This morning we anchored at Pond Inlet, a community of 1500 on Baffin Island, opposite Bylot Island. We were treated to a well-rehearsed cultural show by 15 young people, including children’s songs, throat singing competitions, competitive male games, such as one and two-legged high kicks, one hand high kicks, dancing, drumming and an elder woman who sang traditional songs. Committed, but we won’t be buying her album. The library is well-stocked, having a good children/young adults section and computer access “20 minutes only please”. And they turned on the water in the loos for us. Honoured. Adrian bought a soapstone carving of an Inuit head, just ahead of the doc’s husband. We visited the two stores, but as we’d forgotten our cash, bought nothing else and had to borrow off Val, a feisty Liverpudlian Health Visitor. Many of us hiked to Salmon River along the coast, past the dog kennels where it was feeding time. The only recognisable food was other bits of dog. True. Parts of seal littered the shore, so presumably that was also lunch. The Campsite at the river had five or six tents, used as retreats for locals wanting to get away from the rat race (!). There are seven Thule dwellings on the site, large excavated depressions with low stone walls, an underground entrance and a whale skull incorporated as a focal point and spiritual statement. The whole was covered in whalebone rafters and seal skin. Some had annexes for storage. We then sailed to Low Point where we saw an even earlier settlement (you wouldn’t know if it hadn’t been pointed out) from the Dorset era, and hiked up to see our first Inuksuk, a cairn-like structure 4’ high on an exposed headland with a spectacular panorama of glaciers, icebergs and the ship. After two days at sea, a stretch of the legs was welcome. Ended the day with a little Gaelic sing song in the bar.