05/09/2015
Uunartoq Fjord
Our final day in Greenland. Yesterday we found out that we would be visiting the only 'usable' hot springs in the country (the rest are way too hot) and we're all very excited. We’re going to Uunartoq fjord!! Al and I had read about this place when we first found out about going to Greenland but thought there was no chance we'd go here.
Uunartoq means 'the warm place'.
Before we got to the soaking bit we had to do the walking bit. We anchored off a peninsula called Narrsarsuq - 'the big flat place'. Last chance for a good walk before two days at sea.
Half of the kitchen crew were picking crowberries just up off the beach when we got ashore. We were hoping that meant that there’d be more musk ox for dinner.
No polar bears so Graham and Sigrid weren’t mucking about – keep or up get left behind. Lots of boggy ground that was much easier to negotiate in our 'hiking’ wellies – best $100 ever spent. The tundra was a spectacular carpet of autumn colours. Remember, there’s nothing taller than your knees grows here so a shag pile carpet is all you get. Sigrid stopped to show us the edible foods available. Arctic crowberries, some leaves, and some tiny weenie seeds called bistrot something.
After traversing a couple of very slippery rock fields we got to the top of the ridge only to find a lake of rock. "Must be the next ridge" says Graham. Out of time to keep looking for the lake. The walk down was much easier as we could see the way round the rock field. Went back in a slightly different direction so that we ended on the small ridge behind the landing beach.
There was clear evidence of previous inhabitants – Professor Bill pointed out the tell-tale indentations of ancient sod houses behind the beach but the rocky headland was covered in rock mounds that were actually graves. Through the rocks you could see human bones – even skulls with teeth.
We sailed back down the fjord to Uunartoq Island. The heated pools not far from the landing.
There are two pools, a larger one that has a couple of changing sheds beside it and the second smaller one closer to the beach. The pools are about body temp so you could sit in them for hours. The warm water bubbles up through the sandy bottom of the pools and if you dig your hands or feet into the sand it is much hotter.
This was never going to end well for getting away on time. The bar staff were serving French champagne, rum coughtails, Icelandic beers and smoothies made out of the crowberries that were being picked in the morning (no musk ox tonight, boo hoo). It was going to take more than a last scheduled zodiac departure time to get us out of those pools. And that’s why one of the expedition crew ended up standing beside the pool blowing a whistle to get the last of the recalcitrants out.
Lounging in the warm water of a naturalish hot pool with a glass of champagne was the perfect way to end our amazing adventure in Greenland
As we set sail from the fjord Captain Dag gave us some more information on the low pressure system that was out in the Davis Strait. He was aiming to sail further west overnight and some of tomorrow so we would be above the low. Then we would turn south so the seas and winds would be behind us. It was still going to get bumpy. He reminded everyone that this was a ship, a pretty direct instruction for the residents and guests to secure anything in their apartments that could be affected by the rough seas. Tim reinforced that message during the final expedition recap.
Amazing and bizarre pure white rocks all across the low hillside,
Narrsarsuq
Above
Narrsarsuq and time to head back down to the ship
Al making a forest angel. That's as high as the forest gets
Ok, a bit ghoulish, but this is inside one of the burial mounds as
Narrsarsuq
Dozens of burial mounds above the beach we landed at,
Narrsarsuq
