Although the itinerary stated that breakfast started at 6 a.m., I am certain that there were not many willing to leave the soft fluffy beds at that hour. Once again, conversation filled the room as we enjoyed our coffee and croissants. Not long after 9 a.m., our group leader Don addressed the room. He reminisced about our adventures and mentioned highlights of the last nine days.
Afterwards, John Ham got up to present our leaders with gifts of gratitude from the group. Jane opened the first treasure, a bobble head polar bear, which is undoubtedly something everyone needs as part of their décor. Next was a very special gift indeed…remember the hat that flew off the buggy and coincidentally chewed on by a polar bear? Yes, indeed the same hat was courageously retrieved by our phenomenal buggy driver Kevin!!!! What a man, eh? (o.k. I couldn’t help myself) It was a collaborative effort on the group as well to approach Kevin for such a dangerous mission! At first, Don thought he knew what was carefully wrapped inside. He believed it was a new hat, a replacement for the one he lost. As he was opening the well wrapped gift, he started to get more excited as he figured that quite possibly could be the hat. The closer he got to it, the more his hands shook and fumble for what lay inside the bag. The look on his face was priceless as he saw this mangled yet still wearable hat, with the exception of holes, torn material and bear drool!!!
As we wind down from all the excitement, it starts sinking in that our trip is ending. We have to start heading back to our lives, such as they are and all that it entails. Photos, hugs and well wishes abound. Most of the group making announcement and plans for the upcoming Monicos in Motion rallies across the U.S. One thing for certain, newfound friendships and memories of our time together have left an indelible mark on us for many years to come.
See you on the open road!
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
Friday, October 16, 2009
Day 8 - Tuesday, October 8 2009
Morning came and we all searched out our windows to find if the bear was still nearby. He was there, foraging around, sniffing out any meal he could find. At breakfast, some of the members and our staff had come up with a fantastic nick name for our bear………The Mad Hatter! Perfect!!!
After breakfast there was enough time to gather our belongings as our luggage was to be loaded and brought back to the pick up location whereby they would be taken to the airport for our departing flight back to Winnipeg. Somehow through all of this excitement, one piece of luggage did not make it aboard. A carry on that, I believe, among it’s contents held someone’s passports!! Side note – through out the whole day the staff worked tirelessly to find the bag. It was located and placed among the rest of the group’s luggage. LUCKY….again!
Leaving on our buggy again, we scanned the horizon for more wild life. Time had passed and it was time for lunch and drinks (it seems like we’re always eating!!). As we ramble along, Kevin slowly comes to a stop. He gets out of the driver’s seat and calmly asks us if we would like to see an Artic Hare. Starving for more wildlife, we grab our cameras. The trouble becomes finding this creature! It is incredibly well camouflaged. Only Kevin’s keen eyesight was able to see the jet black eye of this hare. Once pointed out, we could barely make out the shape nestled among the bush right next to the trail. The hare left its hiding spot and started munching on the surrounding foliage providing proof that, in fact, it wasn’t an illusion. I must say, they have some very cooperative fauna on this part of the tundra. Very well trained!!
As comes time to head back to the pick up location, Kevin is generous enough to let some of the luck few aboard drive the buggy. Now, keep in mind, we are on the flat parts of the trail, NO OFF ROADING was attempted much to the dismay of our lucky drivers. After Kevin takes back the controls we meander along, still trying to capture one more glimpse of wildlife out on the tundra.
Once back, we say our good-byes to Kevin. Patiently waiting for us there was our wonderful friend Bill. We board the bus quickly, as he promises to get us back to town for some last minute shopping. We even got to stop by the post office, which was closed when we first arrived, to receive a postmark in our passports for those of us that wanted to have more proof that we were indeed in the Polar Bear Capital of The World!
Arriving at the airport, we gather our luggage, check in and prepare for our flight back to Winnipeg. As the only way into or out of Churchill is by train or plane, there were 2 flights to Winnipeg to accommodate the large number of passengers. While part of our group awaited boarding, an announcement was made that rather than the 15 minutes or so that separated the two flights there was now a delay of over an hour. Luck was on our side again, as the second flight was able to make it to it’s destination not long after the first group.
After checking into the luxurious Hilton Suites, some grabbed a light supper in the hotels’ lounge before heading off to bed. Some just went straight up as there were a few couples that had early flights. Either way, we all enjoyed the accommodations after “roughing it” out on the tundra!
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
After breakfast there was enough time to gather our belongings as our luggage was to be loaded and brought back to the pick up location whereby they would be taken to the airport for our departing flight back to Winnipeg. Somehow through all of this excitement, one piece of luggage did not make it aboard. A carry on that, I believe, among it’s contents held someone’s passports!! Side note – through out the whole day the staff worked tirelessly to find the bag. It was located and placed among the rest of the group’s luggage. LUCKY….again!
Leaving on our buggy again, we scanned the horizon for more wild life. Time had passed and it was time for lunch and drinks (it seems like we’re always eating!!). As we ramble along, Kevin slowly comes to a stop. He gets out of the driver’s seat and calmly asks us if we would like to see an Artic Hare. Starving for more wildlife, we grab our cameras. The trouble becomes finding this creature! It is incredibly well camouflaged. Only Kevin’s keen eyesight was able to see the jet black eye of this hare. Once pointed out, we could barely make out the shape nestled among the bush right next to the trail. The hare left its hiding spot and started munching on the surrounding foliage providing proof that, in fact, it wasn’t an illusion. I must say, they have some very cooperative fauna on this part of the tundra. Very well trained!!
As comes time to head back to the pick up location, Kevin is generous enough to let some of the luck few aboard drive the buggy. Now, keep in mind, we are on the flat parts of the trail, NO OFF ROADING was attempted much to the dismay of our lucky drivers. After Kevin takes back the controls we meander along, still trying to capture one more glimpse of wildlife out on the tundra.
Once back, we say our good-byes to Kevin. Patiently waiting for us there was our wonderful friend Bill. We board the bus quickly, as he promises to get us back to town for some last minute shopping. We even got to stop by the post office, which was closed when we first arrived, to receive a postmark in our passports for those of us that wanted to have more proof that we were indeed in the Polar Bear Capital of The World!
Arriving at the airport, we gather our luggage, check in and prepare for our flight back to Winnipeg. As the only way into or out of Churchill is by train or plane, there were 2 flights to Winnipeg to accommodate the large number of passengers. While part of our group awaited boarding, an announcement was made that rather than the 15 minutes or so that separated the two flights there was now a delay of over an hour. Luck was on our side again, as the second flight was able to make it to it’s destination not long after the first group.
After checking into the luxurious Hilton Suites, some grabbed a light supper in the hotels’ lounge before heading off to bed. Some just went straight up as there were a few couples that had early flights. Either way, we all enjoyed the accommodations after “roughing it” out on the tundra!
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Day 7 - Monday, October 12, 2009
Another frosty morning begins as we finish breakfast. Today is the day we go out on the Tundra Buggy. Tonight we will be sleeping with Polar Bears! We board the bus with anticipation of seeing more bears. Bill greets each one of us with his warm smile and upbeat personality.
It doesn’t take long before we are boarded on to the Tundra Buggies. They are amazing vehicles that seem like a hybrid of a monster truck and a school bus except the body is a lot wider. Fortunately, they do NOT launch themselves up in the air to get a better view of the bears…..they leave that for the helicopter tours. This is where we meet Kevin Burke, our buggy driver/tundra guide. He introduces himself to each one of us. After we are all seated, he gives us a little of his background and describes the safety expectations while aboard.
We get underway and set out to see the bears. Our pace is slow and our eyes are peeled to the terrain in front of us. Most of our four wheelers in the group are right at home as we inch along over the water logged tundra, going over some rocks that make the buggy sway like a ship on rough seas. As we roll along, Kevin mentions that this is a sub-artic climate. It is the 60 parallel that determines this as well as looking over the terrain and seeing small trees and shrubs.
We stop for a bit of coco and coffee, and have a delicious meal provided by Gypsy’s. Who knew that soup and a sandwich could be so good! After wrapping up lunch, we set forth for more exploration. In the distance Kevin pointed out the lodge where will be staying overnight. As we get closer and circle around the other side. Low and behold, there (among 2 other buggies) nestled in the brush and snow is a polar bear. He is sleeping, and moves occasionally to get more comfortable. Most of the comments made from our group was that the bear was an animotric bear shipped direct from Disneyland. They joked with our driver where he was hiding the controller! After a few moments, Kevin suggests that we move out so we can let the buggies out for the day to get their photo opportunity.
We roam around until it was just about time to get into the lodge for the day. No other buggies are there as we roll up to our friend again. This time, Kevin is able to engage the bear and spark his interest in our group. Wow, were we ever treated to a show! The bear investigates us, probably wondering which one would be a tasty snack, and walks around the entire buggy. He’s a well trained bear, giving us all great photos to share with the folks back home. The bear would even sit down on his rump, picking out clods of snow from between his feet. Kevin gets the bears attention again, and this time the bear puts both enormous paws on the buggy for a closer look inside. At this point, windows were down and camera shutters were in all in multi frame mode getting every close up imaginable! Everybody understood how important it was to keep hands, heads, hats and gloves inside. That being said, our group leader Don, lost his hat when a big gust of wind caught the bill of his hat and it flew to the ground a few feet away. All of the sudden, the bear was up and pounced on that hat with lightening speed! We all watched as he tore into the hat. The bear was trying to determine if it was eatable. It is a memorable moment indeed, but the bear soon tires of all the attention and retires back to the snow for another nap.
After settling in to the lodge, and getting to know where our bunks will be for the overnight stay, we head into the lounge car for hors d’oeuvres and wine. Conversations were lively and some shared their photos with one another. The dinner bell rang (figuratively) and we all made our way to the dinning car. On the menu for dinner was salad and homemade buffalo meat lasagna. After our filling meal, we headed back to the lounge car where we had a presentation from Kevin about Polar Bears.
To begin our presentation, Kevin discussed how Tundra Buggy Tours began. Len Smith started the company. The tours actually began as photo safaris if you will, and Kevin told us how Len created the vehicles and described how they evolved into the buggies used today. Len wanted to have something that he could drive, sleep/live out on the tundra. This really fascinated some of the rv / four wheelers in our group! Kevin also mentioned that he was a field technician for biologists that would study polar bears. In addition National Geographic hired Len Smith for their documentary Polar Bear Alert.
As the evening came to a close, we all retired to our bunks exhausted. Sleep came quickly for some and we all looked forward to another tomorrow. Another day of wondering what will we find next.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
It doesn’t take long before we are boarded on to the Tundra Buggies. They are amazing vehicles that seem like a hybrid of a monster truck and a school bus except the body is a lot wider. Fortunately, they do NOT launch themselves up in the air to get a better view of the bears…..they leave that for the helicopter tours. This is where we meet Kevin Burke, our buggy driver/tundra guide. He introduces himself to each one of us. After we are all seated, he gives us a little of his background and describes the safety expectations while aboard.
We get underway and set out to see the bears. Our pace is slow and our eyes are peeled to the terrain in front of us. Most of our four wheelers in the group are right at home as we inch along over the water logged tundra, going over some rocks that make the buggy sway like a ship on rough seas. As we roll along, Kevin mentions that this is a sub-artic climate. It is the 60 parallel that determines this as well as looking over the terrain and seeing small trees and shrubs.
We stop for a bit of coco and coffee, and have a delicious meal provided by Gypsy’s. Who knew that soup and a sandwich could be so good! After wrapping up lunch, we set forth for more exploration. In the distance Kevin pointed out the lodge where will be staying overnight. As we get closer and circle around the other side. Low and behold, there (among 2 other buggies) nestled in the brush and snow is a polar bear. He is sleeping, and moves occasionally to get more comfortable. Most of the comments made from our group was that the bear was an animotric bear shipped direct from Disneyland. They joked with our driver where he was hiding the controller! After a few moments, Kevin suggests that we move out so we can let the buggies out for the day to get their photo opportunity.
We roam around until it was just about time to get into the lodge for the day. No other buggies are there as we roll up to our friend again. This time, Kevin is able to engage the bear and spark his interest in our group. Wow, were we ever treated to a show! The bear investigates us, probably wondering which one would be a tasty snack, and walks around the entire buggy. He’s a well trained bear, giving us all great photos to share with the folks back home. The bear would even sit down on his rump, picking out clods of snow from between his feet. Kevin gets the bears attention again, and this time the bear puts both enormous paws on the buggy for a closer look inside. At this point, windows were down and camera shutters were in all in multi frame mode getting every close up imaginable! Everybody understood how important it was to keep hands, heads, hats and gloves inside. That being said, our group leader Don, lost his hat when a big gust of wind caught the bill of his hat and it flew to the ground a few feet away. All of the sudden, the bear was up and pounced on that hat with lightening speed! We all watched as he tore into the hat. The bear was trying to determine if it was eatable. It is a memorable moment indeed, but the bear soon tires of all the attention and retires back to the snow for another nap.
After settling in to the lodge, and getting to know where our bunks will be for the overnight stay, we head into the lounge car for hors d’oeuvres and wine. Conversations were lively and some shared their photos with one another. The dinner bell rang (figuratively) and we all made our way to the dinning car. On the menu for dinner was salad and homemade buffalo meat lasagna. After our filling meal, we headed back to the lounge car where we had a presentation from Kevin about Polar Bears.
To begin our presentation, Kevin discussed how Tundra Buggy Tours began. Len Smith started the company. The tours actually began as photo safaris if you will, and Kevin told us how Len created the vehicles and described how they evolved into the buggies used today. Len wanted to have something that he could drive, sleep/live out on the tundra. This really fascinated some of the rv / four wheelers in our group! Kevin also mentioned that he was a field technician for biologists that would study polar bears. In addition National Geographic hired Len Smith for their documentary Polar Bear Alert.
As the evening came to a close, we all retired to our bunks exhausted. Sleep came quickly for some and we all looked forward to another tomorrow. Another day of wondering what will we find next.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
Sunday, October 11, 2009
Day 6 – Sunday, October 11, 2009
We were greeted to a brisk morning as we boarded the bus for our tour around the area. Snowing and blowing the weather reminded one group member of living in Michigan. The scene looked very artic indeed! After a brief stop at the welcome to Churchill sign for a group picture, we ventured further out of town.
We came to the polar bear jail. This is a building where they house bears who venture into the city of Churchill. They are kept in a concrete cell, and only given water for 3 months. Especially important is to have no human contact. They want the bears to remember having an unpleasant experience so that they will not return to town. Nearby the jail was the airport, where we will be going to directly from returning on the tundra buggy. The idea is that we have as much time out there as possible.
The bus meandered down the snowy gravel road to our next stop. We came upon an area called the dog pond. This is where they have groups of dogs chained up around water holes. These are dogs that are meant to carry on the breeding stock of the Canadian sled dogs. They are bred with wolves and are kept isolated out there to maintain their natural instincts. Some dogs are left off leash to protect their pack from predation. Which by the way they needed today because low and behold a POLAR BEAR WAS SIGHTED! Now hardly any of us could contain our excitement, after all this is what we came a very long way to see. Cameras clicking away and video frames going by the second, it was a thrilling moment for us all. It became clear that the bear was not even interested in the dogs. He was just sniffing around, nibbling on any left over scraps. Bill, our guide, told us that this particular bear had grow accustom to the dogs and realized quickly that their leftovers meant an easy free meal. One of the dogs you could tell was experienced in trying to get the bear to leave (the immediate area) because he knew exactly how much space was necessary to get the bear to move. Too close, your toast! He succeeded in moving the bear around, and the bear went into this clump of shrubs. Keep in mind, this is exactly why you shouldn’t go wandering off out here. The bear went in, and you couldn’t even tell he was there! You could walk right past these shrubs and not even know he is there until it’s too late. We stayed and observed our furry friend for about 30 minutes before moving on.
We came back into town for lunch before going back out again. Next stop we passed by the dog sled tours on our way out the Weir Project. The project was a collaborative effort between Manitoba Hydro and the town of Churchill designed to increase water levels in a reach of the lower Churchill River to improve recreational boating and fishing. Up next was Bill’s house (which by the way in a fantastic bed and breakfast), and if you haven’t already surmised that our friend Bill is much more than a guide. He is a man who is living a very colorful life doing what he loves best.
After dinner, we again boarded the bus to St. Paul’s Anglican Church. This is where we treated to a lecture on the history of Churchill. Our setting was very après pos as Bill talked about the religious influences shaping the town. The town of Churchill began in 1698. It’s main founder Joseph Lofthouse was vital in the creation of the town. Due to the lack of a proper sanctuary, he traveled back to England where he was donated 100 pounds. He build the entire structure in England, dismantled it, brought it back with him on the ship, and rebuilt it here.
Bill went on to say the main economy is based upon tourism. Though Churchill is known as the “polar bear capital of the world”, there are others reasons to visit. Bird migration is also widely popular, as well as watching the flowers bloom all over the tundra. Around late June early July is when the Beluga whales come in to Hudson Bay to feed. Finally, the Northern Lights are most prevalent during February, March, and April.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our days here with Bill. We all feel that by being with him, we learned so much more than we could from anyone else. In fact, the knowledge we gained over the past few days is more valuable than any tangible object purchased at a gift shop, it’s PRICELESS.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
We came to the polar bear jail. This is a building where they house bears who venture into the city of Churchill. They are kept in a concrete cell, and only given water for 3 months. Especially important is to have no human contact. They want the bears to remember having an unpleasant experience so that they will not return to town. Nearby the jail was the airport, where we will be going to directly from returning on the tundra buggy. The idea is that we have as much time out there as possible.
The bus meandered down the snowy gravel road to our next stop. We came upon an area called the dog pond. This is where they have groups of dogs chained up around water holes. These are dogs that are meant to carry on the breeding stock of the Canadian sled dogs. They are bred with wolves and are kept isolated out there to maintain their natural instincts. Some dogs are left off leash to protect their pack from predation. Which by the way they needed today because low and behold a POLAR BEAR WAS SIGHTED! Now hardly any of us could contain our excitement, after all this is what we came a very long way to see. Cameras clicking away and video frames going by the second, it was a thrilling moment for us all. It became clear that the bear was not even interested in the dogs. He was just sniffing around, nibbling on any left over scraps. Bill, our guide, told us that this particular bear had grow accustom to the dogs and realized quickly that their leftovers meant an easy free meal. One of the dogs you could tell was experienced in trying to get the bear to leave (the immediate area) because he knew exactly how much space was necessary to get the bear to move. Too close, your toast! He succeeded in moving the bear around, and the bear went into this clump of shrubs. Keep in mind, this is exactly why you shouldn’t go wandering off out here. The bear went in, and you couldn’t even tell he was there! You could walk right past these shrubs and not even know he is there until it’s too late. We stayed and observed our furry friend for about 30 minutes before moving on.
We came back into town for lunch before going back out again. Next stop we passed by the dog sled tours on our way out the Weir Project. The project was a collaborative effort between Manitoba Hydro and the town of Churchill designed to increase water levels in a reach of the lower Churchill River to improve recreational boating and fishing. Up next was Bill’s house (which by the way in a fantastic bed and breakfast), and if you haven’t already surmised that our friend Bill is much more than a guide. He is a man who is living a very colorful life doing what he loves best.
After dinner, we again boarded the bus to St. Paul’s Anglican Church. This is where we treated to a lecture on the history of Churchill. Our setting was very après pos as Bill talked about the religious influences shaping the town. The town of Churchill began in 1698. It’s main founder Joseph Lofthouse was vital in the creation of the town. Due to the lack of a proper sanctuary, he traveled back to England where he was donated 100 pounds. He build the entire structure in England, dismantled it, brought it back with him on the ship, and rebuilt it here.
Bill went on to say the main economy is based upon tourism. Though Churchill is known as the “polar bear capital of the world”, there are others reasons to visit. Bird migration is also widely popular, as well as watching the flowers bloom all over the tundra. Around late June early July is when the Beluga whales come in to Hudson Bay to feed. Finally, the Northern Lights are most prevalent during February, March, and April.
We all thoroughly enjoyed our days here with Bill. We all feel that by being with him, we learned so much more than we could from anyone else. In fact, the knowledge we gained over the past few days is more valuable than any tangible object purchased at a gift shop, it’s PRICELESS.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
Day 5 – Saturday, October 10, 2009
We wake with anticipation as the train rolls on. The rail crew were announcing that our arrival would be sometime around 9:30 a.m. This gave us some time to reorganize and repack our belongings in preparation for Churchill.
Arriving at Churchill, we eagerly scanned the horizon to see if there were any polar bears in sight (none spotted in town today, we will have to wait for the tundra buggies). We were greeted by our bus driver/tour guide Bill Calnan. Boarding a school bus, he gave us a tour all about town. His knowledge and experience was both fascinating and informative. Bill’s style delivered this information with enthusiasm that kept us all entertained.
The very first thing he pointed out were the signs warning us not to go further, or we would be considered a tasty meal for a hungry polar bear. All kidding aside, he did make it clear that you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. It is no joke. They usually will have a siren go off if a polar bear is sighted in town. Last year they had about 170 bears come into town compared to 180 bears in the time span of 2 weeks. Hopefully this means we will see some bears out there!!!
Although Churchill is not a very large town, we were taken by an Inuit museum. The collection of artifacts, tools and ivory carvings was intriguing. We then were brought to the shoreline of Hudson Bay. By the way, did I mention that the winds were blustering about 20 miles an hour, with a rain/snow mix at about 32 degrees? It turned our photo ops into an adventure!! Back to business, he took us around the outskirts of town to show us where all the grain was loaded onto ships. He pointed out where certain buoys that would allow the large ships to navigate the channel from the Bay to the Churchill River where they loaded the grain. Somehow in this remote area, there was ANOTHER geo-cashe. As a matter of fact, it was Bill who actually found the cashe!
After our town orientation, we were able to check into our hotels and have a little free time. We had dinner on our own and were back to meet in the lobby by 7 p.m. Our group attended a captivating presentation by Myrtle de Meulles. She is the daughter of a trapper, who is a Metis. Myrtle is a descendant of a Creed and Scottish heritage. Her family was very large, 12 children, and they all managed to survive in a small home out in the wilderness. She spoke for only about an hour, but these stories of her culture and experience simply left you spellbound. She even showed us her art which was made with caribou hair. Each piece is unique and one of a kind. By doing this type of craft, she created a new type of art because no one else has ever thought to use this style of medium before. Most of her pieces include animals that are prevalent in the surrounding area.
We returned to the hotel, looking forward to what lay ahead for tomorrow.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
Arriving at Churchill, we eagerly scanned the horizon to see if there were any polar bears in sight (none spotted in town today, we will have to wait for the tundra buggies). We were greeted by our bus driver/tour guide Bill Calnan. Boarding a school bus, he gave us a tour all about town. His knowledge and experience was both fascinating and informative. Bill’s style delivered this information with enthusiasm that kept us all entertained.
The very first thing he pointed out were the signs warning us not to go further, or we would be considered a tasty meal for a hungry polar bear. All kidding aside, he did make it clear that you need to be aware of your surroundings at all times. It is no joke. They usually will have a siren go off if a polar bear is sighted in town. Last year they had about 170 bears come into town compared to 180 bears in the time span of 2 weeks. Hopefully this means we will see some bears out there!!!
Although Churchill is not a very large town, we were taken by an Inuit museum. The collection of artifacts, tools and ivory carvings was intriguing. We then were brought to the shoreline of Hudson Bay. By the way, did I mention that the winds were blustering about 20 miles an hour, with a rain/snow mix at about 32 degrees? It turned our photo ops into an adventure!! Back to business, he took us around the outskirts of town to show us where all the grain was loaded onto ships. He pointed out where certain buoys that would allow the large ships to navigate the channel from the Bay to the Churchill River where they loaded the grain. Somehow in this remote area, there was ANOTHER geo-cashe. As a matter of fact, it was Bill who actually found the cashe!
After our town orientation, we were able to check into our hotels and have a little free time. We had dinner on our own and were back to meet in the lobby by 7 p.m. Our group attended a captivating presentation by Myrtle de Meulles. She is the daughter of a trapper, who is a Metis. Myrtle is a descendant of a Creed and Scottish heritage. Her family was very large, 12 children, and they all managed to survive in a small home out in the wilderness. She spoke for only about an hour, but these stories of her culture and experience simply left you spellbound. She even showed us her art which was made with caribou hair. Each piece is unique and one of a kind. By doing this type of craft, she created a new type of art because no one else has ever thought to use this style of medium before. Most of her pieces include animals that are prevalent in the surrounding area.
We returned to the hotel, looking forward to what lay ahead for tomorrow.
See all photos at http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
Day 4 - Friday, October 9, 2009
The day begins grey, cold and cloudy, however that doesn’t dampen our spirits. Most of us know that it this type of weather brings about snow. Rocking and rolling down the tracks, we manage to see some of the beautiful scenery passing by our windows. We make a stop at a station called Thompson. Once stopped, it was really fun for the adventurous type to get out there and play in the snow. Patti even managed to build a snowman. Patti and Charlotte even threw a few snow balls!
The train creeps along at times. We all wonder how much longer we have to wait. It seems as though it will be an eternity before we arrive in Churchill. We want Polar Bears!!! Short of inciting a mutiny, we all think a much more peaceful solution is to settle in and enjoy the rest of the train ride north. The landscape passing our windows will have to suffice for now. It gives us time to reflect on the days past events. Day turns to night, and with that dreams of polar bears.
See all photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
The train creeps along at times. We all wonder how much longer we have to wait. It seems as though it will be an eternity before we arrive in Churchill. We want Polar Bears!!! Short of inciting a mutiny, we all think a much more peaceful solution is to settle in and enjoy the rest of the train ride north. The landscape passing our windows will have to suffice for now. It gives us time to reflect on the days past events. Day turns to night, and with that dreams of polar bears.
See all photos at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan
Saturday, October 10, 2009
Day 3 - Thursday, October 8, 2009
After much needed sleep, we were able to have a less structured morning and afternoon. It gave most of us time after breakfast to explore a little of the city on our own. River walks, souvenir shopping and photo opportunities were activities we all could enjoy at a less structured pace.
Meeting in the hotel lobby after check out, we all boarded the bus at 1:30 to the Pas (pronounced like “paw”). We had about a 9 hour ride, so we keep ourselves busy with conversation, reading, games and just enjoying the scenery. We had a home-style dinner early as it was the last place on route towards our destination. We even managed to “trap” a few locals who were unfortunate, but good natured enough, to sit with our boisterous bunch as the dining area was rather small. They exclaimed that they have never seen such a well behave bunch of hungry tourists!
We arrived at the train station ahead of schedule. So much so, that the train station itself was not even opened yet. However, luck being on our side, our amazing wagon master Don was able to arrange for us to check our bags and have the station opened. All of us appreciated that so we would not have to wait for 2 hours in the cold before we could board the train!!
The layover gave some group members to go GEOCASHING. It’s basically a high tech version of hide and seek by using g.p.s. coordinates to locate objects. Although, we did have one tense moment! Suddenly, a member of the group was unable to find his train tickets. The ticket agent said that the policy of the railway is that if you lost your ticket, you would have to repurchase the tickets and be subject to a $40 per ticket penalty!!! Luck being on our side once again, and our fearless leader (once again) managed to find a way to get back to the bus and check it just one more time. To the delight of all our members the announcement was made that the tickets were found.
Boarding the train around 11:30, we got settled into our sleeping quarters. The train departed around 2:30 a.m. Click, clack, click, clack, our train lumbers through the cold dark morning.
see all pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
Meeting in the hotel lobby after check out, we all boarded the bus at 1:30 to the Pas (pronounced like “paw”). We had about a 9 hour ride, so we keep ourselves busy with conversation, reading, games and just enjoying the scenery. We had a home-style dinner early as it was the last place on route towards our destination. We even managed to “trap” a few locals who were unfortunate, but good natured enough, to sit with our boisterous bunch as the dining area was rather small. They exclaimed that they have never seen such a well behave bunch of hungry tourists!
We arrived at the train station ahead of schedule. So much so, that the train station itself was not even opened yet. However, luck being on our side, our amazing wagon master Don was able to arrange for us to check our bags and have the station opened. All of us appreciated that so we would not have to wait for 2 hours in the cold before we could board the train!!
The layover gave some group members to go GEOCASHING. It’s basically a high tech version of hide and seek by using g.p.s. coordinates to locate objects. Although, we did have one tense moment! Suddenly, a member of the group was unable to find his train tickets. The ticket agent said that the policy of the railway is that if you lost your ticket, you would have to repurchase the tickets and be subject to a $40 per ticket penalty!!! Luck being on our side once again, and our fearless leader (once again) managed to find a way to get back to the bus and check it just one more time. To the delight of all our members the announcement was made that the tickets were found.
Boarding the train around 11:30, we got settled into our sleeping quarters. The train departed around 2:30 a.m. Click, clack, click, clack, our train lumbers through the cold dark morning.
see all pictures at: http://picasaweb.google.com/mimpolarbears/PolarBearCaravan#
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