Aassiaat -> Upernavik
In the last 18 days aboard Nord Hus I have sailed into places I could never have dreamed of. The beauty of Greenland colliding with the culture of the local people is hard to put into words. I love seeing how life works- seeing the kids playing in the artic waters, hearing music playing from the assembly halls on joyous sunny days, learning about sled dogs and understanding how crucial they are for life here, and seeing how fisherman come to and fro all day and all night.
Upernavik -> Kullorsuaq
Beyond natural beauty, these places were filled with incredible people who really made our visit special.
The kids were vibrant, playful and so helpful. They would help pull our dinghy up on shore or take our water jugs to run excitedly to fill them up for us. (Saying no was not an option!) They ran all over the place in little packs of their age groups – It was amazing to see kids being kids for a change and get to join in on the fun. I got to play a little soccer and rowed them around in our dinghy for hours. It’s always funny trying to communicate through broken sentences and charades.
These were the first stops where I really deeply felt the significance of their culture. The community was strong, they took care of each other. They took care of us. Many locals stopped to look at our maps to help answer our questions. We were invited into homes, and fed traditional Greenlandic food, and made to feel welcome.
Tukuss and qujan to all my new friends. I hope to see you again someday.
Qaanaaq
Qaanaaq. Our northern most point.
What an incredible experience to get here. I’ve learned more about the Arctic, Greenlandic & Inuit culture, and myself than I ever thought I would.
Our crew pushed our limits and found out just how much we were capable of between fog, ice, wind, and heavy weather.
Now the unknown around every corner is over, but soon darkness of autumn will fill that void and add to the challenge.
I’m excited for all the sailing yet to come. This voyage is far from over as we still need to make it to Newfoundland
Southbound – Greenland: Qaanaaq -> Nuuk
We have now left the tiny idilic villages of the north. After months of traveling by foot, carrying water jugs to public water houses, and doing charades to work through language barriers – we have now hit a place that is easier to exist. Stores are plentiful, English is common, and you could hail a taxi if you really needed to.
I tread lightly on this topic – the way of life and subsistence culture of the north is beautiful. The people live from the land and you feel there is a sense of having “enough”. People slow down when they can and hustle when they need to.
In the city, that culture feels a bit slimmer upfront. It makes me slightly sad to see, but who am I to come in and tell a culture that they should keep living the ‘hard way’ – Especially when I’ve had the privilege of an easy upbringing. Even now, I choose to live alternately – garden because I like it, fish because I know there’s a grocery store if I catch nothing, forage because wild berries are yummy- not the only thing I’ll eat if I find nothing else.
Greenland is a rugged place even with the ease of the city. I’m happy for these people and what they are creating for themselves.
Southbound – Canada: Labrador Sea Crossing -> Lewisporte, NL
L A N D – H O
We made it to Canada. I still can’t believe we are here after spending the whole summer in Greenland. Reaching Newfoundland and Labrador means a beautiful chapter coming to a close, and I have a lot to reflect upon.
How was the crossing? We got what we expected and are grateful for that.
We knew we would have to earn our passage (fall weather in the north, am I right?). Our crew worked hard around the clock for 6 days through high seas, oppressive cold, and dynamic wind conditions. We were grateful that the weather forecasting was right on, and that our difficult conditions weren’t worse than we anticipated. On the last day we were greeted with warm air, a sunset to remember, and pods of dolphins & whales. The scene felt magic.
It was the perfect closing challenge to top off this expedition and I am proud of our team.
