Wheeling in the Land of Icebergs, Caribou and Vikings
Our random collective of four-wheel-drive enthusiasts was now bonded after a week of travel together-and a more than a few adventures, on the trail and off, which always become the cement that turns a motley collective of people and 4WD rigs into an expedition. Vehicle parts had already been flown in to Goose Bay, and repair performed in a local garage, before we could embark on our southerly journey toward the coast of Newfoundland.
While in Goose Bay, the group met with a local expert on the Inuit culture, hearing about the Native peoples of Labrador, visiting a galley and a museum with Inuit artifacts and artwork, and, of course, we spent an afternoon four-wheeling along a technical trail. The evening was topped off with caribou stew and moose burgers. A second day was spent doing a community service project for the local Community Youth Summer Camp.
After a rough night's journey on the M/V Sir Robert Bond, we arrived in the picturesque fishing village of Blanc Sablon, Newfoundland, and, after a day of rest and exploring, we boarded the M/V Apollo, for St. Barbe. Motoring on calmer seas, we watched the sun's light turn icebergs an opalescent blue, and delighted in watching whales fish and frolic, on our way to L'Anse aux Meadows, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the first Viking settlement in North America. Our tired bodies came to rest in the replica of a Viking long house, sleeping on sheep skins laid atop of wooden planks. Guides tended a fire through the night, cooking venison and bannock bread in a traditional fashion.
