After sailing overnight to our northernmost destination at 70 degrees north, we awoke to the stunningly charming town of Uummannaq. With only about 1,400 residents, this town is still the eighth largest town in all of Greenland. The colorful homes are dwarfed by the monolithic mountain of the same name that shoots up almost 4,000 feet above the town. While floating along the shores of Uummannaq, many of us piled on layers of clothing and headed out to the outer decks to enjoy the soaring fulmars, gulls, and guillemots in the area. More than anything, we were in awe of the massive icebergs floating by in close proximity to both the town and our ship. Their size, textures, infinite shades of blues, and even the sounds they projected were all mesmerizing to each of us. Soon after, we warmed up inside the ship while enjoying a talk by Sisse Brimberg, our National Geographic photographer. During her engaging talk, she shared stories and images of what it is like to be on assignment as a professional photographer.
Our afternoon adventure provided a fascinating journey into Greenland’s past. A few days ago, we visited the National Museum of Greenland in the capital of Nuuk. One of the exhibits displayed several well-preserved mummies from over 500 years ago. Today we were able to launch Zodiacs, land at a rocky beach, and hike to the actual site where these mummies were discovered in 1972. Although we will never know the whole story of the women and children preserved at this site, the care with which they were preserved and adorned speaks volumes about the emotional connections people shared. During and after dinner, we continued to sail south with anticipation for tomorrow, our last full day on this big, beautiful green island!
