Eqip Sermia

Sometimes travelling to and from a destination is just as interesting, just as much fun, as the destination itself. Such is the case when travelling by ship. Today our destination was the Glaciar Eqip Sermia. It took most of the day to reach the glaciar but our day was filled with fun, interesting lectures and really outstanding scenery. We cruised by a seemingly endless parade of icebergs.
In the middle of the afternoon we were visited by King Neptune himself. It was his royal obligation to baptise (with ice cold Arctic water) all of those that had crossed the Arctic Circle for the first time. A lot of that c-c-cold water went right down the necks of the poor victims, er,... baptismal candidates?
On shore everyone spread out to different scenic views of the glaciar. 23 of the hardiest people climbed the mountain to get a peek of the icecap from an elevation of 400 metres. The climb and the battle with the mosquitoes on the way up was worth it. It was a truly stunning view.
By 21:00 we were all back on the ship enjoying a delicious barbeque. But that was not the end of the day. At 22:00 three of our crew from the galley showed us their impressive skills at ice carving and food sculpting.
Now it's midnight and as we look out the window the sun is just above the horizon. It is a clear sky with no wind. Simply beautiful.

Uummannaq and Ukkusissat

Uummannaq lies 570 kilometres north of the Arctic Circle. Our time in Uummannaq is filled with options like hiking to Santa Claus's House, boat excursions to the desert and walking around the very picturesque town. Many of us chose the challenging hike to Santa's hut on Spraglebugten Bay. Children in Greenland and Denmark grow up believing that Santa lives in the small turf hut which was built for a Danish television show.

When we arrived to Santa's house we were surprised to have coffee and hot chocolate delivered by sea! Those of us that did not have the energy for the return hike, rode back in the comfort of the Polar Cirkle boats.

At about 17:00 we lifted anchor and departed for Ukkusissat, our second landing of the day. We welcomed the people from the tiny town on board the Fram where we were treated to folk dancing, singing and a showing of their traditional clothing. At about 21:00 we went on shore to visit the small community. In the town hall we were treated by the local people to coffee and cake.

The people of Ukkusissat are always warm, friendly and very welcoming. The children are always evident and interact with us with ease. It really is a great cultural experience.

Uummannaq and Ukkusissat make for a very full day and a very rewarding day!

Qeqertarsuaq

Qeqertarsuaq means "the large island" which is both the name of the island and the name of the town on the island. Qeqertarsuaq Island is more commonly known as Disko Island.

Nearly everyone went on the hike to "The Valley of the Wind". It is a beautiful region. It takes about five minutes to walk through town. En route we pass a few bicycles. At home they would be under lock and key but here, the very thought seems ridiculous.

On the edge of town there is a gorgeous dark sandy beach. Many grounded icebergs lie just off shore. Sometimes Humpback Whales can be seen amongst the icebergs. The whole area is irresistible to anyone with a camera.
A large number of Greenland's plants can be found on Disko Island. Several of us crawled on hands and knees, field guide in hand, to photograph the many flowers. Just this afternoon we saw: Snow Buttercups, Pygmy Buttercups, Alpine Barstia, Matted Cassiope, Cassiope, Alpine Speedwell, Arctic Poppy, Arctic Cotton, Labrador Tea, Blue Heath, Moss Campion, Alpine Lousewort, Flaming Lousewort, Large-flowered Wintergreen, Alpine Catchfly and Arctic Harebell.

Sisimiut

Sisimiut is also known as "the Pearl of the Coast". It is not hard to see why. It is beautifully situated on the sea. It has lots to offer in terms of hiking, fishing, scenery, shops, acommodations, artisans and a museum.
It is also a centre for vocational training, it has a large scale fishery with the largest cold water shrimp plant in the world, a growing tourism industry and year round air and sea travel.

If the past few weeks are any indicator - it has pretty fine summer weather too!
Those of us that went on the boat excursion to Assaqutat had calm seas and sunny skies and an added bonus of two breaching humpback whales!
It was also a perfect day for hiking around Sisimiut and over to Tele Island. Our guide took us down to the water's edge and showed us ruins of old habitations spanning a time period of several hundred years. The hike was at a very relaxed pace. There was even time to identify and photograph the wild flowers.

Kangerlussuaq

Stepping off the plane in Kangerlussuaq the temperature was so warm, it seemed down right tropical. It was as if the plane had gone south. We soon learned that Kangerlussuaq has the warmest weather in Greenland, the most stable weather patterns and the most cloud free days. In fact it has about three hundred days a year with cloudless skies. It sounds more like Phoenix Arizona. What do a lot of clear dark nights mean? It means that later in the year, Kangerlussuaq is one of the best places in the world for watching the Aurora Borealis.
Despite the warm temperatures no one was complaining about the heat!
Once on the ship we were shown to our cabins, issued photo I.D.s, our luggage was distributed, we had an amazing buffet dinner, a mandatory saftey drill, a welcome speech by the Captain and introduction to the other officers and the Expedition Team and then... time to kick back, relax and watch the longest Fjord in Greenland slip by our window.
A long day? Yes. But now our incredible adventure is about to begin!

Itilleq

While in Greenland, every week the MS Fram holds an on board charity auction to raise money for the Association of Greenlandic Children and for Siorapaluk students for study tours in Greenland or Denmark. The school is located in the town of Qaanaaq (Thule). Qaanaaq is the northernmost inhabited settlement in the world. There are about 14 children in grades one through nine . As one can imagine it is very expensive to travel from Qaanaaq because of the great distances involved. Last evening we raised 12,000 Norwegian Kroner. Last year in Greenland we raised 170,000 Kroner in total!

Today we made our weekly visit to the tiny community of Itilleq. Rasmus Lyberth entertained everyone with another impromptu concert while the weekly soccer match raged on at the same time.

Rasmus dedicated his first song entitled Takuat Paninnguaq (Look Up Little Daughter) to a young Greenland woman and her baby. The song is well known throughout Greenland. It is about a man singing to his sick daughter to comfort her. He tells his child to look out at the stars and the moon and to listen to the birds singing in the morning and then she will be better. It was very touching. The young woman from Itilleq could not hold back her tears while her Greenland Folk music hero serenaded her and her baby.

We see the children of Greenland almost everyday in tiny communities like Itilleq and Ukkusissat. We are invited into people's homes. They come to visit us on the Fram. We experience the nature of Greenland everyday. We feel a connection. A charity auction is a small way that we can give back to Greenland.

Ilulissat

Ilulissat is about 200 km from the Arctic Circle and is the third largest settlement in Greenland with about 5000 people. Only Nuuk (the Capital) and Sisimiut are larger.

Knud Rasmussen (1879-1933) the noted polar explorer, was born in Ilulissat. He was the first man to cross the Northwest Passage using a dog sled. The incredible journey is told in Across Arctic America (1927) - a classic in polar literature. A Canadian film entitled The Journals of Knud Rasmussen also dramatizes this incredible feat of polar exploration.


There is always lots of ice that the MS Fram has to push its way through in order to reach the harbour at Ilulissat. The reason for all of the ice is simple. The 56 km long Icefjord is just behind the town and North America's most productive glaciar, Sermeq Kujalleq lies at the head of the fjord churning out 20 billion tons of ice a year. That's a lot of ice.

All of that ice makes for stupendous ship cruising!

Eqip Sermia

Our day was filled with stimulating lectures while we cruised through ice-laden waters on the way to Eqip Sermia. It seemed like we had already put in a full day when we dropped anchor at 17:30, but the best was yet to come.

On shore we spread out to various points on land where the Fram's Expedition staff was waiting. Many of us chose a rather difficult hike up the mountain. Our efforts were worth it! We arrived breathless and sweating to one of the most spectacular views you can imagine. Before us lay the incredible glaciar Eqip Sermia. In the distance we could also see the Greenland Ice-cap. Way down below were our friends and fellow travellers from the Fram looking like tiny blue ants.
Back on board the ship at 21:30 it was time to watch our talented crew from the galley demonstate their ice carving and food sculting skills.
At 22:30 Rasmus Lyberth the talented Greenland folk singer gave us a concert that many of us will not forget.

Uummannaq and Ukkusissat

Our boat trip to the desert just outside of Uummannaq was about sunshine, relaxation, fun, hiking, picnicing, iron, sulphur, salt, icebergs, waterfalls, 1200 metre cliffs, fabulous scenery, photography, light, colour, texture, Arctic dipping and a dried fish head.
The excursion to the desert is just as much about the journey there and back as it is about the desert itself. The boat ride is along some of the most beautiful scenery in Greenland and with weather conditions such as we had yesterday – very relaxing with plenty of stellar photo opportunities.
The desert is different from the surrounding landscape in every way. The geology is different. The colours are different, the textures are different. The landscape is yellow, red, brown and white due to the iron, sulphur, quartz and salt content. It is quite striking.

Later in the evening we welcomed the people of Ukkusissat on board the Fram. It was a delight to be entertained by them with singing and folk dancing. We learned all about traditional Greenlandic clothing and marveled at the workmanship involved.
Afterwards we headed to shore in the Polar Cirkle boats. We were treated to a surprise outdoor concert just in front of the town hall by the famous Greenlandic singer Rasmus Lyberth. The entire village was in attendance. It was plain to see that everyone in Ukkusissat is a big fan of Rasmus Lyberth.

Oh… you’re probably wondering about “Arctic Dipping” and a dried fish head. On our excursion to the desert some of our group went for an Arctic skinny dip and on our picnic lunch stop we found a dried fish head. Species unidentified.

Qeqertarsuaq

Sunny skies again! Two icons of Greenland were very much in evidence today as we hiked through town and on out to the Valley of the Winds.

1. The Greenland Dog
2. Niviarsiaq or Broad-leaf Fireweed.

The Greenland Dog is one of the oldest and purest dog breeds in the world. In Greenland it is forbidden to breed Greenland Dogs with other breeds. They are working dogs, able of surviving the harshest Arctic conditions and are very powerful, capable of pulling one and a half times their own weight over great distances. Greenland Dogs have a strong pack mentality. In any group of working dogs there is a clear hirearchy which all dogs respect. To make a pet of a Greenland Dog you need to establish exactly who the dominant animal is. You, or, your dog. Hiking high on the beach just outside of town we passed by several groups of Greenland Dogs. The puppies are free to roam around, but the adults are not permitted to run loose. As tempting as it was to stay and play with the puppies and to photograph grounded icebergs along the dark sandy beach, the volcanic landscape of The Valley of the Winds beckoned. Beautiful warm brown cliffs rose to our left and in the distance ahead of us. The cliffs have a stratified terraced look which is a result of different periods of volcanic activity. The warm red layers are a result of high iron content and oxidization.
Greenland’s national flower, Niviarsiaq (which means young woman in Greenlandic) is now in full bloom. Niviarsiaq is also known as Broadleaf Fireweed, Dwarf Fireweed and River Beauty. It is a member of the evening-primrose family.

Sisimiut

Warm sunny days in cold water regions sometimes contrive to produce sea fog. Those were the conditions we met first thing this morning. As we approached Sisimiut the sun burned through the fog. We ended up having the warmest day so far this summer with temperatures reaching a scorching 18˚C. People were walking about town in short sleeves!

Heat, energy and power seemed to be the theme for the day. On our hike to Tele Island we walked past huge oil storage tanks. The main heating source for the homes and various buildings in Sismiut is from oil delivered from the oil tanks by truck.

The sounds of a working helicopter provided a constant backdrop to our hike around the island.

A hydroelectric power station is being built just outside of town. You can see some of the new hydro towers high up the mountain. The helicopter was carrying parts and supplies to the workers at the top. This power station is scheduled for completion towards the end of 2009 and it will start producing environmentally sound energy for the town in 2010.

Kangerlussuaq

Touch down! Greenland and Kangerlussuaq at last. It feels remote. The surrounding landscape is rocky, rugged and treeless. Walking across the tarmac of Kangerlussuaq airport one gets the feeling of being in a wilderness region.
The ship’s Expedition Team greeted us inside the airport and then escorted us to the waiting buses that would take us where the MS Fram lay at anchor. After a short 15 minute bus ride to the head of Kangerlussuaq Fjord and a quick introduction to life jackets and Polar Cirkle boat procedures we were finally whisked to the ship.
For most of us everything shipside is a new experience. Photos are taken and I.D. cards are issued. Credit cards are registered at reception. People are signing up for excursions. Our luggage is delivered to our cabins. Learning the layout of the ship is a fun challenge that we all enjoy. Where’s the dining room? The bar? Can we find our way back to our cabin again?
At 20:30 there is a compulsory abandon ship drill. It is plain to see that the entire ship’s compliment is well rehearsed in emergency procedures.
At 9pm we all meet in the Observation lounge on deck seven to meet the Captain and other ship’s officers and the Expedition Team.
Phew! What a long day. But now we can kick back and relax in our new home for the next week.

I’m sure our cabin was just down this corridor…

Itilleq

When one walks around small towns in Greenland such as Itilleq, it is very evident that hunting and fishing are a big part of life. On many front porches you can see large racks of reindeer antlers. The two sets of reindeer skulls and antlers you see in the first photograph were found on the beach.

Wander a little further and discover a house with part of a beautiful walrus skull lying on the porch - right beside the skis and the laundry. On other porches are muskox skulls replete with large curving horns. Still other houses have various sorts of fish hanging to dry in the wind.

In the small harbour small boats come in with the daily catch. In the third photograph you can see a basket of Spotted Wolf Eels and Halibut that were just caught in nearby waters.

Today many of the men had gone out hunting seals. We thought that with so many of the Itilleq soccer team out hunting that this would be a perfect opportunity for Team Fram to steal a win in the weekly soccer match.

Nope. We lose again. Itilleq 4 - Team Fram 1.

Ilulissat

Not for nothing is Ilulissat Greenland's most popular tourist destination. Just behind the town lies Ilulissat Icefjord and not far up the fjord lies the ice machine, the glaciar Serme Kujalleq. Sermeq Kujalleq is one of the most active glaciers in the world. Each year over 35 cubic kilometres of ice calve from the glaciar making it the most active glaciar in North America. It is this phenomenal flow of ice that makes Ilulissat a UNESCO World Heritage site.

Many of us saw Icefjord and the spectacular icebergs in two ways during our stay in Ilulissat. There is a very easy hike from town that ends with a really amazing view of the icebergs grounded near the end of the fjord. The other option is to take one of the boat excursions to see the icebergs from the water. Both options are highly recommended. On the boat excursion we even saw two humpback whales!!!