Of a Polar Bear and loads of Plastic

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We now left Nordaustlandet, over lunch the ship made the ~70km over to Svalbard’s main island – Spitsbergen. First crossing the Hinlopen Strait and then into the Lomfjorden; destination for the afternoon was the Faksevågen site.

And once again the plan was thwarted – as one of the white stones close to the original landing site turned out to be (likely) another polar bear. Now was the time of binoculars and the cameras with the big lenses – most folks were out and about, watching the bear from a distance.

The expedition team was meanwhile working on a plan B – and were eventually ready to offer an alternate landing on the other side of they bay – far away from the polar bear and the potential danger.

As such we made it ashore for another short hike, this time up a hill for great views of the area. The real shocking piece here was all the plastic littering the beach – from fishing equipment to all sorts of more domestic plastic garbage … all brought in by the currents and washed ashore. The expedition team had prepared a garbage collection point at the zodiac site – and we were encouraged to collect plastic garbage during the hike and bring it back for proper disposal via the Clean-Up Svalbard program. The result was (shockingly) massive … five big bags and two barrels filled with plastic – plus several pieces too big to even fit in there.

Polar Bear Encounter

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Fog had been our companion all day after the aborted shore landing in the morning. The expedition and bridge teams eventually decided to continue North – to make it up to Nordaustlandet … a trip of ~130km that took us all afternoon.

Our destination here was Torellneset – a bay where walruses were to be expected. The plan now was to make use of the midnight sun and have a zodiac cruise in the late evening – after dinner – to (ideally) get a glimpse of the animals. Zodiac groups were swapped this time, so the ones who did not get ashore in the morning were now allowed out first.

While dinner was pulled in by an hour (now starting at 18:00), it still turned out a bit hectic for folks to be ready in time for the cruise. I ended up in the ship’s smaller specialty restaurant tonight, indulging on Japanese-Peruvian fusion cuisine – and as I now was in the second group to go, there was plenty of time to enjoy the food and drink.

The time came – and it was out and onto a zodiac. As we made our way through the fog we eventually could see the outlines of the small walrus colony – and a white dot a few hundred meters from it … that white dot was polar bear – indulging on his (or her?) dinner … possibly a serving of walrus (no cilantro here). We could not believe our luck – what a great day!

Named after me … Bjørnøya (Bear Island)

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After another insomniac night we had reached a foggy Bear Island (or Bjørnøya). The ship had stopped near a natural harbor just South-East of the island (74°21.4’ N
19°11.7’ E) – and the zodiacs were let to water the first time for this trip for a zodiac cruise around the harbor – to get a close-up view of the high cliffs, old red rock face – and its avian inhabitants (various kinds of both guillemots and gulls, as well as puffins).

Several lectures were offered in the afternoon, as we continued our journey North.

North Cape Cruising

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We had left the fjords and made it into the Norwegian Sea during the night (assuming one wants to call it night – as the sun had been up all the way through). We were now heading towards the North Cape – the northernmost point of the European mainland – or better: what is marketed as such, complete with monuments (the globe visible with binoculars even from the ship). After a pass-by we started our journey North and on to Svalbard – ironically making Norway’s North Cape one of the southernmost points on this trip.

Otherwise this was a busy day at sea, getting us ready for the adventures to come: hand-out of expedition equipment (rubber boots and expedition parka), an introduction to the expedition team, the mandatory briefing about the region and the relevant regulations, a biosecurity check (to ensure we don’t introduce seeds or other organic matter from other parts of the world into the Arctic environment), a solo-traveler meet-up and a first pre cap – giving us preview of the activities for the next days. Before dinner there was a welcome cocktail introducing the captain and the department heads. So – all in all a fairly busy day (despite this being marketed as relaxation at sea).

Heading North – to Tromsø

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My previous Arctic trips had covered Northern Canada, as well as most of Western Greenland (incl. a trip through Prince Christian Sound and on to Iceland); the Eastern side of Greenland with the big national park and its massive fjord system had still been open item on my bucket list. Another open item was a visit to the Svalbard archipelago – I had tried this one as a land-based winter trip some years back, but the tour got cancelled (as I was the only one interested).

Well – while Svalbard is a relatively easy to get to and an easy-to-book destination, trips to Eastern Greenland are more seldom – with many operators only going there once a season or every other season. Imagine my luck, when I – while crossing the equator on my Papua trip – realized there was a trip to actually combine the two … Svalbard and East Greenland – plus a glimpse into the Norwegian fjord experience. I was game immediately, got booked … well and now things got started.

A early-morning charter flight got us from Hannover to Tromsø (which was a lucky choice, as many other airports were under blocked by the last generation with whole airports closed temporarily, resulting in many flight cancellations and delays) as reliably and on time as a Switch watch – heading North, crossing over Denmark and Norway (incl. great views of mountain ranges, glaciers and fjords) – for an on-time mid-morning arrival in Tromsø … and the fun was now to start.

Mining Weekend

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A long weekend with friends was ahead of me (the group as for my Basel or Vienna trip); this time we had picked the Ruhrpott – a former coal-mining region along the Ruhr river – today comprising a metropolitan area of more than 5 million inhabitants – and a strong industrial history. With one of us from Essen (one of the cities comprising the Ruhrpott), we had a great program ahead of us – putting together the must-sees of the region.

I left home Friday morning and made my way to Düsseldorf; with some time to kill, I made my way to the K21 art collection – a museum of 21st century art – this included some time in orbit. As things happen I met two other from our group in the museum and we made it back to the train station – just to meet the next two – for our journey to Essen. We stayed in the Parkhaus Hügel, the former executive and manager canteen of the Krupp company right next to Lake Baldeney.

On Saturday we had a full program – starting with a visit of the Hügel (hill) Park and the Hügel Mansion – the headquarters of the Krupp company and the residence of the Krupp family. This was quiet impressive and must have been intimidating back in the days, when the Krupp company was the largest company in Europe, specializing in steel and related products – from vehicles to plant engineering).

From here it was to a change of perspectives, as we made our way to the Zeche Zollverein – a former coal mining facility and coal processing plant (complete with coal washing and coke ovens). During a guided tour we could get a glimpse of the process and a feeling of what must have been the (inhuman) working conditions here.

A visit to the German mining museum completed the view – now with a focus on the activities underground – with a small mine rebuild under the museum, complete with machinery and equipment from various periods and good explanations around that. From underground a lift got us up the conveyor tower for good views of the Bochum area.

Of course we also had plenty of time in between, to catch up, share a drink or two and have some incredible food – overall a great weekend to a region, I’ll definitely have to come back to.

 

 

Final Impressions of Palau

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Today was the final day of the trip, our flight home was to start in the evening from Palau’s international airport.

An all day excursion was included, to fill the gap between us leaving the ship after breakfast and the flight in the evening.

We were first heading for Palau’s National Museum for a guided tour – with great insights into local traditions and customs, but also colonial and war-time history. From here it was on to the aquarium for an overview of the different sea habitats around Palau, their significance for the environment and of course related showcases – there was also the option to touch sea cucumbers and sea stars (Patrick?).

After this education experience, it was on to lunch (again with the opportunity, to try the local beer) – and then into the Etpison Museum, with a good overview of local artifacts and an opportunity, to apply for a Schengen visa (the Dutch consulate is in the same building). The tour conluded at Airai Bai – the men’s meeting house at Airai; the tour operator had set up refreshments and snacks, there were demonstrations of local craft and a final opportunity, to stock up on souvenirs. The surrounding area also had some things to explore (like the small harbor).

Temperatures were high and the refreshments did not last too long, so we continued to the airport very early – making it there, before it even opened (the airport receives up to two flights a day, so only opens like 2,5 hours before scheduled departure time). We were eventually let in, were able to check in and start the long journey home.

Overall this has been an amazing and mind-blowing trip – with so many different things to see and experience. The cultural performances may have sound repetitive – but they were not – they were all unique and different – as were the costumes and the people.

I don’t think there is one single highlight of the trip for me – it’s really the complete package of cultural performances, exploration in the villages and on the islands, stops at beaches (most people would not dare dreaming about) and nature at its best – all of this combined with the amenities of cruise ship. A truly epic journey has come to an end – and I can only be thankful, that I was able to be part of it.