As we made our way to Qaanaack, one of the northern most settlements in the world it was foggy but as we got closer it lifted.
I decided to go with the 'charger' group of walkers who were going to go up the hill behind the town to get views of the small icecap and glaciers covering the Qaanaak peninsular. As we wended our way through town we saw fish (Arctic char) drying and likewise seal, including intestine. Next stop was the really great local museum with really well presented artifacts and photographs of their history.
There was even an iron meteorite which allowed early hunters to make sharp metal harpoons and spears. In these communities nothing is wasted and even the bird skins are used to make shirts. I read an interesting piece about one man who, amongst others, carried out local murders/ executions which was their way of maintaining social control - the community being more valuable than the individual. It said - they tried to arrange the executions during normal activities so the individual was unaware - no trial or judicial processes here!
We then headed up into the hill - the scree and loose gravel made it difficult in places but the views and walking on the bouncy if soggy tundra made it worthwhile.
John, still with a sore knee from the last walk opted for the gentler city wander and an early return to the boat.
Back in the boat we had an early lunch and then a singing and cultural exchange with the lady in charge of the museum and two young people - between us we raised several hundred dollars to support their music group and saving their singing/drumming and local culture. This community were still questioning after the move from their original settlement by the U.S. - when they set up their airbase. They also lost a market for their seal skins when Bridget Bardot made pronouncements about stopping the clubbing of seal cubs on an industrial scale in Canada for fur coats - but inadvertently impacted on subsistence economies like theirs. Life here, only ice free for 2 months, must be really tough - they only get supply ships twice a year - so fresh products are rare......and many youngsters do move to other areas in Greenland, Canada or the world beyond.
Mid afternoon we upped anchor and headed to Grise Fjord on Ellesmere Island, Canada. With the clocks going back 2 hours we had a hello Canada goodbye Greenland party which included playing some Inuit games....orange under the chin passing, cracker from the eye to the mouth, only using face movements, and musk ox pushing - which only staff did as it amounted to shoulder/shoulder combat! We passed the border into Canada just before midnight - Solen announced it over the tannoy, just as I was about to go to sleep - John was in the land of nod and undisturbed!
(Today's photo is of the houses, the fjord and our ship with the low cloud hanging over the ice filled water - note the fish drying on the racks & sledge by the house)