Page 69 - PROTAGONIST-120
P. 69

A  dreamy  vision:  at  a  certain  point,  in  the  middle  of


            that Northern desolation, an enormous walrus appears,

            snoozing on an iceberg . . . The arrival at Pyramiden is


            no  less  surreal,  after  the  deserted  expanses  of  ice;  the

            complex is perfectly reflected in the calm waters of the


            bay, a doubled image.











 A crew member cooks reindeer while  heading for Barentsburg













                                Seated round a fire inside the wooden cabin named  enormous walrus appears, snoozing on an iceberg, and
                                for Barentsz, “Camp Barentz,” a few kilometers from  then wakes up due to the noise of the motors, yawning
                                the main settlement of Longyearbyen, one can listen  with  deep  boredom  at  the  sight  of  the  ship.  The  ar-
               Page 65: Svalbard Islands: one of the few inhabitants of the Soviet outpost walks towards the icebreaker
                                for hours to a local guide as he narrates the adven- rival at Pyramiden is no less surreal, after the desert-
                                tures of this modern Ulysses, rattling off the remarka- ed expanses of ice; the complex is perfectly reflected
                                ble numbers of this frigid outpost punctuated by shots  in the calm waters of the bay, a doubled image. As in
                                of whiskey.                                     a time capsule, we are escorted by rifle-toting guides
                                    This  is  the  planet’s  Northernmost  settlement:  for a stroll amidst the austere abandoned Soviet build-
                                2,000 inhabitants in all, a minority with respect to the  ings, tracked by the gaze of a statue of Lenin covered
                                3,000 polar bears that roam free on its permanent gla- with  snow,  which  from  the  center  of  the  old  square
                                ciers (hence the requirement of carrying a rifle when  that once hosted the rallies of the single-party system
                                venturing  outside  the  town  boundaries).  Forty-six  seems to join us in our contemplation of the immacu-
             Page 64: Svalbard Islands: icebergs at Pyramiden seen from onboard
                                countries  have  signed  an  international  treaty  that  late beauty of the white mountains circling the bay in
                                recognizes  the  Svalbard  islands  as  a  “condominion”  the distance. To enjoy the magic of the archipelago in
                                controlled  by  Norway  but  open  to  various  activities  solitude, accompanied only by a guide, visitors can opt
                                (mainly  coal  mining)  on  the  part  of  the  signatories.  for a private expedition (https://en.visitsvalbard.com/
                                In  the  past  this  right  was  exercised  above  all  by  the  featured-items-pages/epic-expeditions)  programmed
                                Soviet  Union,  which  built  mining  complexes  of  rare  to measure (2,000–3,000 euros per person, for four or
                                charm on these islands: Barensburg, still functioning,  five days). One of the most unforgettable experiences
 an emergency while heading for Pyramiden A crew member explains safety procedures in the event of   ghost town. The icebreakers of the Spitsbergen Adven- dripping caverns and incredible stalagmites; weather
                                inhabited by 600 Russian citizens, and the mysterious  that can be included in the packet is a trip into the bow-
                                Pyramiden, abandoned in 1998 and now a fascinating  els of a perennial glacier, brandishing torches, amidst


                                ture Cruise connect Longyearbyen to both locations.  permitting, you can also soar over the archipelago in a
                                For hours (about four outgoing and four for the return  hot air balloon (530 euros per person, https://en.visits-
                                trip) one is lost amidst boreal landscapes of dazzling  valbard.com/things-to-do/activities/hot-air-balloon).
                                brightness, between fjords and inlets, steep cliffs over- Another adventure is the crossing by snowmobile from
                                burdened  with  snow  and  the  infinite  forms  of  drift- Longyearbyen  to  Pyramiden:  surrounded  for  hours
                                ing pack ice fragments. A dreamy vision: at a certain  by a white desert, wearing thermal helmets to protect





                                                                                                                            67
                                                                                                              Travel
 66  Travel  Protagonist  Protagonist  point,  in  the  middle  of  that  Northern  desolation,  an  against the cold, one has the illusion of being the first
   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74