Canada/Labrador: Hopedale
Moving further north along the Labrador coast – Hopedale. This is a real town with about 500 mostly Inuit residents. A single street runs along the crescent bay of a shoreline. A couple Inuit kids put up a performance of Inuit games – mildly bizarre athletic competitions that people engage in during the long winter months – like cheek pulling (sticking a finger in each other’s mouth and pulling hard to see who surrenders first). Old Moravian Church is perhaps the main historic highlight, however the elements of local life and people were much more interesting. Like the massive polar bear skin hanging in a garage (Inuit are allowed to hunt polar bears), or the amazing sea canoe made from seal skins (hunting seals is also allowed). Add in a hike above the town with what could have been panoramic views if it wasn’t for the fog. Interestingly, Hopedale is the wettest place on Labrador, also holding the world record for the highest relative humidity for a below freezing temperature climate.
