Day 2: Arctic Circle Crossing & Little Diomede

The ship headed dozens of miles out of our way to the north so we could officially cross the Arctic Circle. When we got there, we all gathered on the back deck for a surprise. They sprayed ocean water on all those willing. It was cold, foggy, and windy, but a few brave souls donned their swimming suits to get sprayed, then take a hot tub. I had heard about Little Diomede since Lynn Cox swam from here to Big Diomede in Russia about ten years ago. This is the closest you can get in America to Russia—only a few miles away. We were struck how the village is basically built into a hill. There’s nowhere flat to walk, save a small strip of rocky beachfront. We hiked up the hillside above town and scrambled around on rocks. You could smell and hear thousands of birds gawking in cavities underneath the rocks. Combine that with the smell of saltwater and it was quite the sensual experience. They had freshly-harvested walrus tusks and a polar bear skull right off the main walkway into town. We were told only 130 people live here. At first, you wonder why anyone would choose to live in such an isolated place with so few people and services. But then you realize what a strong sense of community they have. And they don’t need to fly across the country to see their family. Most of all, they seemed really happy. I don’t know if that’s because greeting the cruise ship was a big event for the town or whether it was just the joy you get of determining your own way of life.