Life Beyond the Beaker

I have fallen in love with Svalbard...it reminds me a lot of Antarctica except that at any moment you could get attacked by a polar bear...not far from the truth as when we were there, a polar bear got very close to town by was chased away by a helicopter and monitored for 2 days before they lost it, the polar bear was then found on the other side of the Fjord opposite Longyearbyen so the helicopter chased it away again! Apart from the treat of the apex predator attacking you, Svalbard has a lot to offer including incredible scenery with mountains that need to be climbed and snowboarded (already planning a trip back), a very quaint town bursting with the mining history and the polar feel about it. The JCR approaching Longyearbyen...awaiting the pilot to navigate us through the shallow fjord.  Wind increasing with height creates this incredible cloud formation which I could and did watch for a long time!!! I stayed with my friend Otti and her partner Stephen in their flat ...