The Voyage Ends; Not the Trip

Wednesday, 13 July
Latitude at Wake UP: 78°13’46” N
latitude at the end of the day: 60°19’42” N

Crossing from Alkhornet, our landing site on the opposite side of Isfjorden (post here), Silver Explorer spent the night anchored just off shore from Longyearbyen (Longyear City), the administrative center of Svalbard. 

After a quiet night in the calm waters of the bay, we woke up to find the ship tied up to the pier on the outskirts of Longyearbyen.  The overcast skies did little to brighten up the industrial feel of the town, which was named for John Munroe Longyear, one of two Americans who made a deal in 1905 with a Norwegian company that was looking for foreign buyers to develop and run the coal mining operations in the area.

Hoping for a chance to make a quick, exploratory trip into town, we prepared for the day ahead and went to The Restaurant for breakfast.  Our plans were for naught, however.  Since we were going to be chartered to Oslo as a group, passengers were not being allowed off the ship to go wandering at will.  Understandable, I suppose; but disappointing nonetheless since it’s doubtful that we’ll ever find ourselves back in Longyearbyen (or Svalbard for that matter).

With a population just over 1,900, Longyearbyen is considered to be
the world’s most northerly town.

Disembarkation was scheduled for 9:45a, but with our outbound charter flight bringing the passengers for the next cruise, we were asked to vacate the suites by 8:30a to give the crew time to complete their cleaning chores.  So, we collected our carry-on bags after breakfast and made ourselves comfortable in the Panorama Lounge.  Our timing was excellent as it wasn’t long before the seating was at capacity.

Coal was transported from the mines to the shipping point via cable cars
called “kibb;” the towers supporting the cables were called “kibbstolper”
(kibb poles).  This conveyance system is now defunct.

Mui sneaks off to put a few things in one of our bags so we don’t have
to carry them aboard the plane.

The airport transfer busses arrived around 9:30a and disembarkation began soon thereafter.  Not sure why we had to go through the security gate, but we did, running our shipboard cards through the reader one last time to show that we had indeed disembarked the ship.  (I wonder if anyone has ever tried to stow away at the end of the cruise?  Maybe I should have tried).

Filing down the gangway, we found our bags amongst the luggage that was lined up on the pier, waiting to be identified.  (Seeing some of the oversized bags the other passengers had brought, I sure felt better about our three pieces!)  Making sure the bags were loaded in the baggage truck, we said our farewells to the expedition team that had taken such good care of us, and boarded what turned out to be the first bus to leave the pier.

The ride to the Longyearbyen airport was short.  Being amongst the first to arrive worked in our favor.  Sure, we still had to wait 30-minutes or so (seemed longer; and maybe it was) for the SAS check-in counters to open, but at least we were one of the first to get our seat assignments.  Yay for exit row seats!!!

For those curious about such details, the checked bag allowance for the charter flight was 75 pounds (34 kg) per person.  There was no mention of a per bag limit; the SAS agent did not blink an eye when we presented her with three pieces that weighed well below the combined limit for the two of us.  Our carry-on bags (all camera equipment) were well over the 11-pound (5 kg) limit; we were relieved that they were not weighed!!!

The baggage carousel is under the protection of a polar bear.
(the bear was killed in 2009 after it attacked a couple of students near the airport,
fatally injuring one of them.) 

Next, we had to wait for security to man the checkpoint.  Passing that hurdle without mishap, we found ourselves in the deserted waiting lounge where we snagged a couple of lounge chairs with leg rests.  Nice!  Free internet access gave us all an opportunity to check on long-neglected email accounts; and I even managed to post a teaser to the blog before the boarding announcement for SAS Flight 7193 was made at just before noon.  Nice!

A comfy Boeing 737-800 is waiting for us to board for the flight to Oslo.

“Farvel” Longyearbyen; “Farvel” spitsbergen; “farvel” Svalbard!

right about now Silver Explorer is boarding the passengers for the next cruise!
[dead center in the picture]

last glimpse of the Norwegian Arctic before the plane climbs above the cloud deck.

The nearly 3-hour flight to Oslo was uneventful.  We were served a full-lunch consisting of chicken cold-cuts on a bed of pasta, and panna cotta with raspberries for dessert.  Quite reasonable for airline food.  After lunch, I pulled out the Oslo information from my bag and put together “jello-plans” for our 2½-day post-cruise stay in Norway’s capital city.  If those plans have to change due to circumstances beyond our control — weather being foremost — then so be it, but at least I have a priority-sightseeing list that will help us make the most of our limited time.

We arrive in Oslo to sunshine and blue skies.

We landed at the Oslo airport around 3:15p.  It took us another 45 minutes to go through passport control (surprise!), collect our luggage, pass through customs, and supplement our stash of NOK (Norwegian Krone) at the currency exchange booth.  All this and we were still on the first of several Silversea transfer busses from the airport to our hotel, the Radisson Blu Scandinavia.  With traffic heavy, but flowing smoothly, the ride took about 40 minutes.  Along the way, we enjoyed the lush green landscape we’d seen from the air.  What a difference from the tundra environment.

"velkommen til” Oslo!
(Oslo Gardermoen airport from the transfer bus to the city)

Typical scenery en route to Oslo on the transfer bus.

When you arrive at a hotel as part of a transfer group, check in can be a time-consuming hassle.  Even though we were sitting in the back of the bus, our divide-and-conquer plan worked well to reduce our check-in time at the Radisson Blu.  While Mui waited for the luggage to be off-loaded, I went inside to check us in.  Our names had been phoned in by the woman who had greeted us when we boarded the bus, so all room assignments had already been made.  Five minutes after arrival, we were in Room 622.  And the good news; we won’t have to switch rooms for the rest of our stay, which is on our own nickel (tonight’s stay is included in the Silversea transfer package from Longyearbyen.)

622 is a “cozy,” run-of-the-hotel room that overlooks a residential neighborhood;
well-insulated windows keep the traffic noise at bay.

We didn’t dawdle in the room.  By 5:30p, we were at one of the local grocery stores, buying the fixings for peanut butter and jelly sandwiches (for lunch), and fruits and snacks to munch on while we’re exploring the city.  Dropping off our purchases in the room, we then went walk-about around downtown Oslo.  Our outing confirmed that the hotel is indeed conveniently located within walking distance of downtown and will make a good base of operations for us.  I have no idea what Silversea is paying for tonight’s stay, but at $281, the two-night advance purchase package (with breakfast) that I booked for the rest of our stay is a best-buy of this trip.

We didn’t have a specific destination in mind and just wanted to get our bearings, so we headed to the Slottet (Royal Palace), located at the top of Karl Johans Gate, Oslo’s main drag.  [“Gate” means street in Norwegian.]  Named after Karl Johan, King of Norway and Sweden (1818-1844), the street is lined with stately buildings — to include, the University and the National Theater — as well as department stores, boutiques, and eateries galore.  A perfect place for people-watching.  And we had plenty to watch as the sunshine-filled, blue-sky weather and 62F (17C) temperature had brought people out in droves.  Add to them a bevy of motorcyclists strutting their stuff in black leather jackets and leggings — you bet we definitely had plenty to watch.

With no cameras to weigh us down, we walked most of the way down Karl Johans, detouring into side streets to find out where they led.  We stopped to browse menus, trying to decide where to eat dinner.  Unable to make up our minds, we did what a lot of others had done — we bought panini sandwiches to go, found a bench overlooking a fountain in the park next door to the National Theater, and sat down to enjoy an al fresco meal, followed by ice cream for dessert.

Good enough for the locals; Good enough for us.
[taken with Mui’s Blackberry]

We were back at the hotel by 8:00p and more than ready for an early night for a change.  Tomorrow we start exploring Oslo in earnest.

Isfjorden: Alkhornet

Tuesday, 12 July (Part II)

Once all of the passengers were aboard, Silver Explorer weighed anchor for Isfjorden (Ice Fjord) — home to not just our afternoon landing site, but also to Longyearbyen, our debarkation port tomorrow morning.

Isfjorden is Svalbard’s second longest fjord.

It took us about four hours to get from St Jonsfjorden, the site of our morning hike (post here), to our afternoon landing site.  That gave us plenty of time for a leisurely lunch.  We even had time to do a bit of laundry and get started on packing our bags, which Joel and Alain had cleaned, tied up with a silver bow, and set out for us — hint, hint!

We get the message — we’re gonna be kicked off the ship tomorrow.

At 2:00p, we joined our fellow-passengers to watch the video recap Kristine had prepared of our voyage.  We’re amongst the few who have not signed up to purchase the DVD.  After all, we have beaucoup still images and video footage of our own to remind us of our 10 days in the Arctic.  (Besides, I still think that for what we paid for this voyage, the DVD should be a gift to the passengers.)

By 4:00p, the ship was anchored inside Isfjorden.  As the first two groups set off in the zodiacs, we went to the Panorama Lounge for afternoon tea and chocolate-chip scones.

Mui plays mother and pours a cuppa.

One of the many glaciers of Isfjorden, but it’s not where we will be going this afternoon.

We watched as the zodiacs headed west from the ship.  They kept going until we lost sight of them.  As it turns out, the fjord is so deep that the ship had to anchor a considerable distance from our landing site at the base of Alkhornet (also Alkehornet, Auk-Horn), so named because its shape resembles a horn.  The moss-skirted rock-face is home to auk colonies, but visiting them was not on the agenda. 

I can see the reason why “horn” is part of the name of this cliff.

The area had been checked out and deemed to be bear-free.  With armed guards posted as lookouts, and the rest of the expedition team standing vigil as well, we were given free reign to wander over the very springy, moss-covered tundra.  Giving the nesting Arctic skuas a wide berth, we headed inland to hike up the skirt of Alkhornet to see Svalbard reindeer — cows and month-old calves — and possibly some birds.

Even though the angle of ascent turned out to be steeper than it looked from a distance, I had every intention of getting to the finish line.  At least I did until I turned around and saw several reindeer grazing far below us.  At that point, Mui and I decided to divide and conquer.  He’d continue up and I’d go down.  One of us was bound to get images of the reindeer that had eluded us thus far on the trip.  It turns out that we both got lucky.  The calves he was hoping to see had moved off, so Mui only saw the cows.  My up-close-and-personal encounter, on the other hand, was with the males roaming the lush, green skirts of Alkhornet.

View from the point where I turned around; the reindeer are on the other side
of the small group of red-jacketed passengers in the distance.

The land I had to traverse consisted of moss-covered mounds surrounded by narrow, water-filled moats that were easily forded with a small jump.  In some ways, it felt like I was walking on a trampoline.  With the sun out, it was a gorgeous afternoon and I really enjoyed myself as I made my way over to the three reindeer in the distance.  I even had company part of the way when a reindeer coming down from the upper reaches decided to take a path not far from mine.

Reindeer have a circumpolar distribution, but the Svalbard reindeer are exclusive to this area.  They are short-legged and have relatively short, round heads, and are rarely seen in groups larger than 3-5 individuals, except during the rut in late autumn.

The animals showed no fear of the humans that stood around, watching them intently and snapping pictures.  They were interested in one thing, and one thing alone — grazing.  Not surprising really; this is the time of year when they must feed to accumulate significant amounts of fat to survive the harsh Arctic winter.  They kept coming closer and closer to us; we kept backing up to give them space and let them go about their business.  After 10 days of just seeing indications of reindeer — scat (poop) and hair — I was very happy to finally see the animals themselves.  That they weren’t mere dots in the distance was a real bonus.

What’cha looking at?

Portrait of a Svalbard Reindeer.

When Mui joined me, we moved away from the reindeer to check out an Arctic skua that was sitting on the tundra, its mate flying overhead.  I’m glad Claudia was nearby to tell us that there was a chick on the ground as well.  It was so well disguised that I doubt we would have noticed it had we been on our own.  Even knowing the chick was there, photographing it was a matter of blindly pointing the long lens in the right direction, clicking the shutter, and hoping for a relatively good shot.  (The photo below is heavily cropped.)

arctic skuas usually lay their eggs in July, but since incubation takes about 26 days,
this one must have laid its egg sometime in June.

I’m glad we dallied a bit here or we would have missed the wildlife comedy-drama that followed.  We were all maintaining considerable distance between us and the skua, but the reindeer that wandered into the nest area wasn’t so considerate.  When he got a bit too close, the mate that had been flying overhead flew into protect his family.  Like a guided missile, the bird targeted the big bad reindeer and had him running off at a gallop.

First the warning shot, flying low over the reindeer  ...

... and then the attack!

With the show over, we slowly headed back to the beach and to the zodiac awaiting us.  We were loathe to leave, but as with all good things, we knew the landing had to end … and with it, so did the voyage.  Not literally, of course, since Silver Explorer still needed to cross Isfjorden to dock in Longyearbyen.  The good news, we’d been told, was that we’d be tied up to the pier for the night.  But we still had 3-4 hours before that happened.

Back on the ship, we finished what little packing remained and set all but one of our bags outside the door for the crew to take down to the ship’s bowels.  Then, raiding the mini bar, we enjoyed a drink with the tapas Joel insisted on bringing us.

We enjoyed our last dinner aboard the ship at a four-top with Christina and Bob.  No one was saying their farewells yet as we were going to be chartered to Oslo as a group.  So, the atmosphere in The Restaurant was one of tempered joviality — mostly because we were dead tired after two hikes in one day and had little energy left for laughter and conversation.

I ordered and enjoyed a purple artichoke appetizer with Arabian spices, followed by pasta Bolognese, and stir-fry noodles.  Mui opted for and enjoyed an iceberg wedge salad, followed by pasta Bolognese, and grilled grouper.  I think my chocolate raspberry mousse was a better choice than his apple strudel with vanilla ice cream; but he wasn’t complaining, so who am I to pass judgment (I don’t like cooked fruits).

Around 9:00p, we arrived in Longyearbyen to a nasty surprise.  No space at the pier tonight!  That put paid to our plans to go ashore and explore what we could of the administrative center of Svalbard.  Oh well; at least we’ll be docked at the pier in the morning for debarkation and won’t have to be shuttled ashore by zodiac — luggage and all.

It’s a gray, overcast night.  The light is dull, so I won’t attempt any photographs of the distant town from the ship, but a walk around deck is in order before bedtime.  Bye for now.