See how was the passage of Nei Maldaner through Behchoko, NT, Canadá, He were there on April 5th 2008, end of winter.

After the race realized from March 28th to 30th, in Yellowknife, I stayed for more a couple of days in the city. I tried to know the urban part, I went to each clothes centers to try to find something interesting. As I've said, the local shopping mall doesn't compare with the one's of the cities. I think it's because it's a province with just 18 thousands of inhabitants. I didn't find nothing interesting there. When I entered into one of those centers, I met a people from the US doing the same as I. We laugh about it, and I asked when they were going to back. Wendy told me that they would stay for one more competition, placed 100 km from there, the place was called Rae. I asked them to write the address on a paper, and I organized myself to go there. But I was still confused, because in the map, Era Lakes was 250 Km far from there. So, I asked for help to John St. Louis, who was the organizer of the event with dog sled in Yellowknife. He gave me some hints, and also the contact of the event's organizer. He told me that I must sleep in Yellowknife and go there, and back, because there's no accommodation there, it means, hotel. At afternoon of this day, I went to a visit at Diavik, its a company who explore one diamond mine of the region and also sponsors and name after, the sled competition Diavik 150, in Yellowknife. There, I knew Cindy Gilday, who is manager of relations with the aboriginal community. She gave me tips about and interesting place that I could visit, because I'd stay some more days at the city. She told me about some cities, and I said that I was planning going to Era. So, she presents me the Behchoko's community leader and we combined to see each other in Rae. Although, I wasn't understanding the situation very well, because he said he live there, but I had understand that he live in Behchoko. So, I changed my day's flight that was supposed to be on Friday, April 4th. I chose stay some more days at the city, because I was enjoying a lot, and was so cold, always colder than -20°C, and as I like different places, and in this region there are a lot of things t know and learn, I went to the hotel and exchanged the ticked through the internet. I prepared myself to go to Rae and discovered how to get there. I just understood after, that Rae was the old name of Behchoko, and aboriginal name. I also knew that I would pass through 100 km of asphalt and could appear some buffalos in the road. I try some hotel to stay, but John St. Louis told me that there were no one available, so, I'd go and back there by car. I searched about the place in the internet, it's known by having the people of the first nation that I understood as aboriginals. I received an e-mail from Cindy Gilday who said that I could stay at a cabin from a community's leader. The event would happen Saturday and Sunday. I resolved to go there on Saturday morning, even the event would start at mid day, to, during the way, I try to see some buffalos. I lived the hotel early, at 8 o'clock I was in the road. I went to Tim Hortons to buy some snack, donuts, as my Honey Dips, that I Love. And I follow in direction to the road, through the airport. By the living I saw a stud, with the unique horses that I have ever seen here. During the path I was observing, trying to see the buffalos, but nothing appeared. I stopped sometimes to take pictures of the houses and the cars covered by the snow. I thought, how can these people live this way? So, I arrive to a clover toward to Rae, the same as Behchoko. I would drive more 10 Km, and no buffalos have appeared. I was early, because the event just would begin at afternoon. When I arrived the city, I adored, was simple and small, it was the first north city I have known, after Yellowknife. I was loving the place. I pass through many places in the city and I saw an advertise saying the direction of the dog race. Everything well organized, while, a man came to talk with me, but He was really drunk, together with his dog. I didn't understand what he was saying, so I said I was going to the dog race, and continued going by the city that is located in the edge of a frozen lake. The temperature was not so low, it was around -20°C or less, but with the wind, the sensation was even lesser. While I was driving, I met an old lady wearing traditional costumes, and the police car was rounding the city. In this city, I saw many houses with and Indian tent beside and the city symbol, that's a star. There were sun, and cloudily and snow horizon and four Indian tents. After drive around the city that I loved to know, I went to the race. When I arrived there, was desert. I saw some beautiful children in front of a flag. After, a man driving a Snowmobile and wearing a fur bonnet came at me and asked me if I wanted to see the race. He gave me tips about how it would be and I questioned if I could rent an Snowmobile and cover the event. He said he could give me a ride to the event. Everything was very well organized, I was lucky. The old lady who I saw walking in the city, appeared. I talked with her and took some pictures, she was lovely. When I said that I'd like to photograph her, she laughed and she almost pinched me. And we went together to a flag, placed in front of a supermarket. I entered there and saw interesting things, as almost everybody from the city, also the older people seated. I was a place for everybody get together. I was mesmerized, I walked around the market and didn't see anything much original, But a noticed that there were cold stuffs. I tried to read some labels to I understand and after I lived the store. Arrived a Police car of the community and I talked to the police officer. I got information about the city and the buffalos. He told me that every moment one appears, but unfortunately I didn't see anyone. So, I saw a van with dogs coming, there were the competitors, so I went confer how was it. During the way, I find a guy been pulled by two dogs, was funny to see the strength the dogs have. He said he uses the dog to pull a sled with his son. When I arrived to the van, I saw that was Brent Beck, who also has competed at Diavik 150. I heard they talking about hunt in the next weekend, and the local people were giving tips of where could be the caribous. According to the natives, these animals probably were about 30 miles to the north. The van's dogs were taken off, to do their necessities and eat. Also arrived a van with and immense trailer, from Michigan, US. I talked to them quickly. They were taking care of the dogs and giving them food. I was talking with a people who made a tent. Some of them were French and other came to Montreal, but living in a blue floating house in Yellowknife, in the castle side. I have taken much photos of there, and they were very nice people. I saw more vans and competitor arriving, including Carol and John Beck. I went there to compliment and take pictures. Each car had a different paint in the dog's door, very interesting. The kids from there used clothes and caps that made them look so cutes. They also must be well protected from the cold. In little time started to came the people from the community. Most of them were coming by snowmobile. Usually the dad and two sons, with him on the snowmobile, or with a sled been towed. I decided to park the car near the started, to better obtain my material. At the descending with the car, there was a hole and some gutter. And besides my car been a 4x4, I was afraid, but I packed and moved well. The people started to place their dogs in front of the sled, warning that in some minutes the race would start. I ran, got the camcorder, tripod and camera, and stayed in front of the beginning, where the track of each sled gets together. I tried to take shots in this part of the course. In some minutes, the race started. Everything is fast and silenced, the dogs even don't bark and we just listen the noise of the sled sliding in the snow. The people passed by me and after my position there was no track, just a warning about branches of pines, that were put there to indicate the way. When I was collecting my stuff, vi another sled leaving late, it was number nine. I back to the place where were parked the cars, because I'd have to wait for one or two hours until they back. So I had a chat with the people. I even took a picture three generations, the girl, the mom and the grandma, that was in a car. After this, I thought: Would I pass all the day here? So I decided find a way on the ice, to I drive on. I had already asked the police officer about this, but I didn't have a positive answer, probably I didn't questioned correctly. I drove 10 Km until the principal road, where it says "Edzo 5Kms", I follow to there. During the way there was a iron bridge, and through there, I entered in the Edzo vile. It was very small, in little time I arrived in the end of the vile, and there were a lot of snowmobiles tracks. So, I back and lived to the road again, when I saw a parking zone of machinery maintenance of the road, everyone covered by the snow. I went there to take pictures, continue the road away and saw a warning with two cities name "Rae Lakes and Whati" and the other saying "Winther Road Open". Nice! This should be the right way. I must meet some dogs there. What a Lucky, I always have this, really we can't wait the luck knock on ours door. I remember a book that I read: A Boa Sorte (The Good Luck), this book says exactly this, that has luck, who goes there. I started to go through the road, that were covered by the snow and through this, we entered in the lakes, crossing its. When it happen, it got wide, they take off the snow and stayed just ice. I was very happy, and I started to go fast on the road, in many earth parts of the road, had waveforms that was giving bump. And at arriving in the lake, where there was a curve, my car slid. It was crazy, I don' know how I could control it, because it was a zig zag. The ice was exposed and there were no snow, so, the surface stays very smooth. After controlled I slowed a lot my velocity and felt that cold in my legs. I saw a van with a big toil parked, more in front I saw two snowmobiles towing sleds with many stuffs inside them. They continued through the road, first I thought that they were competitors with sled, after I saw the people for the van, and the sled with many things. I tried to catch them with attention, but they quickly leaved the road. I looked the GPS and it showed that I was in the middle of the lake. I was very happy, stopped the car and saw an ice with two meters of thickness all cracked. I was sliding walking on the ice. I stayed there sometimes, and thought on the possibility of going until Whati, it would be a good experience going on the ice and know the remote community that there are in this roads in the winter. Imagine, people who stay happy with the winter, and about the possibility of transport and could visit friends and other people. I drove more. Some cars passed by me, I have already drove a lot, and I saw that sled dogs, what a luck, it's my good lucky. I took off the camcorder, positioned the tripod, and leaved recording. While, I took pictures of the dogs. Everything was fast, I was hearing the mushers orienting the dogs and stimulating the dogs. Some of them were lying and others were stand up. As the first passed by me, it stopped. The dogs enrolled themselves, the second placed that was near, crossed by him. It was incredible see he running and catching the dogs, and after running after the second placed, that before was in first, but I think he surpassed in little time, as I saw. After everyone pass by me, I made the return and accompanied the race filming and taking shots, I was passing by them and they were running in the edge of the path. Until they enter in the middle of the lake, leaving the frozen road. To they divert the road, people made a gate. So, they followed the indicating of pine branches that was fixed in the way. Imagine all this among a lake. As everybody leaved the road, I back to the city very calmed. It was a straight line with about three kilometers, but through the frozen road and after by the asphalt, would be around twenty kilometers. When I back, was happening the Caribou Carnival, local festival that always happen between the end of the winter and beginning of spring. It was a festival with many activities, like who could saw faster a trunck; men, women and young people competing; kids going down by sleds; they was enjoying get together in two, three or four, everybody together. They was falling down and laughing a lot. There was another test that was to ride snow shoes. There were another, to ride by ski Cross Country, in this, you ride as skating and its loose in the back feet part. Happened also a race where everybody run in the same shoe, but the shoe is a big board, and walk together Five persons, is very funny to see. When one falls, everybody falls. There were some quadricycles, called ATV, that means All Terrain Veicule. It was taking the kids to do a walk, but in an incredible velocity, other was taking in snowmobiles, also very fast. At the tent where stayed the people from Yellowknife, there was a sweet, like "pull-pull", but made of Apple, it was the resin from the Apple tree. The persons put snow on the table and bought sticks to fix the sweet, that was sold. I experimented and I loved, I promised visit them and eat more sweets in Yellowknife. They also explained me how to do it, I registered everything to do a reportage. The sweet was delicious, and as the snow turn it cold, the sweet becomes even better. The vans from the dog race were going back, and tomorrow would be a new race day. I also would go to Yellowknife, because It will be 100 km today and more 100 tomorrow. I didn't see the leader of the community that combined to meet me there. And also the event's organizer. But would still happen another events at the festival, as the Hokey game and activities at night. Well, It was time to go, to don't get nigh in the course. And I knew that I would stop so much times during the way.