Longyearbyen, Svalbard (Lat. 78.22 deg) 北纬78.22度

June 18: The day we had eagerly anticipated had finally arrived. After visiting the Antarctic, we had always yearned to explore the Arctic as well. Longyearbyen, located on the Svalbard islands, was the closest inhabited town to the North Pole and a place frequented by polar bears. Legends and tales of mysteries shrouded this remote town, where polar bears were said to outnumber human residents. Stories circulated about the need to carry rifles when going out, elderly or terminally ill people being required to leave to avoid dying on the island, and childbirths necessitating a return to the mainland due to limited medical facilities. The image of Longyearbyen in our minds was of a sparsely populated Arctic town covered in pristine snow, and visiting there filled us with a sense of adventure.

Beyond the polar bears, Svalbard was also known for its walrus sightings. Although our booked ship excursion to observe walruses had been canceled, we searched the internet for local alternatives. Unfortunately, most tours were fully booked, leaving us to wait and see what opportunities awaited upon our arrival.

The ship docked at nine in the morning, and we hurriedly got off. Fortuitously, we came across a 16-person tourist minivan with three available seats, and we quickly hopped on. The driver, also our guide, took us on a tour around the town and its surroundings. We learned that coal mining was a significant industry besides tourism in Longyearbyen, as the coal deposits here were of exceptional purity. Due to the heavy fog that day, the scenic beauty of the valleys remained obscured during our journey up the mountains.

Our guide also showed us the church and a dog yard where huskies were kept. Yet, the highlight of our trip was the Global Seed Vault, where seeds of major crops from all over the world were stored. This facility was a safeguard in emergencies or global disasters and had already been used twice. Before this visit, we had never heard of such an international seed bank, and we now recognized the importance of such a repository, especially after the COVID-19 pandemic.

After the three-hour tour, our overall impression was that Longyearbyen resembled an antiquated mining town with hardly a trace of polar bears, at least in the area we visited. It lacked the allure and charm of the quaint fishing villages in Northern Norway, but perhaps visiting during winter would offer a different perspective.

After lunch on the ship, we prepared to explore the town center. As we walked out of the ship's dock, we noticed many tourists waiting to board the yachts next to us. These tourists had booked their excursions from local agencies months in advance, and naturally, all spots were taken. However, we didn't lose hope and patiently waited for last-minute opportunities. To our surprise, we managed to secure a place on one of the yachts. The excursion took us to the other side of the bay to observe the glaciers. There, we had the pleasure of sighting numerous walruses and seabirds. This yacht excursion was quite similar to the one we had booked on the ship, yet the price of our two tickets was lower than what one person had paid on the ship. As the saying goes, when one door closes, another one opens. The four-hour glacier and walrus excursion was genuinely worthwhile.

Today, we consider ourselves incredibly fortunate to have the chance to participate in two local excursions. Our only regret was not being able to see the polar bears, but perhaps we would have to venture to even more northern regions on a future expedition.

6/18: 北纬78.22度(Longyearbyen)

梦想已久的一天终于到来了。自从去过南极后，一直想到北极转转。在Svalbard 岛屿上的Longyearbyen 是离北极最近的可居住的小镇，北极熊常常出没的地方。据说在岛上的北极熊比常住居民还多，各种传说给这个遥远的小镇披上了神秘的面纱。什么外出必须带长枪， 老年人或有不治之症的人必须离开，不能死在岛上。因为医疗条件差，生育也必须回到大陆去。想像中的Longyearbyen 镇是人烟稀少白雪覆盖的北极小镇，去那里有一种探险的感觉。

除了北极熊之外，Svalbard岛屿也是海象出没的地方。自从游轮把我们订的出海看海象游取消后，我们开始在网上寻找当地的旅游项目，但是绝大多数项目都满客了，我们只能到达之后见机行事。

早晨九点船靠码头，我们匆匆下船，正好碰上一辆16人旅游面包车还有三个空位，我们赶紧上车。司机兼导游带着我们在小镇周围山上山下兜了一圈。除了旅游业外，煤矿是他们主要工业，这里煤矿石是非常纯的，导游带我们看了几个煤矿。因为今天雾很大，上山后看不到山谷的美景。又带我们去看了教堂和养哈士奇狗的地方。对我们来说，最有意思的是全球种子保存库，世界各地都将一些主要农作物的种子存放在那里。在紧急情况下或全球大灾难时，可以取回存放在那里的种子，据说已用过2次。之前从来没听说过有这个全球粮食种子库的事，现在想想还真应该有这样的保存库。三个小时一圈下来总的感觉是Longyearbyen就像一个陈旧的矿镇，北极熊的影子都没有。小镇远没有北挪威小渔村那种美丽魅力，也许冬天来这里会有不同感受。

回船吃午餐后，准备去镇中心看看。走出船码头后看到不少游客正在等待上旁边的游艇，他们都是几个月前就订好的，当然船已订满了。但是我们不放弃，希望有人没来，我们耐心地等待着，最后还真的让我们上船了。游艇带着我们去海湾对面的冰川。在那里，看到了不少海象和海雀。这个游艇的行程与我们在船上订的很相似，但我们俩人的船票却比我们在船上订的最后被取消的一个人的价钱还便宜，正是常说一扇门关了说不定另一扇门就开了。这四个小时冰川和海象游是非常值得。

今天我们算是非常幸运的，能够有机会参与二个当地的旅游项目。这次唯一的遗憾是没看到北极熊，也许下次再来要坐探险船去更北的地方。