N Baffin: Welcome to Arctic Canada

We have arrived in Canadian waters. Ultramarine is sailing through Pond Inlet, a waterway that lies between Baffin Island and Bylot Island. We have yet to step foot on Canadian soil, however. We have to clear customs and immigration before that can happen. The formalities will be taken care of later when the officials come aboard the ship.

In the meantime, here is the brief story of our morning thus far.

When I awoke at 5:15a, I felt quite rested … thanks to the extra hour we gained overnight. Even with the curtains drawn, the cabin seemed brighter. Aha! The sun must be out. And it was. What a joy. I tried to step out on the veranda, but …the door wouldn’t budge! The wind was so strong that I couldn’t push the heavy door open. Oh, oh! Was this going to keep us on the ship for another day?

There were lectures on the schedule this morning to continue our education in all things Arctic. I stayed in the cabin to watch the live-stream broadcast on the TV so I could keep an eye out for when land views replaced the ocean views.

The first lecture went ahead as planned; the second one was postponed so that we could all go out on deck to enjoy the views. We were now at the mouth of Pond Inlet … making our way to Eclipse Sound.

Luckily, by this time, the wind had died down so we could get out there and view the mountain landscape on either side of the ship … with glaciers streaming down the sides … jagged peaks reaching up towards the blue sky.

Beautiful!

Time for lunch and then … well, it all depends on the formalities to clear us for entry into Canada.Leia mais