Alaska, Canada and NYC. Day 2

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0500 and we are up. Check out and leave 2 big bags at hotel. Taxi waiting and away we go to airport for the Arctic Ocean adventure tour (3 days with flight up and drive back) -told by front desk she had been waiting for 15 mins-didn't want to be late for our pickup.... The taxi lady loved a chat. Tipped her $5 so she was happy.

Sitting inside the tour office at the airport and she re-appears with a can of Bug Off - nice. Go through our pre flight details. Bags a bit heavier than 15 pounds but no comment.

5 of us on this tour with about 15 overall on different tours that day. All bar 3 from Oz - 1 USA and 2 kiwis. Hmmmmm. Our trip has us, 2 ladies and 1 girl who is the grand daughter of our land content tour guide doing the round trip. Into a Piper Navajo 9 seater with pilot Andy and off at 0700 to Deadhorse (Prudhoe Bay).

The second half of the flight in clouds but the first part we get great views of the area, ranges, mountains and rivers. Start our descent and watching the altimeter see we are down to 500 ft before we come out of the clouds and can see the runway. Smooth landing. Into Deadhorse camp and meet the locals. Bloody cold as wind is blowing.

Straight into the main building and into the food area (including the kitchen). Meet the cook and get our induction on how, what and where we can/can't go.. Meet the tour guide and then pay for next lots of meals and check our bags into our rooms (across the yard). Long corridor of rooms either side. all rooms have 2 single beds a little side bench and wardrobes. Toilets and showers way down the end and around the corner.....

Back to the main building for a hearty lunch and start to get to know each othe. Other tour arrives and is due to fly out later today. Oh oh - weather closed in and they come back. Our tour of the Arctic Ocean is due to start at 1530 after we have been cleared by security (we actually go onto the BP oil fields). Other group finally gets off around 1400 - looking a little nervous.

We get cleared and hop on the bus with our Eskimo security officer/guide. The tour guide not only has his grand daughter but his brother with him (Pat-who used to work on the oil fields and was doing a blast from the past trip). Actually turned out really good to have his local working insights of the area and workings on this trip.

finally get to the Arctic Ocean after seeing lots of oil derricks. Ocean still frozen but on we go and walk on the water...... Chris even finds a hole in the snow and tries to get into the water - no luck.

Back to the local general store which has everything and then back to camp. Can't get over the amount of machinery, portable accommodation, etc. that is stored around the place. Big boys toys everywhere. Asked why so much gear and told they cannot go out on the tundra until it is frozen as it is an ecological no no. Millions upon millions of dollars sitting idle during the summer months.

Have dinner and chat and realise it is nearly 2200 - sun still up -brain still up -body flagging -off to bed.

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