Nanortalik, Greenland -- More Village Life

 

 

 

 

Nanortalik, Greenland -- More Scenes

As the shuttles from ships arrive in the Nanortalik harbor, passengers discover that it is a short walk to the center of town. Immediately on the right is a tourist office window. A very pleasant local tourism person is there to give town information to visitors. Adjacent to this small office is a tourism gift shop (and toilets). This is a very popular shop. The tourism people posted a sign which said that for $5 USD one could go on a 20 minute tour around town. Most cruise passengers were bypassing this opportunity. I took the tour in a 7 passenger van (which was very well-conducted and lasted 40 minutes).

 

When we asked the guide how the children got to primary school, we were told that they arrive by helicopter and boat. These are the only means of accessing Nanortalik. When the students arrive, they remain for the entire school year, returning home after several months. They are housed, fed, and given their studies by local educators. Nearby is a hospital which is staffed by Danish doctors and local nurses. The needs of the townspeople are heavily subsidized by the Danish government.

 

Hotel Kap-Farvel is near both the hospital and school.

 

This is the town's recreation area.

 

Residential area.

Scenes from Nanortalik, Greenland

Since I am unable to visit Nanortalik at this time of year (Winter), I couldn't resist the temptation to show you this Wikipedia photo which gives a wonderful perspective of the layout of the 10th largest town in Greenland with a population of just over 1400 persons. Nanortalik means "place of polar bears" although the locals tell us that very seldom do they see polar bears. (All other photos were taken by me in July 2010.)

 

Typical home, facing the harbor.

 

Terrain at town level.

 

Memorial to fishermen.

 

The ever-present summer ice, floating in the harbor and fjords.

Approaching Nanortalik, Greenland

Nanortalik is a small town near the southernmost part of Greenland. Many of the locals depend on fishing for a living. This can be quite a challenge when the harbor freezes over in the winter. Fishing for trout is popular here. You can watch the fishing technique on the 2nd of two videos if you click here.

 

 

 

 

Nanortalik's historic village as seen from the sea.

Qaqortoq, Greenland -- More Icebergs

As we sat on the balcony of the Hotel Qaqortoq, we noticed one large iceberg drifting towards the Ocean Princess. Then we noticed a local boat travel to the ship (possibly for consultation), and return.

 

This is the iceberg from an open deck on board the ship.

 

 

Additional icebergs visible as we were departing Qoqartoq for Nanortaluk.

 

Qaqortoq, Greenland

 

Fish market

 

Obviously, this means "Do Not Enter", but I would like to know the exact translation, if any of you speak the language.

 

I love the quaint variety of buildings in town.

 

Church bell tower. A popular gathering place for local children on the boulders.

Qaqortoq, More Scenes

View across the harbor. The long, red building houses Great Greenland, one of the largest employers in Greenland. They specialize in fur goods made from seal skins and offer a wide variety of coats, jackets, slippers, mittens, and many other goods.

Backyard cannon. If anyone knows the history of this cannon, I wish he/she would leave a comment.

Friend, Vicki, and I headed to the balcony of the Hotel Qaqortoq to enjoy some fine desserts and coffee as we watched the largest iceberg float towards our ship (photos to follow).

We resisted the temptation to dine at the Arctic Cafe, which houses this fine car protruding from the wall.

What a Difference 13 Days Make

Returning to Qaqortoq, traveling eastward, we found a lot of icebergs in the harbor and nearby areas which weren't there on our westward journey. The temperature was a lot cooler, too.

 

 

 

Goodbye to Greenland, For Now

 

We will return in 13 days.....

More "Stone and Man" Rock Carvings

It is easy to miss some of the carvings. They blend in so well with their surroundings. (Just a note to those who were responsible for all the graffiti in the first two carvings shown here--I could not post the pictures reflecting the damage you had done to the carvings. It took me quite awhile to remove most of the graffiti in the photos. These works of art do not deserve to be damaged in such a way.)

 

 

 

 

Qaqortoq, "Stone and Man"

Aka Hoegh, one of Greenland's leading artists, came up with the idea of creating a series of rock carvings in Qaqortoq. In 1993 and 1994, 18 Nordic artists carved more than 30 rock carvings, using native art ideas. Here are just a few of the rock carvings.