With all the sleep we have been getting it is no wonder we are waking up way before the crack of dawn. A good strong brew and a couple of catch up calls via SKYPE (great reception) and we were off for a walk.
The temperature is a bracing -3 degrees so the four of us a rugged up tighter than an Egyptian Mummy. We had to be careful in some sections as the ice underfoot was extremely slippery.
Barry, ever adventurous was climbing up and down the snow drifts. I think he wanted to know how far he could sink into the snow without being stuck.
It is about 9.30 and there is no one about. Jens reckons no one is up before 10.00 especially on a Saturday. The only noise we can hear is the crunching of our boots, cawing of the ravens and the howling of the dogs as we approach. We were nearing the crest of the hill when we saw a couple of guys hitching up the dogs for a journey. They informed us that they were off for an overnight trip in the wilderness.
We finished up at the local supermarket where a hot coffee warmed us up. Barry and I pooled our supply of Danish coins and bought a bottle of red and a couple of beers. Jens in the meantime arrived like an angel of mercy and transported us back to his lodge. A great walk!
After lunch Jens drove us to the outskirts of town where the annual couple’s dog sled race was to take place at 1.00pm. It seemed like the whole town was there to cheer on their favourite team and we were privileged to be sharing this moment with them. It felt like we were at a frozen version of the Birdsville races. There was a truck selling hot coffee and hot dogs that were being freshly cooked on the Webber.
While we waited for the intrepid racers to return we amused ourselves by throwing snowballs at each other and watching the numerous snowmobiles traversing the valley floor.
After about 90 minutes a little roar went up as the first of the sleds came into view. There were two of them and they raced neck and neck up the steady incline to the finish line. The noise of the crowd spurred them over the finish line.
I don’t know who won the close race but the winners and their sled were hoisted high in the air in recognition of their victory. The dogs were rewarded with a feed of seal meat. They then rested panting from exhaustion on the snow.
A great afternoon made more memorable by the fact that we had sun and blue sky. So hot in fact that Alice and I received a small dose of snow burn.
Jens was there to take us back to the comfort of his house where we relaxed over a few wines. In between us all keeping Barry awake with frequent nudges to the ribs, Jens with a little help from Ann, had prepared a sumptuous meal of roast shoulder lamb. Barry was more impressed when it followed with a huge serving of nuts and nougat ice cream.
At 8.00pm Jens drove us down to the wharf to catch our ferry to Iillusiat.
We are travelling on the Sarafaq Ittuk which is the premier ship of Arctic Umiaq Line. It is not a large ship but it is rated as an A1 icebreaker and very suitable for these waters. This is the first trip of the season travelling north beyond Sisimiut.
Our compartment for 4 passengers is much smaller than I expected. It is about the same size as a 4 berth train compartment. There are clean towels and sheets with an outside toilet and shower. As it is early in the season there are not many passengers on board but in keeping with it is a small world we met a young Aussie guy from the Gold Coast who is having a quick break from his university studies in Iceland.
We waved to Jens who was standing on his balcony as the boat quickly left Sisimiut behind.
Alice and I were ready for bed but Ann was like a school girl ready to go on her first date. She was armed with her camera and was excited at the prospects of shooting icebergs. I think she came to bed when the sun disappeared at around midnight.
Sunday 29th April – Ilulissat Icebergs
There is no stopping her as Ann jumped out of bed at about 3.00am. Barry followed dutifully at around 4.00am. Meanwhile Alice and I slept the night away and finally woke up at 6.00am. We are seeing plenty of ice in the water but the crew has ensured us that to quote Bachman Turner Overdrive “You ain’t seen nothing yet”.
We had a great breakfast at the canteen and at around 8.00 we docked at the town of Aasiaat. It is a small township and I suspect the ship is a vital lifeline for this community. More passengers disembarked than boarded so the ship is quite empty at present.
Ilulissat is situated on the coastline of Disko Bay and the Jacobsen Ice Fijord. As a result the icebergs became more prevalent which meant that our tiny ship was constantly altering course to avoid them. Occasionally we would hear loud crunch as we ground our way through some tight situations. In one instance we had to plough our way through a large expanse of sea ice to reach some clear shipping water.
Does anybody know the collective noun for icebergs? A crush or possibly a melt of icebergs! With all this going on we were constantly out on the open deck admiring the special scenes that were playing out in front of us. We could only last about 15 minutes at tops before retreating back inside to the warmth of the heated lounge area.
We eventually broke clear into some open water and arrived Ilulissat about one hour late at 2.30pm.
Our hotel pickup
for the Icefijord Apartments (2334.38DK or $400 for 3 nights) was
waiting for us at the dock. The apartment’s area reasonable size with
cooking facilities. Barry and Ann have the best view but they have a
couple of issues with faulty appliances and fittings.Jens' friend Fleming dropped around to see us and gave us a few clues on what to do and where to go. He has kindly offered to take us for a hike on Tuesday evening and then for a meal at his house which was unexpected but totally appreciated.
Alice has cooked us all an evening meal from the groceries that we previously purchased from the Pisiffik Supermarket. The only trouble is there is no wine as it is illegal to sell it on a Sunday which is very similar to Vanuatu. Ah well, we can do with a night off. Ann and Barry have hit the hay early to catch up on last nights missed sleep.
Monday 30th April - Arctic Antics
We headed off early for a rendezvous with Fleming at his office at Polar Oil.
After coffee we piled into Fleming's half cab and headed off towards a hiking trail that he had recommended. All good plans come unstuck as on the way he spotted the local pastor of the historic church that he had just pointed out.
Our next stop was the local museum which is mostly dedicated to the Danish polar explorer Knud Rasmussen who was born in this house. Rasmussen was famous for documenting what is known about the Inuit from Greenland to Canada. There are some interesting exhibits including a 1933 film that was produced (Palo's Wedding) by Rasmussen and featured local Greenlandic peoples. It is definitely worth the 35DK entrance fee.
After lunch we booked a couple of tours and caught up with Fleming who drove us to the start point for our hike. The walk is a 3 km circuit that starts at the sea edge and follows the sea cliff to the ice fijord and then back over the hill to a point on the outskirts of town. The views were spectacular which meant there were plenty of photographs taken.
With spring time here we could see the moss and lichen starting to appear from beneath the blanket of snow. Small icicles still managed to cling from tendrils like stalagmites reaching for the earth below. We followed the yellow markers all the way to the ice fijord and were greeted by enough ice to fill a trillion eskies for a lifetime and a freezing Arctic wind.
I was reasonably warm but my extremities were close to frozen. Alice's nose was so red that it could have been likened to Rudolph's. We trudged back over the hill and thankfully it provided respite from the wind. The snow was so thick on the ground that we could not see the guiding yellow markers but we could see the local cemetery which meant we were close to the end of our hike. Ten minutes later we had reached the end which was near where all the Greenlandic dogs are kennelled. Two lovely Greenlandic girls were feeding the dogs and they brought over two new born puppies who had just opened their eyes for us to pat (Jemma and Telissa would have loved that).
We dropped into the supermarket to purchase the wine we missed out on yesterday. A new shipment must have arrived as there was more food on the shelves and it looked like the whole town was in there. We wanted to stay because it was so warm inside after what we had just been through but Ann had a fish curry to cook for dinner tonight.
The wine sales here must be slow because the majority of vintages are quite old. For example Ann purchased an Australian Chardonnay from Yellowtail which was a 2005 vintage.
A good dinner, good wine and a few laughs about the days adventures and we were off to the land of nod.
Tuesday 1st May - Sailing Among the Icebergs
It snowed last night but today we have some sunshine and hopefully not much wind. Ann and Barry have gone off for another walk while we have lounged around over a leisurely breakfast.
Alice and I took a stroll around town and ended up down by the harbour. We descended a long flight of steep wooden steps and then stepped out onto the frozen part of the inlet. It is like a frozen graveyard for all manner of boats that will come back to life when the spring thaw begins. Walking on a frozen expanse of sea water is something quite alien for citizens of a sunburnt country unless of course you hail from Tasmania. There were plenty of fishermen going about their business and it was a pleasure just wandering around observing daily life in Ilulissat.
After lunch we traipsed down to The World of Greenland office where we were transported to our boat for a sail amongst the icebergs. (500DK per person) On the way down to the office I noticed that the local radio station was running a bingo game at 6.00pm with a prize of 20,000DK. Apparently bingo rules everywhere on the planet.
Our small boat was perfect for viewing the icebergs as we were able to get up close and personal with them. The size of them range from small to incredibly large. It is difficult to describe the myriad of shapes and the beautiful colour but I am sure that Ann and Alice have captured their beauty on one of the many photographs that they have taken. The weather was perfect as the sun was shining and there was hardly any wind and all too soon our 2.5 hour tour was over.
As we pulled into the dock we could see Fleming waiting for us. He took us on another short hike which gave us a different perspective of the ice fijord. At the view point he produced some shot glasses and a hip flask of Jack Daniels and toasted our stay in Greenland.
He is a real raconteur and he entertained us with hunting stories, local lore and the history of the area. After the walk we adjourned to his house which overlooks Disko Bay for some dinner. His wife Elsa had prepared a traditional Greenlandic dinner of Reindeer soup which we all agreed was delicious. After a really great day Alice and I hit the hay but the ever adventurous Ann and Barry went for a late evening hike.
Wednesday 2nd May - Dog Sledge Day
We have to evacuate our room today by 9.30am so they can prepare for incoming guests. This suits us as we have a dog sledge (1860 DK for two) outing planned for 10.00am. Would definitely recommend the apartments as a place to stay. You may not have the view that the hotel gives you but we are central to everything and have good cooking facilities.
The dogs arrived with tails wagging eager to transport another group into the wilderness. Our team had 13 young dogs which needed some guidance from our experienced handler. Barry and Ann had 14 dogs that were better behaved than our lot.
We were soon on our way and as we raced downhill our team endeavoured to pass a fisherman’s sledge. One of the more interesting sights is watching dogs piss and poo on the run. Amazing! The beauty of it all is that there is no one else around and the only sounds you hear are the sledge blades running on the snow and the panting of the dogs. The speed that you reach is quite fast and on a couple of downhill runs we had some air.
I was in awe of our physical surroundings but more so with the strength of the dogs as they pulled us up some steep inclines. On one downhill section there was some steep drops which resulted in Ann jarring her back. Even though she is in some pain she is soldiering on. The route took us through open areas of snow, across frozen lakes and into some narrow gorges and chasms. Our half way point was a location called Aaallaniarfik which is a few kilometres inland on the ice fijord.
The return journey was less taxing but there was one incident that bears mentioning. We had just finished our rest break and as I was boarding the sledge the dogs decided it was time to go. I was floundering on the sledge like a Dart on the beach at Double Island Point as the dogs headed down a steep incline. Alice did not manage to board so she hitched a ride on the other sledge. After my Keystones Cops (Google them) effort I eventually managed to get myself upright and enjoy the even faster downhill trip. Meanwhile the guide was abusing the dogs and was trying to get them to stop.
We went to a local restaurant for lunch where the girls sampled smoked (uncooked) halibut and the boys indulged in a Greenlandic Musk Ox burger. These were washed down with a bottle of Erik the Red lager from the Nuuk brewery. The verdict on this gourmet tucker was a definite thumbs up.
The end is near for our time in Ilulissat and we have all had a great time. We are at the airport and as everyone has checked in the plane has decided to go early. I like this type of flying. We all have a window seat and as it is sunny there is a magnificent view of the ice fijord and the icecap.
The flight was only 40 minutes and was worth every cent that we paid. Jens who can track anyone via the internet was waiting for us when we had finished taxing down the runway. Back at the Jens Palace we are nibbling on cheese and drinking some nice cheeky red wines. We were also given a Danish education from Jens on the correct etiquette for building an open sandwich.
Thursday 3rd May – Sisimiut Siesta
A day of relaxation is the plan for today. We all hung around the house until after lunch before heading off for a walk into town. We visited a local craft shop and the girls managed to walk out without buying anything.
There was a little light snow (Ann is wearing a sun cap) but the sun is threatening to break through the cloud barrier. The snow is beginning to melt and I think that within a few days the snow around the town will have disappeared.
Up at the local shops we have stocked up on the requisite supplies required for the afternoon happy hour. Our feet are up, the wine is flowing and Jens is preparing some roast duck for dinner.
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