 |
 |
 |
 |
  Sunday 28th of June 2015 and they woke us up by a message on the PA at 7 thirty. And as you understand the message started with a Good Morning. We're approaching Ny-Ålesund, the northernmost year round settlement in the world. We will come alongside and we will have a look at the village after breakfast.  And in the English message they had the Swedish word for today “Koncentrationssvårigheter”
I passed the white board with today’s activities on my way to the restaurant and the breakfast. And no hop to see any interesting animals today, the only thing to look forward to and that is a big IF, a diet drink in the small shop in Ny-Ålesund  Breakfast and I asked the crew about the chances of finding Diet MAX ashore. The chances were less than very slim. Non existing and I was disappointed. Well, the passengers left at 9 and I left  for a quick walk around 10 o'clock.
I passed the old steam train that I recognised from some pictures I had seen in on of the travel brochures. I took a few pictures of the train and the store house next to the track. It looked like a wild west town, old  wooden houses, not many of them along a dust path. I was expecting the Sheriff coming around the corner with his guns any time.
• Not lowed to walk next to the roads. Very sensitive area • Not allowed to enter the canteen • Not allowed to wear shoes indoors • Not allowed to have you mobile turned on as you would disturb the very sensitive instruments in the area They are doing some research about global warming and a mobile phone or the WIFI on your computer will make the instruments go crazy. I saw candy wrappings on the ground and those are obviously not disturbing the sensitive instruments. Well, maybe when a bird choke on them crashing in to one of their fancy equipment.  Ny-Ålesund from the gangway
 Ny-Ålesund from the gangway
But it is no problem to paint the hull dripping paint in the sea water. I asked them when I went  ashore if it was allowed to paint the ship side. An yes it was. This I found very strange. But I was not surprised, and have they asked?
I have been around the world and we're never allowed to paint the outside. And if we are (mostly in Scooby Doo countries) I don't allow the crew to paint.  Because then you can be sure they are lurking around the corner stand-by to fine you if you get a drop of paint in the water.
The first locomotive in Ny-Ålesund was built in Berlin 1909. The locomotive was brought to Ny-Ålesund in 1917 from Salangsverket in Troms. It was used to carry coals from the mines to the quayside, where it was loaded on to boats for transportation to the mainland. On the picture below you can see the red house, Mellageret warehouse built in 1919, which was used to store coffee, sugar, flour and dried fruit. Today they use the building as a pub.  Mellageret warehouse built in 1919
 The train
 Ny-Ålesund
 I thought it was a shop and I stepped inside.
Turned out to be a “self service” information centre on what they were dong here in Ny-Ålesund  As exciting as it gets here in Ny-Ålesund
 Ny-Ålesund post office
 Ny-Ålesund post office
 Nordpol Hotellet - I stopped to see if they had any Diet MAX but no sign of any people
 It was like a ghost town
 I left the train and the first house on the right hand side was a red house with a sign “Thidemann's Tobak” and I thought it was a shop. There was a sign on the door OPEN and I went inside. It was dark  inside but I realised that it wasn't any MINI Mart as I had been hoping for.
I took one more step inside and some auto light came on and it turned out to be an exhibition/ self-service information centre. I walked around the looking in the two rooms before leaving. Across the street there was a shop, turned out to be closed. I saw a house with the text Nordpolen Hotellet on the roof and I walked over there to see if they had any Diet MAX. I  stepped inside and there was absolutely no sign of any life. Where am I? In a ghost town? It was for sure looking and feeling like a ghost town. I had  really given up all hopes to find any Diet MAX
I spotted something that looked like a restaurant and I walked over there, it was a canteen and I was not allowed to come inside. This was really a strange place. I found a garbage container and I went to look, if I could discover any empty Diet MAX bottles or cans I knew that they would be available somewhere in Ny-Ålesund. I was disappointed, not any sign off empty Diet MAX bottles or cans. Only beer and vodka bottles. I  met one group from the ship and the Guide told me that the shop would open at 11 o'clock.
That was in 15 minutes and I walked to the shop. I spent the remaining 14 minutes waiting outside the shop and at 11 a girl came on a bicycle and she opened the door. They had 11 cans of Diet MAX and I bought all of them and I walked back to the ship. 
m/s Origo had anchored on the roads while I was ashore and I think she is doing a Svalbard cruise as well. I was soon in  my cabin and I ripped a can of Diet MAX open first thing.
 - What the 
I checked the can, and I discovered two things, the drink is from some Scooby Doo country and the soda had expired 2 months earlier. OK, the expiry date was not the reason for the soda to taste like 
I think it is the country of origin that makes the soda taste like Well, never mind, it is 11 cans only and I might get used to the taste. I'm soon in Sweden and I can buy the real stuff again.
All passengers on board and we left at 12 o'clock, bound for Longyearbyen and flight SK4497 to Oslo. Yeah, Scandinavian Airlines, and how happy am I to fly with them again? Same with the old couple from Switzerland, they always used to fly with SAS because it was the best airline in the world. Now they gave it  the thumbs down and they avoid them like the plague since the last 15 years. But I must admire the SAS crew, they really manage to give off the right carnival atmosphere on board. You can buy a can of soda water, and they only charge 4 US Dollars only!  Yippeeeeee!
Back in my cabin after the adventure in Ny-Ålesund and I discover my preliminary bill, 81$. Yes, I have had a few diet drinks. There was also an evaluation form and a paper about gratitude. Voluntary gratitude for hotel staff. The suggested daily amount is 12$ per passengers on this 7 day voyage. What the foock is this? Are we on board a slave ship? Don't they pay the staff? They suggest 12$ per day! Why don't they pay them 12$ per day then? Begging us for money, voluntary, it is voluntary when you pass the beggars on the street as well. Seven day voyage, it has been a 6 day voyage and it seems like we're in the middle of a scam!  So how does it work, the staff get 12 $ per day and the company pay takes the rest? Imagine the crew after a tour with no one giving tip, their children will be kicked out of school and they would starve to death. I'm not going with this company again! Same reason I don't go to USA again. My last two trips, Hawaii and Las Vegas. You stay in a nice hotel. You arrive to the airport after 24hours ++ on the go. Get in to the car and they open the door for you at the hotel. Now they expect tips and it goes on until you're leaving. If you pay several hundred dollars per night you expect good service without having to pay extra every time you come around the corner. I'm here to relax and enjoy myself and I don't want to walk around handing out money to everyone holding up the door for me with a “Sir” Especially not when you pay several hundred dollars per night. So coming for lunch to discover the “begging” box at the door, well, that’s it for me! Otherwise we have had a fantastic experience, a wonderful time. Well, today was a wasted day at the Ny-Ålesund. But all in all it have been amazing with all the animals. I really recommend a cruise around Svalbard, but the foocking “begging” box at the door is something I could live without. so if you decide to go, look for a company that pays their crew so they don’t have to destroy your experience. Believe me, with the price tag that came with this adventure you expect good service, without having to experience a foocking glass box in the restaurant for you to put money in.  Last time with PolarQuest unless they start to pay the crew
My next trip and I go with a company that pay the crew  - Hmm, let me see! We leave on the 22nd in the evening and we're back on the 28th in the evening. Is this a 6 or 7 day cruise? And there is no foocking prize for the right answer.
And what a fantastic end to a fantastic voyage. We’re at the mouth of Isfjorden aiming for Longyearbyen. As we have some extra time we're steaming slowly zig sagging looking for whales. A fin whale is spotted on our Port side. We were in the saloon for a final meeting and everyone rushed over to the port side. Well, except me and the other guy from Skåne. We were joking and he told me that he would leave his seat if they spotted a Blue Whale. - Yeah, fat chance! 
10 minutes later and they turned off the slide show and they told us that they had spotted a Blue Whale just in front of us, very close. Now I had to run to my cabin to get my camera. I was soon on the fo'c's'le with my camera. I could see the track just in front of the ship. But no sign off the whale. He was soon coming up again and it was a very long whale with a very small fin          A Blue Whale in Isfjorden
Yeah, a fantastic trip ended with a sight of a Blue Whale, it has been fantastic here on Svalbard the last 6 days. OK, the day in Liefdefjorden was a wasted day. A day we could have spent elsewhere. But again, it is wildlife and you never know. As yesterday, suddenly we had Walruses next to us and then again, suddenly, a Polar Bear Baby. Well, ETA Longyearbyen around 23:00 and I have asked them to call me a taxi for midnight so I can go to the airport and find my bag. Will I find my missing bag at the airport? Just click HERE to find out!
    
  You are visitor no.
To www.aladdin.st since December 2005
Visitors from different countries since 26th of September 2011
|
Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas
Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!
Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!
Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra
Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!
คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้
Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!
E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.
Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.
 |
||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
 |
||||