The Culture of Greenland

After exiting Prince Christian Sound on the morning of our third day in Greenland we made out way to our first port of call Qaqortog, the fourth largest city in Greenland, followed the next day by a visit to the much smaller Nanortalik, the country’s southern most town.

Although it is rare for Norwegian Cruise Lines to offer educational seminars we were lucky to have onboard David McCreery.  David discussed many of the destinations on our cruise, notably Greenland where he had lived and worked.  I attended his seminar that discussed the culture and history of Greenland.

Greenland was founded by Erik the Red while he was banned from Iceland for murder. It is the largest island in the world!  There is a home rule government for domestic affairs but the Head of State is the King of Denmark. The country remains under Danish rule, the citizens are heavily subsidized and the Danish kroner is their currency.  The majority of its population is Inuit.

There are no roads connecting the cities in Greenland, they are only accessible by air or water.  The economy is based on fishing with agriculture taking up only 1% of its area.  The vast majority of the country is still a glacier.  Tourism is essential to the economy but limited due to its short season.

We docked in Qaqortog on a sunny warm day.  With a population of 3047, the city almost doubled as we, only the second cruise ship to arrive that summer, descended on its port.  Ken and I spent the better part of the morning walking around the small village,enjoying its colourful homes, friendly people, visiting its compact but well established museum, and poking our noses into its shops and grocery stores.

The bucket list excursion for us however was the Iceberg Safari.  Donning survival suits, which seemed unnecessary as the day was warm but which proved essential on the water while the boat was in motion, we climbed onboard the open rib boat.  From there we spent almost two hours touring the bay, slowing only as we approached each iceberg.

Icebergs do not  look like much from afar, rather like misshapen ice bobbing in a glass of water.  Up close however they are enchanting.   Water ran in rivulets off each one, no match for the summer sun, sculpting the ice into fascinating formations. Even their sheer size was awe inspiring.  Up close we could to see the larger submersed part of the icebergs visible in the clear water.  The pilot got close enough that we could touch, and  thanks to a piece that had broken off, even taste the ice.

The next morning we arrived in Nanortalik.  We were greeted at the port by a number of residents offering homemade crafts, and even a song or two.  We were able to walk from one end of the town to the other, stopping to admire the shops and compact efficient homes.  The church as a focal point and was open to the tourists.  Of note was the local fish market.  They were selling whale meat and blubber to the locals, while offering samples to the tourists.  It was raw, which is very healthy for you, but not enticing enough for me.  The residents offered radiant smiles to everyone they encountered.

I cannot ignore how lucky we were to have been able to visit Greenland.  It’s tourist season is short and incredibly dependent on the weather’s cooperation.  It was, however, one of those bucket list destinations that we will never forget!