Tag: Greenland

VOV: Nanortalik, Greenland

Saturday, August 6, 2022

I had been thinking about participating in the Polar Bear plunge ever since I saw it advertised. Chuck reminded me that I hate cold water so much that I even wear a neoprene shirt in the Caribbean Sea to be able to swim in those warm waters. I was on the fence about it until I heard they were not going to drain the heated Sea View pool and fill it with cold sea water; but instead, they were just going to pour some ice in it. So, it was going to be a faux-Polar Bear plunge. Okay, I was going for it.

I put on my swimsuit, jacket, wool cap, and my bathrobe and Chuck and I headed up to the Sea View pool area. There was already a crowd gathered – participants and onlookers. One of the entertainment staff was asking anyone who wanted to participate to sign a sheet so we could receive our certificates later.

A little after 4:00, the participants lined up around the pool. The wind was so cold and fierce. The entertainment director gave the spiel about how the Polar Bear plunge was a time-honored tradition and those of us who completed the plunge would be esteemed members of the Royal Dutch Society of Polar Bears. Once she was finished, her helpers dumped tubs and tubs of ice – everything from small cubes to giant chunks – a whole lot more than I anticipated. They were floating all over the top of the pool. We would have to jump through the floating ice to reach the warmer water.

One by one, she called our names and everyone made the leap until all names were called. The last person to jump in was our Cruise Director Glen. It was a shock to go through the ice but the water was fine. We stayed in for a few minutes laughing and splashing. However, the dreaded time had come to get out of the pool. The cold wind hit me so hard my teeth were chattering out of my mouth before I completely pulled myself out of the water. Chuck was right there with two pool towels helping me dry off. Got my robe back on and headed down to the room for a hot shower. The hot shower was heavenly.

My jump
Cruise Director coming to jump

Was it fun? Yes. I am glad I did something out of my comfort zone. Would I do it again on a future cruise? Highly doubtful.

We had dinner later on that night in the main dining with a couple we first met in Quaqatok, Greenland. We have been on several of the same excursions. She had also participated in the Polar Bear plunge. Three of us had the baked snapper but I was the only one who liked it. We really enjoyed our conversation with them – so much so that I forgot to take a photo of the food.

Chuck and I went to listen to the first set of the Ocean Bar band. After the set ended, we went to the main show – Jeff Wayne, comedian. He had a few good jokes but mostly he was corny. We then listened to the last set of the band and called it a night. The fog never lifted, and I wondered if the ship’s foghorn would blow all night.

I heard the ship’s foghorn all night even with my earplugs. I got up at 6:00 to check to see if it was still foggy but was greeted with clear skies and a number of icebergs. We had no big plans for today but the time ashore was short – 7:00 to 1:30 – and it was a tender port, so I knew we had to get moving.

After coffee and a breakfast in the main dining room, we boarded the 9:00 tender for the short ride over to the town. We walked up the main road to the Old Timber Church which was built in 1916.

We then bought admission into the outdoor Nanortalik Museum comprised of nine separate historic buildings. We enjoyed walking through them and admiring the displays from Old Norse to Inuit to Danish colonists.

THE MEDICAL CENTER

THE FISH PROCESSING / BLUBBER PROCESSING AREA

AN ORIGINAL PRESERVED DWELLING

There were street performers, a craft market, and people just going about their day. Our last stop was the local grocery store to see what types of items were available. Again, I had to restrain myself from buying a bag of huge raisin buns.

She was singing native songs

While I was making a restroom stop in the Visitor Center, Chuck made some friends. The little girl toddled up to him, followed by her brother, both under the watchful eye of their mother. Seems like every trip, either children or animals or both find their way to Chuck. They recognize a good soul.

We took the 11:30 tender back to the ship and spent a relaxing afternoon watching the icebergs go by. Wasn’t long before it was time to get ready for our Canaletto dinner.

FLOWERS OF NANORTALIK

Travel Trivia

Nanortalik, Greenland

Pronunciation: NAN-or-TAH-lick

The name Nanortalik means “Place of Polar Bears” or “Place Where the Polar Bears Go” -because polar bears are occasionally seen hunting on the drift ice outside of town.

One that got too close to town

Nanortalik is the southernmost town in Greenland, located on an island also called Nanortalik, at the mouth of Tasermiut Fjord. The settlement dates back to the late 18th centruy with Norsemen first setting foot on the land. It wasn’t until later when the far north Inuit arrived on the scene and a trading depot was erected.

The main industries are crab fishing, seal hunting, fishing, and gold mining in the Kirkespir Valley.

Greenland’s only natural forest is 25 miles northwest of Nanortalik.

*Trivia provided by Wikipedia and Holland America documents

VOV: Qaqortok, Greenland

Friday, July 15, 2022

We spent some time before dinner playing some slots. Even though the ship’s casino is small, it does have some fun slots.

We decided to eat in the Lido tonight. Most of the nights they have many of the same entrees that are served in the main dining room. Since Chuck had a number of raffle tickets for the drawing at 8:00, he wanted to be sure he was present.

I got a bowl of the tomato soup and I went to the Asian station and got some of their noodles and crispy duck. Delicious. I also splurged and had the crepe chef create a dessert crepe for me – chocolate and blueberries. I did share it with Chuck.

Afterwards, he returned to the casino for the raffle, and I went to the Ocean Bar to listen to the Band. Had excellent dance music during this set.

At 9:00, we went to watch tonight’s performance at the main stage – a comedian. He was a former teacher and had some pretty good stories.

Once his show was over, we went to the Ocean Bar Band’s last set. It was supposed to be a Motown hour, but the first song was “Fly me to the Moon” which was definitely not Motown. We listened to the whole set. Not one Motown song. Oh well. Time to say good night.

The Captain indicated that we might have some rough seas last night, and he wasn’t kidding. The ship was really rocking from side to side.

When I got up at 6:00 and opened the curtains I was greeted with an unexpected site – icebergs. They were all shapes and sizes. The water was as calm as a pond. I could see Greenland in the distance.

Once we had finished breakfast in the Lido, the Cruise Director announced that the ship had been cleared by local authorities and they were lowering the tender boats. We were an hour earlier than expected. The Cruise Director said the weather would be cloudy with a chance of rain and cold. We put our rain gear in the backpacks and got our jackets.

The first thing you notice about Qaqortoq, the largest town (a little over 3000 inhabitants) and the Southern Greenland capital, is its colorful saltbox buildings.

The next thing you notice is the flying, biting bugs. We did remember bug spray which seemed to help. Chuck also wore the head net as they still preferred him over me even with bug spray. If we had gone straight to the little grocery/general store, we could have bought another one. By the time we got there, they had sold out. However, I did see one woman with a head net that looked familiar. Turns out it was the mesh bag that the HAL robe comes in. Fit just perfectly. Ingenious. I will take it next time and use it if I can’t find one to buy. I understand this is not the last port that is known for annoying flies.

The third thing you better notice is how fast the locals drive, and pedestrians did not appear to have the right of way. If you are in the road taking a picture, you better be ready to jump to the side of the road if one of their vehicles comes careening around a curve (speaking from experience).

We had no big plans today except to explore the town. It is walkable if you don’t mind hills and steps. First landmark we found was the 1927 fountain. It is the oldest fountain in Greenland. I was told that the white stones surrounding the fountain and found throughout the town lining roads and paths are there to symbolize the icebergs that flow around Qaqortok.

We went to the Qaqortok Museum built in 1804 as a residence.

It had a nice assortment of Inuit, Danish, and Norwegian artifacts. We bought a ticket for $10 pp. The ticket entitled you to enter this Museum, the smaller Norse Museum, and the 1832 Savior Church. We spent some time looking at the items.

Upstairs, they had information about the MS Hans Hedtoft – a Danish cargo passenger liner that struck an iceberg and sank on 30 January 1959 on her maiden voyage off the coast of Western Greenland. The only piece of the wreckage ever found was a lifebelt. As of today, she remains the last known ship sunk by an iceberg with casualties.

As we continued walking, we found some of the “Stone and Man” carvings chiseled into rocks and rock walls by former inhabitants.

We enjoyed the other art pieces that we found throughout the town.

We continued walking past the bank, the new church, restaurants, and the only hotel in Qaqortok. We also perused the grocery store. I had to restrain myself from buying a ginormous raisin bun from the grocery bakery. The locals were walking their dogs, chatting on the sidewalk, and buying groceries. The children were having recess. All seemed oblivious to the throngs of people wandering their town.

We did not walk to the cemetery, but I took a picture from a distance because I had not seen crosses like that except in military cemeteries.

We decided to take a tender back to the ship for lunch. The Norse Museum and the Church did not open until 1:00. Once we ate, Chuck decided to stay and enjoy the pool and the hot tub. I changed my jacket to my blue jean shirt because the sun had come out and it was getting warm. I was glad the weather forecast was wrong.

I took a tender back over and went straight to the Norse Museum. It was a small museum but had a number of Norse items and furnishings from the family of the founder.

I then walked over to the Church but there appeared to be a meeting or a service going on, so I didn’t go inside. Just took some photos of the outside.

The last item on the agenda before I went back to the ship was to visit the souvenir shop. There were no Christmas ornaments, per se. However, I found a small hand-carved spoon out of driftwood signed by the carver. I will tie a ribbon around it and use it as an ornament.

Once I returned from the ship, I spent time processing some of my photos. When Chuck came to the room, it was time to get ready for the evening. It was a nice day in Greenland.

Qaqortok flowers:

Travel Trivia

Qaqortoq, Greenland

Pronounced: KACK-or-TOCK

The area around Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Beginning with the Saqqaq culture roughly 4,300 years ago, the area has had a continuous human presence.

The ruins of Hvalsey – the most prominent Norse ruins in Greenland – are located 12 miles northeast of Qaqortoq.

Roughly two-thirds of all tourists to Qaqortoq are from Denmark.

*Trivia provided by Holland America and Qaqortok tourist information.