October 6, 2007

I woke up shortly before sunrise and proceeded to devour everything in the kitchen so I would be able to fast for the day. Breakfast was slightly unorthodox, consisting of prime rib, brownies, burgers, and a glass of milk. I had Robert and John laughing as they watched me stuff my face frantically before the first rays of sun streaked across the Arctic heavens. The day was planned out meticulously since the beginning of the week, and the major highlight of the trip was scheduled for 10:00 in the morning. Hudson Bay Helicopters graciously donated a complete fleet of helicopters to take the group to a known polar bear maternal den. The tension was tangible in the air when we stepped on the tundra, and a number of armed guards were present to protect us in the case of any danger. Before we were allowed to take off, however, the facilitators of our group drilled us with the types of questions we would most likely be asked by the media at home. Although some of us stumbled and were flustered, the facilitators calmly coached us through techniques that would help deal with the pressures of the press. Michael, a member of the Danish film crew, was of inestimable value as his position as a member of the Danish media provided us with the other side of the curtain.

The facilitators could notice how anxious we were to get on the helicopters, so the session was let out early. My helicopter group consisted of Connor, Sean, Stephen, Emily, Beck, and me and we were fortunate enough to have one of the most seasoned pilots as our escort. “Chopper” Chuck, as his hat read, had been flying helicopters for 30 years, and his expertise in the area was rewarded with the fastest helicopter of the whole fleet. Although the chopper left a good ten minutes after everyone else, our group was one of the first to touch down. The scenery from the flight was absolutely breathtaking, and I can honestly say that riding in the chopper that day was one of the best experiences of my entire life.

When we were safely on the ground, the first reaction of Michael and Jess, the two Australian students, was priceless. Michael and Jess had never encountered snow before, and consequently were eager to pick the fluff up and play with it. When just playing with it was not enough, a massive snowball fight ensued, and everyone from the children to the facilitators to the conservation officers got involved. After a half hour of revelry in the snow, we made our way down to the polar bear maternal den. Each student had the opportunity to climb into the den and have a look around the place. At first, I wasn’t very excited about climbing into the former/potential home of a polar bear, but luckily the area had been cleared out and I had nothing to worry about. I fit fully into the den with much more room than I anticipated, but the trouble was getting out. It soon became apparent that the problem was not going to be getting in the den, but leaving it. After an exit that resembled an acrobatic routine, I posed for some pictures on top of the den. I looked absolutely filthy, and my hair had twigs and grass sticking out of it, making me look like I had not taken a shower in months. The rest of my group reassured me by promising that the pictures that were going to be posted on the Internet. The ride back was intense, and I had the chance to sit next to the pilot in the front seats.

My group had the task of creating something out of the leftovers from the past week and serving it for dinner. After a lot of deliberation, we came up with an idea for a “mock-tail” party where we would serve all of the food chopped up with toothpicks sticking out of it

Wednesday, October 3 2007

I finally had the opportunity to get a little bit of rest today. While everyone had to wake up early for breakfast, I could stay warm and comfortable until later in the morning. We were fortunate enough to listen to Michael Goodyear, a wildlife biologist and an excellent raconteur. The presentation focused on the ringed seal and its delicate relationship with the polar bear population of Manitoba. Afterwards, we headed out on the tundra for a little exploring. The first bear was not hesitant at all to get personal with the group, and it walked right up to the buggy and gave all of us amazing photo opportunities. The reflection of polar bear in the Hudson Bay dazzled us all. We continued on our voyage and came across an older bear, stretched lazily across a large rock, soaking up the Arctic sun. The group was lucky enough to come across a caribou looking across the bay, and the quick movements of an Arctic hare in front of us startled us as we drove by. Peregrine and marsh falcons circled in the sky above us as we tried to take in all of the beautiful landscape around us.

We were ecstatic to leave the buggy and step out onto the tundra for the first time. It was our first encounter with solid land for three days. After a group photo, we split off and took our own pictures of the Hudson Bay, all the while keeping our ears and eyes open for polar bears lurking around. Connor, Sean, Cesar, Michael and I took turns taking pictures on a large boulder in front of the Bay. Michael had the most difficulty getting up because of his long legs, but his poses were incredibly funny.

For dinner, the red and yellow team put on quite a show, as they required formal attire for admittance into the dining area. We were served lasagna and garlic bread.

The real show came at night when the Northern Lights came out. At first, the typical green streaked across the sky, but as the night progresses, the colors started to change. Shooting stars streaked across the sky, and the beauty of it all literally brought me to tears. The orange, reds, and purples made me forget the past and the future. All that mattered was the present, and I felt like I would never be the same in the real world
I’m off to dry off my tears and go to bed, but I’ll write tomorrow after the chemistry lecture.

The morning began with the sound of Robert’s voice filling my ears. “Omar, the sun’s almost up!” Not sure if I was awake or if I was dreaming, I groggily put on my glasses and climbed out of bed. The light being too much for my unadjusted eyes to handle, I sort of stumbled into the kitchen to find the cooking crew firing up the pancake griddle. After a hearty breakfast and a couple of bottles of water, I made my intention to fast for the day and began to help out with the pancakes. Although the first few were far from appetizing, by the end of the morning I was making beautiful, golden, scrumptious, delectable cakes in shapes of different animals and symbols. After breakfast, the group gathered for a presentation on public speaking and handling oneself in front of a camera. The ins and outs of the media were discusses, and some of the ploys used by sneaky interviewers were revealed, along with ways to avoid them. We were later given an hour to prepare our presentations for the afternoon. I worked with Connor, Roni and Beth on our presentation dealing with “Arctic Climate Changes”. We ended up winning the “Order of the Caribou” award for the team who best recovered from a mishap (the notebook containing our introduction was misplaced somewhere on the buggy). In the middle of the last presentation, a bear walked right up to the buggy, so we took a short break. The break ended up lasting for more than an hour as the bear entertained us with its silly antics while we snapped away on our cameras. A second bear was soon spotted behind the buggy, and the weight shifted from one side of the lodge to the other as we all struggled to get a better view. This particular bear had discovered a piece of Styrofoam and was rolling around with it. It kept us laughing for a long time before we realized we had to go prepare dinner. Our crew was responsible for the meal tonight, and on the menu was grilled chicken quesadillas. Although I have seen almost everything I came here for, the anticipation of the helicopter ride on Friday is almost too much to handle.

Both of our mornings started completely differently.

Omar: I woke up to the sound of my hotel phone ringing. My first instinct was to knock it off the set and go back to sleep, but I somewhat reluctantly picked up. Robert’s enthusiastic voice jolted me awake, and he escorted me to an early breakfast so I would be able to fast for the rest of the day. By the time I got back, the rest of the group was just starting to stir from their sleep. They headed out for their own morning meal and promptly returned to pack their bags.

Omar and Jess: The first port-of-call was D-20, more commonly known as “Polar Bear Jail”. While we were not allowed inside the complex, the natural resource officer showed us different methods used in the relocation of polar bears. We passed an old, abandoned wildlife research center and took a tour through the gloomy edifice. The interior was reminiscent of a Steven Spielberg horror film. Karyne and some of her co-workers gave us a tour and presentation of the Parks Canada Visitor Centre. Of all the parks discussed, special attention was paid to Wapusk as we would be visiting it later in the week. A bumpy ride signaled the beginning of our journey to the Tundra Buggy Lodge. While we were warned that we would be seeing a variety of wildlife, nothing could prepare or what we would actually encounter: bald eagles, ptarmigans, peregrine falcons, arctic hares, and…three polar bears! It took us by surprise seeing polar bears so early. They even came right up to the Tundra Buggy porch and stood up to inspect Omar.

Jess: For me, the day couldn’t have ended any better as an Australian. It snowed-not so much but it snowed all the same. What an awesome way to start the new month!

Sunday September 30, 2007
I woke up early this morning to pack my bags for the plane ride to Churchill. Winnipeg’s weather outside was chilly, but nothing a sweater and jeans couldn’t handle. The group boarded the small plane that was going to penetrate us even further into the Canadian wilderness. I made my last phone calls and wrote my last text messages, as the next few days would mean almost no contact with the outside world. The plane ride was about three hours long, and I fell asleep before take-off and only woke up after the wheels had touched the ground. We soon departed for our place of residence for the next two days, The Tundra Inn. After placing out stuff in the rooms and settling in, we all left for a tour of Churchill. Churchill is a town of about 1,000, a port city tucked away in Northern Manitoba. While views of the Churchill River were nice, the Hudson Bay was absolutely amazing. Although the frigid temperatures kept our sojourn short, the memories will definitely last for a lifetime. It was a low tide, so many of the rock formations that would otherwise be submerged were exposed. A patrol officer came by and warned us that a polar bear was spotted in the nearby vicinity, so we were advised to leave the area. After some sightseeing of the historic aspect of Churchill, we headed back to the Inn to warm up and prepare for dinner. The food was amazing, but nothing could prepare us for what was going to happen that night. As everyone was just settling into their beds, the word was spread that the aurora borealis, or Northern Lights, were out. Bright greens and shades of purple danced around in the sky until we were so cold that we had to go back in. Tonight would be our last night in our comfortable beds before we head to the Tundra Buggy tomorrow.

Saturday, September 29th 2007
Tired and weary from traveling, I woke up somewhat reluctantly from my soft, queen-sized bed. As I slowly climbed out from underneath the blankets, I couldn’t help but realize that, starting tomorrow, I would no longer have access to such amenities as a hot shower and a made-to-order breakfast every day. Thoughts like these danced around in my mind, and while they intimidated me, they also filled me with an unexplainable excitement and enthusiasm. Although I am so used to my daily, rigid routine at home, somehow the thought of having the mental fortitude to leave behind the comforts of home in exchange for a greater sense of independence was appealing to me. This morning, the group watched a presentation by Bob Taylor, a professional photographer and an amazing individual. The photographs were native to the region we would by flying to the next day. As the presentation progressed, the room filled with an almost tangible anticipation for the adventures ahead of us. At the conclusion of the presentation, the group headed out to the bus for a trip to the Winnipeg Zoo. An intense debate ensued on whether animals should be kept in captivity or should be left in their natural environment. After a couple of hours of exploring, the group got back on the bus for a tour of the city. We found that Winnipeg combined all of the comforts of a small town with the attractions of a big city. Time passed quickly and we soon found ourselves back at the hotel. After dinner with Jack Dubois of Manitoba Conservation, the group promptly headed to bed to prepare for the flight to Churchill in the morning.