Adventuring

The ship is still listing this morning and we are told that the windspeed yesterday reached hurricane level (over 118km/h, 73mph, 32.6m/s). It seems that through the night we missed out port after port. We reach Kirkenes a bit late and almost everyone gets off, either to explore the town or to stay overnight in the snow hotel or for an activity. Finally, finally we’ve got the hang of using spikes on our boots so we go off rather more sure-footed than previously. We are going snowmobiling on the frozen Langfjord which leads out into the Barents Sea and we bundle ourselves into all-in-one windproof suits. Pictured is my mum in hers, sporting some of the injuries she got from her fall on the ice two days ago but still game to be my snowmobile pillion despite her painful arm. The organisers give her permission to hold on with only one hand!
 
Our daughter, H, desperate to be allowed to drive her own snowmobile, started driving lessons 12 weeks ago but the timescale was way too ambitious so she climbs on behind B. Those of us who claim to have valid driving licences are given a rudimentary driving lesson and I discover heated handlebars. All those miles on motorbikes with frozen hands! Why didn’t I know?
 
Driving is much easier than a motorbike and I’m sure H, an experienced city cyclist, would be fine. Although we’ve been told to bring our driving licences no-one has asked to see them and I wonder… After our test run we all pull over and we ask whether she could drive. Absolutely not. Against all the rules. But… one of the people accompanying us for safety is an instructor and he agrees to allow her on the front of his superior snowmobile and give her a lesson. What a happy daughter!
 
At the end of the ride about 40 of us squeeze into a lavvu (Sami tent, similar to a teepee) where we warm up round a roaring fire while our snowmobile guide sings Sami joik to encourage the northern lights. All very touristy. But hey, we are tourists!
 
And so we have reached our mid-point. The ship is turning here and heading back to Bergen. The schedule is carefully planned so that on the way back we will have day visits to places we passed in the night while coming northwards so there is still plenty in prospect but it does feel very soon.
 
This afternoon at Vardø we have the opportunity to go ice-dipping in the Barents Sea. Well, when will I get the chance to do that again? I sign up along with my two children and a few others but sadly the wind gets up again and the ship can’t get into Vardø harbour.

This evening we are right under the centre of Northern Lights activity but there is cloud. We make forays outside from time to time to see if we can see stars and finally we can. But the wind makes it almost impossible to stand so we give up.