Arriving in Churchill

And so here I am, sitting on the plane, headed back to Denver.  How quickly my dream trip to Churchill ended.  What an amazing experience it is, each and every time I go!  So much happens in so little time.  When I get home it will be as though nothing has changed, no time has passed.  Much like the trip into the wardrobe in the "The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe".  I've walked into a land far, far away, and return, the only one who has changed.

The trip was wonderful!  The flight to Winnipeg a bit late, but nothing major.  The flight from Winnipeg to Churchill was a different story however.  Up at 5:30 and in the hotel lobby to meet my group at 6 AM.  I was going to be on the bus to the charter hangar with a group, but was not part of the group tour.  The tour people showed up at 6 :30 and we all boarded the bus.  It was a special bus with TV screens throughout the bus showing wonderful polar bear videos.  That was nice, especially since we had to wait at the hangar gate for quite a long time.  Finally the gates were open and we boarded the plane.  It is a strange feeling for me to walk on a plane without security, but apparently none is necessary from that part of the airport.  We were all on the plane and it was discovered that the seat in the exit row was broken...oh no...that meant we all had to deplane and hang out in the small terminal building while repairs were made.  We were told it would be 20 to 30 minutes.  Any one want to guess if that prediction was right?  Of course it wasn't!  I have yet to have any repairs that are done quickly.  So over an hour later we boarded the plane once again and this time all went well and we really did take off.  Finally...Churchill bound!

Flying to churchill, I sat next to a lovely lady, a retired school teacher from Surrey, England.  How interesting to compare the education systems of our countries.  It seems England is starting to change back to a more meaningful education philosophy, but as my new friend said, education is like an oil tanker, hard to turn around and very slow.  So many similarities everywhere it seems.  The 2 hour flight flew by as we discussed solo travel and favorite destinations, and suddenly we were landing in beautiful, windy Churchill!  Again!  Other than the guides, I was the only repeat visitor to Churchill.  People were so excited, as was I.

There was a bit of confusion as we were at the terminal, no one was sure what I was to do since I wasn't part of the actual tour group.  Just hitching a ride on a charter takes some patience, and persistence to be sure everyone doesn't leave, with me stranded in the little terminal.  All got figured out and I was offered the opportunity to take a town tour with the group or just be driven to my friends' house.  I've seen the town so I opted to be driven to see my friends.

And so I'd finally arrived in very cold, blustery Churchill...as I walked out into a different world, a white, wintry 'other world', I'd felt as if I'd walked through the wardrobe...

Packing for Canada! (again!)

Two days ago, election day,  people could be heard saying, " I'm ready to pack my bags for Canada".  Yes, I had to laugh because I actually WAS packing for Canada!  However, I will be returning to the US after my short Churchill visit to see the polar bear migration to Hudson bay.  Ahh, what energy there was in at home on election day!  Living in a "swing state" certainly did keep us in the limelight with many visits by the candidates.  I know there are some reading this from far away and some who don't share my political beliefs, but if you are reading this, you either really like me anyway, or just enjoy my very long winded trip reports.

My dear dogs were delivered to their familiar settings, Meli with my friend's family with other dogs where she will be totally spoiled, and Bram at his hang out where he has gone for 8 years, his doggie daycare, country club style.  A holiday for all of us.  And then off for another adventure for me!  

I have a few favorite places to visit, and still love experiencing new ones.  My last trip was a combination of both of those things.  It was to be the last trip of the year as I start looking for a job to pay off my trips.  However, things do come up, and now I am headed to my polar paradise, Churchill, Manitoba, Canada.  (Yes, I do have 2 paradises-Mykonos, being my tropical paradise.)  Churchill isn't quite in the arctic circle, but Hudson bay is the one place in the world where you can be guaranteed to see polar bears this time of year.  If you have followed my travels, you know this isn't my first trip to this remote northern location in Canada.  Well, it isn't even my second or third visit either!  And actually, it isn't that far north compared to many other towns and villages, but for me, it is far enough into a remote location, to be considered as such.

This was a trip that was never going to happen again, it isn't easy or inexpensive.  Just when I'd resigned myself to the fact that I'd be watching the bears this year on the polar bear live cam in the tundra, I received the most generous and amazing offer from my friends who live in Churchill.  Kevin, who I met on my Antarctica trip, lives in Churchill.  I've gotten to know his family during my visits and this year they sent me an invitation to return to Churchill using the one tour he is given to give as a gift to someone for working for the companies he is with.  This is such an amazingly, generous offer, I am still trying to believe this is happening!  But it is!  Along with Kevin and Sandy's generous offer, I was able to get my flights to Winnipeg with miles and my hotel in Winnipeg with points, making this probably the best deal to Churchill there has ever been!  I appreciate this opportunity more than words can say!  And yes, right now I feel like the luckiest person in the world!  

I am so thankful that the weather is nice because I'm still really not all that brave.  I left home before the storm moved in and it is 2degrees C and clear in Winnipeg.  Tomorrow morning I will be on a charter plane to Churchill through one of the tour companies and that will be a first.  I'm sure it will be fine, and I do always look forward to the people I meet as I head north to the bears!  Some really interesting people take this journey.  I'm hoping for cold and snow there.  If it is too warm the bears don't move around much, and to be honest, I want to see it all!  

This trip is short, but filled with bears.  When I arrive in Churchill tomorrow morning we will go out on our own to see bears.  The next two days I will be on the tundra in the tundra buggies, courtesy of Kevin!  Then a flight back to Winnipeg, a night in the hotel there and then home.  Short, but bear filled!  I'm really not sure how to show my gratitude.  I'm so touched!

And so, my bags are packed and off to Canada I go!