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August 11th 2011
Published: August 26th 2011
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Greenland


Flying over GreenlandFlying over GreenlandFlying over Greenland

Our first view of Greenland. You can see the icebergs broken up in the water
While Iceland was definitely lacking the 'ice', Greenland did it's bit to make up for it. Within minutes of hitting the coastline we could see a sea of shattered icebergs and a land of snow and glaciers below us.

'Greenland' was named as a bit of a marketing ploy by the Norwegian born Viking, Eric the Red, hoping that the pleasant name would attract others to settle in this newly discovered country from his previous homeland, Iceland. Most of the country is uninhabitable for 'European style' settlement but the south-west coast - the area we travelled - in summer was green with enough good land for farming. Eric's ploy worked and the Vikings settled in Greenland for about 986 years but mysteriously disappeared in the 15th Century. There is a theory that a 'Little Ice Age' occurred and the lack of food and bad weather would have sent the remaining Vikings packing. In south-west Greenland, farming settlement didn't return until the 1920's and the original farm house built by the first settler in 1924 still stands in the small town near Qassiarsuk.

On arrival it seemed to us that the small passenger plane we flew in on, amusingly named
The colourful town of QassiarsukThe colourful town of QassiarsukThe colourful town of Qassiarsuk

We took the Zodiac boat from Narsarsuag across the water to the hostel.
the Fokker 50, was descending over the glacier itself but to our relief the runway of Narsarsuaq appeared below and we were quickly touching down on solid, ice-free ground. Walking out of the terminal building we stepped into bright, warm sunshine, our first real summer weather since leaving Switzerland, and were looking out onto icebergs floating before us in the main fjord. It was quite the contrast and the perfect introduction to Greenland.

Narsarsuaq & Qassiarsuk


Used as an American airbase in WWII, Narsarsuaq is a tiny town built around the airport and when we say tiny we mean it. There is probably a cluster of 10 – 15 colourfully painted timber buildings in the area. Though this does include a 150 bed hotel and a cafe – with internet.

To save the headache and expense of trying to self-guide our way through Greenland, we had booked ourselves onto a 8 day hiking and kayaking tour. Unknown to us, the company we booked with - Tasermuit - was a sister company of a Spanish company offering the tour. So it was a bit of a surprise to be greeted at the airport by Spanish speaking guides and to
Icebergs aheadIcebergs aheadIcebergs ahead

Icebergs and a stunning sunset awaited us at the end of our first hike
realise that most of our group had flown in from Spain.

However once we had met the company owner it all made a little more sense. Tasermuit was set up by Spanish explorer Ramon Larramendi, who spent three years in the early 1990's on a trans-arctic expedition from the south-west tip of Greenland through the Yukon territories to Anchorage, Alaska. He had traveled by foot, dog-sled and kayak and had spent much time learning the native Inuit hunting techniques to survive in the harsh environments through all seasons. The story of his journey has been published in numerous books and in the National Geographic magazine. Since his travels he has made Greenland his home offering various tours throughout the country to travellers from around the world.

As we had to wait for two other passengers on a later flight, we spent most of the afternoon on the first day at the local café enjoying the sunshine and watching the icebergs bobbing around in the water in front of us. Once the whole group had arrived, we were off to begin the trip. A Zodiac speed boat loaded with our luggage sped us across to the other side of
Swirling cloudSwirling cloudSwirling cloud

Our first sunset in Tasiusaq Bay. The large Inuit-style summer tent can be seen in the foreground.
the Tunulliarfik Fjord to Qassiarsuk, where the tour company's hostel was based. Here we were told to re-pack for the 2-day kayak leg of the trip. Luckily for us, our first camp site was reachable by car, so our backpacks were loaded up and driven to the camp while we proceeded to take the long way - by foot. We hiked for about 2 hours to Tasiusaq Bay, which looked out onto another iceberg-covered fjord, even more impressive than the small ones we had seen across from the airport.

We set up camp for the night; small tents for everyone to sleep in and one large tent modelled on a traditional Inuit summer tent (white canvas replacing the traditional seal skins) that was used for cooking and eating. That first night watching the sunset over the mountains and listening to the cracking and crunching of melting icebergs, we started to get a sense of how beautiful and wild this country was.

We also got our first taste of what a Spanish-run tour would be like. There is a certain type of chaos that we decided only the Spanish are capable of. After a lot of false starts, changed plans and confusion while we waited for English translations, we learnt a valuable lesson that saved our patience throughout the trip: don't do anything until the Spanish start doing it. We found if we waited for things to be in full swing, we would only have to do it once and would still get it done before the rest were finished. Australian's aren't even know for their efficiency but somehow the pace and time-frames we expected were slightly different to those of the tour. Once we had adjusted, the whole thing became a lot easier and calmer, though we were still baffled on many occasions.

Kayaking


The next morning, after our first night camping, we loaded the kayak. It took some creative packing and a bit of Brett's strength but we managed to get all our camping and sleeping supplies into our two-man sea kayak (bright yellow: specifically selected by Jo so it would contrast with the scenery – good for photos apparently)

If we had thought the icebergs we'd seen earlier were impressive, what lay ahead of us in the kayak trip were mind blowing. Huge chunks of ice, some pure white and snow capped, others radiant
What a view!What a view!What a view!

As seen from our kayak
translucent blue were littered through the fjord. Occasionally we would hear thundering cracks and look around to see a huge piece had fallen off and the remaining iceberg was now rolling around in the water, redistributing its weight. An iceberg has only 1/8th of it's total mass about water which means however big it is up top, there is an impressively massive block of frozen water below – something you don't want to be near when it decides to start moving. Luckily we were never too close at the wrong time – although one close call had everyone turning to see an iceberg we had only passed five minutes earlier disintegrating into the water behind us.

Throughout the kayaking trip we would stop in small bays for lunch (and a short siesta!) then resume paddling to camp. The first night we set up camp at a new site along the coast. We pitched tents and got a great camp fire roaring using all the old farming timbers left around the place. A short walk over the hills behind us and we could see one of the great inland glaciers and a glass-like fjord filled with more icebergs.

The
Happy kayakersHappy kayakersHappy kayakers

The two of us in our lovely yellow kayak... oh yeah and an iceberg!
second day was much colder but armed with every warm layer we had and our paddle-mits, it was back in the boats for a 'long-way-round' paddle back to base camp. The weather had bought in low-lying cloud and the dim, grey sky and eerie atmosphere made the icebergs look even more intimidating. The region is not known for it's wildlife sightings as most of the animals are hunted and therefore keep a low profile, so we were surprised to see seals pop up along the way. On the rare occasion they didn't see us first, it was amusing to watch them dip around happily, oblivious to our presence. But as soon as they saw us approach, they disappeared back under water using their enormous lung capacity to swim far from view.

Our final night of the kayaking leg was spent back at the first camp site, playing Monopoly (they have a card version now) and waiting for our dinner in the large tent. All catering on the trip was on Spanish time too, so even though we would have full days of activity, dinner would not usually be served until 9.30-10pm, by which time we were both propping our
Traditional Inuit lunchTraditional Inuit lunchTraditional Inuit lunch

Some of the dishes served up. In this picture: a dry-stew type cooked seal (back), roast-beef style whale meat (right) and dried seal (front)
heads up and trying not to fall asleep at the table! Then of course there was the dilemma of whether to stay up a little later to wait for dessert...

Inuit lunch


On day four of the tour, we hiked back to the hostel for a night of real beds and running water. Having not had a shower or a flushing toilet since arriving we were pretty happy to be heading to a little 'civilisation'. Once we were clean and washed, the group sat down to a traditional Inuit lunch. Whale, Seal, Caribou and Arctic Char (a salmon-type fish) were all served up in different ways. Amongst the dishes there was dried seal and whale meat; slices of pickled Char, which was a lot like sashimi; raw whale skin and blubber - very chewy but high in Vitamin C, and minced Caribou that was fried with onion. Most of the products were caught by local hunters who would distribute their catch when they came into town. Other meats, like the raw whale skin are available at the local supermarket. It was a delicious meal and made a welcome change from our diet of the last few days.

Glaciers

Baileys on ice - Greenland styleBaileys on ice - Greenland styleBaileys on ice - Greenland style

On the zodiac boat parked in front of the glacier enjoying Baileys poured on freshly 'caught' iceberg ice.
and cocktails
After the lunch we had another treat in store. Decked out in thick, wind-proof jackets we were back on the Zodiac boat and off to get up close to one of the glaciers. Our 'captain' for the trip had some interesting stories about Greenland to share. He was himself a retired Danish-born engineer who had been working on the east coast of Greenland before he got this job. In the summer he worked ferrying people across the water, in winter he was involved in the 'HR' and transfers of men to the remote satellite stations on the east-coast. Each station has 2 men who stay for 12 months at a time. They are given a few dogs, for company and transport, but other than that they are completely alone. The 'HR' side of his job is to make sure the men are well matched and if any problems arise, to head up and sort them out. It's something we had never really considered but living in such close quarters you would really need to like your workmate! He told us of one man who had been stationed there and not left. Having spent 19 years living in that part of the world and now in his 70's, it would be near impossible for him to return to his former life – not that he has any desire to leave.

Amongst the stories we arrived a short distance from the Qoorooq glacier. Not able to get too close due to the volatile ice, we stopped at an iceberg and turned around to see our tour guide hanging over the edge of the boat, with pick and bucket in hand, scraping at the ice. Cups of ice were then passed around and it was time for cocktail-hour, Greenland style. Fresh glacier ice and Baileys went down well and was a first for everyone!

On the return journey we detoured past some of the bigger icebergs floating in the Fjord. There were some stunning shapes and sizes. The colours varied too, as our helpful captain was able to tell us, the vibrant blue icebergs were made of the oldest and most densely compacted ice with a high oxygen content that gave them they're jewel-like colour.

Inuits and Vikings


Back on land, the sight-seeing continued with a tour of the local Inuit and Viking ruins. Led around the sites
Traditional Viking LonghouseTraditional Viking LonghouseTraditional Viking Longhouse

We visited this reconstruction of a traditional turf-covered long house near the village of Qassiarsuk
by a historian, we visited old stone foundations of Viking long houses and some beautifully crafted re-creations of a Viking Church, Long house and an Igloo.
The Viking long house was the traditional house for 'family' groups of usually 12 to 30 people. Made of timber with some turf thatching for roof and wall insulation, they were large and well planned out spaces for people and livestock but nowhere near as effective as the Inuit houses at keeping in the heat.

The Inuits had spent enough time living in this land to know the best methods for building. The typical igloos were not the domed-roof ice houses we had imagined but small turf-stacked huts, sunk into the ground and accessed by a 12 meter long or-so tunnel, just big enough to crawl through on all fours and therefore keep the cold out. Inside, a typical igloo would sleep 8 to 12 people in a very small space - the closer the warmer I guess! We also learnt some fascinating facts about the Inuit way of living (we'll just say their liberal view of relationships was way ahead of it's time!) and the origins of the term 'Eskimo' and why
Inuit anoraksInuit anoraksInuit anoraks

Made of caribou fleece and lined with seal skin these traditional 'anoraks' (an Inuit word still used today) are incredibly warm and watertight.
it is incorrect. (Eskimo was a derogatory term used by the American Red-Indians that meant 'people who eat raw meat' referring to the Inuit's as living like animals, eating a fresh hunt raw.)

Inside the Long House traditional weapons and clothing of the Inuit people were laid out. An 'Anorak' - an Inuit word still used in the English language today - made of Caribou fleece with a seal skin inner layer. The accompanying pants were made of polar bear fur with boots also made of seal skin and expertly stitched to make them completely waterproof.

Also in the village is the first timber house of the modern farming settlement. Built in 1924 it still houses all the photographs and furniture of it's original occupant.

Hiking and The Hut


After one night sleeping on a soft bed in the hostel and making the most of the running water while it was available, we awoke on Day 5 to start the first of our 3 days of hiking. Again we packed up all the gear we would need for the next three nights and set off from an area known as Flower Valley. The first hour or so
Hiking through Flower ValleyHiking through Flower ValleyHiking through Flower Valley

Up the side of a waterfall of course. The first leg of the hike was a steep ascent so the ropes did help. Carrying all our camping gear did not.
involved a steep ascent which took us clambering up rocks and past a small waterfall. Then it was into the tundra-covered valleys and hills in search of 'The Hut'.

'The Hut' was going to be our base for the next two nights and had some provisions and tents waiting for the group. After hours hiking over spongy shrub, past lakes and streams, harassed by mosquitoes and flies, we were very glad to finally arrive. It was a simple ply wood construction put in place by the government as a shelter for hikers. Inside was a raised platform for sleeping on and the front had enough space to cook in. It was rustic to say the least but made for a cosy and warm communal space for dinner and a refuge from the incessant bugs outside.

The next morning we did two hikes. The first to get a different view of the Qoorooq glacier and the fjord we had been through in the zodiac boat two days before. After lunch we did a second hike up one of the closer mountains (mountains: Jo's favourite thing!) to get a better view of the Inlandis or 'Inland Ice' of Greenland's interior.
The Hut!The Hut!The Hut!

After hours of hiking and a lot of 'just over that hill' moments we were all glad to see this thing.
The beautiful weather made for great views but it also got us hot. Hot enough to think a dip in one of the nearby lakes might be a good idea. It was about 5.30pm by the time the two of us took off to a large pebble-rimmed lake just behind the camp. The sun was still above the mountains so we had a bit of light on the water but apparently not quite enough to get the glacial water to a bearable temperature. But we were desperate to have some kind of wash so there was a lot of running in and out to acclimatize the legs, splash ourselves and dip our heads in without risking a heart-attack by actually swimming. We felt good for the effort.

The Deposit


After two nights we left The Hut and started our descent back to the town of Narsarsuaq where the tour would end. We had another day of hiking across tundra to reach our final campsite 'The Deposit'. A nicely elevated spot overlooking a lake, we settled in for the night with a campfire. We were a tired and dirty group by this stage waiting for the sun to go down
RainbowRainbowRainbow

A small glimpse of rainbow caught in the sky overlooking a tent at our final campsite 'The Deposit'
so we could all go to bed! Typically for this part of the world, the sun was slow to set but we did get the unusual sight of three semi-circular rainbows, two of which were upside down, around the sun itself. Waiting for darkness and a little inspired by the lighted sky, there was talk of early morning Northern Light watching, which seemed like a good idea before we all got warm inside our sleeping bags but not so good in the middle of the freezing night. If anyone did end up setting their alarm, no-one ventured out.

We awoke early on our final day to pack up camp and begin hiking at 7am. The campsite was covered in a thick blanket of fog that was slowly rising as the sun came up. There was limited visibility for most of that morning's hike until we got out of the mountains. Then with the airport in sight and Jo elated to be leaving 'tundra' behind for a long time, we headed down to Narsarsuaq.

All anyone wanted once we had made it back to town was another shower - 2 in 8 days just isn't right! So our group
Glass & IceGlass & IceGlass & Ice

The stillness of the fjord and reflection of the icebergs was amazing
of ten dirty hikers was sent to the local hostel to clean up before our flights from Narsarsuaq Airport where we would finally return to civilization.

Greenland had been a beautiful and surprising country to explore - but not one that would be easy to live in! It was with a little sadness that we said our goodbyes to the group and flew out, watching the the iceberg- filled fjords, glaciers and and the snow and ice covered interior disappear beneath us.


* Hint for the map: switch to satellite view to see the glaciers and ice bergs we saw!
** You'll note plenty of photos for Greenland, so don't forget to scroll down and look at both pages.


Additional photos below
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The first hikeThe first hike
The first hike

Across tundra we hiked to base camp at Tasiusaq Bay.
Greenland sceneryGreenland scenery
Greenland scenery

We weren't expecting such colourful flowers - or any at all - on our hike over to the bay.
''My wife. She is good with plow'' (in terrible Borat accent)''My wife. She is good with plow'' (in terrible Borat accent)
''My wife. She is good with plow'' (in terrible Borat accent)

Brett amuses himself with the discarded farm equipment along the way. Jo is less amused having to pose.
Happy CampersHappy Campers
Happy Campers

Jo doing her bit to set up camp


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