July 12

Dispatch 4
Insomenia

LOCATION: 89.01N 30.00W

Heavy pack ice still plagues our progress.  The constant jarring makes typing almost impossible.  I have been sleepless for almost 3 nights.  Anxiety, more than anything, keeps me awake.  The last two weeks of travel have been rough with little rest.  I look forward to the ice but truly enjoy the people on board.  This entry will be short.  I expect to be at the Pole tomorrow, the 13th. I will rest a day there.  Wish I could write more.  There is much to say but the banging of the ice on steel prevents more.

Later

The North Pole at last!

LOCATION: 90 degrees NORTH!

I won the contest! On those sunny days, way back when the passengers were optimistic, we wagered bets on our arrival time at the North Pole.  Almost everyone fell short of our actual arrival since everyone felt optimistic in the sunshine. I guessed 9:30PM (Moscow time) on the 12th and we arrived at 8:30PM.  At 89.12 degrees N we moved into some very heavy, broken-up ice which challenged the Russian ship to move full steam ahead.  It was Russian power at its best.  The fog and grey had driven some passengers to near-mutiny.  On the 10th, Michael McDouglas, the Quark Expedition leader, had to remind everyone over the loud speaker that this was an expedition we were on and they needed to remain flexible.  Some of the older folks hung in very well and did much better than others in coping with it.  The grey and gloom hung literally to the last hour and THEN the sun broke through!  It was polar splendor!  No words can capture the feeling! Everyone transformed into children!  The icebreaker finally stopped and the party began.  Everyone except for me went on the ice for the celebration.  I prepared for my departure. 

Later that evening

I am on the ice and very exhausted from the long trip to the Pole.  I must now concentrate on getting home safely but I want to communicate my telecommunications responsibilities here.  If all the "machinery" is working and I don't damage anything, I hope to transmit a photo each week.  I will write each day as long as the computer batteries allow.  If my main transmission unit fails me, I will communicate by Argos with coded messages and if the computer does not work at all, some days you might only receive my daily position. 

I will rest now.  I will write again July 15th.  I am in great spirits but very tired. 

Best to all who are tuning in and learning about this important environment.