Page 37 - 2003 SVALBARD, NORWAY

against the dark brown “sky” of the mountains and cliffs. We

loved this experience and will want to try it again when the
conditions are right again.

Sat at dinner with John S. again and heard wonderfully interesting

stories about his life and experiences in polar places, especially
the South Pole region, including the Russian station of Vostok
which sits on the huge fresh water lake that scientists are trying to

figure out how to explore without contaminating its waters. There
are wild speculations about what they might find once they enter

the enclosed lake: old life forms, microbes, or even sterility? No
one knows, of course. He also talked to us about the difficulties of

running aircraft on Antarctica as well as other machines like
tractors and trucks. Airplanes are by far the most difficult and

simply cannot be flown during the austral winter months. His
stories were all plausible and entertaining. We went to bed
around midnight and knew that there was plenty of light outside

but lots of fog too.