See how was the trip of Nei Malsaner to the Ulukhaktok (Holman) community, NT, Canada, in April 2008. The place is considered one of the most remote and original places in Canada. With temperatures lesser than 20 negative degrees.

I was excited, I had heard about remote places in North Canada. Gnnar, my great friend, who has already traveled all the world, told me about this region, about make an hour going to each community by plane, because there's no roads.

I heard many things about this people, who stay alive in a region without any structure, without trees, fruits, legumes. That in most of times, has even the sea and the lakes frozen. I had a lot of interest about visiting this places and see how it really is.

It was already nice knew Yellowknife, that is the capital of the province called Northwest Territories, located at the central north Canada. The North of the country is in the Arctic.

Another reason that took me took me to Yellowknife was the cold weather. When I was in Vancouver, I used to hear the forecast for Yellowknife, and I noticed that there is colder than any other place in Canada, and I wanted to feel this cold weather. Usually, the low temperatures achieved 40 or even 50 negative Celsius degrees.

But, there were also other reasons, for instance, the aurora boreal, here called Northern Lights; the frozen roads; the sled dog race, and the adventure race on the ice. All these things took me to Yellowknife. Really, in the end of March, is good to know the region.

Now, been here, realizing all this desires, I also saw the opportunity to know new places in the North, in the extreme North. At the Burlok restaurant, where I had dinner many times, a great place to know people, I was chatting with some persons and heard about there places. So, I searched this in the map, and found flight options.

Everything was expensive, I would expend 2000 dollars to go there. The other problem would be the Hosting, nothing was helping, because there weren't information about this in the internet.

I had talk with a people from the Diamond mines, and asked for hints about places. I pilot from Air Tindi also gave me tips. In the end, exchanging ideas with Giani and Ayumi by e-mail and MSN, they encouraged me to do the adventure, and I decided to go.

By the internet, I noticed that If I buy two tickets would me cheaper than go directly to Holman. So, I could resolve the point about know Kugluktuk, that was by the way. As I was almost late, I went to the airport to clean some doubts and know if the internet price was good.

Everything worked, would be the same plane. By the internet, I bought a ticket for 1300$CAN plus the taxes. Two days early, I had see a sale to go to these places, but it had expired, I think that it had already ended.

I bought a ticket until Kugtukluk and marked the going to April 8 and the back to April 12. And another ticket to April 8 until Holman with back to April 10, a little confuse, right? But this way, I could stay two days in this both places. It would be enough to know the region. Mainly because I had a flight marked to back to Vancouver.

I found the hotel from Holman through the tips I received at that restaurant, a woman gave me the tips. She works for a Brazilian/Japanese company that research about cancer in women from North Canada. She's England, and knows the North very good.

She also affirmed that a good place to I visit would be the communities of Holman and other of Kugluktuk. I searched about these places in the internet and finally found a telephone number and an e-mail address. The hotel was the Arcticchar Inn. I also saw the price, the day was 199$CAN.

It's expensive, but what can I do? The small airplane and a fast trip, I tried to bring little stuff. I prepared me bringing part of the stuff and let three suitcases at the hotel Capital Suites. The manager was very gentleman with me, put my stuff in a particular Storage:

a big 300-800 mm lens; my Pelican case with batteries, etc; and the golf case, where I put my snowmobile helmet, that supports even -60°C, and where I also put a tripod. The hotel is good, it's a shame that the internet was out not working a week. And there's no one in the reception during the night.

Like this, my luggage was still large, but smaller than before. I took a backpack with lenses and my camera; another, with battery and chargers; a suitcase with hot clothes to support the -40°C cold and, a suitcase with a tripod; and the camcorder, that I took with me. How many stuff ya??

My e-mail confirming the flight didn't arrive, so I had to call First Air and ask to they send me again. So, I noticed that the e-mail had gone to my trash box, as a spam. But my changing to back to Vancouver also didn't arrived. I thought, it had been considered spam by my e-mail box.

I had changed my flight from April 4th to 14th, and their system was showing it as cancelled. I had to call to Aircanada, and after a lot of talk, the girl created a new archive and made the reserve.

I left the hotel Capital Suite, from Yellowknife, reserved to April 12 to 14, and a went to the airport. Arriving there, I wasn't finding where to return the car to National. So, I went to the service place, near the airport, where I rented the car, but there weren't nothing there, everything closed.

I had lose more than half and hour with this, and I started to be worried, I didn't believe that in expedient time, there weren't anyone there. I had already notice that they don't offer a good service.

I returned to the airport, worried, and I called to National, but was possible just to let a scrap. I turned off, and became dizzy, imagine, what I'm going to do? Well, so, I decided to let the car on the parking zone, and a scrap, telling that I would let the key inside the car, and I would close it.

It's obvious that they have another copy, It was what I could do. But on the other hand, they could say that the car was broke, that I had drive a lot, because we pay the mileage, I don't like to do things like this. I saw there officines of Budget and Hertz. National, never more.

I made the check in almost late, I had half na hour before the flight, arriving there, the attendants treated me very well and told me that I would be the last passenger, don't would have more vacancies and the check in was closed. What a luck, and I still left the hotel early, but with the car, I almost lose the flight.

I went to the waiting room and there weren't many people. So I thought, the flight is very small. I remember Ayumi, that doesn't like to travel by plane, even a small plane. But I was very happy, and I had even forgot the stress of National RentCar.

I talked with some passengers and with an old man, that told me that he was waiting to someone remain, to he goes. In some time, they called us to go to the place, and the old man said good-bye because there weren't vacancies.

We moved to the airplane, and it's always stressful for me, because I always take the cameras and lenses, and it's a real weight. In addition, there weren't where to put this in the airplanes, mainly in the small ones. I was with my camcorder in tow, a full lens backpack, another camera and one more backpack, with batteries.

In the way for the airplane, I gave my hand luggage to a flight attendant, and she would put it in a right place, I already got this tip. It was a beautiful girl, but really serious. Our flight to Kugluktuk before arriving in Holman, was calm, and I was very excited.

During the flight, I was paying attention to observe the course. Our airplane of First Air, were with few people, because despite been a small airplane, he's more directed to shipment, in front and behind.

Looking to outside, I saw the trees disappearing, and the snow took place around, it was the Arctic. I recorder everything that I could, but was almost impossible to film something, even though, for me, it was everything. It was a new place, how could people live there, among nothing? This excited me, I would learn in loco.

Above, was possible to see the frozen depressions, covered by snow. Probably it were lakes and the projections with some dark parts must be rocks. I was always trying not to waste a minute of the trip.

In Kuglukuk, we settled and everybody left the plane. The airport was really small, I went there filming. When I arrive there, everybody was there, inside a 10x10m room or less, and the local people came to welcome the passengers.

There was a couple wearing traditional clothes, very beautiful. Very kind, they were complimenting everybody. They come even to talk with me, asking from where I was from. He was very gentleman, and very sweet with his wife.

Other native people also called my attention. Some of them were quieter, and I tried to film it very discreetly, but with all the excitement that I was feeling, was difficult.

Talking with an American hunter, I asked about how functioned the check in there. Very kind, He went with me until a part of the place. There was a counter with some people. I asked them how would be my new course.

One of them, very pleasant, he said to I don't be worried, because in some time, would come someone to give the hints. He, and more two persons, seamed that already have known me, just by the for we was talking. I stayed there talking with them.

In a couple of time, arrived the responsible for the check in, said that I don't need to get my luggage, because he have already put it in the airplane where I would follow. In some time, they called me, I stayed happy and calm, because I could have some more minutes available.

So, I started to talk with a woman that was with her baby, she was also from the region, she would stay there, in Kugluktuk. The woman was very ashen, I asked her how many days have the baby, she told me that it has just two.

Just imagine, only two days after the delivery, walking, getting plane alone, and traveling to a remote place, everything alone. She has gone to Yellowknife to have the baby and at the second day she already came back. Uau!

I talked with an American man that was Hunter and would go to Holman. And with another that was pilot of helicopter and would work at the mines. Beside them, I also knew a security fiscal of the airports that would work just two days there, the same time as me.

We went back to the airplane, now, with less people than before. Counting with me, were just six persons. When I entered in the plane, the flight attendant talked with me more serious than the normal, she said that I must not film inside the plane. Ok, I said everything ok, I wouldn't film.

I think that the pilot had seen me filming in the plane. During the way, was very interesting to see the all white and covered rocks. No one tree. The sea was frozen, the plane started to go down and the frozen sea was under us, it was the Arctic sea, a part of it, has a different color, and there was water on the ice.

I didn't resist, I got the camcorder and started to film. So, arrived the flight attendant, asking for I stop, but I was thinking that I couldn't film the plane and the passengers, but not the outside. Well, I had to stop.

In little time, we were arriving to Holman, the view for the city was incredible, it was in a half moon, with all the things frozen around it. We crossed the city and I quickly got the camera and took some pictures of the rocks and place.

During the flight, I talked with the helicopter pilot, that would work in a Arctic mine, when we arrived to the airport, the pilot went directly to the black helicopter, that was parked there. The rest of us, went to a house, a very small place, as the airport of Kugluktuk.

There, I was without know what to do. I asked the fiscal of the airport, if he would to the hotel, and he said yes, and it was the unique hotel, laughing. I asked if he would go there by taxi, he answered yes, with another laugh, very pleasant.

I was waiting to my luggage arrive, and a van appeared out of the station, with all the luggage. Beside it, there was a micro bus. I noticed that it was like a collective taxi, I heard that the ticket was 10 USD.

The city was near, around 2 Km. We put all the luggage in the bus' backs. Beside me, everyone that came in the flight was in the bus, without the helicopter pilot. With us, were more some guys that were at the airport. The remaining people stayed there, they would back by plane.

I arranged m backpack and my handle camcorder, while we went to the vile. I was attempt to where we were passing. There were snow on everyplace. From far, I saw tied dogs. There was a welcome plate in the city and at the houses in the entering vile, I saw a polar bear skin lying in the Sun.

When we arrive at the center of the vile, everybody went down. We saw that we have arrived to the hotel. The place was as a big container, from outside, seamed like a shed. I got my stuff and paid the taxi with 20CAN$, as I didn't have change, other people paid with American dollar and he gave me $10 American.

I entered in the hotel, It was complicated, with suitcase, tripod, and backpack with cameras and other with camcorder. Inside there, there was a boy called Robin, in a room. Was he that have attendant me when I called to do the reserve. Robin gave me the key of the room One, that was in front, and all the bedrooms were in the first floor.

I went directly to my bedroom, I adored, because it has space, two beds and a good bathroom, It was a heat bedroom. Just there I could notice the cold the was outside. I didn't have notice the -20°C, of so exciting that I was because I have arrived there.

I also see that inside the hotel there was a restaurant and a bar. I placed my things and went to see how were the restaurant and the bar. The people was eating, I discovered that many natives have breakfast and lunch there. But in fact, it was a dinner room, with a kitchen and a attendant window. A freezer outside and a coffee pot and microwave oven.

I talked with some people of the region and with the fiscal of the airport. They explained me that the food was in the freezer at night, and was necessary just to heat it. And that there were coffee, and I could prepare it, if weren't done.

But I didn't pay many attention, because my will at the moment, was ride around the city. As I had only 48 hours, I went to my bedroom, got my camera, wore dressed some clothes and went outside to register all the moments and know the place better.

Here there's information the hotel information, if you want to go there:

www.arcticcharinn.com/holman-hotel-services.htm