The Traveller Curse Continues!

Hello again! Well, I have to admit that I mistakenly believed that, once the blizzard season was over, travel within Nunavut would be relatively straight forward -- you know, you book a flight, the plane arrives on time, you leave on time, etc., etc. Well, I can tell you with absolute certainty, fog in Nunavut can be just as big a headache as snow.

Last Monday I travelled to Iqaluit for meetings. The trip over was straightforward, but the leg home was not. When I arrived at the Iqaluit airport on Friday afternoon, the departures board indicated that my flight might not be able to land in Rankin, which was my transfer point. I thought, oh, isn't that interesting. I went to the First Air counter to ask them what happens if we can't land in Rankin. They said, "We'll continue on to Yellowknife and you'll stay the weekend there." Just like that, matter of factly!

In my head, I was thinking that wasn't so bad. Maybe I could hop a flight from Yellowknife to Edmonton and spend the weekend at home. I was all psyched up for the possibility. This was starting to sound like a great plan. But, it wasn't to be. The flight was able to land in Rankin. As I consoled myself that there would be no quick trip home, I prepared to spend the next 5 hours waiting for my flight to Baker.

After watching two movies (a double-bill!) on my computer, I eagerly awaited the call for my flight. I noticed people edging their way towards the windows as the magic hour approached. Hmm, I thought, what's up. I joined them to see what they were looking at. And, to my surprise, a large fog bank was making its way towards the airport. It was like I was looking at a ghost, eerily weaving its way up, then down, then closer to us. The people at the windows started saying "Oh, we're not going to get out tonight." And sure enough, they were right. Within minutes we were engulfed. We could hear an airplane above the airport, most likely our aircraft circling and contemplating a landing. As the sound of the airplane dulled in the distance, it became apparent that I would not make it home Friday night.

Dejectly, I walked up to the counter to ask what happens now. The response, "Come back in 24 hours. We'll try to get you on the Saturday evening flight." Well, add that to my growing list of travelling woes. People back at the office told me that it wouldn't be long before I got the dreaded Traveller Curse. They said it always happens on a Friday, when you've been away for the week and can't wait to get home to your own bed. Sure enough, they were right. I guess I can now proudly add the Traveller's Curse to my resume. I'm 3/3 for the curse, and all in 10 short weeks!

I was able to get a room at a local Bed and Breakfast in Rankin. There are two hotels and 2 B + B's in town. The hotels had some space for the stranded passengers, but I didn't know what I'd do once 11am came and would have to check out. I would still have 9 hours to kill before my flight home. I took my chances that the B + B would be a better choice. Of the two B + B's, one is owned by a man who runs a dog sled tour outfit. Now, normally, you'd think, given my love of dogs, this would be my first choice. But, when I checked it out, I realized that about 60 dogs, in a open air enclosure were directly across from the owner's B + B. A great location for the owner, but maybe not for the guests of the B + B. I understand the dogs tend to bark day and night! I took a picture of the dog pen so you can see some of the dogs. Not much sleeping would happen there!

My other choice was a little further away but promised to be much quieter. Wrong. There was a volleyball tournament in town and a group of young ladies from one of the competing teams were in 2 of the rooms adjacent to my room. And, they had a 10 month old baby with them! Needless to say, the night was interjected with adolescent laughter and baby cries! So much for my careful planning. Oh, well. The hosts were most gracious and allowed me to use my room right up until the time I had to go to the airport. They also provided an evening meal for me that was above and beyond the call of duty! Very nice, indeed.

Thankfully, I was able to make it home on Saturday night. I headed to bed right away and vowed never to let the curse get me again. I'll figure it out, I will! I've included a picture of the sign welcoming people to Rankin Inlet. As I've mentioned before, NHLer Jordan Tootoo is a local hero and admired by young and old. I've also included a picture of a statue outside the local Wolf Cafe in Rankin. Not surprisingly, a big bad wolf is the star attraction there!

In my next blog I'll share my impressions of Iqaluit, Nunavut's capital city. Until then... Have a great one!