The North Pole

We made it!  After more than 100 hours of grueling travel since leaving Murmansk, we've finally reached the top of the world.  Announcements were made on the ship P.A. system alerting us that we were getting close, and that we should dress in our cold weather clothing for a champagne toast on the bow.  When we were exactly at 90 degrees latitude, the Geographic North Pole, the captain set off the ship’s horn to commemorate our arrival.  It was time to celebrate and reflect on our journey thus far.

North Pole ceremony on the bow

The crew then prepared to have everyone disembark and take part in planned activities on the ice.  Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate, as it was too cold and windy to have an outdoor BBQ.  But nothing could stop those adventurers who vowed to take a polar plunge into the icy arctic waters.  Our Travel Quest host, Bill, who is always up for a good challenge, was one of the first to dive in, as we captured footage from a zodiac just off shore.  Many people asked us if we were also doing the polar plunge, and our response was always the same - “HELL, NO.”

This is a true polar plunge!

More about our travels in this frozen wilderness tomorrow . . .