Here is an excerpt from my book Out in the Cold, in which we arrive in Greenland and try to sort out what to do next. Enjoy it:
GETTING TO TASIILAQ
First thing we have to do, we have to find Robert.
The men smoking outside the concrete block terminal are not Robert so I ask around inside. The man behind the check-in counter might as well be collecting Arctic tumbleweeds. No flights are pending; no one is checking in.
He does not know Robert.
Together we lean over his counter to look down to the harbor. One boat is speeding away and there don’t seem to be any others. He flips his palms up and shakes his head, “I think you just go down there and wait. That is your only chance.”
•••••
Humans inhabit the fringe, the perimeter of Greenland not flattened by the ice cap, and I mean flattened, literally. Even with its thinning, ice reaches three kilometers deep at its thickest, pushing the bedrock into the mantle such that if the ice disappeared, the island would become an archipelago.
You can’t fly to Tasiilaq, the biggest town on the eastern side of Greenland, for lack of sufficient flat space for an airstrip. So we have flown to a gravel strip called Kulusuk Airport. To get to Tasiilaq we must traverse the mouth of the Ammassalik fjord. We booked that online and all we know is, get to Kulusuk and ask for Robert.
We can see our destination twenty kilometers across the fjord behind a few icebergs and a coastline of precambrian rock thrust from the sea long before humanity, possibly even contemporaneous with the first life on Earth.
We invade and insult the silence with our prissy roll aboard carry-on bags, scraping and skipping the damned things down the rough gravel. Show more respect and stand still, and the quiet closes up around you as a vehement, absolute thing.
A man from Cologne with a massive backpack walks ahead of us. He has arrived with no itinerary beyond walking for two weeks. His pack reaches up past his head, bulging with two weeks of freeze-dried food and powdered milk.
Once he walked from Ilullisat to Sisimiut in western Greenland, and that is far, far farther than from here to Tasiilaq and then clear around the island, but that time he was advised that there was no danger of polar bears and he has yet to be so advised here. His itinerary may have to be revised based on local information. Right now he plans to circumambulate Ammassalik Island. He puts great store in the advice of Robert, but none of us know how to find him.
Airport to harbor, perhaps a twenty-minute walk. No boats in sight. Either side of the gravel path, just rock and a little but not much tenacious flora. Our destination across the water is low and bare with mountains rising snow-capped, glaciers embedded toward the top. Clouds tease the ridges but do not suggest a threat of rain. In between individual icebergs, not a field, rise like several-story buildings.
It turns out that two tiny Danish-built fiberglass Poca speedboats, so low slung that the dock hides them both, bob in the sea beyond the dock. Two Greenlandic men stand down there on the shore below the dock, neither in so much as a jacket, enjoying the northern summer.
We ask, “Robert?” and the younger man, with no English, shakes his head no, “Christian.” We and the backpacker, who is expecting the same ride, are at a bit of a loss until we work out, through gestures and goodwill, that Christian is here on behalf of Robert. For us, that is good.
The dock is too high for the boats, and so we scramble down onto rocks to climb aboard and Christian takes the backpacker, Mirja and me screaming across the fjord toward a similar spot on the far shore. Christian, hair stood up to a greased crown, drives standing, and stops us dead in the water alongside this iceberg, then that one, so we can take photos.
We clamber out on a rock where there is no dock at all. Christian motions without words, “up that way,” and makes no move to leave the boat. So off we scramble, not having paid anybody for anything, off to find someone who wants our money. Robert, maybe.
The Inuit seldom keep individual dogs as pets, but rather tether them in groups outside in summer, and we rouse the mild attention of a pack of tethered dogs as we troop up the hill. Inuit sled dogs have two layers of fur, the inner short, like wool for insulation, and the outer longer, coarser and water repellent. That may make them hot today, but overall they are surely chillin’, taking the warm season off, lounging all day except when growling and snapping over territory.
Sled Dog Greeting at Tasiilaq
A vehicle makes its way down the hill picking its path, for the way is gravel and bumpy. A slight girl stops to ask that we wait here, drives down the road to drop some camping supplies and returns to drive us to the Red House, a tour shop and hostel run by the famous Robert.
Robert’s reputation should have preceded him. Turns out in 1983, extreme explorer Robert Peroni from the Italian south Tyrol walked across the Greenland ice cap, all the way across the island at its widest point, some 1,400 kilometers, on an 88-day journey.
Now 72, Robert stands before us trim and erect, and above all relieved to find we aren’t planning to stay in his hostel, for he is booked solid as he would hope to be in a very short high season. We pay him for the crossing from Kulusuk, bid farewell, and the girl drives us up the hill to the Hotel Angmagssalik.
•••••
There was a time when airline passengers celebrated successful landings. I remember applause in 1986 when my Lufthansa flight landed in Frankfurt from Moscow. I thought it was as likely for getting the bloody hell out of the Soviet Union.
We came over from Iceland today on a brand new, gleaming Air Iceland Bombardier Q400 prop plane, twenty rows two-by-two. Bustling their baby refreshment cart up and down the aisle meant actual work for the flight attendants, compared to the doorman role they play on short domestic flights.
Come time to land, the plane took on a buzz incongruent with today’s humdrum air travel. In a small plane you’ve more of a sense of flying, and when the pilot maneuvered to dip under the clouds and between the mountains, we all craned to be the first to see icebergs, and phone cameras filled the windows. The runway at Kulusuk came up fast and we rode it right to the end lights.
About fifty of the seventy aboard were here for a day trip. Over in the morning, touch the soil, check Greenland off your list and fly back. I met a taxi driver in Reykjavik who said he did as a fifteen year old.
What did they do?
They deplaned, someone took them around the side of the terminal and they watched a man in a costume play a drum and a fat woman dance.
Some months ago he drove a man to do the same and picked him up later that day. What did they do? A drum and a dance.
•••••
Order the whole book here in the U.S. or from Amazon in your country.
Tasiilaq town
The approach to Tasiilaq from Iceland in high summer
This seems to be a common theme anywhere you go in the north. This summer I travelled to Canada’s Baffin Island on a trek through Akshayuk Pass. To get to the pass we first flew to Pangnirtung–a remote inuit community hugging the side of mountainous fjord. Here it was much the same. Fly in; ask around for Peter.
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That’s interesting Eric, maybe it is that way. Did you need Peter for something important, like, the next leg of your journey?
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Yes, him and his boat are one of the only ways into Auyuittuq National Park
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Beautiful shots!
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Thanks.
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I have taught the arctic in Geography classes but I never knew that it was so astounding as you have described. Excellent travelogue write-up. Anand Bose from Kerala
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You live in a lovely part of the world too, though, Anand. Pretty well the opposite from Greenland, isn’t it? Greenland must sound mighty exotic to your students.
Thanks for the good word, cheers.
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Than you so much Bill for your kind reply.
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Thanks for finding my blog, Anand. Best to you.
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Amazing writing and amazing photography.
– From an inspired newbie
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Thanks! Let’s see some of your work. Links here?
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Thanks, and I’ve enjoyed having a look at your blog.
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Greenland is so far from me who in south. But at least a lot of interesting information from your interesting experience about the big island in the northern region.
Thank you for sharing.
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Thanks for finding this and reading. Where do you live? Let us hear your stories.
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I found your blog on discovery
I’m in South East Asia, Indonesia.
Short story.Full sunshine here and warm. Have you ever heard about Java Island or Bali Island?
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What beautiful photos. Fab read.
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Thanks. Everybody, go read Theodora here: https://crookedplace.com/
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I spent a year at Sondrestrom AFB (Kangerlussuaq) in the early 1970’s. Some beautiful terrain, especially for those of us who hiked out to the edge of the ice cap. Incredible to see the sheer wall of blue ice and the calving process.
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Thanks Boomer. Everybody go read https://boomerrules.com/.
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Thak you blog!
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Reblogged this on Cleaning Service in the Stockholm.
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Nice pics!
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Thanks!
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Nice post with interesting information. Continue to write more. Stay tuned with my blog too. It will be interesting.
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Thanks, Mohan.
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Will do Mohan, thanks.
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Wow
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nice blog. ps: if you v visit and follow my blog https://feliciasalvati.wordpress.com/2017/12/07/catherine-ferguson-christmas-at-the-log-fire-cabin-the-feel-good-festive -story-of-christmas-2017-book / hi
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I’d love to have this experience!!
You’re writing is so clear . . I felt like I was right there with you.
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I’d love to have this experience!! You’re writing is so clear . . I felt like I was right there with you.
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That’s so nice, thanks very much.
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Great! it’s very interesting to learn a bit more about this infrequent destination!
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I go there and write about it so you don’t have to. :)
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Wow beautiful photography and writing. Continue to write more interesting articles. I will stay connected with your blog. 😎
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Please do Mohan. There are a whole lot more articles and book excerpts on this site, if you’re interested.
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Yes dude sure. At the same time take a glance at my blog too. I write technology related articles.
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Thank you commonsenseandwhiskey
Fantastic blog
Good luck to you
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Thanks for the good word. Same back.
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Hello
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Beauty of greenland
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Nice post! it inspires me. :) thanks for sharing!
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Thank you for reading. There’s a lot more here, if you like.
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Schön zu lesen. Ich war 1973 dort…das wird heute ganz anders ausschauen.
Nice to read. I was there in 1973 … that will look quite different today.
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Probably colder, more ice in 1973.
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Sounds interesting. I will check out the book for additional reading.
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Please do.
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Amazing photos!
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Thanks!
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Very good writing, I enjoyed the style of your story telling and beautiful photos.
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Where is Northwestern State? Shreveport?
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Close, in Natchitoches, Louisiana. It’s a cute, small town in the central region of the state.
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“nack a tish”- ?
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Yes! Most people can’t figure the phonetics out.
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So cool , amazing pictures!
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Thanks!
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Well thanks for a very nice story, I live in Stockholm and we seldom travels to Greenland. I have been flying over on the way to San Francisco and got some lovely photos of the glaciers . A few people go there to experience a very archetypal landscape. I imagine that it can be quite risky if you like the German man walk on your own. Every year in Sweden some people dies in the mountain either by the cold or by drowning when trying to get over a creek, or climbing etc.
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Thanks Utopiaman. Where do you go on holiday?
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Most people travels west, that is Spain and England, Portugal or to Thailand in the Winter. I mostly go to Spain for the Camino and Germany/ Italy. My next great journey will hopefully be to Madagascar which I find very fascinating
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Wow. I would love to know your trip to Madagascar, or see pictures while there. I’ve only traveled to Mexico a few times but never over seas. I’m really curious about Madagascar and Cuba is on my list as well of places to visit.
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Yes it’s one of the few really different places on earth a mixture of Africa, Asia and Polynesia
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Wow. I did not know that. Now I really need to vist.
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Well it’s a long way from the States and Europe but I really think it’s worth it! The have special animals and flowers on the island developed in isolation from the rest of the world
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💞💞 wow. When do you plan to go visit
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Hope I’m not being a nibbler. But I’d love to see pictures if you ever go. 😊
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I promise to post or send you pictures when I get there next yeat
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Awsome! I know I won’t be going anytime soon, but I am intrigued. I’m a newbie and I am following you now. You have some beautiful words & poetry too. 😉 Hey, I feel ya, keep it coming. I’ll get the hang of this soon I hope
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Just keep writing and publishing don’t think too much
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Yep, You’re right. It’s good to recharge
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Thank you,!
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There’s a chapter on Madagascar in my book Common Sense and Whiskey, and something somewhere on this blog about our trip to Cuba.
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Please follow my blog http://thesoundoftime.wordpress.com
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Done.
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Amazing blog! Im inspired!! It would be really nice if you check out my blogs too! Im trying to grow and someday reach your level.
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Done.
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This is cool.
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I get it. Cool. Greenland.
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Nice post
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Thanks!
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Beautiful pictures….. had read about this part of the world but could experience the same after reading your post……. splendid……
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Thank you Sudhir and thank you for finding me.
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Wow, I didn’t realize this place was on my bucket list until now. 😍
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It really is beautiful.
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Hi bill! What happened dude? I would like you to comment on my posts and correct me by providing suggestions. Stay with me dude. I anticipate more writings from you as I love your works.
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Sounds like a good book! : )
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