Have you missed me? I’ve missed writing the blog this week.
I’m in Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. It is located in the Western part of the Arctic and is not close to where I used to live. My walk to work this morning was in -30 temperatures, but for most of the week the temperature has been hovering around -25 degrees Celsius. This is Friday and today the sun will rise at 10:09am and set around 1:24pm. At least I am awake to see both ends of the sun!

This is my first visit to Cam Bay in my new position with this company. After Mondays failed attempt to get up North we tried again Tuesday…with some success. I say some cause while the 3 passengers made it our luggage did not. C’est la vie. You know me, I’m used to that, my travelling companions were not. I took full blame and suggested they never travel with me again as I commonly have travel issues. Upon arrival in Cam Bay on Tuesday we went to the office and got right to work. I met a few folks tried to get onto the computer system and generally tried to look busy. All of my work papers were in my suitcase. That evening I checked in at the bunk house. And yes, it is every bit as glamorous as it sounds. The bunk house is essentially a number of sea cans put together to make a building.
It is used mainly for transient workers that come in during the summer months to work on projects for us. You walk in the front door and are in the snow room. Please remove all outdoor foot wear before venturing farther down the hall. To the right and left and dorm rooms. The rooms in this section have the type of doors you would see on a walk in freezer in a restaurant. One of the males washroom/shower rooms is in this hall as is the water and sewage tanks and the washer/dryer. Entering the next section you will come across the kitchen and dining area. The kitchen has all the gear to cook a good meal. Unfortunately the official cook is out right now and one of the guys has taken over. He’s doing a great job, but from the sounds of the talk she is AWESOME. And she bakes! It’s a serve yourself type affair and we have been taking turns at washing the dishes. The next room you will find is the tv room. There are a couple of very uncomfortable couches, a couple of wooden chairs and a table for eating/watching tv. On the other end of the room is a breakfast area. The coffee is usually on and there is toast and bagels for a DYI breakfast or snack during the day. They have a number of novels you can pick from to read which folks have left over the years and cable tv. The next seacan has more dorm rooms. These have regular doors on them and this is the section I stayed in. My room is what they call the ‘hot’ room. And it was. It is right beside the furnace. You can’t open the windows so let out the heat so it’s a grin and bear it type situation. Who would have thought that folks would sleep with only a sheet in the Arctic winter? My room was a single bed up on a rickety wooden bed frame—comfy though! At the foot of the bed a number of milk crates have been turned into a tv stand. At the head of the bed a bare bulb for reading and a small table. There is a large easy chair (that I was a bit scared to sit on), a closet to hang clothes in and that’s it. Simple camp living.

This section of the building has another mens wash/shower room and the ladies one. There were 7 of us there this week, but only two ladies so there was never a line up for the shower. The floors are either cold linoleum or really old dirty carpet. The bedding is provided but they generally expect you to bring your own towel. Of course no one mentioned this to me before I arrived. Figures. I managed to get a towel, but will bring my own next time. The accommodations are ok. They feel a bit grungy/dirty/ick but are adequate. It will be nice to climb into my bed tonight though with my nice white crisp sheets and then shower with my fluffy white towels Saturday morning. And yes, I have pics of the bunk house to share with you…but not until I am settled back in Edmonton again.

I haven’t done much exploring of town. I’ve been here before so there was no urgent need to roam around and check things out. I popped up to the Northern store Tuesday night and bought a few supplies to tide me over while I waited for my luggage to arrive. I had a small kit from the airline, but purchased some socks (3pr in a pack), a pair of undies, a chunk of pineapple and a bag of chips all for the low price of $32.97. What a deal! Wednesday night after a huge helping of turkey dinner I headed over to a friend of a friend and spent most of the evening chatting with some nice folks who I hope to visit the next time I’m in town.

Friday morning was flying by and just before lunch I got called into the bosses office. We had a discussion, I was late getting to the bunk house for lunch...but still managed to get some nice hot biscuits! Then after lunch someone drove me up so I could check in and then go back to the office to finish up some work...at least...that was the plan. In hindsight I should have taken the truck up on my own..but didn’t. Upon arrival at the airport there was a HUGE line up. Huge in Northern terms and frankly any line up at a small Northern airport is huge. There had been some meetings in town and the place was packed. There was a charter going out and two regular flights. It took me 40 minutes to check in. I popped outside after a few and told S to leave me and I would call when I needed a drive. Back in the office finally and at this point we aren’t 100% sure the flight is even leaving. It has been delayed due to a low ceiling in Cam Bay, but they are hoping it will lift by the time the flight arrives. It does and I’m on my way to Edmonton via Yellowknife. But for those of you who know me and my travels...it didn’t quite happen like that.

We were late getting into Yellowknife because we were late leaving Cam Bay and that screws up the whole system of course. The airline had made some changes and were trying to then get us on other flights. And what I finally found out was that I hadn’t actually missed my flight, they had delayed it until midnight. They finally got a few folks out the door and onto a plane and that left three of us. The issue was there was a 9 year old girl who was supposed to be on her way to Edmonton to meet up with her mom. Her escort had been put on a different airline when they started switching us around. Once I figured out what was going on I gave up my seat and then they moved the other lady into mine and so her and the young girl were then off to Edmonton. And I wasn’t. I was offered the midnight flight, but said I preferred to spend the night in YK if at all possible in their dime. The girl said yes! She was so happy that I gave up my seat and didn’t get upset during the almost one hour wait to find out what was going on. She made the arrangements I made a couple of calls and headed into town on the hotel shuttle. I have a couple of friend in YK that I would loved to have visited with...but their unlisted numbers are still on my other computer. Damn. Ah well. I went down to the hotel bar and sat and talked and drank with someone I used to know in Iqaluit, then went to bed.

It’s 6:37am as I write this. I’m at the airport in YK waiting to board the plane. If all goes well I should be back at my apartment by 10am. No harm no foul. That is of course provided the rest of my flight goes well. Oh, and a bonus for me this week....I got to drink my tea at the office! At least I did once my luggage had arrived. And the CN airline now serves Pepsi products so after four days I finally had a diet Pepsi on the plane last night...ahhh, that’s good stuff.
I didn’t make it home at 10am. At 10:05am I walked into Ikea. Yeah, self made detour. I mostly looked and debated...still trying to decide what I want for my tv stand/coffee table...and still working on my dream list! I then headed down the road to one of the biggest superstores I’ve ever been in and stocked up for the week. I’m actually planning on cooking this week.