Foiled by Ice Once again!

Our plan was to cruise through Prince Christian sound and then on into The Denmark Strait.  Foiled by Ice and also heavy fog once again.  In the middle of the night the decision was made to turn around and take the outside route in Denmark Strait on our way to Iceland.  The Denmark Strait can be one of the most tempestuous ocean regions in the world but we had winds of only 10 to 15 metres/sec.  It was a strong enough wind to raise the seas to one or two metres and to cast a gentle roll to Fram.  All in all, quite comfortable cruising conditions for the entire day.

Group Photo with All Guests and Expedition Team

Group Photo with repeat guests and Expedition Team

We took advantage of the excellent sailing conditions for a group photo on deck 5 forward.  In fact we took two group photos.  One photo shows all of our guests on board plus the Expedition Team and the other shows the Expedition Team plus people that love Fram so much, that they are now on their 2nd, 3rd and even 4th voyages with us!  We are proud that you have chosen to sail with us on more than one occasion.  We take that as a pat on the back that we must be doing something right.  Thank you!

Crew show!!!

With good sea conditions and no landings it was a great day to attend a lecture or perhaps watch a film in the Observation Lounge. The lecture halls were busy for most of the day with lectures in English, German and Scandinavian.  Of course has other amenities not just lecture halls.  If you haven't found the sauna or used the jacuzzi yet, these sea days are the perfect time for that.  Fram's sauna is one of the nicest saunas on any ship (believe me, I've been on lots of ships!)  There are many areas with huge picture windows like the bistro for example that are perfect for sitting quietly and watching the sea.  For the more active types there is a small but very well equipped gym, by the way, also with floor to ceiling windows and of course there are always the outside decks for a breath of fresh sea air.

Crew Show!!!

Sea days are tranquil days providing ample opportunities for rest, relaxation and education.

We ended a beautiful sea with another rollickin' crew show.

Aka Day

Probably the most renowned contemporary artist in Greenland is Aka Hoegh, who grew up and still lives in Qaqortoq, a cosy little town in Greenlands South.

Aka Hoegh's chef d'oevre

Inspired already at the age of seven years by the integration of people, their houses, the abundant plant life and the ubiquitous rock faces, she started a project in 1993 by the name of "Stone and Man", involving 11 Nordic artists at that time who all literally left their mark in the rocks all over town.

It is an open project, and by now 31 pieces of art are to be found in the rocks of Qaqortoq, a truly unique open air collection.

...and her latest work

Lupines and Buttercup

But this is not the only attraction the capital of the Kujalleq municipality has to offer - the museum, the churches, the beautiful fountain (which for a long time was the only one in Greenland), made of the distinct Igaliko sandstone, the lake and river - and flowers, flowers, flowers.

Want to write a postcard to this address?

In the late afternoon our guests had the opportunity to join a Kaffemik, traditional meal in the house of a Greenlandic family. But today this family was very special as well: Our team member Aka grew up here, so we congregated in her mother's house to enjoy marvellous sweets and good strong coffee.

The Man in a Net

At the same time it was kind of a sad occasion, since our dear Aka was staying behind with her family - she is going to get married in two days only! Well, that sure counts as an excuse, doesn't it?

So the little red silhouette grew smaller and smaller on the pier as we made our way out of Qaqortoq.

Farewell, Aka! See you next year...

Miki's Mask Dance

Only two Greenlanders left on the team now. One of them, Miki, the allround artist, gave an impressive glance into the past with a traditional mask dance, impersonating the funny, the scary, and the animalistic side of the "People" - the Inuit.

Two Towns Per Day Makes Up For Ivittuut!

Okay.  Yesterday we had a storm which caused us to miss Ivittuut, but now we are making up for it, with two towns today and two landings again tomorrow!  

We arrived in Narsaq a little before 08:00.  A cargo vessel had the pier booked before us, so we anchored just outside of the harbour.  On the way down to deck two we grabbed a town map at reception. 

Narsaq

It was easy to walk around this small and friendly community by yourself.  In fact Narsaq has the reputation of being one of the friendliest communities in Greenland.  However the Greenlanders on our Expedition Team from Qaqortoq, Maijken and Aka, took umbrage with that and claimed Qaqortoq, is just as friendly!     A short three minute Polar Cirkle boat ride, brought us to a lovely pier situated very centrally.  

The kayakers went off kayaking and we, the hikers, went off hiking.  We followed our local guide up a steep ascent of a low mountain right behind town.  There has been a lot of rain in South Greenland during the past two weeks.  In fact it rained yesterday and there was a threat of rain in the air today.  The result of all of that precipitation being wet, squishy terrain.  I can't speak for the others, but before long, I had very soggy socks, despite having quality hiking boots. 

Hikers on the mountain behind Narsaq

Wildflowers were profuse with species heretofore unseen in our journey as they are more specific to the South.  New species of wildflowers included; Alpine Ladies Mantle, Rock Speedwell and Three-toothed Cinquefoil. Alpine Bartsia, various Buttercups and Hawkweeds flourished.  
When we reached the half-way point we were at 355 metres with a superb view of Narsaq and Fram.  At the summit someone had built many cairns, possibly as many as one hundred. These Inukshuks ranged in size from a half metre to three metres tall.

While we were exploring the hillsides of Narsaq we could see our kayakers paddling about icebergs wa-y-y-y below and tiny blue-clad shipmates walking the streets of Narsaq with a local guide. 

The last boat back to Fram left shore at 13:30.  Three hours later we were dropping anchor just off the shore of the tiny agricultural community of Qassiarsuk.  The population varies between 60 and 90 people depending on the season - the summer, of course, being the busiest time.

Statue of Leif the Lucky in Qassiarsuk

 

Qassiarsuk was one of the original Viking settlements in Greenland and was the home of Erik the Red.  Many people chose to go on a guided walk of the settlement with Edda, a flamboyant Icelandic woman dressed in Viking clothing.  She regaled everyone with energetic stories of the Vikings.

Edda and Truls in Qassiarsuk

While Edda entertained, many other people chose to go on a small boat excursion to Qooroq Glacier.

Ice Cruise to Qooroq Glacier

There were thirteen different departures in local small but very comfortable boats. 

Chopping up Glacial Ice for Martinis

Each of the boats found a quiet place to stop to admire the view and collect glacial ice for martinis enjoyed by everyone!  It was still very overcast, in fact it was raining by the time the last of the Qooroq excursions made it back to the ship at 21:30.

Martinis in front of Qooroq Glacier

Neptunes Vow

Already in the old legends and sagas powerful gods had a knack for making grand or surprising entrances, just to rub in the fact that they are great and we are oh so little.

When good ol' Neptune promised a "full storm" the other day to bring down over the heads of us "pale faces", he didn't say when.

Now we know.

After leaving Nuuk everybody was prepared for a gentle ride towards the South of Greenland, at least this was what the forecast had in store for us. Didn't happen...In the course of the night FRAM started heaving and rolling, the world outside was putting on a battle armour, with white crests being blown away horizontally off the growing waves that kept pounding our ship right against the bow. The windspeed mounted and mounted until we had over 33 m/s. That is a little stronger that Beaufort 12...

Thank you, Neptune, this is not only a storm but a serious hurricane!

So the front decks were out of bounds, and the inner decks went pretty silent; these were heavy seas and not ever stomach can take it. Our speed dropped down to 6-7 knots against the fierce storm, which made it impossible to reach our afternoon's destination, Ivittuut. 

A quiet ship was gliding through the night, hoping for better weather the next day. But hey! - this is exactly what two people promised: Anja mentioned it in the beginning, an expedition cruise will always be subject to changes, so expect the unexpected. And then there was that smug old bearded guy with the trident who practically made a vow to serve us storm.

Why, thank you, old Man of the Seas!
However, quite many made it up to the Panorama Lounge where our galley wizards showed their skills with chisel and knives and created the most beautiful decorations in just no time. Don't try this at home...

No Internet Connection for Over Two Days. Sorry!

Ahh, the wonders of hi tech.  We have internet service on a ship that wanders the globe.  We can get current weather forecasts, up to the minute news reports, post updates on Facebook, stay in touch with loved ones, check the stock market and a myriad of other things. Except for when we can't.  Like the last two days for example. It can be frustrating when you're on board Fram and we don't have an internet connection. Perhaps it's slightly frustrating for you at home if you're trying to keep track of Fram on a daily basis.  It is always our intention to post a few words about our adventures on board Fram, every single day, 365 days per year, but s--t happens.  This time we had technical difficulties of some sort. I'm not exactly clear what they were.  Sometimes we lose our internet connection when we are high in the Arctic.  At high latitudes, the satellites from which we get our internet connection are low on the horizon.  Frequently we will lose the signal when we duck into a fjord.    The signal is blocked by the mountains.  For example, we lose the connection every time we enter Kangerlussuaq Fjord.  So if you don't see a new blog every day it is most often because we do not have an internet connection. Generally, it is written and the pictures are ready.  We always post it as soon as we can! 

Fram at the pier in Nuuk

We arrived at the pier in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, at 09:00.  As soon as the gangway was prepared the 23 participants on the 4.5 hour  Lille Milene hike, hopped on their bus and off they went.  The hike begins just behind the cities' airport and then meanders along streams and waterfalls through the rocky terrain so typical of most areas in Greenland.  The wildflowers are still in full bloom with Trailing Azaleas and Blue Heath in profusion.  While the hikes were exploring the hinterland others chose to see what the administrative, economic and art centre of Greenland had to offer.  There was a city tour by motor coach.  One could choose to visit the museum or just wander about Nuuk on your own.

500 year old Greenland Mummy on display in the national museum

The Greenland art and cultural centre in Nuuk

The past few days were very rainy in Nuuk but it seems the sun has been following in our wake.  This was the first day of sunshine in four days and tomorrow in Nuuk?  Well, the forecast is for storms with high winds.  But not so much where we are going.  The forecast for Ivituut is for scattered showers and low winds.  We'll see what the morrow brings.

Heading South

Fog in the morning

Humpback in the way

Wildflowers are taking over

After this unreal ice experience we had yesterday it seems that there is something missing in the ocean now - not a single piece of ice is in our way as we steam towards Sisimiut. Dense fog has settled on the sea instead, only revealing about 30-40 meters of surface at a time. The foghorn sends its mighty sound into the misty world around us, it feels like being suspended in the Great White Void.

Children painted a welcome sign for Assaqutaq

What would have cause any ship in the old days to drop anchor and wait until the visibility comes back is not a problem anymore in the 21st century, where GPS and radar give us a fairly good image of landscape and position. So with practically no delay we arrive at the second biggest city in Greenland and - go to pier, which is a real treat, no boat shuttles needed.

And, like pre-arranged, the fog is lifting considerably. So all the excursions are a Go: The long distance hikers take off to conquer Palaasip Qaqa, a steep viewpoint mountain on the northern side of Sisimiut Fjord. Shortly after the various other activities are launched, like the city tour by bus (which is such a rare thing in Greenland!), the tasting of Greenlandic food, including the legendary fish soup, and the really charming tour to the abandoned village Assaqutaq , which was crowned by the sighting of whales on each and every single trip.

We leave under the silver glow of the late afternoon light, sighing in front of so much beauty. 

And just before midnight there is an announcement...this can only mean one thing - whales again. But not just the odd whale in the distance, this time it is a whole pod in a feeding frenzy, breaching, bubble-feeding, moving back and forth just in front of our bow. The decks are swarming with people in shear awe, some moments in life are so significant you will always carry them with you...

We made it to Ilulissat!

Our guests on an ice cruise to Kangia Fjord

Yipee!   Ilulissat, in many ways, is the centre piece of Greenland, so  if we can't get there, it's tough to tell our guests that we are not going to one of the major highlights in all of Greenland.   Although we have excellent alternatives planned just in case we are stopped by ice, we know there will be disappointed people if we don't go.  

We cruised through miles of dense ice, chock-a-block full of icebergs!

Very early this morning Fram steadily moved her way through increasingly dense ice towards Ilulissat.  We bobbed and weaved and zigged and zagged through several miles of ice and for the first time in three voyages, we made it to Ilulissat.  And unbelievably, we arrived at our customary anchorage spot right on time.  Bravo to Captain Arild Hårvik and our other navigation officers!

When you go to Ilulissat you absolutely must visit Kangia, the Icefjord.  It is incredible.  Not for no reason is it a World Heritage Site.  Kangia Fjord is one of the most stunning displays of ice on the planet.  Sermeq Kujaleq Glacier dumps 35 million cubic kilometres of ice into Kangia Fjord every year and then that ice gets dumped into Disko Bay about 15 months later.  It is impressive.  

Plaque marking the border of the Unesco World Heritage site.

We offered our guests four different ways to see the fjord.  You could opt for a short hike of about two hours, or you could choose a long hike of 4.5 hours that follows a path paralleling the fjord.  There was also the opportunity to take a small boat to the head of the fjord and venture in amongst some of the giant bergs.  And finally,  there were several helicopter departures that flew the length of the fjord.

To get from the pier into town there was a shuttle bus running all day long.  Ilulissat itself is quite pretty. As one would expect in the major tourist town in Greenland there are cafés, gift shops, restaurants and even a micro brewery to visit.

Greenland Kayak at entrance to Kangia Fjord

After a wonderful day of ice, at 18:00 everyone was back on board Fram.  We lifted anchor and slowly came about to make our way back out through the ice. We had miles of tough sledding to get to Sisimiut.   It is now 21:00 and as I look out the window, I see that even though we have been underway for almost three hours, we have several more miles of ice to go through.  It is a gorgeous evening.  It is overcast and hardly a breath of wind stirs the surface of the sea.  There is ice 360˚ around the ship.  

Ten of our guests have opted for our program of sleeping on deck under the Arctic Sky with the mid-night sun.  There could not be a better night for it.

An hour from now we will have a fashion show in the observation lounge.  The Expedition Team and all available officers usually join in.  I'm afraid that this time the Captain will be rather busy on the bridge. 

Good Speed, Good Day, Good Haven

The magnificent scenery of Qeqertarsuaq

In the middle of the night the ship starts to move a bit to both sides, rolling gently. Those who work here exchange glances - it seems to be mighty early to be already out of the Søndre Strømfjord. But indeed, the currents have been very favourable, the tide going out together with us, not only making up for the delay caused by the later incoming flight but also giving us a nice advantage of more than an hour ahead of schedule. 

So the evening excursions in Qeqertarsuaq can start on time or even before - a nice thought to have in mind during the day, after the first night on board, when lectures and briefings are given, excursions are booked first lunch is taken in our splendid restaurant.

Shorthorn Sculpin

In the afternoon there is a bell ringing out on deck 5, wielded by a large bearded visitor: Neptune has come to welcome us at the Polar Circle, and to baptise all those who have never received a heavy gush of ice water down the neck. Some come away with the impression that Neptune actually gets a lot of pleasure doing this. Definitely the creatures of sea take notice, more and more dark little heads pop out of the water - seals are curious animals...

Not many places on Earth where you have that backdrop at soccer

And then there's the first blow! We have humpback whales in front of the ship, the decks rapidly fill again with people, pressing cameras to their eyes. For a little while we follow the giants, before we resume our original course to Qeqertarsuaq.

Down there, in this paradise, we took our dinner

And there is so much to do: a lot of things start almost at the same time in Godhavn, as Qeqertarsuaq is called in Danish. The long hikers set out to marvel at the beauty of basalt, flowers and ice, the Kayakers get into the small boats, all neatly dressed up in dry suits, eager to go. The Polar Cirkel boats fuel up to go ice-hunting with the strong hope of spotting whales while they are feeding on the Ammasset (a Kaplan), which occurs in enormous quantities at the moment. We know now they are there, don't we??

The path along the coast is marked in yellow

A city walk is guided as well as the pretty walk into the Valley of the Winds. 

Late at night everybody returns to FRAM, red in the face from fresh air and excitement, a lot of talking among the various groups: Yes - the fog has lifted on the long hike, beau-ti-ful it was! Yes - there were whales close to the Polar Cirkel Boats, our first humpbacks!

What a magnificent first day...

Lapland Bunting

Get To Know Your Ship Mates!

Doh!  Things were going so well, right until we got to Copenhagen.  The final leg of our grand journey, the flight from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, was delayed by two hours.  Technical difficulties.  Ah well.  The ship, MV Fram, wasn't going anywhere without us.

Eventually we were able to board the Coca-cola red Air Greenland charter jet.  In short we were cleared for take-off and zoom, we were on our way once again.  Flying over Greenland, we had excellent views of the immense Greenland ice cap.  1.7 million square kilometres of ice.  Sapphire blue, icebound lakes dotted the surface of the ice sheet.  It was even more beautiful than what we had imagined. As we approached Kangerlussuaq ,we circled above the fjord and those on the left side of the aircraft were afforded views of Fram anchored at the head of the fjord.

Polar Cirkel boats at Kangerlussuaq Fjord pier.

And then, at 17:30 we landed in sunny Kangerlussuaq.  It was a short walk of about 70metres across the tarmac and into the small terminal.  Inside we were greeted by some of the members of the Expedition Team who immediately escorted us out to the buses that would take us to the ship.  No muss.  No fuss.  No waiting for luggage to arrive. It took about 15 minutes for the buses to drive to the small marina at the head of the fjord where more of the Expedition Team was waiting with a huge stack of red life jackets.  Aslo eating for us were five Polar Cirkel boats and their drivers.  We were quickly ushered into the boats.  Eight people per Polar Cirkel boat and then whisked over to the ship.

Once onboard we were issued I.D. / cruise cards and were shown to our cabins.  It was all so easy!  

Before Fram weighed anchor we all took part in a mandatory safety drill outside on deck five.  Very quickly we were gathered at our muster stations on deck five on both the port and starboard sides of the ship.  We were then given a demonstration of how to don an exposure suit and life jacket should an emergency situation occur.

Luggage barge alongside Fram.

We have journeyed from all over the globe to realize our dream of an arctic adventure in Greenland.  We come from; Australia, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hong Kong, Ireland, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.  206 people from 18 disparate countries and cultures unified in the common goals of exploring Greenland, of meeting Greenlandic people and experiencing their culture, of seeing the midnight sun, of seeing glaciers and icebergs and arctic wilderness.    When else will you have so many people from so many different places gathered together under one roof sharing a common interest?  Our advice to you is, don't be shy! Get to know your ship mates.

Mandatory safety drill.

 

The place to cross over

Hello? Anybody out there?

Hard to tell - the fog that started to roll in during the night is getting thicker and thicker, a soft shroud on the white giant's shoulders. Beautiful as it may be, it also deprives us of the view AND we have to go slower.

Not a problem, though, since we have another round of lectures going on in the morning. Then there is the packing to be done, the last souvenirs to be bought, the last landing to be prepared. And everybody is heaving a sigh today - this week just zoomed by, wasn't it just yesterday we took the bus down to the fjord where FRAM waited for us...?!

Well, ok, it isn't over yet: Around lunchtime we reach Itilleq, a charming place set on a tiny peninsula just around the corner of Søndre Strømfjord, at the end of which lies Kangerlussuaq, point of departure tomorrow night(Blimey, everything reminds of leaving!).

Not only is Itilleq well protected and full of fish, it also features a topography that made it very attractive in the old days: It is flat in the background, so flat that you could carry an Umiak (the bigger boats that were also used for whale hunting) from here right into the Great Fjord - a wonderful shortcut, saving days of travel. Hence the name: Itilleq means "the low part where you can cross".

Heaving boats, that's exactly what also our kayakers do for the last time (Darn!), getting them from fjord to lake and back.

At the same time the Norwegian officers took a small group out for fishing. Go fishing with those guys and you can't fail! About 400 kilogram of cod and a few others came out of the sea, food for days!

Speaking of food, on this final day we were invited into the houses of the inhabitants of Itilleq for Kaffemik, that is coffee and cake. There even was a party going on - Inuuinni Pilluarit, Happy Birthday!

With so much cake in the belly it is obvious that you get a little slower, and that was reflected by the result of the soccer game, 6:3 for Itilleq, FRAM's winning streak is over. But what a fun that was!

Captain's Farewell was followed by the Charity auction, "crown jewel" being the nautical chart adorned by five wonderful water-colour paintings by Miki Jacobsen, the famous Greenlandic artist.

Thank you everyone for participating, you are helping the Greenlandic Children with it.

And this is the moment where the expedition team would like to extend a big thanks to all of you who made this voyage such a good-spirited one. THANK YOU!