Embrace the unexpected
Well, maybe think twice before you actually embrace it. Depends on what it is. “Murder at the Coal Mine?” Longyearbyen, Svalbard. June 2015. Photo Eric Guth
Svalbard
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Svalbard gift delivery, Ottawa, Canada
Full circle moment. In June, I delivered a gift from World of Maps in Ottawa, Canada to the museum in Longyearbyen, Svalbard. Yesterday I got to deliver the gift from Svalbard back to Ottawa. It was so much fun, and now I know how Santa feels. Brad and Petra loved the package and went crazy…
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Svalbard Circumnavigation, Ice Bears and Islands, Longyearbyen
(Post 1 of 4) The goal is to score a world first–the first circumnavigation of Svalbard’s four main islands by kayak. This is the team: Per Gustav Porsanger (Norway), Jaime Sharp (New Zealand), and Tara Mulvany (New Zealand). I met them in the Longyearbyen campground to learn about the imminent journey. They planned to leave…
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(Post 2 of 4) Jaime Sharp has spearheaded this journey and worked closely with the team to pull the plan and the sponsors together. His boat is looking ready, and he’s really excited about the seat. It’s an inflatable bean bag, which sounds pretty cushy for long days in icy water—as long as it doesn’t…
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(Post 3 of 4) Tara Mulvany’s show and tell was all about the chocolate. Bags and bags and bags of it. She has an impressive paddling record (around New Zealand, around Vancouver Island) but she told me, “I’ve been nowhere cold.” Fortunately, her teammate, PG, is an Arctic expert. Check out the next post.
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(Post 4 of 4) Per Gustav (PG) showed off the polar bear fence they will use as a camp perimeter. He spent 15 years in the military and is “very used to the winter aspect.” He mother is from a family of Saami reindeer herders, and his father is Norwegian. “I’m not an experienced kayak…
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Hornsund, Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Sometimes, a place becomes remarkable through its absences. Odd Ivar Ruud was the last trapper to work here, in Gnaalodden, Spitsbergen, and he left in 1971. The cabin is now owned by the state and maintained by the Svalbard governor. Locals still stay here. It’s pretty cozy inside.
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Saying goodbye to Longyearbyen, Svalbard
We met some great characters here and have become big fans of the Store Norske Men’s Choir. How could you not love this guy? Photo by Eric Guth
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Photo by Eric Guth.
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Goodbye for now. We’ll be thinking of you and sharing what we’ve learned with others across the north. Eric and Jenny.
