Busier than the last time we were here!
We had to set our suitcases out before breakfast at 7:30, then be out of our cabins by 8:30. We opted to sit and wait in the Library, as it was quieter than the other public areas. We were happy to be in the first group to get off the ship, as it also meant we'd be the first ones to the airport, so there'd be no last-minute rush.
Unfortunately, 4 other cruise ships were also in Longyearbyen, so we couldn't moor at the pier. This meant we had to keep waterproof garments out. Sheila had turned in her Expedition jacket, but Lars kept his for the Zodiac ride to the dock.
While we were in the Mudroom getting our lifejackets on, someone came up and asked if we had gotten Lars' device back. "No, we haven't!" "Oh! Nicole has it! I've been looking for you to tell you!"
Lars' device took a roundabout route--Jan found it and gave it to the Assistant Expedition Leader, Nicole. Being busy with getting people into Zodiacs for the trip back to the ship, Nicole put it in a pocket and forgot about it. But Susan saw her put it in the pocket and reminded her about it the next morning. It was a HUGE relief to get it back, even though the battery had died.
Once we got to the dock, Lars handed over his blue and red jacket, and we boarded Bus #1 into town. It dropped us at the town square, with orders to be back on board by 1:30 for the trip to the airport. Meanwhile, we had about 2 hours to kill before meeting up for lunch at the Polarfararen restaurant.
The town felt very different, with passengers from 5 cruise ships all wandering the streets. We went to the cafe and got coffee and the "Texas" chocolate cake we'd had 10 days previously. After a while, we went out for fresh air, and walked down to the museum and back, just to kill some time.
Lunch was enormous! Great slabs of roast pork, potatoes, veggies, and a choice of desserts. We could only eat about half of it. Then we had another hour to wait for our bus, and finally got to the airport, which was small, but pretty efficient for the baggage and security process.
More waiting, in the nice, bright airport lobby. We picked up a few souvenirs from the shop, then it was finally time to fly to Oslo. The charter seemed to be run by a Polish airline, which was a bit confusing. But we landed right on time, and then had to negotiate the chaos that is an unfamiliar international airport. They didn't have nearly enough staff on at passport control, so that took forever.
They did have a very efficient method of finding a taxi--a kiosk where you type in your destination and it offers you an assortment of taxi companies, with prices. Click a button, and 3 minutes later you have a cab. I know, I could use Uber, but Norway makes them get all the same clearances as regular cab drivers, so it isn't as big a thing here.
45 minutes later, we were at our hotel, the Scandic Sjølyst. We stayed there a few years ago, but there had been some upgrades and very little was familiar. The room was comfortable, though, and we were ready for bed.
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