Nuuk, Sermersooq Municipality, GreenlandA MORNING IN NUUK
A Pleasant Breakfast.....
Our trip was not improving.
Alan had suffered a bowel bleed the evening before. Thankfully it was a relatively minor one, but with Alan's history of several near-lethal hemorrhages, it was not what he needed while he was away. I must say I was really worried about him that morning. He was feeling dizzy and was an awful colour of ashen-grey. Perhaps, it was just exhaustion I tried to convince myself. After all, the previous day had been a shocker....
Eva met us at breakfast. Despite her valiant efforts, she was unable to source any information from Iceland Air about Alan's lost luggage but assured us if it arrived in Nuuk after we had left, she would organise for it to be forwarded on to Ilullissat where we were staying for five nights. In fact, she insisted that she would personally visit Nuuk Airport and arrange it herself. Anita joined us as well, reassuring us the Aurora Hotel staff would do everything they could to help us. Thank goodness for such wonderful people.
There was no sight of our Confederate Friends. As we understand, they had no option other than to return home to the US. We could well understand their anger and disgust about the outrageous treatment dished out by Iceland Air. Difficult as it was, at least we could buy some additional clothing and continue our journey. Secretly however, I was pleased that some of those wild animals would have been saved. I abhor trophy hunting.
Breakfast was simple but pleasant. I was most impressed with the boiled egg making machine that timed eggs to your liking. And the pastries, pancakes and coffee were good too. I was relieved that our breakfast seemed to help Alan - who had lost his dizziness and was beginning to regain some colour.
A Rushed Morning's Shopping
Our mission for the morning was to head back to Nuuk Centre to buy Alan some hiking pants. How we forgot those the day before, I have no idea - as he had only those he was wearing.... But I suppose given the circumstances, it was a miracle we remembered as much as we did. I also had to return some new cleats I bought from Ittu, that proved too small for my Sorel snow boots.
We had very little time. Our flight to Ilulissat via Kangerlussuaq departed that afternoon at 3:15 pm, and we had to return to the hotel after shopping to check out and pick up our luggage.
The taxi service in Nuuk was fortunately very efficient, and in no time we were back in Ittu clothing store trying to find two pairs of pants that were suitable for Alan's very long limbs.
Those he bought weren't great, but they just had to do. I was unable to buy larger cleats, which meant a visit to Pikkori sports store on the way back to the hotel. Very much an adventure sports store, they specialised in skis, snow boards and other outdoor gear, even training weights... Not quite our thing. But I did manage to find some larger cleats and Alan bought a thick, good quality balaclava. He would just have to do without his goggles when we were snowmobiling in Ilullissat....
The entrances to the shopping centres, although mostly cleared of thick snow, were unbelievably icy. We were once again assured that life in Greenland is very difficult without cleats. How we managed in Arctic Russia was beyond me. But then again, we did have a lot of memorable falls. Especially when three of us fell and rolled down a glassy road after our border guard interrogation in Pevek, Chukotka. The police were most amused. But that's another story.....
We finished shopping in a remarkably short time, with even time to make a quick dash into the Brugseni supermarket to pick up some snack food. And by some miracle (we needed one at this stage), we were back to the hotel with plenty of time to pack all Alan's gear into plastic carry bags. A great way to carry luggage on flights....
INTRODUCING GREENLAND
General Briefing - the Island of Greenland at a Glance
We had been so consumed by Alan's lost baggage that we had no time to take in anything of Nuuk, nor of our general first impressions of Greenland.
As mentioned, Greenland together with Denmark and the Faroe Islands, is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. Its statistics are impressive. It is the world's largest island, extending about 2,700 km from north to south and around 1,000 km from east to west at its widest point. It is 2,166,086 square km in area, larger than the country of Mexico. Its deeply indented coast is almost 40,000 km long, roughly equal to the Earth's circumference at the Equator. Two-thirds of Greenland lies within the Arctic circle.
The country is home to a population of around 57,000, most of whom reside on the coastal fringes. The capital city of Nuuk is home to nearly 20,000 people, about a third of the population.
A Glimpse at Greenlandic History
Greenland, not surprisingly had close very early historical ties with North America. It has been inhabited at intervals over at least the last 4,500 years by Arctic peoples whose Inuit forebears migrated from what is now Canada. They arrived by using the various islands north of Greenland as "steppingstones" across frozen seas, each wave of migration representing a different Inuit culture.
In the beginning of the 10th century, the southern areas of Greenland were inhabited by the Norsemen who previously inhabited Iceland. Erik the Red a Norse explorer, is described by Icelandic sources as having founded the first European Settlement in Greenland. Leading a contingent of fourteen boats, he founded three settlements on fjords on the southwestern tip of the islands. They shared the island with the late Dorset culture inhabitants (a Paleo-Eskimo culture) who occupied the northern and western parts, and later with those of Thule culture, who entered from the north.
Norse Greenlanders submitted to Norwegian Rule in 1261 under the Kingdom of Norway and became a formal Norwegian territory.
Interestingly, ice-core data suggest that from AD 800 and 1300, the regions around the fjords of southern Greenland enjoyed a relatively mild climate, several degrees Celsius warmer than what is usual in the North Atlantic with the farming of trees, herbaceous plants, and livestock. Later, during the 14th and early 15th centuries, the area experienced what was known as the Little Ice Age, with a sharp decrease in temperatures most probably accounting for the abandonment of Icelandic settlements in the southwestern coast during this time.
Norse colonies further disappeared in the late 15th century, following the decline of the Norwegian nation after being hit by the "Black Death" or what is now known as Bubonic Plague, a bacterial infection spread by way of flea infested rats*.
In the early 17th century, Dano-Norwegian** explorers reached Greenland again. But during the Napoleonic Wars when the two countries of Denmark and Norway separated in 1814 under the Treaty of Kiel, Greenland became a state of Denmark, and Greenlandic people became Danish citizens.
Greenland's connection to Denmark was severed in 1940 during World War II when Denmark was occupied by Nazi Germany. Immediately, the USA occupied Greenland to defend it against possible invasion by Germany. The occupation lasted until 1945.***
During the war, Greenland developed its sense of independence and began to develop a self-reliance through self-government and independent communication with the outside world.
In 1979, Denmark granted home rule to Greenland. And in 2008 Greenlanders voted for the Self-Government Act which transferred more power from the Danish government to the local Greenlandic rule. In 2009, Greenland gained self-rule. Like the Faroe Islands, Greenland has gradually assumed more responsibility for a number of local government services and areas of local specialised competence. Similarly, the Danish government retains control of defence, citizenship, monetary policy and foreign affairs. And it provides substantial funding....
*The Black Death was a pandemic occurring in Western Eurasia and North Africa from 1346 to 1353. It is the most fatal pandemic recorded in human history, causing the deaths of approximately 40% to 60% of Europe's population.
**From 1380, Denmark-Norway was an early modern multi-national and multi-lingual union comprising the Kingdom of Denmark and the Kingdom of Norway, including the then Norwegian overseas possessions of the Faroe Islands, Iceland, Greenland, as well as other colonies.
***In 1953, the US constructed the Thule military airbase in the north-west of Greenland. The construction of Thule is said to have been comparable in scale to the enormous effort required to build the Panama Canal. It is still operational and re-named with the Greenlandic name of Pituffik.
Geography
Geographically, Greenland is part of the continent of North America - which is I expect why it is classified as an island and not like Australia, as its own continent. But despite its proximity to Canada, Greenland in more recent historical times has been politically and culturally associated with Europe - particularly the colonial powers of Denmark and Norway. It is in fact, a mere 26 km (at its closest point) from Canada's Ellesmere Island to northern Greenland. But even today, it is not possible to take commercial flights from the North American continent to Greenland; hence our very long journey from Australia via Europe****.
The geography of Greenland is quite simply fascinating. Mind-blowing! Greenland's most incredible physical feature is its massive ice sheet, which is second only to Antarctica's in size. The Greenland ice sheet has an average thickness of 1.5 km, reaches a maximum of 3.0 km and covers more than 1,800,000 square km. Layers of snow falling on its barren, windswept surface become compressed into layers which constantly move out to peripheral glaciers. The weight of the ice sheet has depressed the central land area to form a basin lying more than 300 m below sea level, while elevations rise steeply near the coast.
In the extreme north of Greenland, Peary Land peninsula is not covered by an ice sheet, because the air is too dry to produce snow. It is a true Arctic Desert.
The remaining ice-free land occupies the country's coastal areas and consists mainly of highlands: mountains chains parallel to the island's east and west coasts. Long and deep fjords dissect into the east and west coasts in complex systems offering magnificent if stark, scenery. Along many parts of the coast, the ice sheet fronts directly on to the sea, with large chunks breaking off the glaciers and sliding into the sea as icebergs. Greenland is a truly wonderful geographical phenomenon.
****Literature suggests that there are no direct flights to Greenland other than those from the Icelandic capital of Reykjavik, because the runway in Nuuk is not long enough for bigger planes to land. Apparently, work to extend the runways in Nuuk and Ilulissat is being carried out, to accommodate larger aircraft in the future.
Climate, Vegetation & Animal Life.
Unlike the Faroe Islands, the climate of Greenland is only slightly modified by the influence of the Gulf Stream - and only in the south-west. Rapid weather changes are common, from sunshine to impenetrable blizzards, resulting from the eastward progression of low-pressure air masses over a permanent layer of cold air above the island's icy interior.
Average winter temperatures range from minus 7°C in the south to about minus 30°C in the north. Summer temperatures along the south-west coast average about 7°C, and in the far north around 4°C.
Greenland experiences about two months of midnight sun in summer. Precipitation ranges from about 1,900 mm in the south to a mere 50 mm in the Arctic Desert of the north.
The vegetation is classified as tundra, consisting mainly of lichens, sedges and cotton grass. In the limited ice-free areas are almost devoid of trees, although some sheltered valleys house dwarfed birch, willow and alder.
Animal species include the massive musk oxen, reindeer, Arctic foxes, snow hares, ermines and lemmings. Sea life includes whales and seals. Cod, salmon, flounder, halibut and Arctic Char are important commercially sought fish.
Demographics
Almost 90% of Greenlanders are principally of Inuit extraction, They identify themselves as Kalaallit (west Greenlanders), the Inugguit (Thule District) or Lit (east Greenlanders). The remaining population are mainly from Denmark.
The official languages are Kalaallisut (West Greenlandic) and Danish. A number of Inuit dialects are also spoken, and are grouped as "Greenlandic". English is widely spoken.
Interestingly, and like the Faroe Islands, Evangelical Lutheranism is the official religion. It is followed by more than two thirds of the population. The remaining one-thirds of Greenlanders follow other forms of Christianity. Traditional beliefs, including Shamanism, are still practised by a small minority.
Economy
Greenland's economy is mostly based on fishing. Seal hunting, once the mainstay of the economy has declined drastically and replaced largely by the fishing, canning and freezing of cod, shrimp and other marine life.
Again like the Faroes, dependence on a wild industry such as fishing can readily result in a fragile economy. In more recent years, an emphasis has been placed to diversify the economy by promoting the tourist industry.
The tourist industry has increased significantly, with the numbers of tourists increasing from 77,000 per year in 2015 to 105,000 in 2019. Tourism declined due to COVID during the following two years, but is expected to rise again with the rush of post COVID travel.
Agriculture, is only possible on about 1% of the land, and only in the southern ice-free regions where hay and garden vegetables are the main crops. Reindeer are also raised for meat. Marine mammals such as seals, walruses and whales however, are still are major source of meat for the Greenlanders.
Interestingly, like the Faroes, during economically tough times, Greenland has been heavily subsidised by Denmark.
A BRIEF TOUR OF NUUK CITY
Farewell to the Aurora Hotel and a Taxi Trip Around Nuuk
Back at our hotel, there was no need to ask the staff about news of Alan's lost luggage. The sympathetic faces of the Aurora team said it all. There was still no communication back from Iceland Air....
Instead, Anita and Eva suggested that we should on our way to the airport, undertake a brief tour of Nuuk city. We had well over an hour to spare and it was a very useful way to see at least a little of the capital city, of which we had seen virtually nothing. Eva organised a taxi and negotiated our fare. We bid them a fond farewell. They had been terrific and we would highly recommend a stay at the homely and comfortable Aurora Hotel.
A friendly and knowledgeable man who spoke excellent English, our taxi driver gave us an excellent vehicle tour of Nuuk before dropping us off at Nuuk Airport. Prior to or travels, we had been informed by friends and also had read in literature "not to spend too much time in Nuuk as there is very little to see". Conversely, we found it attractive and interesting, and were sorry we didn't include a few extra days in which to explore the settlement and its surrounds.
A Briefing on Nuuk. Photo Gallery of the City Surrounds.
Nuuk (meaning "cape") is the capital of, and most populous city in Greenland. It is also the seat of government for the Seemersooq municipality. With just 20,000 people, it is also one of the smallest capital cities in the world.
Nuuk is located about ten km from the shores of the Labrador Sea on the south-western coast of Greenland. It is about 240 km south of the Arctic Circle. It has a maritime-influenced tundra climate with long, cold snowy winters and cool short summers. Although winters are relatively cold, they are far milder than the tundra climates of Alaska or parts of Russian Siberia.
The history of Nuuk suffered an all too familiar, ugly colonial beginning. The settlement was founded in 1728 by the Dano-Norwegian missionary Hans Egede following his relocation from the former Hope Colony on Kangeq Island, west of present day Nuuk. At that time, Greenland was formally still a Norwegian possession. Early Nuuk colonists comprised mutinous soldiers and convicts with most dying within the first year from scurvy or other diseases. During 1733 - 34, a smallpox epidemic killed most of the native population, including Egede's wife. He returned to Denmark in 1736 after 17 years in Greenland, leaving his unfortunate son Poul to continue his work.
In 1733, Moravian missionaries began a religious settlement which became the nucleus for present-day Nuuk as many native Greenlanders from the south-eastern coast left their territory to live at the mission. From this base, further missions were established before they were united in 1900 and became part of the Lutheran Church of Denmark. And to this day, religion is still very much part of the local culture.
In the 1850's Greenland, including the area around Nuuk was in crisis. Europeans had brought diseases and a culture that conflicted with that of the native Greenlanders. Repressed by Danish authorities, many were living in extreme poverty.
In the 1950's when Denmark began to modernise Greenland, the city of Nuuk boomed. Today, Nuuk is a modern if small city housing notable universities and other educational institutions, museums, hotels, as well as a thriving music and arts scene. It also boasts well-developed trade, business and shipping industries, as well as a successful fishing industry (like many fishing industries however, it has declined in recent years).
Nuuk is a pretty city filled with colourful steep pitched roofed houses and surrounded by beautiful mountains.
OUR FLIGHT TO ILULISSAT VIA KANGERLUSSUAQ
We were in luck with our flight to Ilulissat. Unlike many flights that were cancelled or delayed, our little Air Greenland Dash 8 was on time for take-off. We have become fond of Dash 8 aircraft. For their size, they are roomy and comfortable. And we hoped after looking at some of the crazed fuselage and well worn exit doors on our aircraft, safe and reliable....
We were also fortunate that the plane was flying as there were just five passengers; a world away from the sardine-packed flights we had experienced with Scandinavian Air and other European aircraft.... Coffee, tea and water were offered. But sadly, not even the luxury a small biscuit.... Our flight attendant was very pleasant but then again, he did have a very pleasant job!
Scenically, the flight was stunning. We were flying mostly over the edge of the massive ice cap of Greenland; the beauty of its glorious remoteness, steep snowclad mountains and deeply dissecting fjords was an iconic experience.... And of course, there was not a settlement in sight, nor for that matter any signs of habitation. No roads, no trails, no power lines..... The experience of sheer nothingness was simply exhilarating.
We landed at Kangerlussuaq Airport where for some reason, we had to disembark for nearly an hour before our flight was ready to take us on to Ilulissat.
Kangerlussuaq is a major international and domestic air transport hub for Greenland. In a week's time we would return to the tiny settlement for two nights, before heading off to Sisimiut on the west coast of Greenland.
The airport is located right next to the Hotel Kangerlussuaq. Well, in fact the hotel is actually part of the airport. And there is not much else settlement-wise at Kangerlussuaq. There is no contrived entertainment. Not even a shopping centre. Just the airport, the hotel and one shop. It was however, just what we love - a mega-remote location in vividly exotic, wild environment; its beautiful frozen fjord and proximity the the Greenland ice cap being a huge attraction for us.
Waiting for the next leg of our flight and looking out onto the barren surrounds, we laughed "No wonder people think we are mad travelling to the places we do..."
Boarding the aircraft, we were stopped in our tracks. Thinking we must have boarded the wrong flight, we looked in amazement at the interior of the aircraft that was now converted into a cargo plane. Huge crates filled the space where the seats once were, leaving just three places for our now much reduced passenger crew. Our flight attendant, on seeing our surprised faces, laughed. "We maximise every bit of aircraft time. This is cargo bound for Ilulissat and other settlements". Well, of course. That sounded more than reasonable.
The final leg of our flight was every bit as fascinating the first. We arrived in Ilulissat at around 6:00 pm where we caught a taxi to our guest house. "What the hell are we doing staying in a guest house and sharing accommodation?" we asked each other.
As we approached our Blue House guesthouse, two women came out to welcome us "Hi! We are your house companions!" they announced.
It was Icelandic mother and daughter Halla and Íris . We could not have been more fortunate.
Margaret McLaughlan
2024-01-15
Greenland is mostly icy and Iceland is mostly green so therein lies trust issues - places Iceland Airways luggage loss into a new perspective. Very interesting reading your travel blogs from the comfort of my home on the Central Coads of NSW, AUSTRALIA.
Paul Milham
2024-01-16
Still a bit exciting for me!!