Three rough blokes were having a beer one day and Roger was saying how he’d like to do the other half of the Amazon from Manaus to the coast. The other two didn’t take much persuading so in January 2015 we met in Manaus, Cam flying in from a week in Guatemala, AJ arriving after a few days in Panama and Roger after the shot show in Vegas and a few days in Panama.
Check out the full story below.
Monday 9 September: West Greenland – Sylvia
We woke this morning as we entered the Inukassaat fjord system north of Disko Island. The fjord is flanked on both sides by tall snow-capped mountains and dotted about with some rather large icebergs. there are a couple of tide-water glaciers deep into the fjord that obviously calve some quite large bergs from time to time. Unfortunately the light was not great for photography.
After breakfast we boarded zodiacs to head an hour and a half further into the fjord. The NG Endurance followed us along. Some of the icebergs are massive, at least the height of the ship. One had an impressive arch in it and even as we circled it carved a little. It looks like it is ready to collapse fairly soon. We admired the incredible rock formations and even saw a small group of ptarmigan on one of the cliffs.
Back on board we had lunch while we continued deeper into the Kangerdlugssuaq fjord. The zodiacs were lowered again and we headed ashore. I joined the long hikers and Roger the photographic group. An old, abandoned hut sits picturesquely on the shore. The tundra is lush. I am continuously amazed at the variety and volume of plant life that seems to thrive in this hostile environment. I thoroughly enjoyed the hike up the ridge on one side of the bay, around the end and back down the other, making it back to shore just in time for the last zodiac back to the ship.
Back on board we joined the briefing for tomorrow’s visit to Illulisat. Later in the evening Peter showed a very interesting and somewhat challenging movie called the Eskimo Experiment.
Tuesday 10 September: Illulissat – Roger
It was just after 0600 when we arrived in Illulissat. After a quick breakfast, we headed down to Base Camp and onto a zodiac for the short trip into the town. After weaving our way through a maze of boats, we arrived at a small wharf for a dry landing. After being met by a guide, a short walk up a hill took us to a bus stop. This is situated by a large shrimp and cod factory. There is also a halibut factory across the harbour, which apparently supplies mainly the Chinese market.
A short bus ride took us to the start of the long walk. The path took us around a bouldery headland, along a rough track, often with patches of ice along the way. As we reached the high part of the track we had an incredible view across the thousands of glaciers that have carved off the Jakobshavn Isbrae Glacier and are now sitting jammed up in the Illulissat fiord. About 45 meters per day calves off this glacier, making it the most productive glacier in the northern hemisphere. That’s around 46 cubic kilometres or 20 billion tons of ice per year.
Back in the mid 1800’s the glacier used to come right down to the peninsula, but it has been receding ever since. There is a shallow point where the glacier ended back then, which is only about 130m deep. This is where the island-sized bergs get hung up, until the pressure behind them shoves them out into the sea, which is several hundred meters deep on both sides of this shallow point. It is really hard to describe the enormity of this, even with pictures.
The walk took us above a board walk that runs out to the old settlement, which was first settled around 3000 years ago. The old town of Sermermiut, with around 250 people, was the largest settlement in Greenland until it was moved 2km north in 1741 by a Danish missionary. The town now has a population of round 4600 people and 2600 dogs. The dogs used to outnumber people up to a few years ago, but pet food has become too expensive for a lot of people to afford.
The later part of the walk took us past the town cemetery to the recently built ice museum. Here they have ice cores displayed going back to 142,000 years BC. There are interactive ice videos and lots of ice-like sculptures. A walk up onto the roof gives a view over the ice field.
Back on the boat we had a quick lunch then hopped on a local boat that berthed alongside the stern deck. This guy took us for a tour amongst the icebergs at the end of the fjord. Up close these are impressive, some reaching a height of 80 meters above the water; remembering that ±90% is under the water, that makes for a rather large chunk of ice. Many will break apart and/or roll over before heading out to sea.
Back on the boat again, I stayed and chatted to a few people, while Sylvia went back into town to do the boardwalk to the heritage village site and more views over the ice. She then walked back through the dog town and the people town.
At 1700 hrs we were on the move again. Parked beside us was a super-yacht, owned by a Swiss Billionaire, nearly as large as this ship, with 45 crew and catering for 8 passengers, complete with submarine and helicopter landing deck and hangar.
Sailing south past the icebergs gave us yet another perspective on this massive spectacle.
Wednesday 11 September: Itiullip Ilua Fjord – Sylvia
We were wakened by Bud’s drawl over the loud speaker at about 1:15am. The northern lights had come out to play. I bundled up warmly (Roger in shorts and jandals) and headed up to the Observation deck on the 8th floor. What a sight. To see the aurora borealis at any time is a thrill but here on a ship where there is no light pollution is outstanding. We observed for a while, trying to take photographs and just enjoying the spectacle as long as I could bear the cold. Eventually, and somewhat reluctantly I headed back to bed.
I rolled over and went back to sleep when my alarm when off at 6:30am. I felt I had a half decent excuse to miss the stretching class this morning. Bud woke us again at 7:30 with a call to breakfast and briefing for the morning activities. Everything was on offer – long walk, medium walk, kayak or zodiac cruise. I opted for the long walk and rugged up and headed to shore. Roger decided to stay on board and enjoy the views from the ship.
It is always good to stretch the legs and the walk today was over tundra, up the valley overlooking the fjord. I continue to be amazed at the flora. At times it is like walking on a mattress. We crossed a couple of small streams, eventually climbing a rocky outcrop for fantastic views before heading back in time for the last zodiac at 11:45am.
Back on board preparations for departure tomorrow were the main order of the afternoon. Briefings, packing, returning borrowed equipment and general preparations occupied a lot of the time. There was still time for an interesting presentation from the scientists on the evolution and ecology of phytoplankton. I studiously avoided the delicious sounding afternoon tea (Icelandic pancakes and ice cream).
At 6pm we headed back to the Ice Lounge for our last Cocktail hour and to enjoy the guest slideshow. Each of us was allowed to provide up to 5 photographs for this and it was a great way to reflect back on everything we have seen and done these last three weeks or so on board.
Thursday 12 September: Kangerlussuaq to Reykjavik – Roger
At 0545 the wake up call came over the PA. In a well organised manner we dropped our bags down at Base Camp on deck 3 before heading to breakfast. We were with the first group to disembark at 0745. As the zodiac headed for the shore we looked back on the NG Endurance, our home of three weeks, with its dynamic positioning system keeping it in place in the centre of the fjord.
On arriving at the jetty we boarded a large truck-type bus and headed east along the road back towards the Kangerlussuaq Airport, where we had arrived 3 weeks ago. During the Cold War there was a population of around 3,500 mainly US military personnel here. That has now reduced to around 600, mainly civilians with a few Danish troops based here.
We continued east past the airport, passing the world’s most Northern, now almost abandoned, golf club. To our right is a large river, fed from the glacier we are headed for. Next we passed a house at the edge of a small lake; the driver explained someone had got permission to build it as a summer house. One small problem, the two warmest months of the year there are so many mosquitoes there, they have calculated that if a caribou stood still for a day it would lose 3 litres of blood.
Our first stop was described as an open-air aircraft crash museum. On 8 December 1968, three Lockheed T33A training jets, en route from Canada couldn’t land at the Kangerlussuaq Airport because of thick fog. While waiting for the fog to clear they ran out of fuel and the pilots bailed out. This is one of the crash sites. People are encouraged to look around but not remove anything. Apparently the pilot of this jet returned here in 2018 looked in the cockpit and found his wallet still there; that, he was allowed to remove.
Next stop was the 13-mile lake, where the Inuit herd caribou and musk ox into the lake. Originally shooting them from their kayaks with bows and arrows, today they use motor boats and rifles. Back in the day they would bury the meat down in the permafrost to freeze it through the summer.
Finally reaching the Reindeer glacier, we dismounted the bus and walked down a track toward the ice. A couple of musk ox grazed near a waterfall some 500m away, trotting off up the hill after spotting us. The glacier is ones of hundreds fed from the famous Greenland ice sheet. At its thickest point, the Greenland Ice Sheet measures over 3 kilometres thick and contains about 2.9 million cubic kilometres of ice. If the entire Greenland Ice Sheet melted, it is estimated that the sea level would rise about 7.4 meters.
After our short walk we got back on the bus and headed back to the airport, spotting a small bunch of caribou at some distance, along the way.
After a light lunch at the Musk Ox lounge, we boarded our charter flight to Reykjavik. On arrival we were bussed to a hotel and, once checked in, Sylvia relaxed in the room while I went to the bar and caught up with a few of the many nice people we had spent an enjoyable few weeks with.
Friday 13 September: Reykjavik – Sylvia
It was nice to sleep in a bit after some very early mornings and losing another hour to time zone last night. Half of the cruisers had left on the 7:30am bus to the airport when we arrived down at breakfast at about 8:30. The other half were leaving at 12:30pm but we had opted to stay an extra day here. I had a call with Royal Canin at 9:30. Before I retired I was working on a major project and the team had arranged to call to update me on progress, which was really nice of them. I was very pleased with the progress but it didn’t make me want to go back to work. I am really loving this retirement lark.
The day after we left Reykjavik for our cruise, the volcano near here had started erupting for the sixth time in recent months. We had hoped it would still be erupting today but it stopped again on 5 September. We decided it would be good to take a helicopter over the lava fields anyway but needed four people to book the flight. If the volcano had still been erupting I’d have been happy to pay for four seats but given it was just steaming lava we decided to save our money.
Instead we wandered around Reykjavík. It was a gorgeous sunny day, showing off the city and harbour areas well. We visited the whale museum. With scale models of some 23 species of whales and dolphins it was quite interesting. We enjoyed one of the movies they showed on the wisdom of whales. Some incredible footage and a reminder of how intelligent these beautiful marine mammals are.
Taxiing back to our hotel in Keflavik (about an hour out of Reykjavik and about 10 minutes from the airport), we could see the eruption site steaming in the distance. Our driver offered to take us out to where the lava flow from the February eruption had crossed the main highway, cutting off Grindavik and the Blue Lagoon. A new road has been put in place for the Blue Lagoon but Grindavik has largely been evacuated.
We were dropped off at the ‘Troll House” in Keflavik. This charming place was built for the giantess, Siggur, who is the subject of a number of children’s stories. She snorts and grunts in her room, but apparently is a super sweet and friendly troll so nothing to fear.
We wandered back to the hotel to pack and prepare for another very early wake up tomorrow as we start the long journey home. This has certainly been an interesting and informative trip.
Thursday 5 September: Pim Island, Buchanan Bay, Ellesmere Island – Sylvia
We cruised south overnight, occasionally crashing and shuddering as we broke through the ice. We arrived this morning at Pim Island. This is the site where the remaining members of ill-fated Greeley expedition team were rescued after wintering over with limited supplies in the 1840’s. It is a very barren and rocky place.
After breakfast Bud announced that the scouting party had been ashore but it was too rocky and steep for us to land safely. No remains of the shelters from the expedition were visible. Instead we all boarded zodiacs for a cruise around the island. It has impressive rock formations and there are always beautiful ice forms around. We also found a few walrus hauled out on the ice. Rather smelly they were too.
Returning to the ship and warming up over lunch, we headed into the fjord system of Buchanan Bay, on Ellesmere Island. There were incredible reflections of the red rock on the clear blue water. We eventually stopped at the end of Alexandra Fjord to go ashore.
This bay hosted a Royal Canadian Mounted Police camp in the 1950’s. The old huts were clearly visible as we arrived but unfortunately we didn’t have the necessary permits to visit so had to stay at least 100m away from them.
We headed off with the long hiking group, hoping to reach the glacier we could see at the end of the bay. It didn’t look that far, about 2 miles or so. We were walking on frozen tundra and I was mesmerised by the variety of flora that grows in this harsh environment – algae, moss and lichen of course, but also heathers, cotton and even willow. The willow here grows flat along the ground rather than up… strange to see a ‘tree’ growing that way. The colours vary from almost white, through yellow, orange, red and brown with varying shades of green as well. The ground is far from smooth. As the glaciers have advanced and retreated over the years they have left mounds and hollows and the plants have grown up in tufts between the harder ground. We continued walking but the glacier didn’t seem to get much closer.
With the glacier still about 1200m away we eventually had to give up and make our way back to shore to make it in time for the last zodiacs at 6pm. As it turned out the last zodiacs left a little later. While we were out walking the tide had gone out, quite considerably and zodiac loading was a little trickier. The first one we boarded got stuck in the mud and we had to disembark. We walked a bit further down the bay and tried again – only 5-6 passengers per boat, but of course made it safely back on board. It was a great afternoon. It is always good to stretch the legs and we thoroughly enjoyed the ±9km stroll.
Friday 6 September: Alexandra Inlet, Buchanan Bay; Crossing to Greenland – Roger
Last night the ship had dropped anchor in a bay not far from our walk spot yesterday. The plan was for a long walk up a nearby hill for part of the group, the other part a zodiac ride close to the shores. Mist put paid to that; it rolled in and out all morning.
Mid-morning we went to the Ice Lounge, where Jonathon gave us a very informative talk on sea ice and how it forms, starting as grease ice, which rolls with the current, gradually getting thicker and going through many other phases before becoming sheet ice.
It was around noon when we set sail for Qaanaaq, in Greenland. After lunch we headed up to the bridge to watch the captain and first officer pick a route through the, at times, solid ice, always making a way toward some clear water even if it was just a crack in the ice. The ship shudders and jumps around as more power is applied to the props to split the ice. There were only one or two times the ship had to back up and try another approach. The ice in places looked well in excess of the 1.5m thick stuff the ship can handle easily.
At 2 pm we went on a galley tour. We started in the galley, behind the main dining room on deck 5, where a team of 23 kitchen staff keep the 204 people aboard well fed, across 3 kitchens, one for the crew and two for guests. The main galley has a bakery with fresh bread etc baked every day. There are seperate areas for veggie and meat prep. On the deck below provisions are stored in carefully monitored freezers and cool rooms. We passed through a passage that runs across the ship to outer doors on each side. A gantry crane must help with the loading of supplies.
We were back in the Ice Lounge watching a very informative movie “The Last Ice” on the life of the Inuit people where we are going tomorrow, when we got a call that a bear had been spotted up front. The bear, who looked like he had just had a big meal, was lying on pack ice just over 200m from the ship, 30 plus miles from land. Many people watched from the bridge as others ventured out on deck to get some good pics. It was -3.5 degrees with a clear blue sky and little wind. After sitting up and looking at us for a bit the bear decided sleep was more important and lay down closing his eyes. After about 30 minutes we backed away quietly and continued bashing our way southeast through the ice.
Roger watching the bear in his usual attire!
A full bridge – everyone observing the bear.
After watching the rest of the movie, we had some more informal presentations on both photography and the underwater life, filmed by the deep-sea drone at our last stop. The amount of underwater life in this area is surprisingly varied and plentiful.
Saturday 7 September: Qaanaaq, Greenland – Sylvia
It was a very early start this morning with wake up at 6:30am on the second day in a row that we have lost an hour as we adjust back to Greenland time. Bleary-eyed, we had a quick breakfast before assembling in the Ice Lounge for a briefing on the morning’s activities in the Inuit village of Qaanaaq.
We bundled into warm clothes and then into zodiacs for the short trip to shore. There, we wandered up the hill to the community sports hall. The morning light shone yellow on the many large icebergs in the bay. It is nearing the end of summer. Next month this village will lose the sun for about 4 months.
This village of some 646 inhabitants had prepared some very interesting exhibits in the hall. Hand crafts were on display along with traditional hunting equipment: kayak, harpoons and seal floats; and a tent had been pitched. A couple of the elders in their traditional dress sang some songs and gave a bit of a talk. One of the local men shared a lot of stories about how hunting is done here. They still hunt in the traditional ways except the final kill is by rifle. For narwhal and beluga, kayaks are used as they are quiet enough not to scare the animals. The animal is harpooned with a seal skin float attached and then shot when it resurfaces. Polar bears are hunted on sleds pulled by dogs. When a bear is spotted, the dogs surround it and nip at it, holding it in place long enough to be shot. There is a quota system in place to manage wildlife numbers. All the meat is shared among the villagers. All the skins are used for clothing and equipment. Apparently polar bear fur still makes the best pants for hunting in.
Very narrow and seemingly tippy kayak used to hunt narwhal and beluga whales
Inside the tent – a sled is used as a sleeping platform for warmth
Some of the detail on the back of the woman’s sealskin anorak
After the presentations we could wander around the exhibits some more. One of the young men demonstrated some of the local sports activities. These are designed to mimic the skills needed for hunting. Some of the cultural ambassadors joined in, then the naturalists, and of course Roger couldn’t hold himself back.
Peter (Cultural Ambassador), Local Inuit Sportsman, Brendan (Cultural Ambassador), Alec (Local Inuit hunter), Lars (Cultural Expert)
Local delicacies like raw and cooked beluga whale blubber, and salted dovekie (small sea birds) were available for tasting. I left that to Roger. The blubber apparently was chewy but tasted good. The dovekie, very salty.
Cooked and raw beluga whale blubber
Blubber is apparently very chewy
Cooked dovekie (Small sea bird) – apparently very salty
We then wandered around the village and visited a small museum. This is housed in a building that was originally built for the explorer Knud Rasmussen in 1910 and later moved to Qaanaaq. Many interesting relics and photographs were on display. I was particularly taken by the snow goggles that were made from the tusk of a walrus that had been dated to about 1300.
A little further down the road we visited the Women’s Institue where many different furs and fur garments were displayed, and a half-prepared seal skin was laid out. On the wall was an example of the windows used in traditional times, made from seal intestines. It was interesting to get a close up look at the different types of fur and skin and how they are used in different garments. The hides are not cured but the skin is chewed to make it soft. Apparently they store the skins and skin boots in the freezer over summer to protect them.
We wandered down through the village. It is pretty rough and makes me very glad to live in NZ. Even at this time of the year it was about 3 degrees and there was ice on the roads. In the winter it must be bitter and the houses look pretty basic. There is lots of ‘stuff’ around. Dog sleds (and dogs), fishing gear, and junk. We saw some narwhal meat hanging to dry and passed some very cute puppies on our way back to board the zodiacs back to the ship for lunch and a gentle afternoon.
We will be on board at sea now until Sunday, cruising slowly down the Greenland coast, watching for whales and other wildlife on the way. We are pretty much out of the sea ice now but we are regularly passing quite large icebergs with all their different shapes and colours.
This afternoon I had a great massage and then Peter gave a demonstration on making an igloo.
Sunday 8 September: At Sea, West Greenland – Roger
Today is a sea day as we cruise south down the west coast of Greenland.
At breakfast we were joined by Dan, the ship’s archeologist, who has spent his life digging up the past. After this trip he is heading to White Sands national park in New Mexico, where human footprints dating back 23 thousand years have been discovered, along with the tracks of giant sloths, mammoths and camels, among other prehistoric beings. He, along with a number of others, has been studying tracks in a plaster type soil there since they were discovered in 2020.
At 9:15am we headed up to the Ice Lounge for a talk by Erland, one of the ship’s naturalists. After his military career he served as a policeman on Svalbard. He gave us a great presentation on his life on the island, dealing with everything from polar bear attacks to a major Russian airliner crash involving recovering some 140 bodies, an investigation of an accident in a Russian mine that killed 20 people, and various other anecdotes.
During this talk the ship slowed down so the two scientists on board could take some samples for the study they are doing on plankton. Chatting to Amalia and Giannina Last night, they said they had applied on line and had been selected, I presume from many applicants, to join the journey as the ship’s scientists. Amalia Skrifvars is completing her PhD and Giannina Hattich is her supervisor.
Later we had a talk from Captain Aaron Wood, who gave us a rundown on the ship’s design and build process. The hull of the ship was built in Poland, then in April 2019 it was towed to Ulstein Verft in Norway, where it was floated into a shed and fitted out, finally making its first voyage in July 2021, after a roughly year-long delay due to Covid.
The shape of the hull with its 36mm plate steel welded onto a ribbed frame, puts it at the lower-end of the top category of icebreakers. With retractable gyro-controlled stabilisers it gives very stable cruising while still maintaining the ability to break its way through most first year ice. As I have mentioned before, there is a huge amount of technology on board including links to satellites, giving both photos of ice conditions and radar mapping when the sky is cloud covered. The ship has many back up systems, including a full camp facility that can be set up on land or ice should the ship be damaged and unsailable a long way from help in a place like the Ross Sea, where rescue maybe over a week away.
After lunch with Mary and Jan from Canada, Carlos Navarro gave us a talk on marine mammals of Nunavut and Western Greenland. From Mexico, he has studied marine mammals all over the the world.
Later, photographer Ralf Lee Hopkins, who has spent years as a National Geographic photographer, shared some of the photos from his favourite voyages and gave us some pointers on taking pictures in various environments. His pictures are truly outstanding.
Doug Gould, another naturalist, finished off a story he had told us last night about the iceberg that hit the Titanic. This lead on to a story about Violet Jessop, who was onboard Olympic, the sister ship to the Titanic, when it was hit by a naval vessel in 1911, and was evacuated by life boat. Then she survived the Titanic sinking, going on to work as a nurse on the other sister ship, Brittanic, which, while used as a hospital ship during WWI, was sunk by a mine in 1916. Once again she survived.
The knowledge the team has on the ship and the research they carry out is truly outstanding.
After dinner the crew put an a concert. Their band called the ‘Shackletones’, with crew from all over the ship, put on various acts and dances. By the end of the night the majority of people were up dancing.
Sunday 1 September: Ellesmere Island at Sea – Sylvia
Today has truly been an incredible and memorable day. We woke in the igloo this morning with the ship crunching and shuddering as it made its way through the sea ice. This makes for some impressive scenery, especially in the early morning light.
Just after breakfast the call came that a polar bear had been spotted on the ice. We watched for quite a while as he ambled along. We were able to circle around the sea ice to get a good look at him from all angles.
Later we headed to the lounge to hear an excellent presentation from Peter, one of the cultural ambassadors on board, about the creation of Nunavut. He has an amazing history, having been separated from his parents as a child and sent to school in Ottawa. He has since served as an MP and was instrumental in the agreements made with the Canadian government.
Almost immediately after his presentation bearded seals were spotted on an ice flow, followed by a second polar bear and numerous beluga whales. There was so much activity it was hard to know where to look. The bridge was buzzing with excitement as nearly all the guests and naturalists were in there, oohing and aahing at the different things we were seeing.
After lunch we all set out on zodiacs. The fun was definitely not over. We saw the second polar bear from the morning again and then found ourselves surrounded by beluga whales. All of a sudden an arctic fox was spotted walking along the shoreline. As we reluctantly left the action after a good period of observation, we spotted a large number of ivory gulls perched on a particularly picturesque iceberg, and then a number of seals as we made our way back on board.
It was cold out, just below freezing, but I don’t think any of us really noticed – we were out on the zodiacs for about two hours. Jonathon, the naturalist driving our boat joked that he needed to go and lie down in a darkened room to take it all in. Definitely the most activity he had ever experienced in one day in the Arctic.
After recap and dinner we attended a great session in the Ice Lounge. Several guests had given up to two of their favourite photos to the photography team. They showed the photos (anonymously) and provided feedback on what worked and what could be done to improve the shot. There have certainly been some fabulous photos taken on this trip so far.
Monday 2 September: Makinson Fjord, Smith Sound, Ellesmere Island – Roger
We awoke today parked in Pillir Avijuk Bay, well inside the Makinson Inlet. After breakfast we boarded the zodiacs and headed south a few kilometres to a nice landing area. As was usual, the staff had scouted the area to ensure there were no polar bears around. We headed off with the long walk group, lead by Erland. Jonathan the other guide was waiting up on the hill watching four Arctic hares. These pure white bunnies really stand out amongst the golden and brown foliage. They seemed to be oblivious to a pack of 2 legged Homo sapiens bunched together, heading up the hill towards them.
After a few long range photos, most of us moved on, while a small group stayed with Jonathan to move in and get some closer pictures. While heading up the valley behind the hares Erland spotted some Arctic geese on a hill across the valley to our west. There have obviously been a lot of musk ox on this area. We saw plenty of scat and even a skull, but no animals today. As we headed down into the valley a call came over the radio that a bear had been spotted to the east and we should head back to the zodiacs. Eventually the bear decided to go swimming and the alert was called off. When we got up on the hill it appeared the geese had moved on. As we made our way down hill we eventually spotted the geese some distance to our rear. They had been hidden by a ridge. We headed towards them for another 10 minutes and got some long range photos, then headed back to the shore. It all made for a relaxing 7km walk.
After another delicious lunch we relaxed as the ship got underway, heading back out the inlet with intention of heading further north. Apparently the Expedition Leader has said we can’t go swimming until we are above 80 degrees north.
Mid afternoon we had a talk from Anne Hedlund, the ship’s chief diver, on how the ice and currents work around the Arctic, and the effect they have on the world’s oceans. As the planet goes through this warming phase it will have some effect on the oceans and where marine species live. Interestingly the ice cap on Ellesmere Island remains about the same depth and coverage as it was 12000 years ago during the last Ice Age.
We also heard a story of an Arctic fox that, with a tracker fitted to it, traveled over four thousand kilometres, leaving Svalbard and arriving on Ellesmere Island seventy nine days later.
Tuesday 3 September: At Sea – Northward into Smith Sound – Sylvia
It has been another stunning day in the Arctic. As we cruised ever northward, the ship would occasionally shudder as we crunched through large chunks of sea ice. We could see them float past the window with small red smears where a bit of paint from the ship had marked them.
After morning stretches and breakfast we met in the Ice lounge for a very interesting presentation from Dan about some of his archeological explorations. He contrasted two different peoples, one who ate polar bears, and one that hunted whales.
A little later a hooded seal was spotted, quite close to the edge of an ice floe near the ship.
Late morning Wade gave another presentation, this time about some of the early explorers in the Arctic, with an emphasis on Knud Rasmussen, a Danish explorer who spent many years in the Arctic. This led us up to lunch.
I was resting in the cabin after lunch and stepped out on the deck to take a photo of a particularly large iceberg. As I looked forward I spotted a polar bear on an ice floe and was about to head up to the bridge to let them know when the call came over the speaker. We watched for a while as the bear swam between ice floes, then headed back to the Ice Lounge for a presentation from Ralph on photography. Before he started, two more bears were spotted. This time a mother and cub. They swam quite some distance before climbing out onto an ice floe and giving us all some great views.
Some of the Naturalist crew: Lars, Jonathon, Carl, Anna, Emmet
Back to the lounge to enjoy Ralph’s presentation. He was about three quarters of the way through when a fourth bear was sighted. This one was on a very large ice floe. He looked extremely well fed. The captain guided the ship slowly closer until we were nosed right in to the floe, still some distance from the bear, who ambled along stopping every now and then to sniff at ice holes. A seal lay on the ice some distance away. Eventually the bear lay down beside one of the ice holes.
At 4pm we were invited to a special afternoon tea in the laundry room. This was the beginning of a very insightful visit behind the scenes of this impressive ship. We were able to visit the laundry, the control room, the engine room, the garage where all the zodiacs and kayaks are stored and the asi pods. The crew were super friendly and enthusiastic and patiently answered all our questions.
The bear was still sitting by the ice hole when we were done with the tour. The light has been amazing and the water like glass. I did several laps of the upper deck, enjoying the views and checking on the bear each time I got to the bow.
More of the team: Erland, Ralph, Bud
At 6pm we headed back to the lounge for recap and a briefing on tomorrow. Apparently we are going to stay here overnight and will make our way slowly further north in the morning.
We had a lovely dinner, once again enjoying the company of Mary and Jan, from Canada. We sat and chatted for quite a while before heading back up to the observation deck to do a few more laps and enjoy the incredible light conditions as the sun started to set. The polar bear hasn’t moved.
Wednesday 4 September: Nares Strait
It was around 0600 when we got underway, the ship vibrating and crunching its way through the ice. The plan I had seen the navigation officer draw up yesterday had us on a course for Hand Island in the Kennedy Channel, then west to Carl River Bay on Ellesmere Island, just below 81 degrees north. It was around 0800 when Bud announced that we had just crossed 80 degrees north, and that this was as far as we are going, as the Canadian Coast Guard had denied us permission to go further.
Kayaking or Zodiac trips were offered, followed by a swim. Grease ice is setting on the flat sea water making for perfect polar plunge conditions. I opted for the zodiac cruse Sylvia for a kayak. We headed out, 8 to a boat, cruising the smooth water among the many picturesque ice sculptures. We saw a black guillemot and some bear tracks on one of the many ice floes, mainly spending our time captivated by the spectacular scenery, which just can’t be fully captured on film.
Back on board we togged up and headed back down to Base Camp on deck 3 for the swim (well some did). It was a quick dive in, swim back to the kayak launching pad, and out. A refreshingly enjoyable experience. This was followed by a sauna.
At 1415 Dr Emmett Clarkin, one of the two dive team members on board, gave a talk on diving, both in the Arctic and Antarctic areas. Lindblad and National Geographic contribute extensively to various research projects world wide. Emmett ran through some of the equipment they use with Anne Hedlund, the other diver and underwater expert, fronted up in full dive gear, including drysuit, regulator and camera. An underwater drone that can go to 300m depth was also on display. It is really impressive the number of experts they have onboard these trips imparting knowledge on everything related to this and other parts of the world.
This evening we had another session where some of the photography experts on board reviewed and critiqued some of the guests’ photographs. Outside the light conditions were outstanding so we had an opportunity to go and practice what we had learned.
Wednesday 28 August: Devon Island – Sylvia
As we were eating dinner yesterday I was looking out the window and spotted a few killer whales towards the stern of the boat. Unfortunately there weren’t any naturalists around so we didn’t stop for a closer look, which was a shame as the sun was glinting off their dorsal fins beautifully.
I started the day as usual with the stretching class on deck 8. I am enjoying this as a way of preparing for the day ahead. Afterwards we headed for breakfast. We have been asked about the food on board. Breakfast is generally a buffet with a range of fruit, yoghurt and cereal, breads and pastries, cheeses and cold cuts as well as scrambled and boiled eggs, sausage, bacon and some cooked vegetables. You can also order omelettes and eggs cooked to order.
During breakfast we arrived at Dundas Harbour on Devon Island. After the expedition team had scouted the area we suited up and headed down to deck three to board the zodiacs for the short trip to shore. I joined the long hiking group and Roger the photography group.
This area was once a Royal Canadian Mounted Police base and had the remains of their camp – a few run down buildings and a cemetery. It must have been a huge shock to the system for the men who were sent up to this inhospitable place from the cities further south. One of the graves in the small cemetery was from a man who had committed suicide, the other there was less clarity on how he died. Some said he died hunting walrus, others surmised another suicide or perhaps even something more sinister.
My group headed up the hill behind the camp, eventually reaching a point where we could see the ice cap in the distance. We then climbed up another small ridge to get a good view back over the camp and the ship. I have been amazed at the variety and density of the fauna here. With the permafrost the ground is quite spongy. The ground is strewn about with lichen-covered boulders. It is all very picturesque.
We headed back down the ridge to a small tarn, where two red-throated loons were swimming, then made our way back down to join the rest of the group at the old camp, and from there back to the ship for lunch.
Lunch is usually a la carte with several choices but today was a barbecue buffet with burgers and grilled wahoo as well as a range of salads and different toppings for the burgers.
During lunch and the early afternoon we cruised further up Devon island to Cuming Inlet. At 3pm we had another very informative presentation from Wade about the Inuit hunting traditions. He is a very good storyteller and shared some great insights.
I was just getting ready to go to the gym when we had a call over the loudspeaker that a polar bear had been spotted. I kitted up and headed to the observation deck. A thin-looking, probably young male, polar bear was walking slowly along the rocks on the side of the fjord. As with most of the wildlife sightings in the Arctic he was at some distance but I had a great view through the binoculars. A lot of our photos are a bit blurry as they are taken with a zoom lens and then often cropped as well.
After watching for a while I decided to carry on with my gym. I just had just gotten back to the cabin when another call came. Now there are Musk ox. These animals average 285kg and are quite impressive with their shaggy coats. I raced up to the gym and managed to spot them out the window.
I got started with my workout and was interrupted a couple more times – harp seals and then walrus were also spotted. What a great afternoon. And I was happy to be able to see them all and complete my workout.
I have been studiously avoiding the afternoon tea, which is served on the 8th deck observation area. There are always snacks available up there – tea, coffee, chilled and sparkling water, nuts, dried fruit and cookies. The afternoon tea seems to vary – scones, cakes, sandwiches etc.
Just after 6pm we headed back to the Ice Lounge for the recap and briefing for tomorrow. Recap always includes a number of short presentations on things we have seen during the day or that may be of interest. Yesterday one of the naturalists shared about oosiks (walrus penis bones). Today we had short talks about musk ox, the polar bear we had seen today, the part of the Arctic Ocean that we are in today that doesn’t get covered with sea ice, some Inuit food and a few other topics. The recap is always accompanied by cocktails and appetisers and leads up to dinner time.
Dinner is a la carte and is served in the main dining room. There are always three choices for entree, then main options include vegetarian, fish, meat and pasta and there are always steak, chicken and salad available. This is followed by the dessert of the day, or ice cream, sorbet or cheese plate. Tonight I had chilled lobster entree and the vegetarian Poke bowl main. Roger had the roast vegetable and tomato soup and venison loin. We both had the lemon tart. Unfortunately I only remembered to photograph the desert. In general I think the portion sizes are not too large, which is good as there is certainly no shortage of food. This evening we shared our table with one of the cultural ambassadors and his wife and a couple of the staff and had some interesting conversation. It was great to get a bit more insight into the Inuit culture.
After dinner, more excitement. We cruised into Blanket Bay and spotted another polar bear, more walrus and a bowhead whale. It was great to be up in the Observation lounge or on the bridge watching these incredible animals.
All in all a fantastic day!
Thursday 29 August: Beechy Island, Radstock Bay – Roger
We are floating just off Beechy Island, with a thick fog surrounding us as Doug gives us a briefing on our trip ashore to visit the grave site of three men from the Franklin expedition of 1845.
Around 1000 hrs we headed out, in groups of 20, over to the island to check out the graves, two from HMS Erebus and one from HMS Terror. The fourth grave is from HMS North Star, which was part of an expedition sent out in 1850 to look for Franklin’s Expedition. There are also many interesting fossils embedded in the limestone rock on the shore.
As the zodiac landed, in light snow, there were armed sentries strategically placed around the grave site just in case a hungry polar bear wanted an easy feed. It’s a rather barren beach with stones ground to shingle over many years. The well-preserved, frozen bodies were exhumed a few years ago to find out why they died. Apart from high lead levels, which were common for the time, the results were inconclusive. Apparently the three bodies were reburied somewhere further south.
It appears that the Franklin expedition was somewhat ill-prepared with too large a group and clothing not suited to the climate. Many expeditions from the US, Europe and Britain perished, through not learning from the Inuits, who wore clothing that was both fur lined and had fur on the outside. They lived in small groups to be able to find sufficient food. This is an extremely harsh and inhospitable environment.
The HMS Northumberland expedition of 1850 was one of the many to come searching for Franklin. They wintered here on Beechy Island. Of the 5 ships joining the expedition, 4 were crushed by ice. A building was erected, a little further down the beach from the cemetery, from the shipwrecked remains, known as Northumberland house. We could make out its ruins through the fog; apparently there are still hundreds of cans of food that came off the ships stored inside it.
After we were all back on board, with our boots washed and scrubbed to ensure nothing is transferred to our next landing site (this is something we do after every landing), we headed back eastward about 30kms, pulling into Radstock Bay. While we were transferring we enjoyed a delicious lunch – vegetable soup and Icelandic Lamb pie, with Linze torte for dessert.
We stopped just off Cardwell Tower. Here in the 70s a guy had built a hut on top of the tower, which is about 250m high, and from there studied polar bears. The hut is still there. Erland, one of the naturalists, went up and took some photos of it, the hut being in the same state as it was left.
We headed across on the zodiacs, in reasonably heavy snow, to the shingle beach to go and visit the Thule sights, supposedly a one mile walk from the beach. It was in actual fact only a few hundred meters. There are a number of ruins of old Thule winter houses here, built some 1200 years ago. These houses had a tunnel leading in from below and Bowhead whale bones to form the rafters, with reindeer skins thrown over to make the roof. Here they survived the winter before heading off hunting and tenting in the summer.
There are rings in the shingle that run back hundreds of meters from the beach here as the land is raising about a metre every 100 years. This is the result of the glaciers melting and the land raising without the weight of the ice, the ice having disappeared from this part of the island after the last big ice age. From there Sylvia and a few others went on the ‘long walk’ up a shingle slide onto a ridge and then around the tower, returning back along the beach.
A few million years ago an asteroid hit Devon island about 100kms northeast of here, leaving a crater about 1.6kms wide. The area is now used by NASA to trial Mars vehicles and prepare astronauts for an eventual Mars landing as it is similar terrain to what is expected on the red planet.
Back on board, at 1745 we had the daily round up where Lars, the Inuit from Greenland, gave a great presentation on how tasty the various hunted foods are. This was followed by a presentation from Anne Hedlund, the chief diver on board, who had been out diving and studying the sea life around the coast here. She had some great footage of sea angels consuming sea butterflies, and some jellies with hairs protruding from their clear body propelling themselves through the water.
We enjoyed another delicious dinner and some more great company before heading for an early night to catch up on some sleep.
Friday 30 August: Phillpot Island, Baffin Bay – Sylvia
We arrived at Phillpot Island, off the east end of Devon Island, while we were enjoying breakfast. Out the window, with gorgeous orange early morning light, we could see many seals and sea birds in the water around the icebergs that dot this area. A large ice sheet reached all the way to the water off in the distance.
At about 9:30am we suited up and headed out for a zodiac cruise. They have this working like a well oiled machine. The 15 zodiacs can be unloaded and in the water in seemingly no time. We all head down to base camp, and get loaded up to the zodiacs.
The icebergs have fantastic shapes and colours and we cruised around them. The light was quite flat and the photos do not do justice to the vastness of the ice sheet. As we were cruising the cloud lifted a bit and the mountains behind the ice sheet started to appear. This is a truly beautiful place. Several Arctic Terns flew around and landed on the icebergs creating some additional interest. Roger reached over the edge of the zodiac at one stage and hauled in the remains of an iceberg.
Returning to the ship we headed to the Ice Lounge to listen to a presentation from naturalist Carlos Navarro about the polar bear. It was accompanied by some spectacular photographs that he has taken over the years. The males of this magnificent species average about 800kg and the females about 400kg. They are incredible well adapted to living in the polar environment with two layers of hair plus thick blubber. The outer layer of hair is hollow, potentially providing additional insulation and/or assisting with buoyancy. The largest polar bear on record was more than 3.8m tall. They can swim 4-6km/hour and have been seen 400km from the nearest land. They are basically walking noses and can smell the breath of a ring seals some 3km away.
We enjoyed lunch up on the 8th floor observation deck as we slowly cruised to the other side of the island. This area is not charted so we had to take a wide berth. During this time Wade Davis gave an interesting presentation on the history of the European exploration of the northwest passage.
Once we arrived we suited up and headed out for another zodiac cruise. A few walrus were hauled out on some of the icebergs. We also saw (and heard) one of the larger icebergs calve and then roll, which was impressive. We had the two biologists on our zodiac and watched while they collected plankton samples for later analysis back on board the NG Endurance. As we were cruising around, we approached one of the other zodiacs to find some of the ship crew dressed as vikings and polar bears handing out hot chocolate, plain, or laced with various liqueurs. A pleasant treat in the cold afternoon.
Back on board, Roger headed for a massage while I blogged and sorted photos, then we met in the Ice Lounge at 6pm for the daily recap. Today Ralph shared some photos from the trip so far. Along with some more photographic tips, we had a short presentation on the migration of Arctic Terns, a bit about the sea ice we might expect to encounter as we head north, Lars shared some cultural insights and Wade shared an interesting story about knives forged from frozen human faeces. Then Bud provided a brief overview on what we can expect from the next few days.
This evening we had been invited to dine at the Chef’s Table. This is an intimate private dining space for about 20 guests. We are all invited there once during the trip and treated to an incredible 7-course meal. As if that wasn’t enough, hand-made chocolates were waiting for us in our room when we returned after dinner.
Saturday 31 August: Jones Sound, Fram Fjord, Ellesmere Island – Roger
When we woke we were parked up in Fram Fjord, off Jones Sound, at the south end of Ellesmere Island. Surrounded by snow covered mountains, a thin layer of grease ice covered the water. At the end of the sound there is a small hut with a couple of quad bikes outside. Hunters that live at Grise inlet, about 30 miles west of here, leave these here so they can arrive by boat and head off hunting musk ox or polar bears.
After breakfast the kayaks are set up on the port side. Two by two we head off to explore the sound, pushing easily through the thin layer of ice.
Scouts had been sent out to check out if it was safe to go walking. They had spotted a mob of musk ox over a small ridge, not too far from the shore.
After lunch we were ferried to shore in groups to go for a stroll. Sylvia went off up the valley with the long walk group. I plodded along int he snow covered tundra with the medium group. The fog had come in again and the musk ox had moved on. Hence we just strolled around on the flats above the water. Sylvia and the group she was with did spot a mob of tiny brown dots grazing about 3 miles distant. We also spotted some arctic fox tracks but that was as good as it got in terms of wildlife.
Tonight we are heading up to spend the night in the starboard igloo, one of two on the top deck at the stern of the boat. Bud warned us at the briefing this evening that we might hear some loud bangs and feel some shuddering as we hit some of the sea ice drifting down from the north through the Nunavut passage towards us.
After dinner we took the night’s necessities to the starboard igloo. Then it was into the spa pool, with a fantastic view of where we have come from. After cooking in there for a while we headed to the sauna on the port side, where we enjoyed the heat and a fantastic view of the Ellesmere Island.
As we lie here writing this there are some clear skies on the horizon but a layer of cloud above us. We are now just over 76 degrees north.
Saturday 24 August: Disko Bay – Sylvia
Overnight we continued heading north along the west coast of Greenland. Unfortunately I didn’t sleep that well, despite calm seas. At about 4am I peaked out the window just as we were sailing past some quite large icebergs so I pulled back the curtains to enjoy the view as we sailed past many more of them. The day was overcast and gray and this seemed to make the icebergs even more spectacular with their bright white sometimes tinged with blue or marked with black stripes.
At 7am I joined a fairly gentle hot yoga class in the studio up on deck 8, just as we arrived at the southern end of Disko Island, our destination for the morning’s activities. After a light breakfast we headed to the Ice Lounge for the mandatory briefing on polar bear safety. We are now well into the Arctic so have to be well-prepared.
Initially a walk had been planned this morning but the cloud was too low to get a good look to ensure there were no polar bears around. Instead Lauren, one of the photographic experts on board, shared some tips on taking photographs with a phone camera. Next we all suited up and boarded the zodiacs for a cruise among the icebergs. They are incredibly beautiful with their different shapes and colours. At one point, we got very close to one that is in its final stages of life, all broken into very small pieces. It was fizzing and popping as the carbon dioxide that has been stored inside for thousands of years is released as the ice melts. We also cruised along the coast of Disko island, admiring the columnar basalt that has been built up over years of volcanic eruptions here.
The expedition team had hoped that the fog might clear and we would be able to get out on shore but this was not to be. In fact the fog closed right in. Instead we were treated to an excellent and inspiring talk from Wade Davis on culture. He has been living with different cultural groups all over the world for the last 40+ years and provided incredible insights into the diversity and genius of some of the different cultures, punctuated by some outstanding photographs. He oozes curiosity, empathy and love. I wish I could have heard the same talk 5 times to be able to take it all in.
Later, while we were underway towards the northeast coast of Canada, we heard from Lars Abelson, the Cultural Expert on board. A native Greenlander, he shared about the different migrations of people into Greenland. Then, during the daily recap at 6pm we saw footage from the dive the undersea specialists took yesterday in Sisimut, heard from the biologists on board, who shared more about the work they are doing with diatoms from the phytoplankton, and Lars shared some Greenlandic language. Bud, our Expedition Leader, gave a quick overview of what we can expect tomorrow as we arrive in Canada. We will have the immigration people on board for a bit doing clearance procedures before we have the chance to visit a local Inuit community.
By this time I was too tired for dinner and fell into bed, even though we will gain two hours during the crossing of the Davis Strait. I fully expect to be awake very early tomorrow morning.
Sunday 25 August: Qikiqtarjuaq – Roger
Overnight we steamed, oops electriced, or is it motored, from Disko Island in Greenland towards Baffin Island in Canada. There is a three hour time difference between the two. The ship is working on a two-hour difference only. Hence we were awake quite early.
We headed to the gym at around 6am to find many others had the same idea so I left Sylvia to it and headed up to the bridge. The bridge is somewhat like a Star Wars set with lots of screens, dials and knobs. There are a couple of big armchairs up the front for the drivers. There are always two people on the bridge, who spend lots of time looking through binoculars for clinkers (small submerged icebergs that hardly break the surface but are very hard). As we cruise along Bud, the expedition leader, informed me that the icebergs we are passing are the size that sunk the Titanic. The radar and sonar pick up the icebergs and the person at the wheel (oops joystick and buttons) adjusts the course to avoid them.
Four diesel generators that power the ship and the ship’s engines
One of the many displays giving the ship’s officers all the details needed to both run and navigate the ship.
The six mile iceberg radar. The commander on the bridge manually steers the ship around these.
The navigation system by which the auto pilot works. Lots of the sea around here is not on digital charts so the old style manual ones are used.
There is a control on each side of the bridge for docking. Interestingly when we stop off shore they don’t drop an anchor but push a button and the ship is held to within 0.8 of a meter using the props and thrusters. This is called dynamic positioning and avoids any damage to the sea bed.
The docking control. There is one of these on each side of the ship.
Model of the propellor pod. There is one of these on each side of the ship and there are also two bow thrusters. These support dynamic positioning of the vessel.
There is a blue and yellow screen that plots the depth and course of everywhere the ship goes. This system is called Olax and is used by hundreds of ships world wide. All the info is fed back into it and it is gradually charting the uncharted waters of the world. Many of the waters in this area do not appear on digital charts so the courses are plotted manually. They even have a kit they can put on the Zodiacs to plot stuff closer to the shore.
The OLAX system
Icebergs calve off the glaciers on the west side of Greenland, many from around Disko Island. The warm currents coming up from the Atlantic take them north up the west side of Greenland. They are then picked up by the cold currents coming from the Arctic and taken down the east coast of Canada.
During the morning we had a great presentation from Ralph Lee Hopkins, The National Geographic Photography Expert. He share some great tips and showed some of the impressive photos he has already taken on this trip. At one point while he was speaking we passed quite close to a large iceberg.
Late morning we arrived off Qikiqarjuaq and waited for the arrival of Canadian immigration who had flown in. It was late afternoon when we finally received clearance for the ship and mounted the Zodiacs to head into town.
On arrival we were guided up to the town hall for a welcome. One of the elders lit an oil lamp in a soapstone bowl as a traditional welcome. Speeches were made and then a couple of women did some throat singing, which was definitely interesting. The different sounds they made were quite impressive.
After this we went for a stroll through town and up to an observation point. All the buildings are built off the ground to stop the heat from the building melting the permafrost, which would cause the foundations to collapse. Lots of ATVs and pick-up trucks raced around the streets and the people we passed were very friendly. We headed up to a lookout point then back to the beach. On the way back I ducked down a side street to check out a polar bear skin we had seen from the ship.
Soon after returning to the ship it was dinner time, at which we, once again, enjoyed the company of some pleasant, interesting people. With 102 passengers and 102 crew on board we are now sailing to the northeastern end of Baffin Island.
Monday 26 August : At Sea off Baffin Island – Sylvia
We woke this morning after a fairly good night’s sleep. I did notice a bit of rolling at one point but generally the passage has been fairly calm. I headed for the stretching class at 7am before meeting Roger and heading to breakfast. We then spent a bit of time on the bridge, scanning the horizon and marvelling at the variety of icebergs as we continued north.
At 9:30 we headed to the Ice Lounge where Peter, one of the cultural ambassadors on board, shared a presentation about the Thule Inuit people. Then Jonathon Fuhrmann gave a very informative lecture on glaciers. The lounge is incredibly well set up with screens all around to ensure we all have good visibility to whatever is being presented.
After another delicious lunch – today I opted for the Icelandic fish and chips – and a short break for digestion purposes, we headed to the gym. It is not huge but well kitted out. At 2:30pm Dan Odess, one of the Nauralists, presented another fascinating lecture with more details about the archaeological history of the Arctic. The people who have lived in this area over thousands of years have been incredibly hardy. It is definitely not a hospitable area. For the first time on any of these cruises, I opted to listen and watch on the TV in my room as I was a little hot sweaty after the gym.
The sailing has been smooth. Most of the time we have been able to see Baffin Island in the distance. Icebergs of varying sizes, shapes and colours floated past, and we have been followed by a variety of sea birds including Norther Fulmars, Glaucous Gulls, Arctic Terns and Thick-Billed Murres.
Later in the afternoon we reached Buchan Gulf at the northeastern end of Baffin Island. What a magnificent sight as we cruised slowly past towering cliffs, streaked with red from the pyrite. Glaciers hung precipitously from the mountain tops, some reaching all the way to the water line. It was hard to tear our eyes from the views, even while eating dinner. The photos really don’t do this place justice.
We headed up to the top deck again after dinner to soak up more of the views, Roger in his shorts and jandals, while the rest of us donned multiple layers, hats, gloves and parkas. Just as we were about to head down to bed a narwhal was spotted in the distance. Honestly, I could just make out a speck and the ripple of movement on the water but nice to know they are around.
Tuesday 27 August: Buchan Gulf, Baffin Island – Roger
Bud’s slow drawl sparked over the PA at 0540 as narwhals had been spotted from the bridge. We had slowly worked our way up to the end of the Buchan Gulf last night. Heading to one of the forward decks we spotted the narwhals surfacing close to the steep cliffs that line the fjord. The size of the cliffs made them look quite close; in reality they were a kilometre away. Not surprising we couldn’t see the narwhals too well.
After breakfast we headed out on the kayaks for a paddle around the bay. On several occasions we saw the narwhals briefly break the surface, just enough to take in air, before heading for the depths again. We paddled over to a nearby waterfall, seeing many more narwhals break the surface around us.
Back on board we ate lunch as the ship made its way back towards the fjord entrance. We stopped in Feachem Bay and, after the expedition team had scouted the area, we boarded the zodiacs for a run ashore.
We chose the long hike option, along with some 15 others. Lead by Erland Folstad, a former Svaallbard policeman, we headed up past some old Inuit houses, which had been constructed by digging a hole with a tunnel below the floor level as an entrance to keep the cold out. Reindeer skins, sewed in such away they are waterproof, are put over a frame to make the roof.
Recently laid polar bear and arctic fox tracks put Erland on the alert as he lead the way up the nearby ridge with his 308 Tikka Rifle on his back and flare pistol on his belt. The idea being if a polar bear comes too close, the flare is fired first to try and scare him off. To date none of the guides have had to shoot a bear.
As we wandered up the ridge we had a good view looking back over the bay. On reaching the top of the ridge about 130m above the bay, we looked down on a tarn, watching a flock of Barnacled Geese (Canadian Geese) land. We followed another ridge back down to the shoreline where, on the beach, there were old gin traps and other materials lying around.
Around 4.30pm we headed back to the ship and soon set sail in the mist for Devon Island. Just now we are around 71 degrees North.
Monday 19 August – Roger
Arriving at Auckland International Airport, we picked up our boarding passes. Yes – no bags to check as we are travelling again with just carry on. We stopped at the Duty Free pick up to collect a new Nikon 28 to 400 lens. With our new Nikon Z7ii being a full frame camera, this lens should work for photographing most wild life. That’s assuming I can remember how to use it; the technology in these things is getting more and more complicated.
Just after 1230 we were in the air and on the 16+ hour journey to Qatar. The business class section is well designed, particularly in the centre rows, where there is a partition that drops down with the seats becoming a double bed. If travelling as a group or family one can open a partition up to the next row of seats. Good for keeping the brats under control. A few chapters of a book and seven movies later we landed in Qatar.
With over a hundred thousand people passing through this airport every day it is always busy. We headed to the first class lounge for a shower and then to the restaurant for an a-la-carte dinner. Not only is this place spacious but it has a high standard of food and service. I went for a stroll at one stage to get some new compression stockings, which were a bit hard to find in my size. I had clocked up 3kms when I finally returned to the lounge with the mission accomplished. We had managed to book a quiet room for the last four hours of the 10 hour stopover. This was like a luxury hotel room with twin beds, crisp white sheets and an ensuite bathroom.
It was daylight when we boarded the business class bus for the several kilometre journey to the plane. With a sign on the side of the bus calling out the bus team’s mission: “COBUS – performance, purpose, passion” it delivered us to the right aeroplane. Quite an extortionate task with the distance, traffic and number of aircraft we passed on the way.
In the air we headed northwest over Baghdad and Mosel, then across Turkey to the Black Sea. Looking at the flight map the route was to cross the Black Sea and over Crimea, passing just east of Odessa and across Kyiv. Thinking ‘that looks a bit interesting’, I paid attention, only to find that as we crossed Turkey the route changed, taking us more to the east across the Black Sea then up the east side of Romania.
Landing in Oslo we just had time to grab a bite at the lounge before boarding the IcelandAir flight to Reykjavik. A 50 minute taxi ride over the rather uninteresting volcanic plains, and we arrived at the Grand Hotel, well ready for an early night and some decent sleep.
Wednesday 21 August: Reykjavik- Roger
After a leisurely breakfast we headed out on a large comfortable bus along with a number of others, mainly from the US, that will be joining us on the tour of Greenland.
First stop was the Perlan Museum. Originally a number of hot water tanks which provided heating to local homes and businesses, some of the tanks have been turned into a museum. We headed up to the fifth floor cafe, where breakfast was again being served. We strolled around the observation deck which provides great views over Reykjavik. It must be impressive on a fine day, but unfortunately the weather today was pretty gray, drizzly and cold. We headed to a planetarium style theatre back on the first floor, where a spectacular 30-minute video about the northern lights was played. Next, in another auditorium, a video on the many local volcanos played. We then watched a short video on the glaciers, followed by a walk through an ice cave. At minus 10 degrees, this was well done and quite realistic.
After looking at some interesting displays on the animal, bird, fish and insect life in Iceland, it was back on the bus for a short trip to Nautholi restaurant for a tasty 3 course lunch, including the local Atlantic Cod, a very tasty fish.
A short bus tour of the downtown part of this small, young city returned us to the hotel around 3 pm. We had a quiet afternoon, catching up and resting before joining the rest of the guests and the crew of the National Geographic Endurance for a quick briefing on hat to expect tomorrow when we head to Greenland.
Thursday 22 August: Reykjavik to Kangerlusssuaq – Sylvia
We slept pretty well again last night and are slowly recovering from our jet lag. We were up early for breakfast and then had some time to catch up on things before our first excursion. The Grand Hotel Reykjavik certainly wouldn’t be anywhere near the list of top hotels I’d recommend. Unfortunately we haven’t been able to get internet in our room despite numerous requests to reception. The water temperature in the shower is extremely variable and the breakfast is fairly average. On the plus side, the bed at least has been comfortable and at the end of the day that was important. We have spent a bit of time sitting in the reception area so we could catch up on emails and news etc.
At 10:15 we boarded the coach for the short drive to the Iceland national museum. Our local guide is one of those who seems to feel a need to talk. My highlight was when he explained that a female or male staff member at the museum would give us a briefing….
The museum does a good job of showcasing the history of this country from the initial settlement by Vikings in about 870 AD, through until the end of the 20th century. Initially the country was pagan, worshipping Thor and other Viking gods. After about 130 years it became nominally Christian after a committee meeting agreed that the country would be publicly Christian but individuals could continue to practice their pagan religion privately. Later, the Lutherans arrived with their preaching of hellfire and brimstone and this became the dominant religion. It must have been a pretty tough life for the early settlers. The climate here is pretty harsh and there have been numerous volcanic eruptions, plagues and famines.
We explored the different exhibits for a couple of hours then back on the bus and back to the hotel for a buffet lunch. After lunch we were back on the coach, heading to Keflavik airport, the main international airport in Iceland, about 45 mins from Reykjavik, to check in for the charter flight to Kangerlussuaq. The check in was painless and we made it through security with plenty of time to spare… lots of hurry up and wait as is normal with travel these days.
It was an easy flight just over two hours to Kangerlussuaq. This is the main airport in Greenland, originally built by the US airforce. It is about 120 miles inland at the end of a long fjord, apparently to be more sheltered from the weather.
Another bus took us for a short drive to the small floating dock, where we boarded zodiacs to take us to the National Geographic Endurance, which will be our home for the next 23 days. It was a remarkably efficient process but I was happy that it was not too cold, especially as we hadn’t yet received our parkas. It must be a bit challenging if the weather is not so good.
We checked out our parkas and rented boots for size, attended the mandatory lifeboat drill and had a light buffet dinner. After dinner we explored this beautiful ship. She is absolutely stunning with some gorgeous lounge spaces and a bridge that looks like it would be right at home on the Star Ship Enterprise. It is so good to have free access to the bridge on these trips. From the bridge, we watched as all our luggage arrived in a container on a barge and was then rapidly unloaded and distributed to the cabins. After unpacking and getting settled in it was nice to settle in for the night.
We have already met some very interesting people among the other guests. By far the majority are from the US, many are retired, and all seem to be very well-travelled.
Friday 23 August: Sisimut – Roger
It’s early morning when the ship finishes its 120km journey down the Kangerlussuaq fiord and slips into the Labrador Sea for the journey up the coast to Sisimut. I had woken at 0300 and not really gone back to sleep. At 0730 I headed to the gym for a short exercise program. The gym is at the stern of the boat with great views. There is a yoga room and a spa on the deck above.
We headed for a late breakfast then off to a briefing and introduction to the huge range of experts travelling as part of the National Geographic team. One in particular is Wade Davis, who has written ±25 books, some of which have been turned into movies. Many of the people, including naturalists, photographers, divers, geologists and scientists have been associated with Lindblad and National Geographic for over 30 years. There is even a professor and a PhD student from Finland excited to be here studying phytoplankton.
Around noon we crossed into the Arctic Circle and then arrived at Sisimut. There was another boat at the wharf so we waited in mid-harbour. After enjoying a rather nice lunch of cauliflower soup followed by swordfish we pulled alongside the wharf at 2pm.
Hopping on the bus I get the impression there is only one in town. We headed to ‘Dog Town’ on the edge of the main town. With a population of around 22,000, the town had a dog problem with the some 1000 plus Greenlandic dogs roaming the streets and living among the houses. Around 20 years ago they moved the dogs to the edge of town, put in some kennels and tied up the dogs letting the young pups run loose. These dogs came from Siberia around 1,000 years ago and have been used as sled dogs ever since. During winter many sled races take place all over the country. It is illegal to import a dog into Greenland north of the arctic circle to prevent cross breeding of these unique dogs.
From dog town we took a stroll up a shingle road, which leads back to Kangerlussuaq. This is the famed Arctic Circle trek, a walk of about 150km with significant changes in elevation that usually takes walkers 8-10 days to complete. The record for the shortest time was recently broken and now stands at about 32 hours. There are no roads between towns in Greenland. All travel is done by plane, helicopter or boat. This is the only connecting route between two towns. They have been working for a number of years to make it accessible for ATVs but it seems that is still many years away. The terrain here is pretty unforgiving.
After climbing a small hill on the road we then headed back to the bus, which dropped us off in the town centre. From there we strolled back to the boat after checking out some local food: snow crab caribou, salted cod and capelin.
Everywhere one looks here there is another photo opportunity. It’s really a picturesque place. After a chat with some local kids we wandered back to the boat.
Early evening we had cocktails in the Ice Lounge with an address from the captain. He explained that the NG Endurance is a Polar Code PC5 Ice class vessel. (There is only one passenger boat that has a higher class.) It has pod type drives that can be turned 180 degrees to back the ship out of trouble should it get stopped in the ice. Let’s hope we get to experience that.
We enjoyed a dinner with two other extremely well-traveled couples, like many of the guests on this expedition.
Monday 10 June: Santa Cruz de la Palma: Roger
After another night of smooth sailing we arrived at Santa Cruz de la Palma. La Palma is another volcanic island; with its base 4000m under the sea and rising to over 2400m and with sea clouds giving it plenty of rain, it has a good supply of fresh water flowing for the cultivation of many crops. With a population of ±85,000, bananas and tourism are its main sauce of income. Since 1470 there have been 8 volcanic eruptions on the island, the last in 2021. One can see by the size of the drains here they get some big rains.
We had decided to have a relaxing day, spending most of our time on board, only wandering into town for a couple of hours late morning. The centre of town has cobbled streets, and lots of shops, pubs and nice old buildings.
At the northeast end of the town is a replica of Cristopher Columbus’ ship Santa Maria, which houses a naval museum. It has an interesting collection of memorabilia from the 1400s onwards. The Germans had submarines based here during WWII even though Spain was supposedly neutral. A life jacket is on display from a British pilot, John Carr, who, after running out of fuel, splashed down in the sea after the carrier he had taken off from was sunk by a German submarine. He was rescued by some fisherman when he washed up on the island, eventually making has way to Gibraltar and getting back into the fight again.
The museum also highlights the various raids of pirates on the island – at one point a major hazard for those living here.
There is an old fort at the waterfront and like the other islands there have been a few scraps here including an invasion by the French after which a few locals banded together and sent them packing.
During the 1500’s it was the one of the busiest ports in the world, as traders stopped here on the way to and from the Caribbean and the Americas. Tobacco seeds were bought here from Cuba and the island still produces cigarettes and cigars.
As we wandered back along the waterfront the emergency services were packing up after a static display, including army, police, ambulance, search and rescue, and the fire service.
Back on board we enjoyed a long relaxing lunch and a relaxing afternoon. Just after 1700 again we headed out to sea. There is now quite a strong wind blowing so the smooth sailing may be over. We opted to try out the room service and enjoyed a delicious dinner from Jacques, the first of the specialty restaurants we had eaten at, while watching an old Western on the TV.
Tuesday 13 June – Madeira: Sylvia
After a very quiet day yesterday we were back into full touring mode. After a quiet and relaxing light breakfast in the main dining room, we met our guide (from Guide Madeira) for a full day tour of the island. While it has similarities to the Canary Islands, Madeira is much more fertile and has a real charm about it. We quickly decided that this was our favourite stop of the cruise.
Our first stop, a little west of Funchal, was the small fishing village of Camara de Lobos. Winston Churchill spent time painting in this village after WWII and we took the obligatory photos with his statue before wandering around the town. Fishermen apparently pray at the small ornate church close to the harbour before heading out to sea. Once they come back, after a week or so fishing, they sit around in one of the squares playing cards.
There is a festival coming up and the town was festooned with lots of decorations made from recycled trash. There is a permanent installation of a sea lion on the wall by the harbour, again made out of recycled junk. I found this super clever.
Driving a little further westward, we arrived at Riberia Brava, another small fishing village. This one has a really attractive church in the centre. We had a Quick Look at the fruit and vegetable market, did a spot of souvenir shopping, and Roger even had a couple of cups of coffee before we moved on.
Like in Tenerife, the road infrastructure on this small island is super impressive. There is a vast network of tunnels that makes it fairly easy to get around the rough, volcanic terrain. Again, the roads are well maintained and lined with concrete blocks.
We headed north, over the mountains to the other side of the island. It had been lovely and warm and sunny but as we gained altitude the clouds rolled in and the temperature dropped. We stopped in the Chao de Louros Picnique, a picnic spot in the Laurel forest. Our guide had very kindly packed some local bananas and a rather delicious local specialty of Madeira spice and honey cake for us to have for morning tea.
We arrived at Sao Vicente on the north side of the island, where a small chapel has been built into the rock. In the town we visited Justino’s Madeira wines, inside a beautiful stone building, where we tasted three different types of Madeira wine, 3, 5 and 10 years old. Then Dave and Roger each tried the local poncha, a drink made with fresh fruit, sugar cane, honey and rum. Roger had the traditional regional citrus one and Dave had one with passion fruit.
Heading west again, we reached the small town of Seixal, with its very narrow streets leading down to the ocean, a black sand beach and the first of several natural lava swimming pools we would see. At one point people had made lots of little piles of stones on the rocky beach.
We continued further west stopping to look at the different pools, with varying degrees of naturalness. At Porto Moniz, the busiest area, it would feel like swimming in a goldfish pond there were so many tourists wandering around taking photos (including us). And the last pool was man made rather than natural.
We headed back east, passing several tall narrow waterfalls, and stopping for lunch at the Cataplana restaurant, where we tried the local bread (delicious) and Dave sampled local specialties of limpets (chewy) and the beef skewered with laurel (very tasty).
Lunch over we headed back south to the sunny side of the island, where we stopped at a glass viewing platform 580m above the sea. This provided great views over the coast back towards the city of Funchal, where we had docked this morning.
It was time to head back, to make our all aboard time. We had one last brief stop for Dave and Roger to take photos with the statue of Ronaldo before heading back on board. We were all still pretty full from our late lunch so settled in for some R&R before attending the very good show, Dancing Fool at 9:15pm, followed by a salute from the crew. It was quite impressive to see many of the crew filing on stage… it is no wonder the food is so good when you see the number of chefs on board… they made quiet a site in their chefs’ hats. As we left the theatre, the crew were all lined up on either side of the hallway applauding us!
Wednesday 12 June – At Sea: Roger
Surprisingly after heading to bed last night in what were quite strong winds we woke having had a relatively smooth nights sailing. I chatted to a guy at the bar last night, who is the cooking instructor on the boat, who told me that when crossing the Atlantic a few weeks ago the sea was so rough he had to cancel 3 days of classes. We have been really lucky with very little rolling on board through the whole cruise.
Today is a sea day and night as we make the last leg to Lisbon in Portugal. After a late, light breakfast we headed to the Horizon room on deck 14, where Sylvia and Debbie were having another crack at the line dancing. Me, the spectator for just long enough to take a couple of pictures as the instructor called the steps and the participants went mostly in the right direction.
There is a great view out the front of the ship from this lounge. Photos taken as I headed to the gym to try and burn off some of the excess food consumed over the past few days.
We had a light lunch and spent the afternoon relaxing in the cabin.
Later at the bar I chatted to a couple of nice blokes from Florida, one of which showed me photos of his massive camper bus he travels around the US in.
Dinner was back at Polo Grill, favoured for its great steaks, seafood and variety of tasty deserts.
Thursday 13 June – Embarkation, Lisbon: Sylvia
We arrived in Lisbon at about 7am this morning and had to be out of our rooms by 8. We had been scheduled to disembark at 8:455 so met Dave and Debbie for our last breakfast on board at 8am in the Terrace cafe. Unfortunately the pilot had been late coming on board so everything was delayed. We were quite relaxed, enjoying a long, leisurely breakfast and a chat, but many people were obviously anxious to get off as we had repeated announcements from the Cruise Director suggesting we didn’t need to all be queueing in the atrium. I also felt bad for the crew who already have a lot to do on a change over day. We eventually disembarked just before 11am.
We caught a Uber to our hotel and dropped our bags off before heading out to explore the city. We headed first to the Belem Tower, not realising it was a holiday here and a few of the attractions, including the tower, would be closed. No matter, we enjoyed wandering along the water front, past the huge explorer monument and the Jeronimo Monastery (also closed), where we collected our Lisboa Passes (tickets that provided access to all the attractions plus public transport). We then headed to Pasteis de Belem, famous for its Portuguese egg tarts. There was a bit of a queue for a table inside so we headed to the takeaway line and bought some tarts and bottled water and sat in the nearby botanic gardens to eat them.
Back in an Uber, we headed up the hill to Castelo de Sao Jorge, This is a pretty large castle overlooking the oldest part of Lisbon. It was fun to wander around the ramparts while enjoying the view. A partly white peacock wandered around quite unperturbed by the throngs of visitors.
After exploring the castle, we wandered down the narrow streets, back towards town, stopping briefly at the main square and again at the Pink Street to take photos. We headed to Time Out, a huge indoor, gourmet food court that was absolutely buzzing. After waiting and hovering, we eventually nabbed a few seats as some diners left and then took turns choosing and ordering our lunches. It was a difficult choice with the different stalls selling many local delicacies. I eventually settled on a Portuguese steak sandwich, which was delicious. Deb and I then finished our lunches with a couple of extremely delicious eclairs, one salted caramel and one passion fruit and raspberry, which we shared. YUM!
Lunch over, we grabbed another Uber and headed to Campo Ourique, the starting point for the famous No 28 tram. The older, traditional model trams run on this line winding their way through the narrow cobblestone streets. We were able to get some seats at the back of the tram and enjoyed a different way to see the city.
When we were in Barcelona we had done a bit of shopping at a Decathlon sports store and Dave was keen to find another ne here so this became our last stop for the day. Roger tried out a computerised machine that measured his feet, and asked a few questions about the type of shoes one wanted. He was very pleasantly surprised when the recommended shoes fit him perfectly – they are now in his suitcase.
We headed back to the hotel and up to the rooftop bar to relax and rehydrate before retiring for a quite evening of catching up and blog writing.
Friday 14 June – Lisbon to London: Roger
After a relaxing night at the Porto Bay Liberdade hotel, we headed by Uber back to the Jeronimo’s Monastery a National Archeological site. It had been closed yesterday. Sylvia and I had been here in 2019 but thought we had only visited the church part. As we joined the 130m plus line we were looking forward to taking a look through the rest of this huge, ornate building. After over an hour in the queue we finally entered the building to discover we had been to this small part of it before; the majority of the place is closed to the public. Curious as I am to see it I don’t think I will be joining the local priesthood any time soon, or later for that matter.
We headed back to the hotel, then to the airport and onto an Air Portugal flight to London. The big thing here is sardine shops, of which there are many very well presented ones, including at the airport. Immigration and customs in London now are pretty much a walk through with everything electronic – the US could learn a few lessons here. Unlikely I know.
An hour and a half in a van and we arrived at Sylvia’s favourite Charlotte St hotel in Fitzroy, Central London. Here we were joined by Dave’s son Luke and his wife Ashley, who are living in London and enjoying experiencing travel around Europe.
Over dinner we heard about their recent trips to Majorca and other places, while enjoying a nice meal.
Saturday we fly back to NZ.
Thursday 6 June – Casablanca: Roger
At 0800 we disembarked the ship on the port side. On arrival at Casablanca the ship turned around just outside the port and backed in. We strolled through the customs area unchallenged as the ship takes care of all the immigration side of things. We just had to show our passports briefly.
Outside we were met by our guide Abderrahim and his driver. We headed through the busy streets of this city of 6 million onto a motorway heading northeast along the coast to the capital Rabat. Passing the king’s palace we arrived at Hassan Mosque. Built in the 12th century by Abu Youssef Yaacoub al Mansour, it was at the time one of the three largest Mosques in the world, one of which was in Spain. In the 15th century a large earthquake demolished it, the minaret which was never finished still stands. At the west end of the site is a mausoleum that was built as a resting place for king Mohamed VI. As we arrived a rather sloppy changing of the guard took place with the group of six soldiers not even marching in step. A man sat at the end of the chamber reading the Koran. I asked what happens when he gets to the end, “ he says a prayer and starts again”
From the steps we looked down to a large modern theatre and across to a very tall building just being finished that no one knows what it is for.
We drove through the streets, passing some more palaces, stopping at the kasbah, a walled city with lots of white buildings behind the pinkish walls. Built also around the 12th century, some descendants of the original family’s still live there. Now with lots of little shops, picturesque doors and outdoor cafes and some nice gardens it is a tourist attraction. The west end of the fort overlooks the Bou Regreg (river) with cannons defending the entrance of this navigable river.
Visit over we headed back to Casablanca, firstly visiting the Houbous quarter. There we entered a mosaic tiled passageway to a bakery with a large selection of Moroccan delights. After purchasing a few nibbles we headed across the alley to the bake house, which contained this huge oven where the baker used a long paddle to place and extract a large variety of bakery and meats all cooking together.
Wandering through a few alleys we came across an area where locals were selling second hand goods to each other; lots of shouting was going on in what seemed like an auction.
Next was an olive market where there were more varieties of olives than I had ever imagined. A few more alleys and it was back in the van for a tour down the coast and through some upmarket areas. We passed the building where Churchill, Roosevelt and DeGaulle met in early 1942 for the planning of operation Torch, which took place in November of that year.
Finally we visited the huge Hassan II Mosque. Work commenced on this building in 1986; at a cost of 585 billion euros it was completed in 1993. The building can cater for 25,000 worshippers with men in the main hall and woman on balconies above at each side. A further 80,000 worshipers can pray on the large cobbled grounds outside. Underneath there are large fountains where worshipers can cleanse themselves before praying. The place is huge but only the 14th biggest mosque in the world.
I don’t think even the photos will do justice to the uniqueness and size of this place with its 20,000 square meter footprint and 210 meter Minaret, complete with laser light pointing to Mecca. It was paid for by a tax levy placed on all purchases at the time, as well as donations and loans from European countries.
After being dropped back to the boat we had a snack and soon were at sea again. We headed up to the top deck and attempted to play pickle ball. With quite a breeze blowing and the ship heading into it at 16 knots it was rather difficult but did give us a lot of laughs.
We opted for a light casual dinner and a quiet evening to round out the day.
Friday 7 June – Agadir: Sylvia
We had a leisurely start to the day today, heading to the gym at about 8, then meeting Debbie and Dave for breakfast. We docked in Agadir at about 9am. It was impressive to watch the manoeuvring. We came in now first, then swung around to port and using bow and stern thrusters parked perfectly against the wharf, using ropes on winches to close the last few metres. A large white mas ah stands on the top of the hill along with two incongruous looking planes with their noses pointing out over the cliff edge – no, they have not overshot the runway, they are there as a novelty type of restaurant!
At 11 we headed down to deck 5 and disembarked, meeting our taxis and 9 other guests for the short transfer to a camel riding place just out of town. I had arranged this as the other three had never ridden camels before and were keen to have a go.
Agadir was almost completely destroyed by an earthquake in 1960 and has pretty much been rebuilt from scratch since then. It is clean and seems modern compared with the rest of the country with mostly 4-5 storey buildings, painted white and embellished in different ways. The king has two palaces in the city, including one massive one near our destination, but apparently he hasn’t been here in about 7 years.
When we arrived we were met and kitted out in traditional Moroccan dress and headwear, before mounting our camels. They start kneeling and when they stand up it is quite a rocking motion. Our ‘camel saddles’ had almost handlebars in the front for us to hold on to. We were tied to each other and proceeded caravan style for about an hour, passing the king’s palace, with guards spaced at regular intervals – happy to wave as we went past. A large, very green golf course on the left looked incongruous in the dry sandy area. Eventually we arrived at the river, quite close to the coast. Apparently they often have flamingoes here but not today. After a brief stop and more photo taking we headed back the way we had come. The young camel wranglers were quite hilarious, keeping up a bright pattern, regularly checking to make sure we were all okay and taking lots of photos of us with our phones or cameras. Debbie was at the back of the caravan and had a young ‘trainer’ camel tied behind her. She would get quite nervous anytime a car came past and nuzzled up to Debbie, sometimes even putting her head in Debbie’s lap, causing quite a bit of amusement.
Arriving back where we started, we dismounted and were offered a refreshing mint tea.
We had decided that we wanted to visit the Souk el Had, a large market primarily frequented by the locals. The driver gave us some story about it being closed for prayers and took us first to a Berber Artisinal bazaar and then to an Argan oil factory. Both were interesting enough and Debbie and Dave bought a few trinkets and a beautiful necklace. Eventually we made it to the soul and wandered around. It is massive! We only saw a small part of it before we decided we had had enough and returned to the boat.
We are quite enjoying the decadent afternoon teas on board (sort of like a late, light lunch), although Roger is preferring to go the cigar bar and have a G&T and a cigar instead.
We spent the rest of the afternoon relaxing, then headed to Red Ginger, the Asian specialty restaurant on board for our dinner at 7:30. It is incredible on this ship to have so many different specialty restaurants. And they are all excellent. We all enjoyed a very good Asian inspired meal, then spent some time relaxing in the Executive lounge and chatting with a few other cruisers before retiring for the evening.
One thing I have not mentioned on the blog before is our stateroom. We had opted for a Penthouse Suite and it is fantastic, about 8m by about 5m with a balcony about 1.5m by 5m. We have a large bathroom with a very roomy shower and even a walk in wardrobe! We have a butler, Ram, and two very friendly room stewards who keep the place absolutely spotless.
Saturday 8 June – Areciffe, Lanzarote: Roger
After another night of smooth sailing heading southwest, we arrived at the Spanish island of Lanzarote. We sat on the back deck enjoying another great breakfast as the ship cruised into the harbour, reversed the engines to bring us to a stop, then did its normal spin around in its own length and sidled up to the wharf using its powerful bow and stern thrusters.
After breakfast we disembarked and headed to the carpark to meet Justo, from Vulcan Bikes here on the island, our mountain bike guide for the day. Heading into the centre of the island we parked up and Justo extracted and assembled the electric, full-suspension mountain bikes from the back of the van. We rode along a rough track for several kilometres, passing many wine growing farms – note I have not called them vineyards as each plant grows as a bush, mainly in a little pit surrounded by stone walls to protect them from the island’s vicious winds. It seldom rains here. All the houses are painted white to reflect the sun; their nearly flat roofs collect what little rain there is and store the water in large stone tanks.
A bit of history: The eruption of several volcanos created the island some 15 million years ago. Around 1000 BC the Majos tribe of the Guanches in Africa arrived, living in caves dressed in animal skins as Stone Age people. It wasn’t until the 14th century when Genoese navigator Lancelotto Malocello came across the island that he named it Lanzarote after himself.
The Castilian Crown granted the lordship of Lanzarote and the neighbouring islands of Fuerteventura and El Hierro to nobleman Diego de Herrera in 1454, and it would remain a feudal system under him until 1812. Despite Spanish claims to the islands, they would continue to be attacked by French, Moroccan and British pirates.
The following centuries were marked by instability, crisis and drought. If life wasn’t hard enough on Lanzarote, nature would intervene and make it worse: from 1730 to 1736, the island was hit by a series of massive volcanic eruptions. For six years ash and lava spewed from Timanfaya and other volcanoes. This blocked the sunlight, covered up to a quarter of the island and destroyed some 11 villages. Much of Lanzarote’s archaeological remains were buried under the eruptions.
The event forced mass emigration of Lanzarote’s inhabitants to Cuba and the Americas, but those who remained would find that the eruptions had left rich and fertile volcanic soil behind. After a few years, the island stabilised again and the city of Areciffe began to gain political and economic importance. Its port made it a hub for commercial activity, and in 1852 it was named the new capital of the island. By this point, feudalism had ended and the Canary Islands had been designated a single Spanish province.
As we rode along, Justo explained how the rich black fertile soil absorbs the moisture from the high humidity at night into the wine pits and the black soil some how stops it evaporating during the day supplying moisture to the plants. From the photos you will see the traditional circular stone walls that surround each plant . The modern way is to build the walls in straight lines so machines can be used to cultivate the ground and harvest the grapes. It still intrigues me how man is able to adapt to growing crops in the many different environments that we have seen in various parts of the world.
Drinking water is now produced by an oil-fired desalination plant and most of the power by an oil -ired plant. The many wind turbines produce nowhere near enough power to support the islands 140,000 people, let-alone the 2.7 million tourists that visit the island every year.
We stopped at a volcanic cave, which people book out for parties with another smaller adjacent cave to crash in when one has drunk too much.
Just after that I fell off while taking in the vast volcanic scenery. It’s been many years since I rode a bike and never a mountain bike so from that part on I had to concentrate on staying on the bike. Apart from a few kms on a sealed road most of the ±30kms we biked were spent on tracks often with deep volcanic ash on them.
Apart from grapes they grow a number of other crops on black flat cultivated paddocks. Justo did a really good job of pointing out the many volcanos and giving us the history of the island. After completing what was a big circle we arrived back at his van, loaded up the bikes and headed back to the boat for a late lunch, a relaxing afternoon and a quiet dinner on board, followed by a show covering the songs of Peggy Lee.
Sunday 9 June – Tenerife: Sylvia
We wanted to make the most of our day in Tenerife so were up fairly early and after enjoying breakfast while the Marina docked, were off the boat by 8am. We had arranged a rental car with Cicar, who have a depot at the end of the port. It was an easy process to pick up the car and we headed out to explore. I had planned out a route that circumnavigated the island with stops at several scenic points.
We headed off on the wide, smooth, 6-lane highway, marvelling that such a small island can have such good roads. The population here is only about 950,000 but they receive about 5 million tourists a year. Like Lanzarote, this is a volcanic island, but much larger, with higher mountains and more vegetation. There are natural water sources on the island too.
Our first stop, after heading south for about 40 minutes, was the Arco de Tajao, an area of desert with lots of rock formations from the erosion over the years, including a large rock arch. Debbie and I stood on top for the mandatory photos, while Dave and Roger admired a large pipeline that crossed the desert nearby.
Back in the car we headed south, then west to Acantilados de los Gigantesque, a picturesque village with stunning views of some giant volcanic cliffs running down to the sea. Large areas of banana plantations stand out, often surrounded by what look like hessian wind-breaks. We stopped for coffee and some postcard shopping at a lovely wee cafe with stunning views of the area.
Next we headed off the main road onto very windy, but extremely well-maintained road up into the volcanic peaks. (We continued to head westward but in a very round-about fashion). The road was lined on both sides almost all the way along with large concrete blocks, painted an apricot colour. They clearly do’t want tourists going over the edge. Again, we marvelled at the cost. While the road was very narrow, there were pull outs at regular intervals to allow for the safe passing of oncoming traffic.
We were headed for the small village of Masca, which is perched high in the volcanic mountains, surrounded by terraced gardens. The amount of labour that goes into the cultivation of these lands is really inspiring. The landscape is dotted about by huge peaks in all different shapes. Unfortunately there was no parking left at the little village (it is fairly limited) so we drove on, stopping at various points to take photographs.
Eventually we wound our way to the north side of the island, stopping for lunch at Garachico, a picturesque coastal village that has twice been destroyed by volcanic eruptions. The last eruption on the island was about 300 years ago.
Continuing north along the cost, then heading slightly east inland, we headed to the Rural Parc of Anaga, which apparently has the highest density of species per square kilometre of anywhere in Europe. We would our way through some beautiful forest, sometimes creating arches right across the road.
Our last stop, right on the northern end of the island was the Playa de Benijo, a beautiful black sand beach, with lots of rock formations that reminded us a bit of the Great Ocean Road in Australia, only in a different colour. Dave enjoyed some body-surfing in the water while Debbie and I sat and watched, enjoying the warmth of the sun. Unfortunately Roger has been plagued by some extreme pain so he sat in the car.
We then headed eastward and arrived back at the port just after 5. It was a great way to see the island.
This evening we had dinner at Toscana, the last of the four specialty restaurants on board. Roger spent some time being tended to by the medical team on board and was feeling much better when he joined us, a little later but not s much to miss out on a great meal.
Tomorrow, the last of the Canary Islands, La Palma…
Saturday 1 June – Embarkation: Roger
We had a late relaxing start to the day. After sitting around chatting for a while, we took a stroll around the Fortezza Michelangelo and along the sea wall to Pier 12, where the Oceania cruise liner, Marina, was docked, having arrived early this morning and disembarked the passengers from the previous cruise. We are joining Sylvia’s sister and husband Dave on this 12 day cruise.
At 238 m in length with a beam of 32m and a draught of 7.3 meters, this boat has a crew of 780 to cater for 1250 passengers. With 16 decks there is plenty of space: deck 5 houses reception, a theatre and a few other things; deck 6 is the Grand restaurant, bars and a casino; decks 7 to 11 are accommodation; decks 12 to 16 are all entertainment related with a pool, bars, restaurants, sports and more. It would be really interesting to have a look below beck 5 and see the inner workings and the ending that drives this floating holiday home.
The boarding process was very well organised and the crew very welcoming. First we headed to our evacuation assembly area on deck 5 where the life boats are for a safety brief. While the rooms were being cleaned we were directed to a restaurant on deck 12 for lunch. Here the selection of food was outstanding with large serveries, which staff stood behind and placed whatever one desired on one’s plate.
After lunch we caught up in our cabin and drank the bottle of complementary bubbles that had been left in the room. After a tour of the ship investigating lots of different places including a mini golf course near the bell on the top deck, lots of restaurants, spa area and swimming pool, we sat at the stern of the boat as we cleared the harbour and headed out into the ocean.
In the evening we headed to the Grand Dining Room where we enjoyed a rather delicious four-course meal. Next we headed to the theatre up the front of deck 5 for an introductory show with some not very good singers followed by a dance act which was a little better.
The day over we headed off to bed.
Sunday 2 June – Saint Tropez and Port Grimaud: Sylvia
I woke this morning after the best sleep I have had in a long time. The curtains here must completely block out the light. The room was cool and dark, the bed incredibly comfortable and the gentle rocking motion just topped it off.
We met Dave and Debbie up at the Terrace cafe and after a very leisurely breakfast we headed down to deck 5 and caught a tender into Saint Tropez. It is all very efficient with each lifeboat used as a tender taking about 150 passengers for the ±15 minute ride to the port.
We had decided to walk to ±8kms to Port Grimaud and wandered along, at times side a very busy roadway. Port Grimaud is a gorgeous seaside town with loads of little canals and marinas, and lots of colourfully painted buildings. Today being Sunday, there was a market happening as well. A great place to stroll, browse the shops, eat gelato (beautifully served up looking like an flower) and people watch.
After some time we bought tickets for the water shuttle back to Saint Tropez, and enjoyed some great drinks at a lovely little bar by the water before boarding a funny almost open at both ends boat. This only took us out to the end of the Port Grimaud marina, where we had to get off and get on a larger, more sea-worthy boat for the ±10 minute ride back to Saint Tropez.
After buying some more cigars for Roger, we wandered back to the tender area and headed back to the Marina.
Dave, Debbie and I enjoyed a light lunch while Roger enjoyed a cigar and a G&T. Roger and I then wandered around parts of the ship we hadn’t seen yesterday including an impressive library, barista coffee bar and lovely afternoon tea lounge, complete with strong quartet – will have to try that another day.
We had booked massages so headed up to the spa to enjoy some R&R, in a room with a fabulous sea view, before meeting Dave and Debbie back in the Grand Dining Room at 8pm. Unfortunately it was full so we ended up having dinner at the Terrace Cafe buffet upstairs. It was delicious, but as is often the case with a buffet, we probably ate too much.
We headed back to the main show area for a much better production this evening featuring music from the 50’s and 60’s before retiring for what will hopefully be another good night’s sleep.
Monday 3 June – Barcelona: Roger
We wandered down to the grand dining room for breakfast as the ship did a tricky 180 degree turn to berth at the dock.
A short while later, a taxi dropped us at the America’s Cup base, where lots of work is going on to improve the area before the races later this year.
Many statues on the buildings around here are wrapped in nets, maybe someone’s worried they might try to escape, or maybe they’re in poor repair and it’s to stop pieces breaking off and landing on passers by.
We headed up Las Ramblas, then into a local food market. They really know how to display goods in these places; from the meat to lollies the stands are all very attractive.
We wandered a bit further down the street and caught a taxi to the Sagrada Familia. I think the taxi driver may have been related to Gonzales as he spread through the narrow streets. Arriving at the church it was just as ugly as I remember from a visit 10 years ago. And what’s more it’s still not finished a state, as it has been since1882 when construction started. Gaudi, the architect, was hit by a tram in 1926 and died of his injuries. When we were here 10 years ago they told us it would be finished in 10 more years, now they are talking 2026, only 100 years after his death. To be fair, inside the main hall looks pretty much done with its spiral staircases at the southeast end along with an interesting looking spiral staircase and an elevator . Colourful stained glass windows are interesting and give lots of many spectacular colours on the stone as one looks around – too hard for me to describe so hopefully the photos will help tell the story. There is a Darth Vader character overlooking the main auditorium above a large Glory Door. This is a reproduction of the central door on the Glory Façade, the temple’s main façade, which tells the story of humanity and the paths to eternal happiness. The door, created by Josep M. Subirachs, features the text of the ‘Our Father’ in Catalan, surrounded by its central phrase in fifty different languages, as an expression of brotherhood between cultures.
Underneath the cathedral there is a museum to Gaudi, with the story of the many buildings he designed prior to this one, which at one stage when someone gave him a bunch of money he completely redesigned. There is also a picture of the stage the cathedral was at in 2018 and an artist’s impression of what it will be like if ever finished. Large construction cranes are, at present, just starting some new towers. Next we headed up an elevator in the Nativity Tower and then walked across a bridge with some good views across the city. Across the bridge we entered another tower for the 400-plus step journey down. Along the way, through various windows, we got to view of the fruits on top of towers; apparently Gaudi got a lot of inspiration from nature. The best part was the spiral staircase, with a well-worn stone hand rail on the inside.
Back on the ground we took a taxi back into the old town. We stopped in at a tapas restaurant, which just happened to be a Michelin star restaurant in the Ohla Hotel where we had stayed last year. After a rather delicious light lunch we wandered some more narrow streets with many stunningly displayed shop windows.
Back on the ship we enjoyed a high tea at the Horizons Lounge, where a guy played the piano as we ate cakes and drank tea and coffee.
Back in the room we watched the fuel bunker boat, that had been tied up on the starboard side all day, leaving with a pilot being dropped off and a tug on the front as it headed to tie up alongside the next cruise liner. I am always intrigued by the logistics that take place to keep a ship like this at sea.
We finished the day with a delicious meal at Jacques, one of four specialty restaurants and then watching a rather interesting comedy magician show.
Tuesday 4 June – At Sea: Sylvia
We had a very leisurely start to the day, meeting Debbie and Dave in the Terrace Cafe for a light breakfast at 9:30. After this, Debbie and I joined the line dancing group up on the 15th floor and had a bit of a giggle, while at the same time getting a bit of exercise. We then met up with the guys on the very top deck and played a round of putt putt golf. Unbelievably, after 18 holes we all ended up with the exact same one-over par score. This is despite me being 5 under par after the first 9!
We are cruising down the coast of Spain, probably some 20-or-so kms from the shore. So today has largely been one of rest.
Roger and I went to the fairly well equipped gym. Then, after a very light lunch in the Aquemar Terrace (this is the healthy restaurant on board), we spent some time sitting by, and even dipping into the swimming pool before meeting back with Debbie and Dave for some afternoon tea at 4pm, with an unfortunately too loud string quartet. This is definitely a pretty lazy existence, but certainly not an unpleasant one.
After another enjoyable dinner in the Grand Dining Room (we are certainly not lacking for food on this boat), we enjoyed a John Denver tribute show by Chris Bannister.
Wednesday 5 June – Gibraltar (Cadiz): Sylvia
We had sailed through the strait at Gibraltar at about 2am this morning. Despite some interest, I decided to prioritise sleep so missed seeing it. We docked at the ancient Spanish port of Cadiz this morning. This city has been continuously settled since the Phoenicians settled here in about 1800BC, making it one of Western Europe’s oldest cities. We had decided to visit Gibraltar and had arranged a driver for the day.
After a quick coffee and pastry in the Barrista coffee bar overlooking the pool deck, Roger and I disembarked just after 8, only to realise that I had my times wrong and our driver was not coming until 9. A quick phone call and he was very accommodating and came a little earlier. (Debbie and Dave had decided to do a ship excursion, cycling through some of the small villages and some forest in the area.)
We set off on the ~90-minute drive to Gibraltar, initially along the waterfront of Cadiz. Soon we were in the countryside. This looks like very productive land, gently rolling hills, well cropped with different grasses and lots of fields of beautiful sunflowers, as well as the odd cow farm and lots of windmills. Little villages are dotted about with almost all the buildings painted white, really standing out on the hills.
Continuing on we drove through more scrubby, mountainous areas with large bands of exposed rock in places. We passed through Algeciras, with its white houses and large refineries before turning off on the A34 to Gibraltar. It is easy to see why it is known as the rock – it is quite an imposing sight.
Arriving at the border, our driver gave us instructions on where to meet our guide on the other side and we wandered through the very easy passport control. We were picked up and whisked up to the upper rock, where we would spend most of our time.
Apparently Franco closed the border from 1969 to 1985. In order to visit one had to go via a ferry from Morocco. Now ±15,000 people cross the border from Spain everyday to work in Gibraltar.
This area has an interesting history. Tarik was one of the first settlers to arrive in 711. Originally from Morocco, he built the Moorish Castle that still forms the walls of the city today. Spain ruled the area from 1462 until 1704 and since then it has been in British control – more or less. John Lennon and Yoko Ono were married here in The Rock hotel.
Our first stop was the Pillars of Hercules. From this view point we could clearly see Morocco, some 24kms away, as well as Spain and Gibraltar, the Mediterranean Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
Next we stopped at St Michael’s Cave. This is a huge natural limestone cave. During WWII it was prepared, but never used, as an emergency hospital. It would have been a rather damp place for a hospital. Today it hosts a light show that plays every seven minutes. Rumour has it that if you go deep enough and far enough you will end up in Morocco.
Three hundred Barbary apes live on the rock. While rumour suggests they came from Morocco via the underground tunnel, it is much more likely that they swam across. Today, they are fed and vaccinated by the park staff and, while wild, are well habituated to humans. As we exited the cave we saw a female and male pair with a tiny ±2-day old baby.
We spent a bit of time on the skywalk, a small glass platform hanging off the side of the rock, giving excellent views. More Barbary apes hung around and a couple even climbed up and sat on me!
Our last stop on the tour was the Great Siege tunnel. This was built in the 1700’s, a time when many wars were fought between the British and the Spanish, sometimes with the help of the French. The tunnels were also used in WWII although their exact purpose is unclear. There were many more tunnels built during WWII as well, to house the 16,000 men stationed here, but lower in the rock and we didn’t get to see them. There are apparently 52 Kms of tunnels in Gibraltar, which only covers and area of 6.7 sq.kms.
Tour over, we had a light lunch in the main town area before wandering back across the border to meet our driver again for the return trip to our ship. This meant walking across the runway – must be the only place in the world you can do that.
