On our third day in Ilulissat, we were scheduled to undertake a morning hike with Miraida to the UNESCO Listed ancient site of Sermermiut and the Icefjord. Another glorious day dawned; conditions perfect for a leisurely walk. After a rather hectic schedule the day before, I was to be quite honest, looking forward to a more relaxed and cruisy day. 

But there was no way Alan was going anywhere. During and after our snowmobile tour the day before, he had suffered the worst vertigo he had endured to date. Whatever his problem, his dizziness and disorientation issues, weakness and physical exhaustion were markedly exacerbated by even the slightest exposure to the outside cold. In the warmth of our guest house, he was relatively fine. 

Miraida was right. Alan was in hindsight, suffering classic symptoms of severe dehydration. Unbeknown to us, his recent experiences with severe gastroenteritis and resulting massive fluid loss, lengthy low-humidity air travel, heated hotel accommodation and cold climate had exposed him to a most obvious vulnerability to dehydration issues. And apparently, even his rigid insistence in wearing of a face mask to protect him from possible respiratory infections, would have contributed to his desiccation issues; masks absorbing any droplets of air moisture. And add to that, an understandable disinclination to drink liquids which may trigger toilet-stop needs whilst travelling - and you have "The Perfect Dehydration Storm".

Our real surprise was that despite many trips to the Extreme Arctic, we had never experienced dehydration issues before. And we had travelled in much more onerous and far colder conditions (for example, a morning outside at minus 55°C in Bilibino, Siberia) than we had experienced in Greenland.... Given my similar travel and health situation, it was even more amazing that I didn't have any such symptoms. With our scientific backgrounds, our ignorance was even more astonishing. Appalling, really.... The lesson: Arctic Travellers Beware!  

The human body comprises about 60% water. Not surprisingly, dehydration can impact many parts of the body, particularly circulation - and people who are dehydrated often have reduced blood pressure or lower blood volume. When this happens, blood may not reach the brain as readily as it should. And just like having low blood pressure, it often leads to disorientation and/or vertigo - and in Alan case, collapsing.

And although Alan had drastically increased his fluid intake, his condition was obviously too far gone for a quick recovery. A few days' rest whilst taking plenty of fluids we thought, was the obvious decision. Why we didn't seek medical help however, is still beyond me. Especially with Alan's neo-bladder and past kidney issues. Perhaps we were still suffering the trauma from losing Alan's luggage? Other than being emailed a Case Complaints Number, we had heard nothing from Iceland Air, and we had no idea of where his luggage was - or even if it would be returned. It certainly didn't add to our stress levels. But whatever the reason for not seeking medical advice, we certainly weren't thinking straight..... 

At Alan's insistence, I did venture on our tour. To my relief, Halla and Íris would be staying in the guest house during the morning. They were scheduled to do a dog sled tour late that afternoon, but I thought I would be back by then. Even still, I didn't like leaving him. 

David, Franca, Alain and I were the only ones undertaking the hiking tour with Miraida. We would walk from her office south-west for about five kilometers, passing a well-known dog sledding kennels establishment followed by the well-known Ilulissat Icefjord Centre and then down to the ancient site of Sermermiut on the shores of the Icefjord. 

It was cold but sunny and bright; a perfect day for walking. Initially, I toyed with the idea of using hiking sticks as even though I was wearing cleats, we were warned that the going could be icy. I soon gave the idea away. The pole loops wouldn't allow me to readily take my mittens on and off which would make taking photographs almost impossible. It never ceases to amaze me just how much you have to take into consideration when undertaking even short journeys in the extreme cold. 

Neither David, Alain nor Miraida wore cleats. Franca, who also had trouble skidding on ice during our town walk two day's before, had bought herself some new cleats to replace her Velcro secured ones. Although the Velcro sounded ideal for ease of use, they apparently slipped off far too easily.

I had come to peace with my cleats. Invaluable as they were in boosting my confidence in icy conditions, they were simply woeful to put on and off. And so, I was rather pleased with myself for inventing a new technique where at a shop entrance I would take my boots off, cleats and all - put them in my shopping trolley - then wear a pair of slippers I had taken with me. It was not ideal, but it helped a lot. I often wondered how others got on.

On our walk toward the coast, we passed a large kennel area where hundreds of Huskies were tethered near small shelters. Although Miraida explained that they were working dogs and not treated as pets, I found their conditions saddening. It was not that they looked unhealthy or thin, it was just the fact that they had no freedom. The dogs we know, enjoy pulling sleds but it is hardly a natural life. And these kennels, as Miraida explained were some of the best in Ilulissat. 

Not far past the kennels, we came in to view of the Icefjord Centre. A most extraordinary building: its magnificent twisted shape designed to mimic the flight of a snow owl, apparently representing the fragility of the surrounding fjords and environment. Designed by renown Danish architect Dorte Mandrup, the now world-famous centre opened to the public in July 2021. 

The centre was unfortunately not open that day. Miraida explained however, that it has a year-round permanent exhibition "The Story of the Ice" which explores the history of Greenland's ice sheet as well as the indigenous Inuit population who have lived in the regions for thousands of years. 

Apparently, the centre also has displays of archeological artifacts cleverly set in glass prisms to resemble genuine blocks of ice. Its interior is also designed to create the impression that you are walking through a snowy landscape as you explore the displays; ice flakes and all....

The building design is quite ingenious. The total area is an impressive 1,500 square meters, of which 900 are heated and 400 are used as exhibition space. The building is constructed from steel, wood and glass. The steel constitutes the bearing structure of 52 steel frames. Each steel frame has a unique geometrical shape which together, creates the building's characteristic bent structure. The floors, roof and outdoor terraces and deck, together with a large amount of interior surfaces are constructed from European oak wood, providing the building with a feeling of natural warmth. The building is heated "CO2-neutrally heated with green energy" from the Ilulissat waterpower plant. 

For me, the most amazing aspect of our visit was that we could walk on the twisted sloping roof right over the top of the centre. It was a bizarre feeling to climb up on such a high, steep slope in the snow and ice, but the views of the distant Icefjord, coastline and iceberg-laden Disko Bay were truly spectacular.

 

From the Icefjord Centre a raised board walk took us toward the coast and the ancient site of Sermermiut. It was easy walking and very pleasant company chatting with Miraida, David and Franca. Alain spoke only French, but he seemed happy enough to enjoy his own company and was obviously a very keen photographer. 

On such a bright sunny day, the surrounding snow and ice, and the massive icebergs reflected a dramatic and brilliant platinum-white, accentuated by the deep blue waters of Disko Bay. It was I must say, the sort of tour we like and I was sorry Alan was unable to join us.

The ancient site of Sermermiut on the coast of the Icefjord and Disko Bay, was once an Inuit settlement. The location is now part of the Ilulissat Icefjord World Heritage Site. 

The site which was excavated in 1952, was previously settled by the Saqqaq, Early Dorset and Thule cultures. Once a rich source of food due to its varied animal and marine life; the combination of the fresh water from the fjord and saltwater, offering the area unique opportunities for human habitation.

 

Sermermiut was abandoned in 1850, when the last resident moved to what was then known as Jakobshavn - now Ilulissat.

Today, it is forbidden to walk down to the shoreline of Sermermiut. One reason is to preserve the bones, ruins, local artifacts and any other evidence of early human habitation. Another very real consideration is that because of frequent iceberg calving, rogue waves or even tsunamis can suddenly occur, without any prior warning. It is apparently an extremely dangerous area.

Nevertheless, it was so tempting to walk down into that pretty cove....

David was booked on a dog sledding tour for the afternoon and Franca and Alain decided to return to their hotel. I wandered back with Miraida to her office, enjoying chatting with her about her new life in Greenland and her past life as a social worker in Denmark.   

Alan and I were booked on a similar dog sledding ride the next morning. I knew - and obviously Miraida did too - that there was no way sick or not, that Alan would partake in the ride. After all, he had seen what had happened to me in Magadan, Russia when my dog sled hit a snow-covered tree stump and I was hurtled off into thigh deep snow. And all while he stayed in our guest house nursing broken ribs from rolling his snowmobile! It was not a great experience.... 

I was thinking of cancelling when Miraida out of the blue, asked me if she could take Alan's place in the dog sledding. Having little incentive to do the tour alone, I was delighted.

On my way "home" I did some "boots-and-cleats-off, slippers-on" shopping at Brugseni supermarket, this time pleased to find some cooked hot pork and vegetables for our evening meal. And a decent bottle of wine.

Arriving back to our guesthouse, I was pleased to see Alan looking a lot better. He had some colour back in his face and was looking relaxed.

Later that evening Halla and Íris arrived home from their dogsledding. "How was it?" we asked. "Simply the most wonderful experience! Oh, so beautiful to be at peace with nature!" she exclaimed.