Waking up at 2:20 is quite difficult. But the sun is back and my shift is very calm in spite of the polar bear threat ;-)
I go back to bed at 3:30 and waking up at 6 is (very) difficult again ! Though we have to be quick in order to be ready when the boat picks us up. Benoit tells us we are 3 hours late compared to "normal time" : it is actually 9 already !
First we clean the tent and pack all our stuff. We then have breakfast, and prepare pancakes while waiting for the boat.









When the boat appears on the horizon, we bring everything on the beach. A zodiac comes to get us. It is quite difficult to reach the shore as there is a lot of ice. We put everything in the zodiac at once (!!!) and head to the boat, Billefjord, which is bigger than the one we took at the beginning of the journey. Most of all, the boat is much higher, and lifting the kayaks on it is very difficult. Benoit even hurts his back...
While leaving Nordeskjold glacier, we enjoy the bbq on board: whale, salmon, with salad and rice.





































We finally approach Pyramiden. The ocean is calm today compared to two days before ! And it is sunny. The city appears progressively, hidden in the middle of these beautiful mountains.

















































































When the boat stops at the loading docks, 2 guides are waiting for us, one of which being Sacha, whom we met two days ago. Today, he is very handsome and wearing a traditional Russian outfit. There are 70 people on board, so we split into two groups: one will have a visit in Norwegian, and the other one in English, with Sacha. The visit will last for an hour (only !) so we rapidly walk towards the city center. Sacha stops at the entrance of the city, below the large sign, and gives a lot of interesting explanations.

































As for the visits, we almost enter no building... We feel very lucky to have been there on our own a couple days before and to enjoy the city much longer. Only new thing and privilege: Sacha opens up the doors of the community center hosting a gymnasium, an auditorium and a music room to cite a few. Benoit advises us to go upstairs directly while the rest of the group visit the ground floor. Indeed, the auditorium is located upstairs, and we discover the amazing projection room: old projectors and thousands of movie films everywhere, most of them on the floor...


























































































































Before leaving the building, we wander in the long corridors where time seems to have stopped years ago...









































We just have time to see the gym, the old music room and the library before Sasha closes the doors !











































































































The rest of the visit is very fast. We walk down the "Champs-Elysees" again, passing by traditional the red wooden houses, and finishing up at the bar of the hotel. We finally go back to the boat around 3:30 pm.









































On board, everybody rapidly fall asleep, despite the awesome scenery around us !






When arriving in Longyearbyen, Robin is here to help us and disembark all the equipment. We let the kayaks, outfits, tents... at the base camp, and then drive to the apartment. Before the so expected hot shower, all the group go for a drink to the bar downstairs, as promised. It feels so weird to be surrounded by many people again, to hear music, drink alcohol... Longyearbyen even looks like a busy capital to us after these two weeks in the middle of nowhere !
We finally go back to the apartment, have a hot shower ! So great !!
We then have dinner all together. Hard to change habits now :-) Then some of us decide to finish the evening at the Karlsberger bar, famous for its impressive alcohol collection. We stay there until 1:30 am, and finally go to bed.
The sky is eventually starting to change colors !