My boat tour didn't start till 9:30am so earlier this morning I took a thermos of coffee down to the shore to watch the icebergs and the little fishing boats zipping in amongst them. Very tranquil.
Ilimanaq, the day's destination, is a little village of about 45-50 souls (80 in winter when the fishermen have returned) that has a long history in this area. The tour consisted of a 1.5hr cruise through the icebergs south to the settlement, a walk around town, then a typical Greenlandic lunch at a local's home, and the cruise back. It was great value - the icebergs were phenomenal, the village sparse yet attractive, and we were served seal soup, salmon soup, boiled seal, and homemade cake. Our hosts had caught and cooked the food themselves, and she told us about the Inuit culture and some local myths.
Our little tour boat
Bergs right in town
Massive - some large as small islands!
9pm I set out for a 2.5 mile hike around the peninsula to the icefjord. A wall of white greeted me - the entrance was still clogged with icebergs. Our tour guide today told me that they backed up so badly last year that even the town's harbor, 2kms away was blocked solid and his boat couldn't get back to port from a day trip for 4 days! I forgot to ask what they did with the tourists- maybe helicopter them out from another village?
They're very active at this time of night, the icebergs. I'm often hearing what sounds like gunshots or a distant thundering crash as they break apart. The sun melts them, and the currents and tides push & pull them - it's a constantly moving scene. There's the occasional sign along the cliff side of the path: don't get too close to the water as calving bergs can cause tsunamis up to 10m high!
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