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Greenland Updated

Date Posted: September 19, 2009

Photographer: Michelle Valberg

We had a feeling we were in for a very special adventure only moments before we landed: looking out our First Air flight window, Michelle and I were blown away by the massive range of snow-capped mountains, framing the  land with earth tone colors that rippled from the edge of the sea to the base of the mountains. We later learned we were looking at the largest ice cap in the world. Welcome to Greenland!

 

Our first surprise was arriving in our cabin and opening the door. There, in our small room, were 15 huge hockey bags, covering our beds, bathroom and all floor space. The bags, of course, are part of the donations we received for Project North, to be delivered to the community of Kimmirut.  While deeply committed to the ‘cause’ both Michelle and I agreed we would have much better sleeps without them strewn all over our beds. Although enjoying our ‘dismay’, the staff gladly whisked them away, and stored all 15 bags in the locker room below. And thanks to them, we had a great night’s sleep.

 They say the heavens can be an intuitive body, with a finger on the pulse of the universe that surrounds them. And so was the case on our first evening aboard the Clipper Adventurer. We will never forget our welcome: standing on the deck watching a spectacular show of the northern lights, dancing across an endless sky as if to say, ‘Welcome, we hope you love our land.’ The northern lights are ever-changing, creating coloured whispers of light, fusing into darkness and returning again and again … a beautiful and spiritual display, causing all of us to whisper quietly to each other that we are the luckiest people on earth.




Our first day in Greenland was in a colourful, charming town called Sisimiut. Houses coloured much like those in Newfoundland, dotted the coastal community like a box of primary coloured crayons, spilled on a sidewalk.  We walked through the tiny town, admiring the work of various crafts people, visiting shops and eating the best danish pastries we’d ever had. Michelle’s camera was working on over-drive, snapping photos of the country-side and the people who live here.

 

Have you ever been awakened with an invitation to navigate through mountains of the most dramatic icebergs in the world? That was our morning invitation – which we very quickly accepted!  Our zodiac trip through the icebergs can never be accurately captured in words. Sheets of ice, bursting out of the sea, in colours that rival the most magnificent  pallet of ice-tones of whites, aquas  and blues, dotted the sea. We were swept away by the sheer magnificence of the size and stature of these incredible icebergs and witnessed the calving of one of the largest, close enough that we had to put the zodiac into over drive in order to escape the waves that the crashing of ice made in the sea. Amazing!

 

The rest of the day was spent exploring Greenland’s third largest town: Ilulissat. Approaching the harbour to disembark, it started to snow, turning the beautiful landscape of colourful houses dotting the coastal port into a magical snowglobe, with a light dusting of snow peppering the harbour. The town was historic, colourful and lively with shops, museums, craft stores and artisans.

Amazed as we were with the charm and artistry of the town, the most stunning part of our Greenland stay was found at the end of a hike where we discovered the ridge of the Illulissat Icefjord. We turned the corner expecting to see an iceberg or two but instead werewitness to an awe inspiring setting starring some of Greenland’s largest and most dramatic glacier like ice sheets, looming high in the sky and dominating the land. A body of water at their base created a mirror image of the huge and stately jagged ice sheets. Although there were nearly 100 of us, our collective silence attested to the power and magnificence of what we saw. We are all some of the very lucky few to have experienced first-hand this outstanding world wonder.
Written by Joan Weinman 

 


Comments

There are 4 comments on this blog.

 

"Both words and photographs captured the beauty of this spot and I can feel the charm."

David A. Smith
September 23, 2009

 

""Your words tell the story, your photos capture the essence of it all-spectacular!""

Lyle MacLennan
September 23, 2009

 

"As I viewed the pictures and read the words, I felt a sense of "peace" come over me. It is beautiful and inspiring.
"

Gloria Purcell
October 16, 2009

 

"Thans

for the nice post."

ChristianLouboutin
June 2, 2010

 

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