Journey to Svalbard: Our Arctic Adventure Begins
After months of meticulous planning and countless hours of preparation, we have finally reached our ultimate destination: Svalbard. Our expedition team is almost complete, with 6 out of 8 members now aboard the ship. We've had our first taste of life at sea, and tomorrow, once the final two members arrive, we'll be ready to embark on our Arctic adventure. If all goes well, we hope to set sail by Friday, or maybe even earlier.
Sandra and I arrived in Oslo in the afternoon, eagerly awaiting Niv and Andy's later flight. They finally joined us at 1 am, and we were ready to celebrate Niv's 57th birthday with a bottle of whiskey we had thoughtfully prepared in advance. After a short night with little sleep, we gathered all our gear—filling four trolleys to the brim while still managing hand luggage.
The first major challenge came at the Oslo Airport security checkpoint. Having traveled with camera gear before, I knew it could be tricky, but luck was not on our side this time. The security officer informed Säny and me that all cameras, batteries, and drones needed to be removed for inspection. Imagine our frustration as we watched hours of careful packing undone, with every piece of gear laid out and even checked for explosives. Despite the delay, we made it to our plane just in time.
The flight was smooth, and upon arrival, we took a regional bus to the harbor where we met Peter and saw our boat for the first time. After unloading our luggage, we headed to the only grocery store in the famous Svalbard city to stock up on supplies for the next three weeks. Shopping for eight people for such an extended period is no small task. For instance, how many eggs do you need for 8 people over 3 weeks? The answer: a LOT. The moment of debating whether 35 kg of flour would be enough was truly priceless. And we're not done yet—we'll be heading back tomorrow for more supplies.
Later that evening, Hilde joined us on the boat. Säny treated us to a delicious Spaghetti Bolognese, but it was a late dinner, starting at 11 pm. The surreal experience of eating with daylight still streaming in, as if the day would never end, is something we’re all still getting used to.
— Kevin
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