Sunday 31 May 2009

Sisimiut


It is children's day in Sisimiut, so you see many Greenlanders in the streets wearing their traditional clothes, lending a lot of color to this rather grey day. On a very instructive excursion to an abandoned fishermans village named Assaqutaq we learn that at least part of todays happiness is due to the fact that the children are simply still alive. Not long ago the harsh living conditions up here in the north took its toll among children and adults alike. Straight from the people who do know: this is how we learn more about Greenland, the Danish colonization, dogs, religious conflicts and cultural clashes than from any book. The afternoon brings us to the ruins of Ancient Sisimiut, where people from the Thule-Culture lived and hunted since the 16th century. Before we leave for Disko Bay qajaq-champion Jacob shows us how a master can handle his needle-thin boat, an impressive demonstration in ice-cold water.