Sunday July 12, 2015 - Spitsbergen, Norway (Longyearbyen)

We awoke at 4:30 but it was foggy, foggy, foggy and we couldn’t see much of anything.  We went back to bed.

At 5:30 I got up and went up on deck.  Some of the fog cleared briefly and there were beautiful snow covered mountains that came out of the fog and then the fog took over again.

I went to Horizons and read.  Tim came down about 6:30 and we had coffee.  He went for caviar and salmon for breakfast!  Life is tough!

We got ready for our City Tour of Longyearbyen at 8 am.  It is still very foggy out and cold.  There is no satellite coverage at all now due to the ship’s position versus the satellite.  Oh well – no phone, no internet, and no TV.

We met our guide, Juergen, and we went through the small city of Longyearbyen.  He is a student here, learning to be an expedition guide.  He told us it gets to -40C in the winter.  There are about 2,400 residents and 2,000 snow mobiles.  That’s how they get around during the winter.  We saw where they mine for coal up on the mountain, rather than underground.  The clouds parted and we saw a large glacier.  We went to the small church and there was a stuffed polar bear there.    Picture opportunity since we most likely won’t see any live ones.

Top Line:  The Sun Will Not Rise Or Set!

Beautiful snow covered mountains as we sailed into Svalbard

Very foggy

The desolate town of Longyearbyen - inhabitants:  2,500

The Longyearbyen Museum

Pipelines are run above ground due to the perma-frost (the ground is always frozen solid)

Snowmobiles everywhere

Selfie in a very cold Longyearbyen, Norway on Svalbard

Tim with a huge snowmobile that has its own gun rack

The clouds parted for a while and we could see the glacier in the distance

Above ground pipes for water and utilities

The small church in Longyearbyen

Inside the church, Tim found a stuffed polar bear.  One of two we saw - none that were alive

The small church in Longyearbyen

They installed the water pipes all above ground due to the “perma-frost” where the ground is frozen all year long.  Juergen told me that the pipes are well insulated so they won’t freeze.  We went to a reservoir where they get their drinking water.  Then we went to a dog sled farm where they had 50 huskies that are used to pull the sleds.  A mom had 7 pups that she was nursing.  We returned to the ship and had lunch upstairs.

The husky farm

Beware of Polar Bears

They get their drinking water from this large lake just past the polar bear sign

A team of huskies came charging by pulling a small wagon with tourists

And there they go

The owner got 3 huskies and hooked them up to a sled

He had on a seal skin coat - Tim wondered if the polar bears ever mistake him for a seal!

The huskies were friendly

Onward - Mush - Mush - Mush!

A mother with her 7 pups

A duck sitting on her eggs

Several sleds waiting to go once it snows again - October!

Reindeer antlers on the building

The 3 huskies chained to the sled

Tim found a new friend

Mush - Mush - Mush

Arrrrrrggggghhhhh!

Statue in memory of the miners from the coal mine

Another polar bear statue

Mail box to Santa Claus!

The "mayors" boat

Then we took the shuttle back to town so we could walk around.  It was COLD and very, very foggy.  It is about 8C, or 46F.  Brrrrrr.  I’m glad I have my $50 hat!!  We went through the small downtown area – very, very small.  Not much there.  We walked past the Radisson Blu Hotel (very basic) to the Svalbard Museum.  We walked back to the ship and napped.

They told us about the polar bears.  There are about 2,000 of them on the island and they are very dangerous.  Everyone carries a gun to protect themselves from the polar bears.  This is one place where I would NOT want to live.  Great to visit for a day.  They have signs on the outskirts of the city warning residents of the risk of encountering polar bears.

We walked back to the ship.  Rupesh brought us appetizers and made us drinks.  We went to Observation at 5:45 and then to dinner at 6:30.  We had a healthy dinner of Norwegian salmon for both of us.  Tim napped in the cabin after dinner and then we went to the Jean Ann Ryan Show at 9:30.  We had already seen the show but it was entertaining again.  Fun seeing Gemma perform again!

We were off to bed about 11.  Tomorrow we head to the Arctic Ice shelf and we are scheduled to arrive about 1 pm.  But it is supposed to be very cloudy so we aren’t sure what (if anything) we’ll see.  Fingers crossed.