Iqaluit

We got up bright and early for our flight at Macdonald-Cartier International Airport. The flight was abut 3 hours, so we were pleasantly surprised to be served a meal.
I've gotten too used to Air Canada service, so taking other airlines is always a nice experience.




The Iqaluit Airport was a lot newer and larger than the Yellowknife Airport, but immediately, I could see the landscape was drastically different than any place I have ever been.






Our accommodation was bathed in sunlight, and I ran around the house, basking in the beauty of the bay beyond our windows.




This marked my first visit to the tundra, and it was very odd seeing a place devoid of trees. The ground was springy with the hardy shrubs that braved the harsh climate to rise in the late summer. Situated by Frobisher Bay, we could see the tide was coming in, lapping at the icebergs resting by the water.





The houses are all seemingly on stilts, raised above the ground due to permafrost in the colder seasons.






We were acutely aware of the high price of living in Nunavut, and prepared for our stay by packing a full carry-on with as much food as it could hold.



We ventured into town, passing by the ice block-shaped Nakasuk Elementary School, igloo-shaped St. Jude's Cathedral, and the distant Inuksuk High School.





We had a coffee break at the local Tim Hortons in order to warm our bones; it turned out to be more of an express one, and I observed a fair amount of people ordering iced Capps with all the fixings, something I rarely see people add on back home. A small white dog kept sneaking inside, only to be shooed out repeatedly by staff and patrons.

As we were chatting away, the calm of the cafe was suddenly broken by a loud explosion, and the building was simultaneously rocked by this unknown force. It felt like a truck had just rammed into the side of the building, and as we looked around, a few ladies at the next table noticed our surprise. They informed us that there was near-daily blasts from the construction of the nearby deep sea port, and that one was quite a large one.



Sufficiently warmed up, we meandered through town and found ourselves by the Coast Guard, before we were told to meet for dinner at the Frob.




After dinner, we made our way back up the hills to our house.




The Arctic cotton was plentiful on the walk back, waving in greeting as we passed by. The sun was beginning to set, and the city was bathed in a golden warmth.