Today we sailed in the wake of the Vikings! The crossing towards Greenland has been truly delightful so far. In order to be properly prepared for outings on Greenland, we attended a mandatory briefing about behavior in the Arctic, including the importance of complying with safety procedures for landings in polar bear country. All guests and staff brought outer gear down to basecamp for biosecurity. Today’s teatime was hosted in and around the laundry on deck three, and we got to meet the laundrymen and other key personnel working behind the scenes. The afternoon program included two great presentations. Captain Aaron Wood gave a very informative talk on National Geographic Endurance, and Special Guest Speaker Inga Dora Markussen introduced us to Greenland’s history, culture, and living conditions in general. Many questions followed both presentations, proof that the topics resonated with guests. We’re all excited at the thought of reaching the east coast of Greenland during the coming night. Stay tuned!
8/13/2024
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National Geographic Endurance
Hvalsey and Qaqortoq
After a week of experiencing the wild side of East Greenland, we finally got to see some of the history and culture of this incredible place. We started our day at Hvalsey Church, part of the Kujataa UNESCO World Heritage Site. Greenland has three World Heritage Sites, and we will visit two of them on our journey. This Roman Catholic church was built by the Vikings when they attempted to settle here and is the best remaining artifact of their time in Greenland. We had a local guide show us around the area on this beautiful sunny day. It was a gorgeous day for our visit to Qaqortoq, Greenland. We had some cultural sharing through a Greenlandic traditional food tasting and a walking tour around town. Qaqortoq is a beautiful place to appreciate the arts, and it was exemplified in the public art showcases. There was art carved into the rocks by a local artist, which was one of many art installations throughout town.