Our readers share tales of their ramblings around the world.
Who: Linda Hardiman (the author) and her husband, Wes Tomer, of Arlington, Va.
Where, when, why: We went to Manitoba to see polar bears. I had a childhood obsession with polar bears and it had been, for years, my dream to make this trip. When my parents passed away in 2015, I decided to use some of my inheritance to travel to Churchill, a city situated on Hudson Bay, where polar bears congregate in October. There, they wait for the bay to freeze and, once it's frozen, they hunt for seals and eat for the first time in months. Churchill self-identifies as the polar-bear capital of the world.
Highlights and high points: Seeing the Ursus maritimus (polar bears), of course! I will never forget my first sighting. We were out in this vast, flat and barren tundra, and thought it would be incredibly difficult to spot the bears. Not the case! It's amazing that an animal that can weigh more than 1,000 pounds can seemingly hide behind a twig, but then, all of a sudden, be spotted off in the distance! To be fair, it was a fair distance away, but with binoculars I had quite a good view.
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We drove onto the tundra in specially designed vehicles called "polar rovers." During our visit, we were lucky enough to cross just about everything off our must-see list. You name it — mothers and cubs, adult males sparring, bears rolling on their backs playing in the snow — we saw it. But the real highlight for us happened on the back viewing platform of our rover. It had a steel mesh floor and a bear came right under our platform, got up on its back legs and licked my husband's boots! We were so close to this amazing animal that we could hear it breathing. I looked the bear right in the eyes, and was left speechless. It was the most spellbinding experience of my life.
Cultural connection or disconnect: Churchill is a town of about 800 residents. There are no roads into or out of town. It's extremely isolated and, in winter, it is brutally cold. But everyone we came into contact with loved living there. We spoke to several residents that came to work during the polar-bear "season" and loved it so much that they ended up staying.
There also is great respect for the bears in the community. It is reasonably common for them to wander into town, so there is a polar-bear patrol that works to minimize this. At 10 p.m. each night, a siren sounds to signal curfew; polar-bear patrol is done for the day and it is no longer safe to be out and about. Residents must keep their houses and cars unlocked to provide a means of escape if someone meets a polar bear outdoors. The town even has a polar-bear "jail," where some troublesome bears that continue to come into town are taken until the ice forms and they are airlifted out. The town has gone to great lengths to coexist with these magnificent animals.
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Biggest laugh or cry: Instead of "do not disturb" signs on our hotel door, we had "do disturb" signs. On our first night there, we had just gotten into bed when there was a loud knock and a voice outside our door: "Northern lights! Be ready in five minutes and dress warmly."
We jumped out of bed, pulled on many layers of clothing and ran outside. It was about minus-20 degrees and the wind was howling but, oh, what a sight it was! It is very unusual to see the lights at this time of year and we were very lucky to catch them. Every other night we were prepared, with our clothing laid out, but we never heard the knock again.
How unexpected: We took a helicopter trip out over the tundra and were amazed at how many bears we saw. A storm was coming in and the helicopter company offered to refund us our money if we didn't want to go up. I'll admit it — I was absolutely terrified.
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Staffers told us they stocked the helicopter with extra sick bags "just in case." And when we inquired about leaving our bulky coats in the office, one told us: "If the helicopter goes down, you're going to need them."
Alas, my husband really wanted to go and I didn't want to let him down. Once we were up, it was wonderful. We got to see the bears from a different perspective. The pilot was sensitive to the welfare of the bears. If they started moving or seemed alarmed by the helicopter in any way, we moved. It was a lesson on how, if you can overcome your fears — even for a little while — you will be greatly rewarded.
Favorite memento or memory: I will never forget directly looking into the eyes of these magnificent animals in their natural surroundings and feeling completely at peace. These are memories that will always be imprinted in my mind.
To tell us about your own trip, go to washingtonpost.com/travel and fill out the What a Trip form with your fondest memories, finest moments and favorite photos.
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