What a perfect place to start.
From first thing this morning we were alongside the pier in this West Greenlandic town. Our first introduction was through a group of school age children who came aboard to show us what they had been practicing at summer camp. Their teachers turned up the music, and they danced in pairs, skipping and clapping in patterns reminiscent of a square dance. After our applause, they were rewarded with ice cream sundaes, hand delivered by the hotel manager, Patrick.
After lunch we all hit the town. More than half of us took to a trail that led away from civilization while the rest of us stayed to explore. The photo walkers got some great shots (like this one by Ralph) while others soaked up the history at the museum and wandered between the colorful houses.
Those of us who ventured deep into the village with a local guide discovered the beauty of the neighborhoods perched on rock, the arts & crafts hubs, the culture house, and the local market. At the far end of town, we found the main “sled dog village” where a few puppies trotted up to us for an enthusiastic hello. Sisimiut is home to 6,000, which makes it the second largest town in Greenland after the capital of Nuuk. While we felt the buzz of the community, we also found phalaropes, sweet little ducklings, a variety of flowers, and enough cotton grass to fill a mattress.
As I write this, we’ve been on board just more than 24 hours. Yesterday gifted us with beautiful sun and today we got our exploration started. And it’s only the beginning.
