Svalbard, Norway Day 6

Today was a very cold day.  Our morning began with a sightseeing tour of Longyearbyen.  Our guide, the second oldest man on the island, showed us key sights, explaining a little about life on Svalbard, both back in the days it was a mining settlement and in more modern times.  He's the second oldest man on the island and still working because Svalbard is a working population.  It's a harsh environment so they have no elderly, no disabled.  It was at this point that I had a realisation.  He mentioned that it's great for people with lung problems.  And that's when I realised, I'd been carrying my inhaler all holiday but I'd not needed it, I'd not even coughed since we left the UK!  Even dropping 40'C wasn't enough of a temperature change to bring it on and yet walking in to a cold room at home will trigger it.  I long to be back in the clean, dry air!

The sightseeing trip took us to the Global Seed Vault and I was way more excited to see this than is probably normal.  You can't go in, it needs three separate people with three different keys to gain entry.  Inside, held at a constant temprature, deep within the permafrost, lays millions upon millions of seed samples from all around the world.  A doomsday vault as it were, just waiting for when it may be needed to help regrow crops and plants from all around the world. (see extras, along with a view down in to Longyearbyen). 

We had a quick lunch and then we were out for another dog sledding trip.  Unfortunately there was a slight miscommunication, neither the sled infront of us, or ourselves were aware that we could stop and switch drivers at any point we liked (rather than at a specific half way point).  We hadn't been shown how to do this safely and we also had been told there were two important rules, never let go and never do anything without instruction.  The group in  front had attempted to shout on a couple of occassions but eventually, 80% of the way through the trip, the passenger ran ahead at a pause to ask.  By this point I was so cold and in so much pain from it that I wouldn't be able to safely drive.  Sitting for an hour at -23'C with added windchill, isn't fun.  Superficial frostbite to my cheeks and around my eyes was not a pleasant end to the holiday.  The guide was apologetic but we still put in a letter of complaint.

Once back in to town, we were adamant we were going to leave on happier memories.  Another delicious feast at Nuga and then on returning, we decided we'd have a drink in the hotel bar before packing our things for leaving.  Sat in the most northern settlement in the world (there are research posts further north but no permanent settlements), drinking a beer brewed in the world's most northern brewery!  It was delicious!