Just in Winnipeg now on the way home from Churchill, Manitoba in northern Canada. What a special trip. There are not the words to describe how I feel.
Took the train to Toronto on Monday October 20, stayed overnight in the Fairmont Royal York just across the street from the train station and got on the train for Winnipeg in the morning. Stayed overnight in Winnipeg on the 22nd at the Hampton Inn just across from the train station.
aw a good production of "Cookin' At The Cookery - the life and times of Alberta Hunter" at the Manitoba Theatre Centre that evening. Got on the train for Churchill on the 23rd and arrived in Churchill over 2 hours late at 11:30 on the 25th. We toured the town of Churchill and the area, visiting the gunnery overlooking Fort Prince of Wales. During the tour we saw an Arctic Hare, 3 Cross Foxes and an Arctic Fox stalking and catching a lemming. Our guide Paul said we had been very lucky because most people never see a hare. They are all white with just tips of black on the ears. Had a late lunch, visited the Parks Canada Museum where we had a talk and saw films about the polar bears. Had supper at the Lazy Bear Lodge and got bussed to the Town Centre where we saw a slide show by a naturalist photographer mostly polar bears and tundra. Three of us walked back to the hotel and after returning from a walk to the edge of town looking for northern lights sat up with other travellers chatting. We were all wiped by 9:00/10:00.
Day 2 was spent in a Tundra Buggie with our tour leader Walter Berry and the buggie driver/guide Martin Flanagan. We spotted bears immediately. When a pair of young females began fighting right in front of us beside the observation deck of our buggie it was fabulous. They were only play fighting but it went on for at least half an hour with them wrestling, flopping about, boxing and rolling in the snow. A polar bear watcher's dream. They were so close to us. Even Walter and Martin jumped up, got their cameras and started snapping photos like tourists. That is what made us eralize how lucky we were. Martin said it was a rare thing to witness and that we were very lucky.
It was hard to top that but as the day went on we saw 19 more bears bringing our day total to 23. Not just sleeping bears either. We had several bears approach our buggy and do close inspection. We saw dramas unfold as a big male approached a sleeping mother and cub from across a lake. Mother decided to move her cub away, quickly. The male followed but she was not taking any chances. He eventually left them alone and everyone settled down to rest. We saw one 3 year old male several times as he wandered about the area. There were lots of bears hanging out at the Tundra Buggy Lodge where we stopped for lunch. As we passed a bit of willow scrub we discovered a snoozing bear on the other side but he hardly even lifted his head as we stopped to look him over. Amazing.
We were bussed back to our hotel, did a bit of souvenir hunting at the shop and went down the road for supper. The bus picked us up at the restaurant and we headed out of town to look for northern lights (aurora borealis). They were there but very pale. Afterwards Peter (a fellow tourist) and I went souvenir shopping and then to a local watering hole where there was to be an open jam session (a regular Sunday night event) and had a couple or 3 beers. Most of the guides were there including Walter, our fearless leader. It was lots of fun and the music was good too.
Day 3 was spent on the Tundra Buggy again but with an addition. Peter, Diana, her 10 yr. old son Dawson, another woman and I booked a helicopter tour. The weather was bright, sunny and warm (by Churchill standards) so it was a fab tour of 45 minutes. We asw about 30 (lost count) bears from the air, saw 8 or 9 moose in a patch of wooded area. Flew east towards Cape Churchill and out over Fox Islands on the way back. We were picked up at the buggy and dropped back at a different meeting point on Gordon Point. I got lots of photos and movies of the trip which was a first for me. The best was that I got to be in the co-pilot seat. What a thrill, unbelievably great. After a stop for lunch, more bears spotting (23-28 on the buggy) and an Arctic Fox hunting all over the Tundra Buggy Lodge area, ignoring the bears who ignored him.
Back to the hotel to freshen up before supper but first a bit of souvenir shopping. Then off to the Northern Nights Restaurant for supper. The bus came for us again and out we went looking for the aurora borealis which was still somewhat undramatic. But when we were getting off the bus at the hotel a stunning display of aurora borealis appeared overhead. It was stunning and we watched for almost an hour in the freezing cold night.
Gotta run now. More later...
Posted by gailene at October 29, 2003 11:14 AM