FUN-travel: Scoresby Sound, Greenland – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 10
September 25, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Scoresby Sound, Greenland – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 10
Day 48 – Sunday, August 17 – Rodefjord & Danmark, Greenland – A&K Cruise Day 9 – morning sun breaks thru clouds then mostly blue skies – 50’s
What I LIKE
- 7:00 – first in line for…
- 1st expedition in 1st group – zodiac tour
- – see sun rise over fjord
- – cloud colors change – really beautiful
- 6000 ft high sheer granite cliffs line narrow fjord
- 7:30 – massive, spectacular icebergs!
- – some w/vivid blue centers – see a ring seal
- – vibrant red/orange miniature flower clusters dot craggy shoreline
- 9:00 – breakfast w/snack for later
- 12:15 – BBQ lunch outside on deck – ribs, hotdogs, lamb chops
- – wind kicks up & have to go inside to finish lunch
- 2:00 – nap
- *4:30 – 2nd expedition 1st group
- – wet landing on Danmark island
- – have no intention going out at 6 PM!
- – get at back of line & go early
- – really boggy w/big squishy tufts of plants
- – big walk to top of rocky hill
- – incredible view of distant snow covered mtns
- – & icebergs dotting the bay
- 6:00 – happy hour martini’s
- **8:00 – typical dinner – causal Deck 6
- 10:30 – more icebergs & ice covered mtns in distance off balcony
- – sky is nice red w/orange colored clouds doting skyline
Sitting on Top of The World!
What I DON’T LIKE
- 6:30 – get up
- *really rough seas – get splashed big time
- – mosquitoes on shore – unbelievable!
- – the rubber boots make climbing on uneven ground cumbersome
- **food is getting boring – didn’t expect that for French ship
BBQ Bar
FUN-fact – There are no trees in the arctic.
Not so FF – Really expected to see lots more ice and calving of the icebergs.
FUN-travel: Scoresby Sound, Greenland – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 9
September 24, 2014 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Scoresby Sound, Greenland – A&K Arctic Cruise Day 9
Day 47 – Saturday, August 16 – Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland – A&K Cruise Day 9 – full sun, blues skies, no clouds – 50
What I LIKE
- 8:30 – humpback whale sighting off starboard!
- 9:00 – typical breakfast
- 9:30 – enrichment lecture Arctic Sea Ice as Wildlife Habitat on TV
- View from balcony window
- – big jagged mtns jutting up from sea
- – w/patches of snow
- 10:30 – briefing in theatre
- – for guests booked on post cruise extension in Reykjavik
- – eavesdrop in back for tips on what we should do there
- – I have my own post extension for a helluva lot cheaper!
Ittoqqortoormitt
- 12:00 – briefing in theatre – landing in Ittoqqortoormiit
- Never ever seen a name spelled so bizarre
- – any idea how to pronounce it?
- Eeto-core-too-may is my best guess!
- 12:30 – lunch – swing out w/pasta bar buffet
- 2:30 – expedition 2nd group – zodiac to shore – wet landing
- Small village of 500 – mostly native Inuits
- – sights include: Lutheran church, school, hospital,
- tourist office & gift shop so small only a handful can go in at a time
Gary’s Sled Dogs
- Most FUN & interesting – meeting Gary who has 25 sled dogs
- – from London originally – has lived here 25 years
- – when asked if they pull a sled he responds with, “Well they don’t push it.”
- – decides he likes me as I am taking notes and not put off by his sarcastic response
- – he has the most dogs in village
- – when asked why he has them responds with, “I like going places I’ve never been before.”
- – he likes me so much he gives me a biz card
- – you can check him out at www.GaryRolfe.com
FUN-Fact – Gary has traveled over 20,000 polar miles with his dogs; more than any living Englishman.
- – A&K gives us postcards to send from the “most isolated/remote village in Greenland”
- 5:15 – return
- 6:00 – special presentation – 2 ladies from village share life experiences
- – funniest story = they fly in a Christmas tree – has to fin inside helicopter
- – saddest story = a lot of alcoholism – beer cans strewn all over front yards
- 8:00 – dinner w/expedition team member Mats & his wife from Norway
- – all married team members have brought wives on this cruise (figured this out on last day)
- 9:30 – humungous icebergs off our balcony
- 11:00 – night night for 7:30 expedition – we’ll see what time I get there!
What I DON’T LIKE
- Whales too far for good pix
- Ittoqqortoormitt looks better from a distance
- No satellite coverage – like having news channels – no internet
- – have watched all of the documentaries
- & had seen all of the movie selections
FUN-fact – The population of Greenland is 56,400 and 80% are native Inuits.
More FF – Their currency is the Danish Krone.
