Peeter and Carol's Adventures

Sept. 11, 2009-09-11

Peeter and Carol Vanker

When we neared Alexander Harbour the weather deteriorated, the fog came in, the wind increased and it began to snow heavily. Whale watching was cancelled and we continued south. We had lectures, a movie and a demonstration of Inuit throat singing by one of our onboard Inuit guides.

We woke up to brilliant sunshine, temperature of about 6 degrees C., a bonus day in Qikiiakjuaq on Broughton Island off the east coast of Baffin Island, about 100 km. north of the Arctic Circle.

We landed in a small harbour by zodiac boats. We had a walking tour of this village of 500 persons. We visited one of the three hotels with 8 rooms at $ 225 per night. The nursing station is served by 3 nurses and a doctor who visits twice a month. They are building a senior citizens’
complex. The water is brought by tanker truck from a spring on a mountain side and is sold to the residents and $ 450 per tank full.

We were told that the polar bears become a nuisance in about a month’s time. The community has an “early warning” system of dogs on the periphery. Outside one of the homes was a recent walrus kill. Ours is apparently only the third cruise ship to visit this village this year.
Pond Inlet where we visited a few days ago had 8 ships visit this year, and 12 in 2008.

We visited the two local coop stores. Some sample prices were as
follows: 1.89 l. Tropicana juice: $11.39; 355 ml. single container of Tropicana juice: $9.69; a 4 litre bag of 2% milk: $12.49; Sarah Lee frozen apple pie: $22.89. P.S. Milk products are subsidized by the government.

We again had a throat singing demonstration in the community centre gym.
Outside a number of items were for sale, including seal skin mittens and slippers, sketchings, and an almost 8 foot long narwhal whale tusk (specially elongated tooth) priced at $4000.00. Unfortunately it was too long and heavy for our suitcase!

We’re off to a barbeque on the deck for our lunch. The food has been varied and plentiful.