to his parents house for refreshments. His parents told us about life in the past and were very hospitable. His mom had us all sign a guest book to remember the occasion. She is quite an artist and had decorated one wall of the living room with a large mosaic made of local stones.

 

We strolled back to the shore at our leisure. Some people visited the grocery store. Zodiac ride back was also quick and smooth.

 

Restful afternoon with exercise and laundry. I tried walking outside, but the wind picked up and was pretty sharp, so had to settle for the gym.

 

A group of local performers consisting of elders and youth came onboard and gave a drumming and throat singing performance. They were followed by a group of young guys who gave an athletic exhibition of their traditional sports. They were really good (and not bad looking either). It was nice to see the elders involved with the young people. The girl who was leading the throat singing commented that none of them had ever been on a ship before. To quote her, "it is very wobbly".

 

Captain's reception tonight. We have a very capable female captain, the first female captain on silversea. Then dinner with a very interesting group. As far as food, I have figured out now to avoid salads, as the lettuce is pretty poor quality. It probably has to do with the supply available and is ok, now that I have figured it out. I order a side of steamed spinach with my main course to get my veggie ration. The escargot and lobster were quite nice.

 

Was just getting ready to post this when we got an announcement of northern lights visible, so we had a nice light show to finish off the evening, every bit as spectacular as I had imagined.

[OrpingtonT]

Day 3-August 27,2013-Arviat Canada

 

 

Was just getting ready to post this when we got an announcement of northern lights visible, so we had a nice light show to finish off the evening, every bit as spectacular as I had imagined.

 

What an interesting day and topped off by a sight of the Northern Lights already. How is G.'s toe?

[drron29]

Glad you had a good day for Arviat.Ours was quite the opposite.I was in the morning group.The afternoon group was cancelled as was the performance by the locals on board.Coming back in the zodiac it was a 4.5 mile ride with swell 2-3 metres.

At the ship I had my foot on the side of the zodiac clenching the arms of the great crew on the side gate when I heard a loud stop!The swell came through and there I was for what seemed to be an eternity whilst the zodiac went through a rise and fall of 2 metres.Everytime it started up I got another load of freezing water hitting me in the groin.

The lights really are great aren't they.

[WesW]

Thanks Rachel and DrRon for your wonderful posts.

[RachelG]

Day4--August 28,2013--at sea

 

We lost an hour due to the time change, so had a nice sleepin. The sea is gently rocking. It is overcast with temp about 40F. A whole range of lectures is on the schedule for today, but I do enjoy the chance just to do nothing except relax, read, nap.

 

A bit about the ship. It holds 134 passengers, but there are 110 onboard this voyage. So all the people who were wait listed were able to get on if they wanted. There are 120 crew.

 

As Helen mentioned before, the passengers are extremely well travelled. You would be hard pressed to find somewhere on earth to which at least one person onboard hadn't been (maybe except for North Korea or somewhere like that, but I wouldn't be that surprised to find someone who had been even there). Mostly Americans, Canadians, people from the UK, with a smattering of Australians. There is a Swiss couple, at least one couple from Italy, and at least 3 from Japan.

 

No kids at all. In fact, I would guess that I am in the 5 youngest passengers onboard. His demographic is probably mostly related to the length and cost of the trip. Most onboard are retired.

 

Our captain, Maggi Ettlin, is the first female captain on silversea. She seems very capable. This is her second cruise as captain.

 

Kara Weller is our expedition leader. We met her last year on the explorer Svalbard cruise, and I was happy to see she has been promoted, as she is smart, organized, and efficient.

 

Internet is glitchy as expected. One thing that is weird is that, in our cabin, it always tries to connect us to crew Internet. I had go somewhere else in the ship to connect until I figured out I could just go into "settings" and make my iPad ignore that wifi.

 

And of course, there are the issues related to being so far north. Not too bad so far, but you eat up a lot of minutes connecting and disconnecting.

 

The chef cooked up a nice oriental stir fry lunch, then I decided to try exercising outside again since the gym is crowded. The deck was dry, and the wind not too bad. So I did an hour on my hamster track. I call it that because it is very narrow and circuitous with several up and down steps. It goes around the entire circumference of the ship on deck 6. A good workout in dry conditions. If wet or the sea is very rough, it is too hazardous.

 

Wonderful company for dinner. The food was uneven. I had a good beet soup and braised veal, but the so called clam chowder had no clams and appeared to be rerun mussel soup from lunch 2 days prior. No real salad to be found.

 

Tom, George's foot is actually healing quite rapidly now. I think staying off it for today was very helpful. He is definitely walking better and without pain.

 

Drron, I am sure glad our zodiac ride wasn't like yours. I hate cold water.

[5waldos]

Sounds like quite the adventure- although the cold I could do without. And so glad you got the northern lights- that is high on my list of experiences not to miss. If only you could see them from a nice tropical beach.....

[lkbside]

You're lucky on the weather for Arviat and the long zodiac ride. I was the next person to disembark our zodiac after Ron. Just watching him was pretty scary and I was sure I would end up falling back into the boat or into the water. The zodiac bobbed up and down until they say go and you just have to put your trust in the platform guys. They did an amazing job.

 

Rachel, we heard towards the end of the cruise that there were supply issues for fresh produce and fruit for your voyage - not surprising due to the inaccessibility of those Canadian stops and ports.

[5waldos]

Rachel- still in northern lights area on Monday? Hope for good weather- supposed to be good that night. Pictures- post pictures or it didn't happen (to quote another site!)

[RachelG]

Day 5--August 29, 2013--walrus island and bencas island

 

We awoke to the announcement that they would not be able to launch zodiacs as the seas were too rough. Looking out the window, it was quite overcast and spitting rain. Very windy and cold with a whitecaps breaking.

 

The plan had been to take zodiacs to go around walrus island to view the walrus close up. It is not possible to land there, even under great conditions. Since zodiac cruising would not be possible, the captain took the ship around the island. We got close enough to see big blobs laying on the rocks. With binoculars, they were recognizable as walrus. A bit disappointing as last year we had been able to walk on a beach and get right up to them in Svalbard.

 

After rounding walrus island, we set off for bencas island. Very high waves hitting up against the side of our ship, as noisy as any I have ever encountered and some as high as the top of our cabin window on deck 3. It sounds like someone is hitting a sort of muted bass drum.

 

After lunch, we arrived at bencas island. The sun had come out, but still extremely windy with very high swell. A scout boat was sent out. Alas, no possibility of landing due to high seas and no animals seen on shore anyway. The seas were really just to rough to safely board the zodiacs. So another at sea afternoon. At least, we got to see the land from a distance.

 

A film describing the etiology of the northern lights was shown (quite good actually), and a lecture regarding the arctic climate was given.

 

Dinner was the best yet on this cruise. A delicious stuffed pepper, asparagus soup, a veal roulade.

 

As far as northern lights, the forecast is good, though it depends on cloud cover asto whether we will actually see them!

[jpalbny]

Good luck with your sightings! We went to Reykjavik a few years ago to try to see them, and got 4 nights of dense cloud cover...

 

Sent from my DROID RAZR HD using Forums mobile app

[Ms Understood]

[Today we are in Cape Dorset. Altho very windy we were all able to get ashore and tour the town and see the beautiful carvings and prints the community is known for. But it is cold!! Even saw a bit of snow starting. This afternoon many on board have gone back to shore to take a hike and see some Thule settlement remain. I am sure that is where Rachel has gone but it is just too cold for me and I am still drying out from this mornings Zodiac run. The cold feels more bitter her than in Antarctica but maybe its just the wind.

Some local folks came back from town with us to have lunch onboard and demonstrate throat singing. One elderly lady was thrilled with her lunch and thanked us several times for inviting her. Well I saw her in the dining room and it looked like she just had a plate of lettuce. Guess not much fresh produce up here!

------------------

Helen

[RachelG]

Day 6--August 30,2013--cape Dorset Canada

 

We arrived at cape Dorset this am. It is a Inuit village of about 1500 right on the coast of Baffin Island. It is quite known for its Inuit art, especially stone carvings and prints.

 

Weather was cold, right at freezing with a strong wind of about 25 knots. Fortunately our captain was able to get the ship into a sheltered enough position to launch the zodiacs.

 

The ride to shore, about a mile and a half, was wet and wild for sure, sort of like one of the amusement park rides where you get soaked. I had plenty of layers though.

 

Our local guides met us and showed us around the town, mostly to various crafts places where locals produce and sell their wares. We also went to a very nice hotel, the cape Dorset suites, which is definitely the place you would want to stay if you decided to come to town. And of course, we had to visit the grocery store. Prices are very high--$12 for an 8 oz bag of Kraft shredded cheese, $5 a pound for the lowest grade of hamburger meat.

 

Cape Dorset appears to be quite a bit more prosperous the Arviat, probably due to all the artists here who have successfully marketed their art. There were few stray dogs. The dogs we saw appeared well fed and cared for. The houses were nicer. We saw some fairly new looking Ford pickups.

 

Back to the ship for a warm up and dry off then lunch. Some Inuit throat singers came on board for another performance. I guess I am just not culturally sophisticated enough, but I had already reached my 5 year quota of throat singing at Arviat, so I did not attend.

 

In the afternoon, hikes were offered in Mallikjuaq Provencial park which is near the village. We were divided into strenuous, moderate, and easy groups mostly based on how far you would hike. We were in the strenuous group and hiked about 2 1/2 hrs,first over a beach then up a boggy hill with a scramble up and over boulders to another beach that appeared to be a whale graveyard with all sorts of whale bones lying around. I found a pretty much intact spine, and George found a skull. We hiked to the top of the island for a good look in all directions, then back down to visit the ruins of a Thule encampment from ancient times. It looked amazing similar to ancient ruins we had seen in the Shetland islands.

 

Ride back to the ship was quicker and smoother as the wind was at our backs, but still very wet. And as we were hiking back down to the zodiacs, it had started snowing big hard wet pellets, the kind that sting when they hit your skin or eyes. I should have taken my mosquito hood to protect me from the snow.

[Stumblefoot]

Day 6--August 30,2013--cape Dorset Canada

 

As we were hiking back down to the zodiacs, it had started snowing big hard wet pellets, the kind that sting when they hit your skin or eyes. I should have taken my mosquito hood to protect me from the snow.

Hard to believe you're able to enjoy snow in August and certainly a nice respite from the sweltering and miserably hot and humid weather in Oklahoma this week.

[RachelG]

Day 7--August 31, 2013--Douglas harbour Canada

 

Yes, stumblefoot, it is weird to have snow in August, but mightily appreciated.

 

Today's plan was to sail up a fjord to Douglas harbour where we would disembark to hike. The morning was quite cold and windy (that seems to be a theme on this cruise) with fresh snow visible on the tops of the mountains on both sides of the fjord.

 

We were divided into the strenuous and moderate hiking groups. Most people this cruise have been very good into placing themselves into the proper hiking group, which I truly appreciate.

 

We took off first, in the strenuous group, for a 1 1/2 mile zodiac ride to shore. The tide was out, so we had to walk across a bit of mud and rock to get to the beach.

 

We took off with our bear guide leading across springy turf. Lots of blueberries growing, which quite a few of us sampled. We were on a steady uphill climb to a lake then further up the mountain across rocky terrain to the top eventually. Some people saw lemmings, but I only saw one, which was dead. I did see plenty of their burrows. I heard, but did not see, geese. And George saw a group of caribou way far in the distance.

 

After a couple hours climbing, we made it up and across lots of boulders to the top. Great views. No trees at all, but the fjord was really beautiful. Coming down was easier, then George harvested mussels while we waited for the zodiac to return us to the ship.

 

Everyone was cold and wet, so the Russian lunch was perfect. It was really very well done with beef stroganoff, chicken Kiev, Russian deviled eggs, a hearty borscht.

 

Relaxing afternoon watching Nanook of the north.

 

We had dinner with Karolina who is one of our bear guides and Michelle and Ed from San Diego. The mussels George had harvested were served in a white wine sauce and were quite delicious. Indian food was the theme of the evening and was also quite good, though not as spicy as I prefer. The chef stopped by to make sure everything was ok and that we enjoyed the mussels.

[drron29]

Glad you were able to get off the ship.I only did the hike to the lake-my knee just cant take too much climbing.

I also enjoyed the Russian lunch.My Chicken Korma on the Indian night was quite spicy and I enjoyed it-and I am one who can eat Thai bird's eye chillies raw.Seeds and all.

 

I am also jealous.I really like Karolina-

[RachelG]

Drron, I am impressed you made it to the lake, but if you have knee problems, you made the right decision in not going forward from there. The terrain was very rocky and rough, easy to twist an ankle or knee, especially coming down.

[mariners]

I am loving these reports! Fresh produce is almost impossible to get in many communities because flying it in is so expensive and it does not stay fresh long. Many locals cannot afford to buy it and it would definitely be a highlight to experience a salad bar on the ship.

 

I hope that you are getting to see the Northern lights put on a show, too. Rachel, the strenuous hike sounds really strenuous. The mussels sound delicious.

[lkbside]

Bet your hiking poles came in handy in Douglas Harbor!

[RachelG]

Day 8--September 1, 2013--Akpatok Island canada

 

Yes, the strenuous hike yesterday really was strenuous. I was glad I took my hiking pole, even though it is a bit of a pain getting on and off the zodiac with it.

 

Today's plan was to look for polar bear along the coast of Akpatok Island, an island which appears as a huge fortress rising straight out of the sea from a distance. It is mostly limestone, with the walls rising straight up to about 600 ft high. The rock walls are punctuated periodically by deep ravines cut into the stone. Lots of fossils here on the narrow bit of coastline.

 

Since no bear at all could be spotted in the morning, it was decided that it would be safe to go ashore to search for fossils. The temp was about 40F so not as cold, but with a 20 knot wind. A very rough zodiac ride in as we had to go directly into the wind. So rough getting into the zodiac that one gentleman on ours got in then immediately got back out. We had been told it would be about a mile from the ship to shore, but it was actually more like 3 miles. A lot of unhappy people due to this. It was downright dangerous for anyone with a back problem.

 

Anyway, we finally made it to shore, and what we found was really worth the trip. Thousands of fossils in the rocks in perfect condition, some very large, and some which were 3 dimensional.

We were able to hike back into a canyon and found a paw print of a bear in the mud beside the stream. Back in the canyon wasn't cold at all as we were well sheltered from the wind.

 

Riding back to the ship was much smoother and very fast, of course, with the wind to our back.

 

After lunch, we cruised north along the coast looking for bears. At 4pm, the call came out that bears had been spotted on the beach. Zodiacs were dispatched, and we had about 45 minutes in them to view the bears up close. There was a mother with two cubs up on a ridge and further down a adolescent male right on the beach. We were able to get quite close for good views.

 

There were also a lot of birds, murres and guillemots, and we were able to observe the father murres with their babies in the water up close. On the way back to the ship, George noticed something on his pants. He had been tagged by one of the guillemots. Real glad it wasn't me!

[WesW]

Another wonderful post Rachel, thanks for taking us along.

[lkbside]

So glad you got to go to Akpatok Island!

[drron29]

Great that you got to experience Akpatok.As you landed did that make you the first from the Explorer to do so?

[RachelG]

As far as I know, yes. The explorer had never been down along the east side before.

[5waldos]

Your reports are making me smile- and I could use a smile or two! Thanks. Very neat stuff.

[OrpingtonT]

As far as I know, yes. The explorer had never been down along the east side before.

 

I hope it doesn't go down this time either! :p