Churchill Polar Bears, 11th November 2013

11^th November 2013

We’re still on the train, making gloriously slow progress, going back down the branch line to Thompson. I’m not yet acclimatised to the northern climate: it was a moderate -14 degrees C on my snowy walk into Thompson, yet the wind on my face was almost painful. People are already asking what day it is: time passes more slowly here, and it’s pointless asking about the schedule. In the early hours of the morning, the northern lights appeared, and those still awake, myself included, witnessed this amazing natural spectacle thought the window. The group this year, overwhelmingly from Montana, feels calm and accepting of the spirit of adventure. Night has just fallen, and when we wake up we’ll be on the tundra, on the final approach to Churchill, hopefully close to the time when we’ll see our first polar bear of the year. Needless to say I’m excited, yet relaxed by gentle rhythm of this slow journey.