Longyearbyen - Saturday, July 9

The 1100 mile flight from Oslo took 2 1/2 hours over cloud-covered land & sea. Once on the ground we boarded a bus for the "tour" of the town. If you look up "stark" in the dictionary you can see it's picture. There are 2000 residents whose livelihood depends on coal mining, tourism & research. Svalbard is a territory of Norway and thus governed by Norwegian law but it's isolation and harsh living conditions provide unique challenges. (See  morePictures)
To purchase alcohol requires a special license that allows a maximum of one liter per month.
No one takes solitary walks and no one takes walks of any kind without carrying a gun. The last fatal polar bear attack was in 1996 -two young unarmed school girls walking near town. The school is surrounded by a sturdy bear-proof fence.
It is dark for half the year & most people leave after five years.
After the short tour we boarded the National Geographic Explorer for our expedition.