Nuuk, Greenland

Greenland is COOL! That may be so according to the native population, but to us wimps from temperate climates, it was COLD. We were very lucky weather wise; the skies were blue and clear, there was very little wind, the seas were calm, and the temperature was around 37*. We were bundled up in winter coats, hats, and gloves.

Greenland is a fascinating country. Why is it called Greenland and why does Iceland have its name? It should be reversed: Iceland is green and Greenland is one big ice sheet. The story goes that in 982 A.D., Erik the Red of Iceland (he was on the lam for killing a man) wanted to attract colonists, so as a marketing ploy, he said come to Greenland – it is green. From the little we saw, it is one big rock pile. Eighty percent of the country is covered in ice, up to two miles thick in the middle. People live on the rocky fringes between the sea and ice, mostly on the west coast. Glaciers and fjords make it nearly impossible for ground transportation between towns so they use planes, boats, or dogsleds (in the winter) to get around. Greenland has been discovered more than any other place on earth. Early settlers found the life too hard and moved on, and then another group would rediscover it. The first people to stay were the Inuit, relatives of the natives in Alaska.

The capital and largest city is Nuuk, founded in 1728, with a population of 15,000 out of the total population of 56,000 in Greenland. It is located on the western coast, 150 miles south of the Arctic Circle. The country is self ruled, but is under Danish administration. Here is a quote from National Geographic: “take one part quaint Greenlandic town, complete with fjord and exhilarating mountainous backdrop, mix with maybe four parts grim Soviet-bloc style apartments, add two traffic lights, daily traffic jams, and a nine-hole golf course and you’ve got Nuuk.” Michael thought Nuuk looked like a cross between a rural Danish village and the Bronx projects. There was a certain charm – if you looked in one direction – and the Bronx projects is pretty much descriptive when you looked in the other direction. The shabby buildings definitely needed a coat of paint and laundry was hung on the balconies. Colorful buildings were built on rocky hills and there were staircases that go from one street to the next. We toured the entire town by foot in two hours.

The people are mostly of either Danish heritage or are Inuit Indian. We saw babies and toddlers everywhere, so cute waddling in their snowsuits, boots and mittens. It must have been a warm day for the locals as most of them wore sweaters or light jackets while we were bundled in bulky coats. As the sun got higher (and we were walking up hill), it started to warm up and I removed my gloves and coat.

There was shopping for basic needs and we only came across one real native craft shop. All the signage was in Danish or Inuit (couldn’t tell), so we had to look in the windows to see what was in the stores. The major attractions were the sea statue, the museum, and the cultural center (which was closed; they opened as we headed back to the ship).

I was determined to buy a souvenir sweatshirt that said “Greenland,” but believe it or not, I could NOT find one! Nuuk is definitely not geared up for tourism although they have a tourism office. While I was waiting for the shuttle back to the ship, I tried to buy the tourist center rep’s uniform jacket, but they wouldn’t sell one to me. I think I will have one made up when I get home that says, “Greenland is COOL!” How many people do you know that have been here?

Upon our return to the ship, we decided to have lunch by the Grill on the Lido deck (on the sunny side). Looking out over the harbor, we were bounded on the portside by rocky moss covered islands, islets, and snow dusted mountains. There were icebergs floating in the bays. We saw lots of fishing vessels plying the waters (fishing is the number one industry). It was very serene and calm. Last year, the Crystal made this same trip and could not dock due to bad weather and sea conditions. Today a lamb, yesterday a lion.

The rest of the day is a normal sea type of day. Michael is PLAYING bridge this afternoon while I am faithfully writing this blog. It was a short day ashore, but a good one. Our shuttle driver was a young Inuit (whose jacket I tried to buy). I asked him where I could get a sweatshirt and he called his mother to ask her where he should take me. He stopped at a gift shop (not on the bus route) and waited while I went in and looked (no joy there). You wouldn’t get that kind of service in a big city. I said he had a nice town and he said, “Yes, I like it very much.” In the background, he had the radio on and it was playing rap music. I said, “it doesn’t matter what country you are in, young people like rap and iphones”. He just smiled and nodded his head. It is, after all, a small world.