Collect Experiences. Not Things. :')

September 14, 2011

Day 10 - Ittoqqortoormiit & Hurry Inlet, Greenland





We anchored off the settlement of Ittoqqortoormiit on yet another sunny day with clear blue skies and the colourful buildings looking really pretty in the sunlight. It is one of the remoter towns in Greenland (especially on the east coast) and it is situated near the entrance of the longest and widest fjord in the World that is known as Kangertittivaq or Scoresby Sund. Ittoqqortoormiit has a population of around 300 with a mixture of Greenlanders and Danes.

Heading ashore the Zodiacs cleared a path through newly formed pancake ice and once ashore there was a special ceremony when Walt West presented a plaque to the museum commemorating his stay in the area at the very end of World War II from 1945 into 1946. During this time he worked on an American weather station and he also presented a booklet describing his experiences during his stay.

For the rest of the morning everyone had the chance to explore and walk around a typical Greenland village and to visit places like the museum, the church, the post office, the tourist centre, the weather centre. There was the chance to taste Muskox meat and to witness the Huskies being fed, with Minke whale! The highlights included the chance to meet local Greenlanders, and to interact with the really cute and playful puppies that provided lots of photo opportunities.

As we headed back to ship there was a distinct chill in the air and hint that winter would soon be on its way, and the day ended with a lovely moonrise over the mountains. This has been our 5th day ashore in Greenland and we have been so incredibly lucky with the weather, with clear blue skies throughout!

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