A Trip To Iqaluit In Nunavut, A Canadian Arctic City
In 2004, I completed two Inuit art buying trips to Iqaluit (formerly Frobisher Bay), the capital of Nunavut, Canada's newest territory. For both trips, I flew out of Ottawa on Canadian North airlines.
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The other airline that services Nunavut is First Air. Only the last half of the jets was allocated for passengers as the entire first half was for cargo. Being so remote, Canadian Arctic Inuit communities pretty well have to have everything shipped up there by plane or by boat during the summers since there are no roads connecting to the rest of Canada or even between each Nunavut community. The Arctic landscape from the air was desolate, hilly and barren. As the plane got closer to Iqaluit, the airport's small terminal building stood out with its bright yellow color.
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The airport itself is within walking distance to the rest of the town. There are taxis that charge a flat rate of $5 per trip anywhere in Iqaluit. Interestingly enough, these taxis also pick up and drop off other passengers along the way so shared rides with others are common here. There are several hotels in Iqaluit and rooms are generally clean, comfortable but quite basic. Accommodations and dining up north in Nunavut are both expensive. All food items with the exception of local Inuit fare must be flown up from the Canadian south. A carton of milk will cost about $10 in Iqaluit. Most Inuit locals cannot afford to buy overpriced fruits, vegetables and meat from the south. Many local families still rely on Inuit hunters who bring caribou, seal and whale to the table.
There is only one high rise building in Iqaluit and it is used mainly for local Nunavut government offices. All other buildings are low rise, including the hospital. The vast majority of the residential housing is similar to cabins that are raised off the ground because of the harsh Canadian Arctic winters. Many look a bit run down with junk and disposed items piled outside. With the fact that there are no lawns or trees possible this far north, the neighborhoods are certainly not the prettiest sights around. But one Inuit art carver told me that his government subsidized rent is only $36 per month. There are some small clusters of nice homes on the outskirts of town. Some houses have husky dogs tied up outside and many have snowmobiles. In fact, the roads, most of them unpaved, are shared by cars, trucks, snowmobiles, all terrain
vehicles and people. During the summers, Iqaluit can get quite dusty with all the vehicles turning up the dirt on the roads. As a result, Iqaluit did look a bit nicer during my first trip which was during the winter when the city was in white snow rather than brown dirt. There is new construction going on since with the creation of the Nunavut territory, Iqaluit is growing as more Inuit from other Arctic communities are migrating to the city.
One thing that was very noticeable in Iqaluit was the large numbers of children everywhere. Nunavut has a very young population with 56% under the age of 25. I saw many Inuit mothers wearing traditional Inuit parkas with large hoods in the back where their babies are carried. The Inuit youth is one of the Canadian Arctic's untapped resources and its future. They have access to satellite television and dress just like their counterparts in the south. However, at present only about 25% of high school students graduate so a big challenge for the Nunavut government is to encourage the Inuit kids to stay in school. During my second trip, there was darkness for only a few hours each day so it was very strange to be walking around town at 10 pm in the evening with daylight still present. Even at this hour, there were still quite a few young Inuit children playing outside.
The locals, Inuit and non-Inuit alike were very friendly. I got the impression of a tight community perhaps because of the isolation of the Canadian Arctic. However, the local Inuit were also very open to visitors and willing to share a bit of their lives. During the daytime, I went up to a few Inuit art carvers who were working outside their houses. Each turned off their power saws when I approached them and seemed happy to talk to me. I met most of them later during the evenings when they showed me their finished works of Inuit art.
I had the opportunity to walk about 30 minutes to the outskirts of town past the airport one day. I climbed up a hilltop with a satellite dish facility overlooking an expansive valley. There was nobody else around and it was incredible how silent the area was. It was like a vacuum where I could hear only my own breathing. It was a very peaceful and even spiritual moment there. While sitting on this Arctic hilltop, I was suddenly startled at one point by a noise and it turned out to be the flapping wings of a large raven flying by.
There are tours offered by local outfitters to see the northern wildlife and experience some of the Arctic tundra further out. I hope to take one of these tours on a future visit. A trip to Nunavut is not cheap since everything, including flights are so expensive. However, I will definitely return not only for more Inuit art, but also to experience more of the local Inuit culture and the Arctic land.
What is the Weather Really Like in Hawaii?
Yes, it is usually pretty balmy here in Hawaii, but are you prepared for all of the different weather that you will find in the islands?
The weather can vary greatly within a few miles. For instance, Mount Waialeale on Kauai is the wettest spot on earth with over 460 inches of rain a year (in 1982 it actually rained 666 inches!) However, just a few miles away is a desert that receives less than 10 inches of rain per year. So as you can see the weather varies quite a lot just on one island.
Hawaii weather is greatly influenced by the trade winds that generally blow at speeds of 10-20 MPH. Sometimes the winds will be light to non-existent and sometimes they will blow much stronger--into the 30 MPH range.
The trade winds have a welcome cooling effect. Even though it may be 85 degrees with 80% humidity, the trade winds make it feel much more comfortable.
The opposite wind is called the kona wind. The kona winds tend to bring hot, humid weather, and sometimes rain. The kona winds are not as prevalent as the trade winds. (Don't confuse kona winds with Kona side of the Big Island which tends to be hot and dry.)
Hawaii has semi-tropical weather. Temperatures usually range from 75-90 degrees year round in the daytime, and 70-80 degrees at night. Temperatures in the winter months may be a little cooler, where nighttime temperatures can sometimes fall into the 50's. (It feels much cooler than that with a 20 MPH trade wind blowing.)
At the higher elevations of the islands (such as up country Maui and Big Island) temperatures can drop to the 30's or 40's and snow often falls at the very high elevations of Haleakala and Mauna Kea!
Rain showers can appear at any time of the year but they most often fall between the months of November-February. Even though these winter months are technically the "rainy season", the rains are generally short lived, and sunshine and blue skies return quickly.
We call these short, light showers "blessings." Sometimes you can't even seem to find the clouds that are producing these "blessings", but if you look around you will probably see the rainbows they leave behind!
Hawaii also has what are called "Mauka Showers." Mauka means "inland" or "toward the mountains." It will often be raining in the mountains or valleys, but be dry on the beaches.
Sometimes during the winter months it does rain for 2-3 days straight. The good news is that since there are so many micro-climates on the islands, you can often just go a short distance to find dry weather.
Hawaii does, on rare occasion have a hurricane pass our way, although this happens much less often than it does in Florida or other parts of the US mainland. It is always good to be prepared, of course, but the last hurricanes to hit Hawaii was "Iniki" which hit Kauai in 1992. Hurricane season runs between June-December.
Even given these general guidelines, the weather can vary quite a bit depending on where you are on the island. The windward (Northeast) sides of the islands are generally the wettest and coolest, and the leeward (Southwest) sides are generally the driest and hottest.
So as you can see, there can be quite a variety of weather in Hawaii. Be sure to pack a light jacket, rain coat, or sweater so you'll be comfortable on the cool Hawaiian nights and in your visits upcountry.
If you plan on visiting Maui or Big Island you won't want to miss the summits of Haleakala (elevation 10,023 feet) and Mauna Kea (elevation 13,796 feet.) Just make sure you pack a heavy jacket!
Oh No! Summer Camp's Over... So Now What?
Well, there is a name for it and it's called post-summer camp gap year travel!
A mouthful to digest, but an easy decision to make! And as an after taste you'll have plenty of time to let it all sink in on your explorations of America.
Once your summer camp duties have been fulfilled and you've squeezed every ounce of fun and satisfaction out of your time there, the last thing you'll want to do is go home. So, what else is there to do in America? And what are you going to spend that hard-earned summer camp cash on anyway?
America is a land of infinite possibilities. Since the US has a staggering 12,000 available summer camps scattered throughout the country, you'll have to consider which camp the launching pad for your adventures is going to be.
A good idea is to plan your route before deciding on the camp you're going to be working at. Remember, with your J1 visa, you'll have up to ten whole weeks of travel time in the United States. Spend that time wisely.
Summer camp is a great place to meet the people who actually live in America. They know the country well so get their advice on interesting places to visit, especially the ones that are off the usual touristy trails. Since there are 12,000 summer camps to choose from and thousands of possible places to visit, here are a few options to help give you some ideas on your camp choice.
Let's start at Route 66
Route 66 is the Great American Road Trip. "In addition to (working at) Camp America, I got to travel from coast to coast" says Bojan from Serbia. Many who leave camp start road trips in Chicago and end them on the sunny beaches of the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles, California.
Travel through a series of eight American states and the landscapes that made the West famous. You'll literally find thousands of things to see and do. It is highly recommended that you take your own transport. That way you'll be able to stop in the various towns for as long as you like. If you're familiar with motorcycles, this is the iconic bikers dream route; there is no other.
America: Land of Theme parks
The most awe-inspiring park has got to be Six Flags Magic Mountain in Los Angeles, California. From a New Yorker's perspective, Gordon Teoh says "It's all going on, all the time".
This is not a theme park so much as it's an extreme park, and it's home to one jaw dropping rollercoaster - The Viper, otherwise known as the largest looping rollercoaster in the world. But wait, the Viper is set to lose this title to an even taller and faster opponent with the planned unveiling of The KingDa Ka. Towering at 456 feet and launching you screaming at over 127 MPH, America's theme parks just keep getting bigger, faster and meaner....almost out of control. So make sure your camp is based around the Los Angeles area if you decide to take the plunge.
The Grand Canyon
Few people have not heard of the Grand Canyon, but not many have seen it. This is an American classic for film locations of every kind and for those who know, this was Airwolf's lair in the famous TV series by the same name. The Grand Canyon is an exceptionally deep, steep-walled canyon in the northwestern Arizona area.
"It is amazing - just like in the movies!" comments Helen Anderson who worked at Camp Canonicus. River rafting in the Colorado River, hiking and of course good old photography are things to do at the Canyon. The Grand Canyon cannot be missed; it's big, it's wild and it's absolutely amazing.
These destinations represent only a small fraction of the possibilities of post-summer camp gap year travel. The summer camp you work at could be anywhere in the USA, so do some research or contact one of the camp organizers for things to do after camp. Ten weeks of America's infinite possibilities await, so waste no time.
Australia: The Sight-Seeing Travel Tour
If you haven’t been to Australia or are planning to visit it a second time, then you must have all the information about the places to visit so that you can fully experience the wonderful land that is Australia.
Australia is the sixth-largest country in the world and is divided into 6 states and several territories. The 6 states are New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria and Western Australia. The two major territories are the Northern Territory (NT) and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT).
The largest part of Australia is desert or semi-arid, but the south-east and south-west corners have temperate climate and moderately fertile soil. The northern part has tropical climate, which is part tropical rainforest, part grassland and part desert.
When you go to Australia, you just cannot miss seeing The Great Barrier Reef. It is the world’s largest coral reef and extends for over 1,200 kms! It lies a short distance from the north-east coast.
Another spectacular place to visit is Uluru. It is the second largest monolith in the world and is located in central Australia. You can also visit the Great Artesian Basin, which is the world’s largest and deepest fresh water basin. Along with its beauty, it also serves as an important source of water in the parched outback.
You sure can’t miss going to Sydney if you visit Australia. Sydney is located in a coastal basin situated between the Pacific Ocean to the east and the Blue Mountains to the west. You can enjoy all the activities associated with beaches because there are more than 70 beaches in Sydney! If you have limited time, then you can only go to the famous Bondi Beach of Australia.
Sydney has more amazing landmarks for you like Sydney Harbour Bridge and Sydney Opera House. Both are located in Sydney Harbour. If you are interested in rowing, boating, recreational fishing, racing small yachts and Dragon Boat racing, then you can get all that in Sydney Harbour.
The city also boasts of musical, theatrical and artistic activities which come under one roof in the Sydney Festival which happens every January. More information can be found here
Melbourne is another major city of Australia which is situated in the south-east corner of the mainland Australia. It has a large and vibrant cultural life along with a chain of pubs, bars and nightclubs. Fashionable nightclubs, ubiquitous faux-Irish pubs, serious jazz venues on Bennetts Lane, massive pickup joints like The Metro on Bourke Street are all part of the city’s magic.
If shopping is what tempts you the most, then there are many reasonably priced shopping places where you can go and shop till you drop. Melbourne has innumerable clothing shops for every budget and various outlet stores in Bridge Road, Richmond for bargain hunters too!
Perth is a city known for the pristine quality of its beaches. Unbroken stretches of golden sands run through the entire length of the city’s coastal suburbs. If you are a nature lover, then you got to see this place.
Adelaide or the ‘City of Churches’, as it is often referred as, is a coastal city situated on the Fleurieu Peninsula. The name City of Churches is a reflection of Adelaide’s past rather than its present. The city has many wine growing districts such as the Baroosa valley.
Food lovers can taste traditional Australian cuisine which consists of grilled chops, Sunday roasts etc. Some English trends are still evident in domestic cuisine like hot roast turkey, chicken or ham with all the trimmings followed by Christmas pudding. Australia’s two most traditional takeaway dishes are the meat pie and sausage roll.
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