Read the report of Nei Maldaner about his full-activities day, in Kugluktuk Village, Nunavut, Canada, on April 11th, 2008.

Kugluktuk (Coppermine) is in the province of Nunavut, north of Canada. Formerly, it belonged to Northwest Territories's province, however, in 1999, was separated. practically it is the north central Town in the American North continent. That possesses around 1300 inhabitants.

Unfortunately I'd have only 24 hours to stay in Kugluktuk, because I had already a flight scheduled to Vancouver, and compromise in Yellowknife on Sunday. While I was waiting the tax inside the airport, it was crowded with people that was going and coming from travels. Just to have and idea of so small it was, it measured five x five meters. There was warm and pleasant, although the temperature was around -15°C or even less.

At the airport, I known Luigi Torretti, the biologist whom his mother had came to visit him. He was very likeable, and said his house was near the hotel, and after he'd call m to we have a chat. He suggested that even the hotel was near from there, I should get a tax to take my luggage.

I went to see that, and there was a little truck parked. My luggage was in the side of the station, on the snow. The coach took the most it could do, and gone to the hotel, so I saw that it was the tax. Another little truck parked there, and it has an open back, where many people were seating with their luggage.

There, were a lot of snowmobiles, some was towing a sleigh. Also Luigi Torretti came to take his mother by snowmobile. He dressed her with a hard snow coat (that could cope even -50°C), placed her in his hitchhiking, and went to the Village.

Many other snowmobiles was coming and going. Some were drove by women, and looking the volume of the coat, was possible to see that there was a baby in her backs. I waited the tax to back, the driver was called Tony Demerah, before he worked in Holman, but the moved from there, and now work and live in Kugluktuk, where he act as tax driver. Very kind, he took me to the hotel, that was very near from the airport.

The coach costs 10 CAN$. I asked if It was necessary to call him to take me back to the airport in the next day, but he said no, because the hotel has a coach to take me. I arrived at the hotel, it was a house. I had already read about there in the internet, when I was in Yellowknife. The place has three bedrooms in the first floor with two beds each one, and a collective bathroom, a male and a female one.

On the second floor, lived the couple who manage the hotel. I went up the stairs, and touched the bell, so appeared a pleasant blond girl, probably from the South. I asked her if she was the owner, she said she was the manager. Her Name is Gina Laliberte. I also asked if there was an available bedroom just for a night. After a couple of seconds without a response, I started to be overwhelming.

Well, I thought: IF there weren't any available one, I could search for another hotel, or maybe to build a igloo (laugh). After some suspense, she said he has bedrooms (what a relief!). She showed me the dormitory and I started to take my luggage.

I was with my luggage, tripod, backpack with camera and lens, laptop, another backpack with battery and battery charger, besides a camcorder. This way, I was carrying lesser luggage, for just a day it was a lot. The remaining I let at the hotel in Yellowknife, one luggage, a large lens, and a Pelican hardcase.

First of all, I organized my stuff. The blong girl asked me if I wanted to eat something, because there was a sir eating. This man was an aboriginal from Inuvik, who would give a concert on the weekend. I was thankful, so she asked about the breakfast.

I explained that I don't have schedule, and was better to combine just the lunch. I went to the bedroom and put a lot of clothes. I got the camera, camcorder and went in directions on the Village's center. It was growing dark, and even this, the sun was shining. I took advantage to shot everything that passed by me, and what more passed, were snowmobiles and some quadricycle.

The roads were on the snow, and the people passed b me and complimented. I remembered that these, usually happens in little cities, for instance, in Crissiumal, where I was born. But even this, it gets lose, so, I was very happy.

When I was among the city, I saw some people walking to the hill that was a lowered. It must be the sea that surrounded almost all the city that was in a tip. I decided to follow my feelings, and I went to confer.

When I was crossing the Road, I saw a double cabin little truck getting near. The woman driver stopped and asked if I was going to the hill, I said yes. I explained that I didn't know exactly what there was there, but I was going. Explain some things about the city and when we het to the iced rode, on the sea, I asked to her open the window.

She immediately offered herself to show me the city and go up to the Hill, through the normal road, and the ice one. It was wonderful. Her name was Joanne, a pleasant woman, and good looking. In addition, she was listening a very soft music.

I took some remotes photos, to remember the city, the boat anchored on the snow, I could see the congealed waves, I could pass all day there, taking photos. Everything was in my memory. It was a wonderful place, I loved everything. Even staying so little time there, I was promising to myself that I was back.

From far, I saw so much stopped people with the hill, on the side, the snowmobiles was going down and up. Was incredible seeing that because the surface was high and steep. We follow by car, getting near, Joanne told me that there were been constructed igloos.

In less time I saw that was a competition of who build fastest an igloo. Were competing three groups, formed by four persons each one. They were already in the middle of the game.

Around the event, many people was cheering and talking about the competition, everybody happy, mainly the kids. Beside the aboriginals, the natives, I also saw some people that lived there or just were visiting the place, usually by the government or the mines. I was mesmerized by the beautiful children I met. Everyone dresses with snow clothes, because although the sun, the weather was very cold.

I started to film and photograph the people working on the igloos. I observed how they cut the ice with a hand saw and machete, and how the woman organized the blocks of ice, one on each one. Like this, the igloo was been filled by snow.

Later, I knew that one of the winners have already lived in an igloo before having his Wood house. Shame that I didn't had time to talk with these people who built and igloo. There were a lot of beautiful persons, with skin clothes, naturals and colored. I photographed everything.

When the competition ended, everybody went up with their snowmobiles, and the area became a desert. Just I was there, thinking about how would be live in those igloos. In little time, arrived a snowmobile, transporting a family: wife, a son in her backs, another child in the hitchhiking, and the husband, who was driving. They were driving around the igloo, they talk with me, and follow speeding up.

Sometime were the women who drove the snowmobile. In the majority, the sons stood in her back, it was interesting to see that. I was curious about the situation, and I asked about the sons, for instance, what were their ages.

The mothers were so attentions with me, and explained a lot of this. So, I learned about how to take a child by snowmobile. As the reason why to take them in the back: this give the air to the children, because the mothers move the arms with the elbow, pumping air to inside.

The cord in the waist makes the children not to falls, this safe allows security to the mothers. If you see, doesn't seam like a baby in her back. As they grow, they also stay there, but put the head out, in the mother's side.

In the little time that I stood there, I made so many friends and knew lots of people. After learning about how to carry the children on the snowmobile, I decided go back to the hotel and prepare myself to the concerts that would happen at night. It'll be the spring festival, through the way to there, many people offered me rides, but I was thankful.

I'd really like to enjoy the way hill up, I was seeing the sunset. I must be took an hour to get to the hotel, walking on the snow, sometimes sinking the knee. I was very happy, I loved the place and the people, because all of them was besides pleasant, very attentions. Always trying to help.

The snowmobiles didn't stop to appear, to all the sides, it was exciting. Almost nobody walking, they move mainly with snowmobile, the cars were also little, lesser than five. But there was some quadricycle.

At afternoon, when I back to the hotel, my chin was cushioned by the cold. The temperature was around -20°C, in addition to the strong wind.

In the face of the inhabitants, there're stains and burning because of the hard cold, like happens in Brazil, because of the sun. I feel my face red by the cold, the chin and also my hands, because I forgot my gloves at the hotel. I remeber my Canadian friend Kevin Cullen, he say dont have bad weather but but clouthes.

The Sun shone like a star. When I arrive to the hotel, I called the biologist. Luigi Torretti sent me a message, and I did right on visiting him in the morning. I organized my stuff to go to the show, I took tripod and backpack. When I was living was 9h30min and the show would start at 9 o'clock. As the sun was setting, I went to the other hill, to see it, but I lost when surrounding the hills.

It must be wonderful, and I thought: I won't be here tomorrow to see that, because m plane was stay here just two days. Although, I took shots of the sun, and below I saw the airport, so small! I back and gone to Multiplex, I arrived there sweating, the place was crowed, everybody was there. Was happening a magic and clown show.

I film the people. After some time, the show started, with local dances. It was very beautiful! I shudder just in remembering it. I just filmed, because my cam flash broke and I didn't find another in Yellowknife. I almost cry because I could take photos of those dances.

In addition the dance, happen a parade with an old lady, that probably should be the older one. It was beautiful, she wore the most beautiful clothes I have ever seen. The carnavalescos from Brazil should see that. And I was without flash! I let my movie camera filming and I tried to do the same with my camera, but I think the emotion and the nervousness made me freak .

I Aldo didn't put a high ISO, to not bungle the photo, but the photo doesn't stay so nice. The most important is that everything stood in my mind, and also in the movie.

Afterwards and it do two returns, the lady who paraded sat down among the wheel and stayed watching to the others dance. Always cheerful and pleasant, when she saw me taking pictures of her side, she opened a larger smile and came for me.

A lovely person, I'd like to hug her. Her welcoming and graceful skill represents the cordiality of the north people, I will have always that image in my mind. I remembered of my grandmother, when she was in good moments.

I continue taking pictures and filming, until one boy and girl came until me. I offered them my camera, to they see, and when I see, they were already filming even better than I. I observe the movies and the movements: what a talent! - I thought. It was just necessary to give them some types on how to film, the closes, and they learned so fast.

They opened, closed, got the first sight and a group as deep. I thought that it would be a great idea to teach them some classes, or maybe learn too. I could also make a movie about this people and this region. It would be very nice!

The clown and the magic, was doing forms with he balloons, and the line there were children and adults. On the other side, there were another line, but to a caricaturist. Also the sandra sang and she played for the people. www.deanothemagicman.com and www.sandrasutter.com

When I saw, the night was ending. In the same moment I left the place, the old lady also left and I almost didn't believed that she was living on the hitchhiking of a snowmobile. As I had already closed the cam and the movie camera, I opened quickly my backpack and accompanied her exit. And her, so pleasant, go laughing and fanning.

When walking to the hotel, one more show. I looked to the sky and I see the night lights, the Northern Lights, the aurora boreal was detonating the sky of Kugluktuk. Until I organize the tripod, she stood less intense, but not to my eyes, and the moon on the other side, was shining as half moon.

I decided go to the hotel and left the backpack, my movie camera, and go to the hill, to take shots of aurora boreal. I went there, but unfortunately it disappeared, because the fog took the night.

It was very interesting to see the smoke take count of the houses' chimneys, because different from Holman, here there's smoke .I think they should take wood, to burn here.

As I couldn't take pictures of the lights, I seated to observe and waited for a couple of time, I intend to stay there for one more hour. When I saw, were 2 o'clock, and I back to the hotel. I walked a lot, and I was sinking the knee in the snow, until the road. Although, I was so much happy!

At night, was very cold and I was feeling mainly in my chin and face. My scarf was missing my thorn bonnet, that I always use, and pulled to my neck. It was practice, because when was cold, I just pulled to front of my face.

When I arrived the hotel, I looked to my side, and saw the aurora boreal above the houses, I went in its direction. So, I took pictures, everything so beautiful! Mainly because of the moon, the smoke and the Arctic aurora boreal.

After I went to the hotel and also copied all the pictures, read e-mails, and so on. What nice, the hotel had internet wifi, it wasn't so fast, but I could send all the shots of the day. I sent messages to people from INEMA, but after I remembered that was Saturday and they wouldn't be able to read it.

I was sleep at 4 o'clock, and put the bell to wakes up at 8h30min, but I woke up around 6 or 7 o'clock, at 8 o'clock I got up. As you can see, I slept very little time, therefore I was so exciting with the place.