7-14-15 LONGYEARBYEN, SPITSBERGEN, SVALBARD: We got here at about 8:30 PM. The airport is small, of course, one runway with one approach between mountains and across the bay. Because of the recent fog problem, the preceding passengers couldn’t leave the ship, and the few hotels in town couldn’t accommodate them because their guests couldn’t leave either. Today all the rest of the people who were supposed to be here yesterday will arrive, and the other folks will get out. The ship is full with the new guests and the old guests awaiting departure.
The sky was mostly overcast when we arrived and has remained so except for occasional spots of blue, but the sky is always bright because the sun doesn’t set. At midnight the sun was in the north, and the sky was tinged with a slight rose color, but it was as bright as midday. If you feel like I did as a child that you shouldn’t have to go to bed while it’s light out, you won’t get much sleep here.
We flew in over mountainous terrain with valleys and fiords cut out by glaciers. There is snow in all the gullies and depressions in the land and on mountaintops. The temperature was and is in the upper forties. Last night there was a brisk northerly wind, but today is calm. The water in this busy bay is gray-brown, and there are almost no waves. The boat is as stable as a building.
The town clings to the side of the bay at the base of a mountain. Most of the buildings are red or maroon. There is an aerial tram system for coal transport from the mines to the shore that looked like a chair lift at first glance. The tram runs through the middle of the town.
Most of the passengers we have met are British, the ship’s crew is Russian, the expedition staff is mostly American and Canadian. We in the middle of the age range of the group and relatively spry by comparison—amazing. Passengers are still arriving, late because of the fog and flight cancellations. We are a day behind the original itinerary.
Because we are still waiting in Longyearbyen, we walked the town today, which doesn’t take long. There is a small museum where we bought animal guidebooks. From the museum, we saw a reindeer high up the mountain. Judy did some shopping and I found a new T-shirt. The sun was out for an hour or so and it was almost hot, but by early afternoon we had on warm hats and gloves. There are a lot of bars and tourist shops a few hotels as well as the basics. Off the two main streets there is private housing. Snowmobiles are parked everywhere. There is almost no snow in town at moment. The waterfront area has utilities, ship services and construction yards.
After lunch in town, we walked back to the dock, zodiaced back to the ship, which is at anchor out in the harbor, hit the ship’s bar for one hot chocolate and one double espresso with Jameson’s and then it was naptime.
Sign post at the airport. Apparently there was a bear on the runway one time.
Our ship in the harbor.
Longyearbyen bakery...
The Broadway of Longyearbyen...
That's a stuffed bear that was marauding in town and was shot...
Town resident.
Snowmobiles on holiday.
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