Photo Journal

27 Feb,2008

Sunny, Temperature -23C

Yesterday, after we left Japan, we went through Vancouver and had over-night lay-over in Yellow Knife. At Vancouver, our luggage was stopped at the customs for further inspection, but we managed to arrive at Yellow Knife. Then we found that one of our luggage is missing, and found out we would have to pick it up tomorrow at the airport. It was not more than ten minutes to reach our hotel.

As we were exhausted, we did not have energy to look around the town, but from what we have seen from the cab, with big buildings and hotels, and the infrastructure seeming to be good, it looked like a good place to live.

It appears that this town is a popular place for Northern Light viewing and we have seen some Japanese tourists at the airport. We see quite a few signs in Japanese language in town and our hotel itself is owned by Japanese, too.

After we had dinner, we chatted a bit, and I worked on the computer. As Ms. Miyashita was busily working too, I went ahead to bed, but was waken around passed two by the noise outside.
I opened the door to find Ms. Miyashita checking the LCD on her digital camera with shivering hands. Northern lights were out and she was going out to photograph them. I hurried out to my front veranda to see them myself.
It was faint, but green curtain was hovering in the sky.

After I received a lecture from Ms. Miyashita how to photograph Northern Lights, I ran outside, but it was hard to find place without street lights, and Northern lights themselves did not seem to be'in the mood' much. So, I returned to the hotel without good pictures. The thermometer outside of the hotel indicated minus twenty three.
It was 'a decent cold', I would say.

Actually, I'm writing this journal as I got up. It is half passed three, now. Today, we will check out the hotel by nine thirty, and fly out of Yellow Knife at 11:00. And via Cambridge Bay, we will reach Resolute, where our expedition begins.

Tetsuji Nagatani