Knowledge Adventure

Namibia is a largely arid country of stark rough-hewn beauty. The most vivid images are those of a haunting technicolor landscape of swirling orange dunes, shimmering mirages and treacherous dust devils. The apparent desolation is deceptive and plant and animal life and even man has adapted to this environment. The country is designed almost specially with the active and adventure seeker in mind. Timeless deserts, thorn bush savanna, desolate wind ravaged coastlines, majestic canyons, and sun-baked saltpans are the bounty that awaits the traveler.

Namibia’s top draw is the Etosha National Park, rated as one of Africa’s finest game sanctuaries. The birding experience in the country is truly superior. On a Namibia safari, the range of activities you can indulge in the unsurpassable physical environment is truly impressive. Ballooning over the desert, skydiving over land and sea, paragliding, whitewater rafting and sand skiing along coastal dunes are good activities for starters. More fun games to pick from include abseiling – that most spectacular of rock sports, coastal and fresh water angling, desert camel riding, scuba diving, 4×4 desert runs, hiking and mountaineering.

Namibia has four distinct geographical regions. In the north is Etosha Pan, a great area for wildlife and heart of Etosha National Park. The slender Caprivi Strip is nested between Zambia and Botswana and is a wet area of woodland blessed with a few rivers. Along the coast is the Namib Desert, which at the age of 80 million years old, is said to be the world’s oldest desert. At the coast, the icy cold Atlantic meets the blazing African desert, resulting in dense fogs. The well-watered central plateau runs north to south, and carries rugged mountains, magnificent canyons, rocky outcrops and expansive plains.

Namibia, one and half times the size of France, is very sparsely inhabited and carries only 1.8 million souls. The people are as unique as the land they live on. The most intriguing are the San, otherwise known as Bushmen. These most hardy of people have a highly advanced knowledge of their environment. It is a marvelous thing how well they are adapted to their difficult habitat. Just pause and think that these are the only people in the world who live with no permanent access to water. In the Kalahari Desert, one of their domiciles, surface water is not to be found. Tubers, melons, and other water bearing plants as well as underground sip wells supply their water requirements.

In Namibia today, Bushmen number about 50,000. Historians estimate that they have lived, mostly as hunters and gatherers, for at least 25,000 years in these parts of the world. Bushmen speak in a peculiar click language and are very gifted in the arts of storytelling, mimicry, and dance. Namibia’s other people, who are indigenous to the continent, are mostly of Bantu origin. They are thought to have arrived from western Africa from about 2,400 years ago. The African groups include the Owambo, Kavango, Caprivians, Herero, Himba, Damara, Nama and Tswana.

The Africans aside, other groups comprise about 15% of the population and have played an important role in the emergence of the modern nation. White Namibians amount to about 120,00 and are mainly of German and Afrikaner heritage. Germans arrived in significant numbers after 1884 when Bismarck declared the country a German Protectorate. Afrikaners, white farmers of Dutch origin, moved north from their Cape settlements, especially after the Dutch Cape Colony was ceded to the British in 1806. This strongly independent people, whose ancestors had lived in the Cape from 1652 resented British control.

Two other distinct groups complete the spectrum of Namibia’s people – Basters and Coloureds. Coloured in Namibia and southern Africa refers to people of mixed racial heritage, black- white for example. They have a separate identity and culture. This makes sense considering that Namibia was run by South Africa after the First World War. Even in pre-Apartheid South Africa, racial classification was a fine art. The Afrikaans-speaking Basters, descended from Hottentot women and Dutch settlers of the Cape. Alienated from both white and black communities, they trekked northwards, finally founding their own town Rehoboth, in 1871. Baster is actually derived from “bastard”, but it is not derogatory, and the Basters are indeed proud of it.

Namibia’s barren and unwelcoming coastlines served as a natural deterrent to the ambitions of European explorers. That was until 1884 when the German merchant Adolf Luderitz established a permanent settlement between the Namib Desert and the Atlantic seaboard that afterwards took his name. Bismarck subsequently declared the territory covered by Namibia a German colony and named it S?dwestafrika or South West Africa. As German settlers moved into the interior, conflict was inevitable with the inheritors of the land.

The German occupation was a particularly unhappy experience for the Herero. The Herero resented the German’s harsh and racist rule and the effect of the encroachment on their lands on their livelihood and way of life. On the first day of the year 1904, the Herero led by Chief Samuel Maharero, rose suddenly and unexpectedly in arms against their colonial overlords. The Nama joined the insurrection and the authorities did not regain control even after six months of trying. Over 100 German settlers and soldiers died in the uprising. Historians now consider events that followed to constitute the first genocide of the twentieth century.

Lieutenant General Lothar von Trotha was furnished with a contingent of 14,000 soldiers and tasked to put down the rebellion. The governor general of the territory was then Rudolph Goering -the father of Herman Goering, Hitler’s right hand man. Lothar von Trotha was a generation ahead of his time and his kind of thinking was to become government policy under the Third Reich. He argued that the Herero must be destroyed as a people and he did not wince at the murder of women or children. At the end of it all, 100,000 Nama and Herero were killed. The survivors were herded in concentration camps where unspeakable things happened. The Herero fared very badly and 80% of her people perished. The population of the Nama diminished by 35-50%.

Windhoek, the capital of 165,000 people is the only true city in the country. For those traveling to more remote regions, this is where you settle practical matters. The positive aspects of the German period can be seen in the charming style of older buildings in the city. Places of interest in the city include the State Museum, State Archives, and the Namibia Crafts Centre. The Dan Viljoen Game Park lies 24 Km west of Windhoek on the gentle hills of Khoma Hochland. In this resort you find ostriches, baboons, zebras and over 200 species of birds. The Waterburg Plateau Park, located 230 km from Windhoek is popular with weekenders. This extensive mountain wilderness is home to cheetah, leopard, kudu, giraffe, and white rhino.

Etosha National Park is what brings wildlife lovers to Namibia. The park is comparable in size and diversity of species with the best in Africa. The unusual terrain of Etosha holds savanna grassland, dense brush and woodland. But it is the Etosha Pan, a depression that sometimes holds water and covers 5,000 sq km, that is the heart of park. The perennial springs around the pan, attract many birds and land animals in the dry winter months. The effect of this background is magical and some of the best wildlife photographs have been taken here.

There are 144 mammal species in the park and elephants are particularly abundant. Some other interesting wildlife here includes giraffe, leopard, cheetah, jackal, blue wildebeest, gemsbok and black rhino. The birding is great at Etosha and over 300 bird species have been recorded. You will get best value by spending at least three days here. There are excellent accommodation facilities at the three rest camps of Namutoni, Halali and Okaukuejo. The best time to see animals is between May and September, when water draws them in huge numbers to the edge of the pan. Etosha is 400 km to the north of Windhoek by road.

The Fish River Canyon is unrivalled in Africa and only the Grand Canyon in the U.S in larger. The Canyon runs for 160 km and reaches a width of 27 km and depth of 550 m. But size alone does not explain the appeal of the canyon. You experience incredible views at various points along the rim. Adventure lovers do not merely come for the views. Hiking through the canyon is the ultimate endurance adventure for hikers. There is an established 90 km hiking trail that will take you 4-5 days to cover.

The trail ends at Ai-Ais hot spring resort where you can unwind. You are allowed to hike between early May and end of September. The hike is quite strenuous and needless to say, you must be physically fit. The authorities disbelieve the capacity of most people to undertake the hike and will actually insist on seeing a medical certificate of fitness before allowing you to start off. Fish River Canyon is 580 km to the south of Windhoek.

The Skeleton Coast has been the graveyard of seafarers and whales and deserves that morbid name. The problem is the dense fogs. And woe to the ship wreck survivor who expects respite onshore! Ahead is the Namib Desert, one of the driest and most unwelcoming places. Adventure travelers love trekking along the coastline as they enjoy the stark beauty of the area. To the south at Cape Cross, you find a seal colony carrying tens of thousands of seals. The Skeleton Coast Park covers 16,400 sq km and begins at 355 km northwest of Windhoek.

The Portuguese explorer Diego Cao reached this part of the world in the year 1486. He is probably one of the people whose experiences discouraged Europeans from venturing ashore until the arrival of the Germans 400 years later. Further south is the Namib-Naukluft National Park, a vast wilderness covering 50,000 sq km. The landscape is very diverse and covers mountain outcrops, majestic sand dunes, and deep cut gorges. For really spectacular dunes, the Sossusvlei area is unsurpassed. Here you have dunes rising to 300 m! The orange tint giants extend as far as the horizon and the area has an unreal, unforgettable atmosphere.

To the northeast of the country, the well-watered Kavango and Caprivi Strip region offers an unspoilt wilderness suitable for rugged game viewing and camping. The area also promises a feast for bird lovers. Game reserves in the area include: Kaudom, Caprivi, Mahango, Mudumu and Mamili. Poachers did great damage to wildlife during the years of the civil war in neighbouring Angola. Animal numbers are however building up rapidly. Some of the wildlife in the region includes leopard, elephant, buffalo, cheetah, lion and various antelope species. The Caprivi Reserve falls in an area of swamps and flood plains. Here you have an opportunity to partake fishing, hiking, game viewing safaris and river trips in traditional mokoro boats.

In Namibia you can enjoy up to 300 days of sunshine. The coast is temperate and thermometers run between 5C-25C. Inland, daytime temperatures range from 20C-34C, but can rise to 40C in the north and south of the country. Winter nights can be quite cold and frost occurs over large parts of the country. The rains inland fall in summer (November-April) and are heaviest in the Caprivi region. Rains do not much affect travel, but beware of flash floods in the vicinity of riverbeds. The best time to travel is over the dry months of March to October, when it is easier to see animals at waterholes. It is best to avoid the Namib Desert and Etosha between December and March when it can get unbearably hot.

You can get by wearing light cottons and linens in summer. Over winter nights and mornings, you need heavier cottons, warmer wraps and sweaters. Comfortable walking shoes are essential, as the ground gets very hot. Some useful stuff to pack includes: camera, binoculars, sunglasses, sun hats, sunscreen and mosquito repellant. Be ready for dusty conditions and carry your clothing, equipment and supplies in dust proof bags. Do not be tempted to buy items made of ivory. You may not be allowed to carry them through customs at home. And it also good that you do not encourage the trade in ivory products that keeps poachers busy.

Copyright ? Africa Point

By: Andrew Muigai

About the Author:

In today’s complex, team-based, and increasingly competitive corporate world, managing colleague relationships and rewarding employees are essential. In addition to recognizing performance, experiential learning programs are proven to support employee retention, enhance productivity and to build morale and profits. Some companies are offering businesses a chance to embrace this opportunity by taking colleagues out of their normal surroundings and into the great outdoors for some excitement, adventure, and team building.

Working with companies both large and small, these adventure companies provide innovative outdoor special events to simply reward employees, or to reach deeper and with a team of experienced facilitators, seek solutions, resolve conflicts or focus on other specific issues.

“Historically, corporate team building programs were about bringing facilitators into the boardroom, or going to specific destinations with facilities that accommodate team building programs. What we have created are some truly unique programs that can be brought anywhere, be it an office, city centre, or resort,” says James Corbett, owner of Canadian Outback Adventures. “More and more companies are realizing the return on investment and are embracing the importance of experiential learning through team building adventures.”

A few of Canadian Outback Adventures’ ( www.canadianoutback.com? [http://www.canadianoutback.com%C2%A0]) most?popular programs include the following:

Survivor
Though the corporate boardroom may sometimes seem intimidating, the “Survivor” event is definitely not! Groups are split into separate tribes with local First Nations tribal names. Each tribe’s goal is to complete the various challenges as effectively as possible. Challenges such as Blind Leading the Blind, Triage, Squamish Scramble, and Buried Treasure test strategy, communication, and other essential business components. No special skills, athletic ability or previous experience required!

Amazing Race
Amazing Race is a team-building event combining communication skills, planning, strategy, teamwork, and a race against the clock. Groups are split into teams and mini-teams whose goal it is to work together to complete the race in as little time as possible.? Racers are set out on a course filled with interesting route markers that provide additional route information, road blocks that outline a specific task that someone on each team must complete before moving on, and detours that run throughout the area. Amazing Race is the perfect answer for adventure-seeking enthusiasts.? The resort of Whistler BC is one of the most popular locations for the Amazing Race, and many Whistler hotels also offer this as an activity individuals or small groups can do while in Whistler.

CSI:
With the increased popularity in crime stories, CSI has grown to become one of the most watched shows in the North America. Canadian Outback Adventures has adapted orienteering and the theme of the CSI into a group format allowing teams to compete in an educational and exciting activity. With each member proficient in a specific navigational or crime solving skill, teams must work together to navigate their way to a series of crime scenes. At each location teams must carefully search for clues and document evidence to solve each particular case. Upon completion, the teams will hand in their evidence and receive lab results. The final challenge will be to solve the mystery: who has committed/masterminded the crimes!

Eco-Challenge
Eco-Challenge is geared toward corporate teams searching for top performance results. This unique teambuilding event is intended to re-create themes as problem solving, creative thinking, communication, team interaction, trust and building confidence, all in an inspirational outdoor setting. Eco-Challenge begins and ends at an Adventure Base located in the Squamish Valley, just one-hour from Vancouver and Whistler. Teams work their way through the Squamish Valley to experience various challenge components, all of which are designed to encourage teams to work together, both physically and mentally, and to highlight individual and team strengths. Components include mountain biking on backcountry roads and trails, rock climbing, kayaking in river kayaks on Alice Lake and river rafting on the Cheakamus River.

RiverQuest
Groups can hit the water with the exciting RiverQuest activity. RiverQuest combines a day on the river with various problem solving and teambuilding events that encourage creative thinking, communication and team interaction. RiverQuest begins at the Adventure Base in Squamish where team members are briefed on the day’s objectives and outfitted with all the gear needed to ensure a safe journey. The adventure begins on the banks of the Cheakamus River, a fun river with small gentle rapids in a stunning setting. Once on the water, teams will be given both written and verbal instructions to retrieve various items from checkpoints located in the river or along its banks. Between checkpoints teams will encounter several challenges in which they will have the opportunity to compete individually as well as to go head-to-head with other rafts.

Imaginative adventures like these greatly enhance the experience and help employees explore themselves and teammates in a? whole new way.

By: Murray Steward

About the Author:

Summer camps are special camps arranged for people to enjoy their vacation or tour in any adventures. Summer camps comes up with special offers outdoor education camp, leadership camp, science camp, awareness camp and many other social welfare schemes are offered to the public for reasonable prices. Outdoor education forms major part of the education and it is more required for people. Outdoor education is considered has important and essential requirement for most of the people and they fetches more demand among the people. Outdoor education is created and offered specially for kids, children and adults.

The main purpose of estimating and offering outdoor education is to develop self confidence and self esteem among the people. The outdoor education activities, outdoor education courses, outdoor education programs are offered to kids, children, adults by outdoor education schools or outdoor education centers. Outdoor education camps are conducted either inside or outside classrooms. Outdoor education forms major part of the education system and it is more important to be known by the people to come up with every possibility in life. Most of the parents feels better that their children should be aware of outdoor education programs offered and they should compete with outside world.

Outdoor education activities or outdoor education courses are provided by more number of outdoor institutes or adventure outdoor schools. An outdoor education course, outdoor education programs initiates cooperation, coordination, team building, goal settings and spirituality among the students and others. Outdoor education camps are provided by more number of outdoor education institutes or outdoor education schools for reasonable and affordable prices. The outdoor education camp provided will be more worth and valuable for the students who obtains and they are provided under complete knowledge and experience.

Generally, adventure outdoor school or outdoor education schools provides outdoor education activities, outdoor education courses, outdoor education programs to kids, children and adults under prescheduled, guidance and procedures. With regards to qualified, professional and expert outdoor education instructor, outdoor education programs will be offered. Under proper guidance and precautions, outdoor educations will be offered to the people to enable them to know the required outdoor education provided. More number of kids, children and adults are obtaining the outdoor education programs offered.

The outdoor education professionals, experts or instructors guide the kids, children and adults in efficient manner. Generally, outdoor education programs and outdoor education courses are offered to students based on age group, duration of course offered and kind of outdoor education program selected. The outdoor education camp offered will be creative, enthusiastic, innovative and technical appraisement for the students hindering. Outdoor camps will be offered to the students for reasonable price consideration and they are offered by more number of adventure outdoor schools.

By: Ron Victor

About the Author:

Borneo, Papua New Guinea and Costa Rica
It’s now possible to explore Borneo, Papua New Guinea and the stunning National Parks of Costa Rica by taking a luxury expedition cruise. Areas inaccessible for the majority can be reached with guidance from locals and on-board explorers using RIBS or speedboats. Depending on the region, you will be accompanied by a professional expedition team or expert guides who will take you to the best places for wildlife watching, spotting rare birds and plant species, and often visiting local communities for unforgettable encounters with the people who have live in these wild regions.

Borneo is the third-largest island in the world, shared between Indonesia, Malaysia and the tiny Sultanate of Brunei on the north coast. The states of Sarawak and Sabah comprise the northern Malaysian territory, and the southern Indonesian region is known as Kalimantan.

The mention of Borneo evokes dreams of adventure and nature in the raw, and the reality is not disappointing. A natural paradise of jungle, rainforest, mountains, vast cave systems and coral reefs, it is probably best-known for its orangutan population and efforts under way to protect and conserve it. In the World Biosphere Reserve of Tanjung Puting, Camp Leakey has run a conservation programme for the orangutan since 1971, and at Semenggoh Wildlife Centre, young orangutan are rehabilitated and re-introduced to the wild. Visitors can observe their feeding and behaviour in a regulated environment, and at Cabang Panti Research Station in Gulung Palung National Park they can be seen in the wild.

The only way to reach Tanjung Datu National Park in Sarawak is via a long forest trek or more easily by small boat. Behind magnificent beaches, pristine rainforest sustains the Bornean Gibbon, crab-eating macaque and leaf monkeys, and there are tracts of rare dipterocarp forest. Not far away is Bako National Park where you can expect to see proboscis monkeys, long-tailed macaques, the flying lemur and carnivorous plants. Sea arches and cliffs make up the shoreline, with trails leading to waterfalls, cooling pools and streams.

The islands offshore are no less entrancing. Kangean Island has long, golden beaches, and monkeys and komodo dragons live in the mangrove forest on its tiny islet. The Karimatas chain is very rarely visited, but the coral reefs are wonderful diving territory, with mountains and rainforest inland.

Lush, green Papua New Guinea is only 90 miles from Cape York on Australia’s northern tip, but its culture and extraordinary diversity of plant and animal life is a world away. There are 3000 different orchids alone, and its 700 bird species include the Bird of Paradise. It is one of the least-explored regions on earth, with some areas making contact with the outside world as recently as the 1970s. Many of its plants and animals are yet to be discovered.

The population is almost equally diverse, with over 850 languages spoken and ethnic groups broadly divided between New Guineans, Papuans, Highlanders and Islanders. 82% of the population live in small villages where tribal customs are still practiced.

The Sepik River runs from the Highlands to the Bismarck Sea in the north, and from its banks you can visit the village of Watam and its seven clans. The Bird of Paradise and the world’s largest butterfly, the Queen Alexandra Birdwing, live in the hills above the fjord. At Dei Dei Village, locals still cook their food in the hot springs, and on Fergusson Island, rainforests cover the mountains and there is the chance of seeing the purple-bellied Lory, a rare parrot endemic to Papua New Guinea.

National Parks cover a quarter of Costa Rica, preserving rainforest, swamps, wild, beautiful beaches and lagoons, and a tenth of the world’s mammal species. Along the Nicoya Peninsula are Tortuguero, Manuel Antonio and Santa Rosa National Parks, together with the Natural Reserve of Curu, which can all be explored on an adventure cruise of Costa Rica.

The coastline is a combination of idyllic beaches and crashing surf, backed by dense forest, palms and mountains; scuba divers and surfers flock to Playas de Coco, where offshore there is the bonus of shipwrecks and sharks’ caves to explore. With the help of guides, expect to see jaguars and sloths in Tortuguero National Park, and from Isla Tortuga, spot manta rays, pilot whales and giant whale sharks. In the Natural Reserve of Curu, there is an increasing population of the rare spider monkey, and all five of Costa Rica’s mangrove species grow here – the atmospheric forests and swamps are accessible from zodiacs.

Wildlife cruises are one of best ways to explore these pristine habitats. The itinerary will cover a wide variety of landscapes, enabling you to see exotic flora and fauna and marine life with the benefit of expert guides. Anyone who is not sure whether a wilderness holiday is for them can relax in the knowledge that staying on board is an option; retreat to luxury accommodation with good food and wine and first-class service.

By: Jo Pettifer

About the Author:

Samuel Clemens, more popularly known as Mark Twain, had written a number of great novels including many in the spirits of adventures. However, no other novel either by Twain or by any other author ever matches the unique flavor of two of Twain’s novels:

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn

Tom and Huck are two interesting and significant characters in both the novels. The first one revolves around Tom Sawyer and the second one revolves around Huck Finn. In spite of being the author of other great books like The Prince and the Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court, Mark Twain’s best fraction of immortality arguably came out of these two characters and these two adventure books centering these two young boys.

Both the novels belong to the class of best ever assets of classic American literature.

In both the novels, running away from home and dead bodies plays an important role. In the first novel of the two, Tom Sawyer runs away from home, and finds the dead body of Injun Joe, a runaway criminal. In the second novel, Huckleberry Finn runs away from home with Miss Watson’s slave Jim, and then a dead body is found (Huck does not get to see the face of the dead body) that proves to be his father’s corpse.

Further, in Huck Finn’s novel, Twain demonstrates a great mixture of humor, social criticism almost to a degree of satire and solid narration.

Clemens, aka Twain, had written too many pieces in too many places including obscure newspapers using too many pen names. Hence making a complete collection of all his works has proved to be impossible so far. But it would be a great revelation if more such adventures were found to be written in a less-read newspaper, and could itself stand a research topic on Mark Twain and his literature, although finding any such existence would be a challenge (there is no concrete proof of existence of such pieces).

By: S Dey

About the Author:

Iqaluit was the landing point for our charter and as we toured around in 3 school buses, it seemed to me to be quite a desolate place – my impressions emanated from its ocean-edge location, the billowing shrouds of dust as well as the worn-out looking buildings and homes. There was a strange feeling of abandonment emphasized by our visit to the “Road to Nowhere” – a peculiar focal point to show visitors. The town had grown up during the days of commercial whaling and then the fur trade, however when this market crashed in the 20′s, the town languished. It feels almost as if people here have given up.

The ship zodiacs were waiting for us on the outskirts of town and we had quite a ride out of the harbour to the ship as the tide can change by as much as 35 feet! Off we set about 1600, but soon we experienced our first Plan B. There was so much ice in Frobisher Bay that our ice-strengthened ship, the Russian Akademik Ioffe, required the use of an ice-breaker. The Terry Fox joined us about 2200 and it surged ahead through thick growlers and bergie bits until 0500 the next morning. We got up to watch it peel off to the right on its way to help some other ship out of trouble.

Monumental Island was to be our first stop but again Plan B came into play. Hayley Shephard, the expedition leader, let us loose on our first zodiac wildlife cruise even though we could not land on the island due to the ice surrounding the island. It was cold (because it was our first ride and we did not yet know what clothes were going to work on the zodiac rides) but sunny blue skies prevailed. This would become the pattern of the next week through the Davis Strait as we approached Greenland, our stops there, and our journey north. Sea ice was our companion which is water that has frozen into a berg. This is quite different from glacier ice which comes from the land and breaks off to float and dissolve eventually. What were incredible were the mirages that appeared on the flat surfaces ahead of us. Office buildings, walls and flat-topped structures rimmed the horizon and we wondered if you could take a picture of a mirage?

Cumberland Sound was completely blocked by ice and so we headed to Plan B and missed Pangnirtung. Heading north-east instead, we were all up at 0320 one morning as we crossed the Arctic Circle. The next morning we were in port at Sisimiut and we tromped through the settlement for about 8 hours. 6200 people living here make it the second largest town in Greenland. Cars and buses, a funeral at the church, a picnic lunch, seal meat for sale at the butchers, working dogs, and one coffee shop all seemed a bit of a mirage after the solitude of the previous few days. Culture shock Arctic-style!

The next morning we woke up at Jacobshavn Glacier which is the source of 60% of the North American glaciers. Most zodiac-ed in 10 rubberized motorboats and the 6 or so kayakers paddled around massive bergs up to 3 kms. deep. As we approached them, it would appear to be just a wall of ice and snow but then we began to see individual bergs and were able to appreciate the size better. 40 kilometres of glaciers are backed up into the glacier proper. As they edge forward out of the harbour mouth, the tide will carry them north to Ellesmere Island where they turn south again and travel down along the east coast of Baffin Island to reach Newfoundland. This journey can take up to 3 years.

A BBQ on the back deck in the brilliant blue sunshine was dinner. There is a tag you can put on your cabin door if you wish to be undisturbed. It is a picture of a polar bear and it says “Currently hibernating – please come back later”. This is quite funny really because polar bears do not hibernate!

2 more stops in Greenland – Ilulissat and Uummannaq – and more great hiking opportunities as well as unique chances to poke around the back streets. Activities were organized for the 110 or so passengers in these places but I just wandered around on my own. At lunch, before we left Uummannaq, Hayley brought on board 2 school teachers (270 kids in the school) to tell us a bit about life here above the Arctic Circle. Their eyes were as big as saucers when they saw the bowls full of fresh lettuce and tomatoes laid out for our salads. Anyway, one chap told us that the school janitor did not use his first name until after he had been there over one year. Apparently they get so many volunteer and short term contract workers that the local people do not have the energy to invest in itinerant people. Only when you prove that you are there for “the duration” will they start to open up to you and engage you in a relationship.

Up until now, ice had been in sight everyday day and perceived as a benign and beautiful part of the landscape. Thomas Wharton once wrote “I sometimes get the feeling that ice is alive.” For the people who live in the Arctic, the ice is just a means of getting to where they need to go – usually for food. At this point though, the ice, to me, took on a personality and not a very accommodating one at that – more like obstinate. We had to sail directly north along Greenland for the next 48 hours in order to get around a big ice flow making its way south through Baffin Bay. This took us north of 75 degrees latitude! With the ice conditions as they were for our passage through Lancaster Sound, we endeavoured to get to Prince Leopold Island by late evening July 31 to be in position to see the Solar Eclipse.

And as mother nature rules these things, the night of July 31/August 1 was the cloudiest night of the whole trip. “A vista that is breathtaking to the eye rarely keeps that awe-inspiring grandeur intact on film” wrote Thomas Wharton. Some people had brought special camera equipment to take pictures and there are some good ones on the DVD that Quark gave to everyone at the end of the trip. What we all did see though was this: at its totality, the whole sky was virtually black except for a 2 inch rim around the whole horizon of pinky/reddish/orange. This must have been the area of sunshine beaming from the corona of the eclipse. Fantastic and unforgettable.

Humans are quite contrary creatures – we wanted to see ice as that is where the polar bears live but the ice floes we were running into (figuratively speaking only) prevented us from landing at many of the destinations in Nunavut including our supposed end point Resolute. Plan B was not always worse though as in this case we had a landing at Cape Joy in Admiralty Strait and spent 2 nights at the hamlet of Arctic Bay near the airstrip at Nanisivik.

Trip Trivia: The word “Arctic” comes from the Greek ARKITROS meaning great bear. The GReeks had no knowledge of polar bears but the land was situated under the Ursa Major constellation – the Great Bear. Sometimes we employed one engine and plodded along at 8 knots and other times, when the currents or the ice slowed us down, we utilized both engines and reached a maximum speed of 13 knots. The temperature hovered between 2 and 10 most days but when sitting in the sun in Tshirts out of the wind, you would think it was closer to 20C. We had sightings of polar bears and musk oxen at distances that were hard to photograph. Seals and whales did swim closer to the ship. During the last 5 or 6 nights, we were so far north that the sun did not actually go down below the horizon at all during the night. The yearly number of hours of sunlight at the Equator and the Arctic Circle are virtually the same – they just vary considerably by season. The Inuit never invented the wheel for the simple reason that wheels are virtually useless in the far north. Theirs is a fragile environment and the growth of economic and tourist enterprises raise environmental concerns not all unique to this region, but the remoteness and harsh conditions make it difficult to enact legislation.

After 400 years of exploration, death, starvation, heroism and downright stupidity, the route through the Arctic is well charted. The original driving forces to find it were wealth, trade and commerce. Nowadays, with airplanes everywhere, the need to sail across the top of the world does not exist. However, the fantastic feats of discovery and endurance remain a testimony to the men who gave their all just to see what was really at the end of that strait or that inlet. Thanks to them, Quark’s navigation of these waters was safe and truly marvellous.

Arctic: land of mirages and Plan B’s.

Arctic: not a destination but a journey.

Enjoy.

By: Anne Fairlie

About the Author: