And we're off!

First off, I wuld like to apologise again for all the the errors typos last post. I expect every post has a few mitsakes that squeak past me, but last post I pretty sleep-deprived. After it was published, my mother suggested JJJ read it for me so he could edit it. he already had. Remember--he was sleep-deprived as as well. Now that I think about it, if everyone here is sleep deprived because of the lack of dark, what about the surgeons? The lawyers? Financial advisors? Fingers-crossed I don't need the help of an alurt, awake professional for awhile.

Now, let's move on.

****

Thank you to everyone who tried to guess where JJ and I are heading.  Quebec City? Oh, that sounds lovely.  That city is probably my favourite in Canada. Paris? Even better. I wish! However, no one guessed where we are really going.  Why go south when you can go.....further north?

Since we have been up here JJ has been dying to explore more of Nunavut.  I'm not sure why--snow and rock make up much of the territory, and to me it all looks rather similar. Or at least, that's what I suspect, not having explored the territory outside of Iqaluit.  North is north, right? At any rate, JJ has been anxiously waiting for an emergency call that would require him to travel to Pond Inlet, or Grise Fiord, or Rankin Inlet, or Cape Dorset. It hasn't happened yet, so he's had to be content with Iqaluit.

A couple of weeks ago, he got an email from a tiny remote community--Arctic Bay--desperate for a pediatrician to come up to see patients at the local nursing station. (There hasn't been a pediatrician on the ground in Arctic Bay since last spring--15 months ago.) A family doctor does go there occasionally, but there are cases a family doctor isn't comfortable dealing with.

He came home quite excited, and pitched it to me as a relaxing "getaway". "What do you think?" he asked. "No kids, just you and me for 5 days!" I think I'd rather have gone someplace warmer (which would be just about anywhere else in the world). Also, a place that has a dark sky at night would be great. But several mornings in a row of sleeping in? No children? Peace and quiet? It did have a certain appeal. And I do love to travel.

Come and visit Arctic Bay!

"Is there a hotel there?" I asked. JJ wasn't sure.  Or, he was a little bit reluctant to share that information. Online, Arctic Bay claims to have an inn. On some websites it is called the Tangmaarvik Inn.  On other websites the Tangmaarvik Bed and Breakfast. Still others list it as the Tangmaarvik Hotel. (Multiple listings aside, it doesn't have much of an online presence, so trying to research it from Iqaluit has been pretty pointless). After later speaking with people who have stayed there, it turns out the "inn" is actually a few rooms for rent over the local Co-op. I also found out that, often, people are expected to bunk together. (WHAT!?) JJ was hopeful we wouldn't be sharing accommodations with anyone else, as most rooms have 2 twin beds and we would be 2 people traveling together.

While I haven't managed to find many photos of specific buildings online,
I did manage to snag this shot of the airport (taken in the summer).
source

Thankfully, he informed the person booking his trip that I would be accompanying him.  Gail, who has lived in Arctic Bay for many years, was quite helpful. In fact, she even found us an apartment to rent! Thank you, Gail! I'm hoping beyond hope that this means no one will be sharing this apartment with us....but I guess we'll find out when we get there.

Area in my blue squiggle is Arctic Bay.

And under my Preview magnifying glass.

Here's what I know about Arctic Bay:

It is the northernmost community on Baffin Island.  The Inuit that live in Arctic Bay are Igloolik Inuit, not Baffin Inuit as they are in Iqaluit. This means the language they speak will not be the Inuktitut we are used to hearing, but a different dialect. There are fewer than 1000 people living there.

I know there is a little general store.  I also know food will be outrageously expensive. I know internet will be unreliable (there is no internet service at all at the apartment or at the health centre). I will work on the blog as much as I can while we are there, but you guys will be waiting longer than usual for my next post.

I also know the sun doesn't set this time of year in Arctic Bay. At all. For three months.

source

There are no restaurants, save the "dining room" at the Tangmaarvik. If we are lucky enough to be able to eat out (since we are staying in a rented apartment--not the inn--they might not let us eat there), there will be no menu. Typically you just get what is being served that day. If the meal of the day is spaghetti, that's what you get. If you don't like it, tough.

I'm going to be hanging out alone a lot of the time as JJ will be working, so I'm loading my Kobo with books before we go. I've ordered some DVD's from Amazon.ca, and I'm hoping they arrive in time (I paid for express shipping, but things still need to be processed here at the post office, which happens on Iqaluit time).  I'm also going to pack munchies to take with us, as Iqaluit munchies should still be cheaper than Arctic Bay munchies.

MY DVD'S ARRIVED IN TIME!  Woot!  Going to try "Legion" and "Alias Grace", two television shows I haven't been able to watch at all yet.

Wish me luck!  For anyone wondering "What is happening with the kids while you are gone?", the answer is that my awesome mom has flown up from Halifax to look after them.  Thanks, Mom!

Up next: how was the trip? Did we end up sharing accommodations with strangers? Was 24 hours of daylight really worse than 21 hours of daylight? Check back to find out.  Reminder--the next post will be late!