2022
Greenland, is the world's largest island, located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans and a neighbor to the nearby, much smaller island of Iceland. It has been inhabited at intervals over at least the last 4,500 years by Arctic peoples and today, its mostly Intuit population of approximately 56,000 people, is largely concentrated on the southwest coast. The rest of the island is sparsely populated. The landscape is rugged and some three-quarters of the country is covered by the only permanent ice sheet outside Antarctica, and believe me despite its name, it's far from green. Of course, winter is cold with temperatures in places known to go below -25 °C (-13 °F) during winter and in some places you may encounter considerably colder (-40ºC or -40ºF) or warmer temperatures. During the winter, the wind can increase the effect of the cold and make it feel much colder. However, the cold doesn't stop the locals as it's common to see some dressed in their anoraks and polar bear skin pants zooming around on their snowmobiles.
Caption: Rugged landscape of Greenland's southwest (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: Strange mountain peaks and rugged landscape of Greenland's southwest (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: The unique treeless and rugged landscape of Greenland's southwest (LG: @bmuu)
Nuuk is Greenland's capital (population 18,000) and is the world's northernmost capital. However, we spent our time in the much smaller Nanortalik (population 1,185) and Qaqortoq (population of 3,050), tucked away in the fjords of southern Greenland, from where I trekked to nearby settlements. Truly a remote corner of the world. Against a background of immense jagged mountain peaks (which you can see in the photos above), you find a few brightly colored houses scattered in front of a bay with floating icebergs. Breathtaking really. I saw Greenland to be very much still a new frontier. The area around Qaqortoq has been inhabited since prehistoric times and I added a few places to Maps while visiting there like the amazing Stone & Man Lithographs, but still have quite a few POIs to add there. However, Nanortalik, a name which means "Place of Polar Bears", was my favorite. One of the first things I did here was work out where the nearest doctor or hospital was and as you can expect, with only some 1200 inhabitants, the Nanortalik hospital is a small one. I was really pleased to put this important POI on the Map! Just to give you some idea, being a small hospital, there is only one doctor, a head nurse and assistant nurses. The doctor is a general practitioner with access to an online referral system at the hospital at the capital Nuuk and for emergency cases, access to a specialist Nuuk doctor on call within each specialty. The hospital also has specialists visits. It was handy to learn that the hospital doctor was always on call.
Caption: Colorful houses in the treeless and landscape of Nanortalik - Living on the edge of Greenland, a different world (LG: @bmuu)
2 Caption: Colorful houses in Qaqortoq - Living on the edge of Greenland, a different world (LG: @bmuu)
I love the colorful buildings in Greenland and there is a reason for the different colors. One person I spoke to said that it's about making it easier to find home when the places are covered in snow, and for commercial places, different colors are used for different types of businesses. Just imagine trying to find your home or the fish market in a whiteout when everything is white! I will talk more about this later.
2Caption: Nanortalik - Living on the edge of Greenland, a different world (LG: @bmuu)
Because it's most unlikely that you will ever visit Greenland, through just a few of over one thousand photos I took of this Arctic paradise, in this post I'm sharing with you but a glimpse of this different world. See if you can spot any trees! All photos were taken in summer so you can imagine what this world would look like in the middle of winter! As shown in one of my photos, in winter everything, mountains, rocks, landscape, waters, buildings that you see in these photos would be well covered in heavy ice and snow. The icebergs would be significantly larger, some up to 100 metres high, and there would be many more of them! Here in our world we're stocking up with food and supplies because of this COVID-19 pandemic. Imagine stocking up for the cruel and long Greenlandic winter, from October until April, and when days get very short! Check out my photos at the local fish market and see the size of the produce, all freshly caught by the way. I hadn't ever seen anything like this and so from the color and blood I just couldn't believe that this wasn't bear or some other animal meat. Of course from a trip like this I have hundreds and hundreds of photos (yes lots more icebergs lol) but I've chosen a few that I hope will give you some insight into this beautiful and unique part of the world. It really is no wonder that President Donald Trump wanted to buy Greenland.
Caption: Massive Iceberg floating around the southwest of Greenland (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: Massive Iceberg floating around the southwest of Greenland (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: Massive Iceberg floating around the southwest of Greenland (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: A distant view of massive Icebergs floating around the southwest of Greenland (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: A close-up view of large iceberg at southwest of Greenland (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: A winter's view of living in Greenland, a different world (LG: @AdamGT)
Caption: Produce on sale at the local fish market (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: Dolphin and Pilot Whale, a big part of Greenlandic cuisine (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: Fishermen at the fish market hoping their catch will sell (LG: @bmuu)
Caption: It's bring your own carry bag at the fish market (LG: @bmuu)
Q&A:
Is there any green in Greenland? Most of Greenland is covered in glaciers, ice and snow and hence, the Arctic nation is mostly white!
If Greenland is mostly covered in glaciers, ice and snow, why is it called Greenland? There's a story that says that a Norwegian Viking, named Erik the Red, was exiled from Iceland after he killed someone in a feud. Old Icelandic law demanded death or exile, so he chose exile and fled by boat to find land rumoured to be to the northwest. He found this ice covered land and settled there. He named the land "Greenland" hoping to attract other settlers there and successive Icelandic and Norwegian settlers continued calling the island Greenland. However, this story is a myth and I believe that the name Greenland comes from early Norse settlers.
Is Greenland worth visiting? Greenland is more fascinating and beautiful than I ever thought it would be and experiences there are hard to replicate elsewhere. It's well worth visiting if you get the chance. If you do decide to visit, then I suggest you learn some Danish and a few basic words in Greenlandic, it’ll help you get a lot further.
Do you need a tourist visa to enter Greenland?This depends on what passport you hold. As Greenland is governed by Denmark, if you need a visa to enter Denmark then you'll also need to have your visa endorsed for entry to Greenland. Otherwise you won't need a visa. It's not possible to get a visa on arrival but you can apply online.
How do you get to Greenland? Well yes it's not a very easy place to get to. I don't know of any flights from North America or elsewhere in Europe to Greenland but Air Greenland have up to 10 flights/week during Summer from both Copenhagen Airport (Denmark) and Reykjavik City Airport (Iceland) to Kangerlussuaq Airport (Greenland), and Keflavik Airport (Iceland) to both Nuuk and Ilulissat in Greenland and depending on where you plan to go from there, you could continue on one of Air Greenland's domestic flights to most places in Greenland. Unfortunately there are no ferries to Greenland from from other countries. However, some cruises from places like the UK and Canada stop at both Iceland and Greenland and you have options from there. We went across from Reykjavik in Iceland.
How easy was it to hike around? Depending on the weather and the season, with the exception of the northernmost parts of Greenland, which are still hard to access even by sea, just about any place along the coast is fairly easy and accessible to hike around. However, Greenland is a large country and while there are some roads within settlements, there are no roads or railways that connect these settlements. To travel from one town to the next the only options are plane, helicopter, boat, snowmobile or dogsled. Boats are by far the most popular mode of transportation and you’ll often see locals out cruising the fjords. The best way to tour large parts of the country is by Greenland Coastal ferry. Because of the frigid Arctic seas around Greenland even cruising around is no easy feat. This is not like cruising the Greek Islands or around the Caribbean lol! Getting back to hiking, as well as a sturdy set of hiking boots, it's important that you dress right with plenty of good thermal layered clothing so that you can wrap up warm. The weather is much more fragile than what we normally experience and it's cold even in the summer months. Of course, the best or easiest time to trek and camp is around June to October.
Are you able to camp out at those areas? Yes there are campsites and wild camping is also possible. However many sites are very remote, not easily accessible, and maps leave a lot to be desired. Also, because the landscape is rocky terrain, covered with fir and spruce forests, it can be difficult to find a good campsite to pitch your tent. Whatever you do you must be well prepared with enough food and proper clothing as when in remote locations you will truly be in the wild. It goes without saying that you'll have very little access to amenities and medical or rescue operations. Greenland does not have many search and rescue operations available, so if trouble presents itself, help may not reach you in time. I did however see and photograph one helicopter rescue flight. Unless you're extremely experienced and know how to handle rugged terrain, it's highly recommended that you hire a guide before going hiking or camping, especially in the mountains!
Were the people friendly and welcoming? Firstly, Greenland has one of the world's smallest populations (about 56,500 people) and it's one of the least densely populated countries in the world. The settlement of Kangaamiut for example, has a little more than 250 people and in places you'll feel like the guest of honor. The few people that I did see were very friendly and most welcoming. However, in some places I visited, I hardly saw any and wondered where they all were and remember, this was summer so just imagine in the long cold and dark winter!
Have you tasted any whale or dolphin dishes? No I didn't try either but was fascinated with the sheer size of the portions being purchased, the color, and the amount of blood. It just didn't look like anything from the sea! I was chatting to a Dane at the fish market and asked about the taste and he did say that it is not fishy or oily. Whale was similar to reindeer. Dolphin is more like beef liver and is referred to as the "ocean's pork".
Is Greenland Exotic? It certainly is. For example, it's one of the most remote countries in the world and because it's not easy to get to, far less people have been or go there, and most people know very little about the country. Because there are no roads other than within settlements, something that you'll really notice is the lack of cars and because of this, the air is cleaner and clearer and the ambiance is a lot quieter, there's no highway noise disturbance. It's totally different to any other country that I have visited. The scenery is breathtaking with rugged mountain peaks, extensive ice and snow which makes you feel small and insignificant. It's a very humbling experience. The majority of the country is above the Arctic Circle and hence, it's one of the coldest countries in the world with temperatures in most places below freezing point almost all year round! Greenland is surrounded by seas that are either permanently frozen or chilled by cold currents. Against a backdrop of rugged mountains, most towns and settlements are surrounded by glaciers and out to sea, you can see formidable icebergs, some up to 100 metres high, even in summer. In some places like the Ilulissat Icefjord, you'll see thousands of these floating sculptures, visible from land, air and water. Some other reasons why I think this Arctic paradise is exotic include:
- Except for fish, seafood and other hunted animals such as whales and seals, the country imports almost everything and mostly from Denmark!
- Every year, the sun does not set from May 25th to July 25th. Because it stays visible throughout the entire day and night, Greenland is called the land of the midnight Sun! June 21, the longest day of the year, is the summer solstice and a national holiday in Greenland.
- As well as having the world's northernmost capital (Nuuk), Greenland has the northernmost and largest National Park in the world. As well as spectacular unique, unspoiled scenery, the park has an incredible range of wildlife like giant walruses, polar bears. The park is bigger than all but 29 of the world's 195 countries!! A permit is required to visit.
- No one can buy land in the Greenland. Instead you are granted the right to use the land.
- Greenland is the home of the original hoodie! The anorak, originally of caribou or seal skin, has been an essential part of Inuits clothing for centuries.
What surprised you most? A few things really surprised me but right up front and center, I got to see from where and how easily a massive iceberg could drift away in the Atlantic and sink the Titanic! Although in many ways to be expected, the fresh clean air was really amazing and much cleaner than I thought it would be. You could definitely notice the lack of air pollution. What also surprised me was the extent of the infrastructure development by the Danish in even the lightly populated areas around the coast. In a village of just 1200 people, to see an impressive supermarket, obviously heavily subsidized by the Danish, was a big surprise. I wasn't expecting to see many trees or vegetation, and I didn't. I wasn't expecting to see so many massive rocks and boulders and I did. I wasn't expecting to see such rugged mountain peaks and I did. I wasn't expecting to see so many massive icebergs in the middle of summer, but I did. I was hoping to see a polar bear on a floating iceberg but sadly I didn't. I wasn't expecting to see a market with gigantic portions of whale and dolphin meat, pouring with blood but I did.
