Getting up early at 0730 did not agree with me but then that is the price to pay to go on a husky sled excursion. When I went on deck I was astounded to discover that the sea had changed drastically overnight. The sea now contained thin layers of ice and a mysterious frozen mist was rising from the surface. The sea was calm and almost lifeless but as the wake of the ship disturbed the sea, thin layers of ice cracked like a grinning face mask. We arrived at Kirkenes which was just at the border between Norway and Russia.
Our arrival was 20 minutes later than scheduled but we were soon boarded on the coaches and heading to the Ice hotel and the start of our husky sled adventure. After a brief ride we disembarked the coaches where we could already hear the husky barking in excitement, no doubt they heard us before we heard them. The sleds were anchored on the ice and the dogs were leaping up on their reins, barking and howling, it seemed they we shouting "lets go, let's go I'm cold just sitting here" but who knows what they were really howling? Perhaps they were shouting "let me be free and unleashed from this sled".
Once seated on the sled and reminded to keep my legs and arms tightly inside, my nose rather than my eyes realised that I was only a couple of metres in the line of fire of the husky's rear. The huskies clearly eat well and the cold weather obviously does not restrict the dog's digestive bacteria. Being dragged along by 8 huskies was an exhilarating experience, we were two passengers plus the sled leader, we must have weighed around 200 kg all together but the huskies dragged us along without any difficulty seeming to enjoy running alongside each other barking as they went. They even had an amazing technique of running in a hopping style on just their two front feet as they pulled their two rear feet up to their chest so that they could relieve themselves on the go. Thankfully the sight of the beautiful landscape and low elevation of the sun provided a more enjoyable sight. The temperature was around minus 26 degrees centigrade and was very dry. The trees, which had dropped their leaves for the winter had dry crystalline flakes attached to their bare branches instead of leaves. At a distance it looked as if the trees had white bark. The whole landscape was covered in snow, nothing had melted for a long time, the only snow free area was the small access road cleared by humans otherwise the only mobility her was by sled. It was amazing to see how different this place is to warmer places, even the sounds of nature seem be an octave lower than normal when echoed against the softness of the snow.
Regardless of the many layers of clothing, hat, gloves and snow boots I was wearing, my fingers were competing with my toes and screaming at me that they had frozen up. The sled ride came to a thankful end and I was able to extend my cold contorted body to its full length before dashing to the tent for hot drinks. The tent was small but warm with a small stove heater in the middle. To my immense disappointment the hot drinks had run out and I was left to huddle by the stove wishing the heat to penetrate my toes and fingers faster. My impatience was punished as I accidentally touched the hot flue connecting the stove to the tent's chimney, my cold fingers took an age to communicate to my brain that they were burning, it was too late my knuckle was burnt and it was going to be one hell of a blister!
Back on board I tried to find the purser or someone with a first aid kit to calm my aching burnt knuckle but no one seemed to have any first aid knowledge or even where to get a bandage. Heaven knows what they would do if there was a real emergency, like one of the elderly passengers slipping on the ice and breaking a hip or something. Anyway, I spent the afternoon sitting around feeling sorry for myself with my burnt finger in a cup of iced water like a mischievous child provoking her parents.
At 1700 we stopped at Vardø where a few brave souls disembarked for a dip into the cold Barents Sea in their swimwear. A group of old women believing in the health benefits and younger men showing their bravery, all dipped into a small holding pen moored next the quay as the rest of the passengers watched and cheered them on. Back on board, more coffee and diary writing while waiting for my late dinner.
The dinner menu listed venison so I had the vegetarian option, just couldn't eat anything that resembled a rain deer after today. I sat on my usual table and met with the two other couples assigned to table 55. Being the third time we dinned together the conversion flowed more easily and was very enjoyable. After dinner I went to the stern deck to see if the aurora was visible but it was very faint. My new dinner friends and I decided to wait a little longer in the bar to see if the intensity increased later in the evening. Unfortunately, it didn’t so we went to be bed around 1130 after a very full and enjoyable day.