Today we are traveling across the frozen ocean on komatiks, wooden sledges pulled by snowmobiles, to our Arctic base camp. The ride is bumpy, like traveling in a zodiac across choppy waves. We cross a couple of natural cracks in the ice, 1-4 foot gaps where the frozen ice has split apart to reveal the ocean water beneath. The first crack is a bit frightening (what if our sled falls into the ocean?), but we soon become accustomed to the ease and expertise with which our Inuit guides cross these cracks. They've been traveling this same "highway" of frozen ice for decades, heading out to their favorite hunting grounds at the floe edge.
This afternoon we arrive at our comfortable base camp, nestled between several large icebergs that have frozen into the pack ice. It looks like a scene from a fantasy movie, camping between icebergs can't possibly be real!
We walk over to one of the icebergs, about 8 stories high, and climb up, stepping where no person has ever stepped before. This iceberg was likely last part of a glacier in Greenland that calved off and floated around the top of Greenland and down to Baffin Island.
The views from the top of the iceberg are stunning. We can see all the way out to the floe edge, where the moving ocean water meets the frozen pack ice. Our Inuit guide chops off a chunk of the iceberg to take back to camp. All of our drinking water for the next week will be supplied by freshly melted iceberg. In another 6 weeks, the ice we have driven on will be melted into Eclipse Sound and this iceberg will again be free to continue its travels south along the ocean currents.
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.