Saturday 26.08.2023 Visit to Ulukaktok on Victoria Island

 Today we are hoping to land at Ulukaktok, Victoria island. We are on the West coast and in the Northwest Territories. We are really looking forward to this as the locals (the Copper Inuit) have prepared visits to the schools, Heritage Centre and are also putting on a show for us in the gym. Drummers, dancers, and Artic sports. There will also be souveniers to buy, locally made arts and crafts and they would like us to pay in Canadian Dollars. Good job the Missus has bought some with her. We  found out we are also in Polar Bear country. I am scared for their safety. I am staying on board. 

This is also another place that another expedition visited while looking for the ill fated Franklin Expedition, this one was led by a person called Inglesfield and the Hudson Bay Company opened a shop there!

Due to speed restrictions we arrive late, and our landing time now is 15.30 from deck 3 the Expedition Launch Deck. Announcement a bit later, Landing today has been refused because of the COVID on board ship. The Inuit community leaders have said no. So we are disappointed, our covid patients are isolating so what can you do. The right decision has been made. So onwards to the next destination, we are now officially in the Northwest Passage.

Master has come up with a subtitle for his blog 'The Missed Adventures of Old Cog and Scrat!'

Last night at the smoking hills the ship had a visit from a Falcon, it came in quite close and many people managed to get some lovely photos of it. I got the impression that it was used to seeing cruise ships and I think sometimes it may have been fed by people. The Missus made sure I kept a low profile so I didn't get stolen. It was a Peale's (Pacific) Peregrine Falcon. Beautiful bird.

Also today we went to a lecture about 'The Inuvialuit Perspective on Archaeology'. This talk was not only interesting but thought provoking too, as the Inuit believe that everything has a spirit and their practices are never to disturb the dead and if nature destroys anything that's how it is. However when a major Pipeline was going to put in that was going across Inuit territory a significant archaeological survey was done. Articles were studied recorded and some retrieved, as they would have been destroyed by another hand. Interestingly Inuit Archaeologists studying items that were emerging from the permafrost,  found things such as fishing hooks that are still made the same way these days.

I had a laugh when the Missus told us about their visit to the Fredheim Restaurant. Firstly the missus managed to give the wrong cabin number, she said 296 instead of 926, turns out that 296 is a crew cabin! Then they ordered Waffles. Missus wanted a hazelnut waffle and the Master a chocolate one. Next thing they had a pot of potatoes put down in front of them and looking a bit puzzled the waiter asked what was wrong. They had been given someone else's order. When that found its way to the right table they, waited and waited and still their order didn't arrive. Eventually the waiter noticed and asked the cheif where the waffles were. He claimed he hadn't seen the order, it was hanging in front of him. They did get their waffles and said how nice they were.