The weather in Uummannaq was beautiful when we left the area. +15C, a real summer. Eric Brossier with his Vagabund had arrived to the harbor only a couple hours before our departure. He came by Ole Jorgen’s house along with his wife and two small daughters. After a long travel on the sea, the girls were happy to see the land, poppies and the flowers. We said a cordial good-bye to each other, and set off to Kullorsuaq - an island in the Qaasuitsup municipality. In Greenlandic its name means "a Devil’s thumb".
The boat was sliding on the surface like a sled; there was almost no wind and in the first moments we felt too warm in our waterproof multilayered suits.
This summer Uummannaq Fjord has again turned into a major dock for icebergs of different shapes, sizes and colors.
Only three months ago we saw some of these majestic fortresses stranded along the ice high-way as we dog-sledded between the settlements. But the spring brought them freedom, and now these humongous structures are moving around freely, some quite fast, at 3 knots per hour.
As they move they lose their integrity. In the last 4 days, day and night, big blasts kept shattering the air and window glasses at Uummannaq Polar Institute. Those of you who’ve seen “SOS Eisberg “ – a 1933 German-U.S. coproduction starring Leni Riefenstahl in Uummannaq in her pre-filmmaking days remembers phantasmagoric collapses of skyscraper-size icebergs in Uummannaq fjord. Back then, most of those blasts were induced by dynamite making “SOS Eisberg” one of the most expensive films of its time. Today icebergs in Uummannaq break up inexpensively: it just happens, naturally.
Two days ago we had a medium size tsunami when one of the nearby icebergs collapsed. It happened right before midnight when most people were asleep. Several boats were damaged. We were lucky to have ours on shore.
If we go on schedule, we will be able to make a short stop at Ubekendt Island - Unknown Island. Here, in a village of Illorsuit, some 75 years ago lived Rockwell Kent. He came here to live, paint and get away from it all. In 1960 being upset at the American Government, Kent donated more than 80 paintings and 800 drawings to the Pushkin and Hermitage museums in Moscow and St. Petersburg. After the collapse of the Soviet Union the collection was divided between 3 independent countries, 4 museums and several affiliates. What is the fate of these works? And will Greenlanders or anyone else ever have a chance to see them again?
For now we are going in 2 boats: in addition to Ole Jorgen, Aalibari, Bertrand and myself, there is Little Jaaku (our world known Jaakuaraq, a hunter, dogsled driver champion and an actor), Inunnguaq – a 15 year old boy from Uummannaq Children’s Home who brilliamtly played Minik in INUK, and Aalibatri’s beautiful and smart wife Else. They will stay in Qaanaaq, while Avannaa will boat further North.
There is no need to talk.
Yesterday night we had a long talk with Ole Jorgen about peculiarities of Avannaa’s journey and the travel in the Arctic in general. “When we are saying that this will be purely a Greenlandic expedition, we mean it” – said Ole Jorgen. “In Greenland we all know that Nature rules. It means that we need to be humble, that we need to be respectful. It means that we should not assume and by no means should we forget that Sila is the one who decides.”
Apparently, there are places in Greenland which have a name, but nevertheless their names should not be said. There are rocks that are alive. You can watch them, and you can even touch them, but God forbid you call their name. “This attitude shows a tremendous respect for the Nature in this land”, says Ole Jorgen. “It is always “immaqa” – it is always “may be”.”
Even on the most beautiful day, Sila’s mind can change all of a sudden. She is really spontaneous and there is absolutely no way to foresee her mood.
Closer to Illorsuit the wind starts to pick up.
What a sudden change in weather!
That’s not what the forecast was promising us!!!
Now we are talking about real Greenland –
Sumiippa? Where are we?
Battered by the storm, our little boat desperately needs a repair.
…at 6 am in the morning we are approaching Aappilattoq - an island in the southern part of Upernavik Archipelago at 72°53′N 55°36′W. Its settlement has only 180 inhabitants, but we know many of them as the nicest people on Earth . We know that even at 6 am in the morning, with no warning at all, with no paper work we can count on. Soaked, cold and hungry, we are climbing up the slippery rocks. We know that a warm shelter and nice food is awaiting us just around the corner. Expedition continues.
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