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- The first time I saw a seal resting on an IcebergDuring the summer of 2019, I went on a holiday, sailing from Nuuk to South Greenland to visit family and friends all over South Greenland. We had almost reached Qaqortoq, a trip that took us about 14 hours, when my father, with his eagle eyes, spotted a small dot on a floating iceberg. We came closer and lo and behold, a cute little seal was napping with a flock of seagulls! This was an absolutely magical moment during sunset! I’ve lived in Greenland most of my life and yet I&r
- A weekend of ice fishing in NuukWe headed out early in the morning before the sunrise, leaving the harbor at 09.05 The sailing itself was smooth and easy, and it didn’t take longer than 20 minutes to get to our destination, “The Northland” We jumped in a small dinghy to get to the shore, just as the light started coming with the sunrise. We moved equipment from the boat to shore, back and forth, back and forth, as our plan was to stay overnight. Setting up camp We loaded all of the equipment on
![Icebergs - mountains of ice and wonder]()
Icebergs - mountains of ice and wonderIcebergs Etymologically, iceberg means "mountain of ice" - ice formed by fresh and pure sweet water. The nice fact is that the mountain of ice is much bigger than it seems. 90% of the size is below the surface and only 10% of it is visible above the sea when floating and moving away from the glacier. Not all the glaciers are the same; icebergs come only from active and calving glaciers that are facing the sea. Strong winds and currents help icebergs to move ahead to the open
![A night of indulgence at the Hotel Icefiord in Ilulissat]()
A night of indulgence at the Hotel Icefiord in IlulissatThe Hotel Icefiord is one of the best accommodation options for travellers visiting Greenland’s most popular destination – the Ilulissat Icefjord. Read on to discover this amazing hotel with its front row seat to Disko Bay. 4 years-ago when I started to travel full-time, I quickly realized that I would need to sleep cheaply so I could save my money for the more interesting aspects of my journey. After a 20-year absence, I discovered that the hostels of today are vastly different to- Christmas in Greenland - 2019First and foremost, I would like to say that Christmas is the biggest holiday in Greenland and it is celebrated for almost a month! It is like "December = Christmas" There are many ways to celebrate Christmas in Greenland. Lighting the town Christmas Tree First, people in Nuuk gather on the first Sunday of advent. This year, it was December 1st. There was a Christmas tree light-up event in the center of Nuuk where Santa Claus came and lit the tree. It is not the best quality of
![I published a book and held a Greenlandic photo exhibition!]()
I published a book and held a Greenlandic photo exhibition!It has been more than a year since I posted here last time. Time flies. How have you been guys? [같은 내용의 한국어 포스팅은 여기 클릭하세요! ^^] For me, the year 2019 was a hectic year but also very productive! I am so happy to be in December finally! (and in a week, Christmas!) It has been almost 4 years since I got to Greenland. I am happy to announce that this year, in 2
![Listen to Greenlandic Music when you fly Air Greenland]()
Listen to Greenlandic Music when you fly Air GreenlandGreenland has a vibrant cultural scene with some of the best music in the world. A great way to pass the time on your flight if you are coming from Copenhagen is to explore the diverse sounds of Greenlandic musicians. Even though geographically Greenland is part of the North American continent there are no direct flights from that part of the world. To reach Greenland, you must fly from either Copenhagen in Denmark or Reykjavik in Iceland, or take a cruise - which may start
![A Greenlandic wedding - Love in Nuuk!]()
A Greenlandic wedding - Love in Nuuk!I had the privilege of being invited to a Greenlandic wedding. A friend of mine from Bulgaria got married to a very nice Inuit guy born in Aasiaat (one of the biggest towns in Greenland, located in the southern end of Disko Bay). Nikolina and Kunuk got married in Nuuk, and it was such an honor to attend the ceremony, It was a tradition many years ago, that adults arranged marriage for their children. They had no other option since it was a necessity at their community, though there was no
![Tupilak - a souvenir that protects you]()
Tupilak - a souvenir that protects youTupilak means ‘the ancestor’s spirit’ - As part of Inuit mythology, tupilaks were special and meaningful for Greenlandic tribes. Nowadays, when travelers glimpse Greenlandic souvenirs for the first time, tupilaks are sort of a piece of art they can bring home, but not so often they know the meaning or the origin of tupilaks. Before turning into souvenirs, these unique carved figures possessed magical powers to annihilate enemies. All these small or big tupilaks ca
![Dorit Olsen - the transparent talent at Dooit Design]()
Dorit Olsen - the transparent talent at Dooit DesignI have visited a few times different souvenir shops in Nuuk; you can find a lot of things and at the end it becomes difficult to decide which souvenir you'd like to buy for your family and friends. There is a very-very-very nice art gallery in the main street of Nuuk Centre, where the pieces of art are mostly made of glass. Introducing Dooit Design Dorit Olsen is the artist and designer, owner of “Dooit Design”. She has a store that is perfectly located at
- The longest word in the Greenlandic languageGreenlandic is a polysynthetic language which allows for the creation of really long words by stringing together roots and suffixes, and is therefore pretty well known for its long words, but which is the longest? If you go to a website called kalak.gl it claims the longest word is this: Nalunaarasuartaatee-ranngualioqatigiiffissua-lioriataallaqqissupiloru-jussuanngortartuinnaka-sinngortinniamisaalinn-guatsiaraluallaqqooqiga-minngamiaasiinngooq." Consisting of 153 letters.
- Qaqortoq, the biggest town in South Greenland'Qaqortoq' means 'white' in Greenlandic. South Greenland has more green fields and trees than any other places in Greenland, however ironically the name of this biggest town (population: 3,084 - Statistics Greenland 2017) in South Greenland is 'white'. Does Qaqortoq envy other towns in Greenland with a lot of snow and ice? Qaqortoq has been my favorite town in the whole of Greenland since my first travel to Greenland in 2010. So far, I have visited nine towns/settlements in Gree
![Things I miss living in Greenland]()
Things I miss living in GreenlandRecently, I was in London, immersed in the heaving mass of city life. I was reminded of the things one misses when living in Greenland. Here are some of them. Coffee. As far as I know, it is not possible to buy a good cup of coffee in Greenland. People used to drive out to Nuuk's airport café, as it had a reputation for the best coffee in town. But the café has changed hands and I can’t say I was all that impressed even before the café’s latest incarnation. Th
![Dog Sled Expedition in East Greenland]()
Dog Sled Expedition in East GreenlandIn April 2018, I embarked on a two-person, twelve-husky, dog-sledging expedition from Diilerilaaq to Isortoq. Our route was uncertain. Max, the team’s driver, a former professional hunter and an experienced Ice Cap explorer, mapped a few leads after consulting other hunters and village elders. Our first challenges were to boat across Sermilik Fjord and to disembark safely onto the fast ice that clogged Johan Petersen Fjord. Next, we would start scouting the coastline for a way up the- Feeling one with GreenlandWhen we travel, we are always looking for something different, eat special local food, experience seasonal activities, discover landscapes we've never seen before, find out the highlights and share the weirdest anecdotes when we are back home. Some of my favorite moments in Greenland are when I have plenty of time to feel the cold breeze, the snow falling on my face, my hair blowing in the wind, or my fingertips getting frozen while shooting photos. Every single time I'm in th
![Sailing among giants]()
Sailing among giantsHow does iit feel to sail in Ilulissat? Well, first of all we must keep in mind the meaning of this town. Ilulissat means "icebergs" in kalaallisut (greenlandic). So now you can picture yourself sailing in a chilly paradise during the winter time, surrounded by its residents, frozen giants floating freely, huge white buildings standing all around Disko Bay, witnessing the beauty of West Greenland. As soon as the sea thaws, the boat trips are available and ready to wander around the coast to![A Greenlandic wedding - Love in Nuuk!]()
A Greenlandic wedding - Love in Nuuk!I had the privilege of being invited to a Greenlandic wedding. A friend of mine from Bulgaria got married to a very nice Inuit guy born in Aasiaat (one of the biggest towns in Greenland, located in the southern end of Disko Bay). Nikolina and Kunuk got married in Nuuk, and it was such an honor to attend the ceremony, It was a tradition many years ago, that adults arranged marriage for their children. They had no other option since it was a necessity at their community, though there was no- The true size of Greenland, should it be a Continent?Greenland is the 12th largest country and is known as the largest island in the world. Due to its massive size and a tiny population of less than 57.000, it is the least densely populated country with 0,026 people per square kilometer. It is mostly covered by the second largest mass of ice in the world, which, if it were to melt, is estimated to cause a global sea level rise of up to 7 meters. All these things clearly signify that it's a humongous country, so the question is: why isn't i
![Sailing in Nuuk Fjord around Mount Sermitsiaq]()
Sailing in Nuuk Fjord around Mount SermitsiaqTaking a boat tour in the Nuuk Fjord is one of the highlights of visiting Greenland's capital city. Read on to find out about my 2.5 hour trip all the way around Sermitsiaq mountain on a beautiful, blue-sky winter day I arrived at the harbour a little before our departure time and was met by our captain for the adventure, Thue, and Aputsiaq, our guide. Both are native Greenlanders who were super-keen to take us out and show us how beautiful the Nuuk Fjord is -&nb
![Ilulissat - Gargantuan icebergs, whale filled fjords and fascinating Inuit hunters]()
Ilulissat - Gargantuan icebergs, whale filled fjords and fascinating Inuit hunters
