Every day has its own music: Excursion Time

Finally home after a long day, I'm excruciatingly tired so let's see how writing goes.. It's been snowing on and off, casually bbq:ed some whale and salmon on a boat next to an enormous glacier, I've visited a small russian settlement further south and on the way back I meditated next to the fire barrel on deck with a cup of tea, looking out over

the vast snowy mountain desert and ocean (before I got a little bit nauseous). And I must say I've really appreciated mum's goose down coat today..

So the settlement I visited was called Barentsburg, it has about 500 citizens - more or less depending on the season. It's a very small mining community where the majority of people are russian and the russian culture is very noticeable in all the amazing artwork on the houses. There's a small chapel, there's a school, supermarket and sports center, library, museum, pig farm, hotel and various other buildings where people live etc, and of course there's the mine. It's quite amazing - and I was taken by this - it took us about two and a half hours by boat from Longyearbyen to reach this settlement and when we arrived I thought things looked pretty much the same as the place we left, nature and the majority of the buildings and the ongoing activities, but there were these small things that were so very different, so fascinating, and it really felt like you were in russia all of the sudden. It doesn't perhaps sound heaps cool but it was amazing! Especially since it was so small and like Longyearbyen - isolated in this rough arctic landscape, they only had ONE helicopter for transportation to civilization. People live a very impressive and unusual life.

I'm beginning to feel the small town vibes, it's so nice and interesting to get to know people here, it's a different mentality. Being cut off some how from the rest of the world - set in a somewhat unavailable location, it changes people (to the better). I've never felt intimidated by anyone or scared going out in the middle of the night, because I guess up here you're so vulnerable it creates a new way of thinking and acting, it creates a trust and bond between people, knowing that solidarity is the only way to survive and be happy.

There are a few different types of people who choose to come and live here; people looking for adventure, people wanting peace and quiet, community people or maybe just people who simply love nature. But yeah, most people only come to make money of course. (- to start with anyway, and then they fall in love with this place and stick around for years. I probably won't be one of those people though. Not that I'm not totally amazed by this place, because I am, but I just know that I'm at my best/the most happy when living in a warm climate - long term.)