Ny Alesund and Ny London, Svalbard

Yes, there has been radio silence for 24 hours or so, not because I’ve had a touch of writers block but because MS Spitsbergen has to follow protocols in the settlement of Ny Alesund, the most northerly continually, inhabited settlement in the world. Or so it says in all the tourism blurb, and it was today’s first stop. This is because in Ny Alesund all radios, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity have to be switched off as it is primarily a science research base and any radio connectivity could interfere with with delicate research activity (he says, looking out of the window at the various aerials, radar domes and satellite tracking dishes dotting the shoreline).

But before I get to today’s activities, a quick note about yesterday evening. After the usual roundup and briefing, the MS Spitsbergen cabaret troupe took to the stage. And very good they were too….all Philippino crew members. First was one of the receptionists who was very much in touch with his feminine side who sang a few standard cabaret numbers. Then the band took over, playing good, well known rock and dance tunes, such as Sweet Caroline, Proud Mary and La Bamba. Now, the vast majority of the explorers on board are 70+, but it didn’t take long to see which of the ladies were ex rock chicks and disco divas.

And at last, the weather gods took pity on us and provided the best weather yet. We woke to flat seas, cloudless blue skies and a pleasant 9C. The ship was able to berth alongside and we could walk ashore. (We had in fact visited Ny Alesund before back in 2012 on a much bigger cruise ship, the like of which have long since been banned from Arctic waters).

So we wandered up the Main Street and had a look around the museum. Coal mining was the settlement’s claim to fame in the 1920’s and the museum obviously concentrated on this. Opposite the museum was an old steam locomotive, used back in the coal mining days and a little further up, the post office/general store/souvenir shop. We ventured in….shoes had to be removed at the door…and bought a postcard to be sent home from the most northerly post office in the world, as well as our usual go-to’s, pin and patch badges. There were many cans of the local brew for sale too, and I would have bought one as a souvenir, but unfortunately only local residents are permitted to buy alcohol.

One other interesting museum piece that we visited was the tower which Roald Amundsen used to tether his airship to when he was flying over the North Pole.

It also turned out to be quite a good stop for wildlife sightings. On shore we saw several reindeer (which may, or may not have been family pets), on the way back to the ship we saw a harbour seal and just after lunch from the reception window saw a minke whale passing close by.

After lunch, the ship made a short journey across the fjord to our second stop, and one where we would land using the zodiacs. When the narwhals were called to the tender pit, I remarked to the Expedition team member on duty that I’d forgotten my tusk and should I go back to my cabin to collect it. It took several seconds for the penny to drop but she did appreciate the joke.

The second stop was our most northerly point on the expedition at 79.57.27 degrees north (according to my phone GPS which seems to be pretty accurate). The settlement at this stop was Ny London and it used to be an old marble mine. However I think the planning department at Ny Westminster County Council were pretty strict as there were only four wooden buildings evident.

There wasn’t a great deal to see here although the walk up to the lookout point over the fjord gave the most beautiful scenic views, to the iceberg producing glacier at one end to the open sea at the other. It was also the spot where several brave or foolhardy or just plain mad (depending your point of view) explorers decided to take a polar plunge.

So we have now had our captain’s farewell drinks which ended in farce. Just as he was signing off, word came down from the bridge that a polar bear had been spotted. The lounge bar emptied in seconds, but just as everyone was grabbing cameras and binoculars another message followed. It was all a false alarm, the polar bear was in fact a large, pale reindeer.

Our bags are now packed and tomorrow morning we leave Svalbard for Oslo where we stay for a couple of nights. So there will be one or two more blog posts to follow.