Journey with Django and Tashi too!: Greenland! (the first two days)

Here I am, five weeks into our trip, and just this week finding time to blog! I got the first week of our trip up, and tomorrow we travel again, from Western Denmark back to Copenhagen, then on to London the next morning! So here is the first post about Greenland. I have a gazillion pictures from Greenland, as you might imagine, so breaking it into shorter bits means something might actually get posted!

Here we go...

Nine days after our arrival in Denmark, we followed Simon to Greenland. By the time we booked our tickets, the flight he was on had sold out, so hence our week in Copenhagen.

We got on our plane, taxied to the runway. Stopped. Listened in two languages to what the pilot said before I could hear that there was a technical problem and we had to return to our gate. Turns out they had to replace a part before we could take off! Our flight was going to be at least 1 1/2 hours late. I urgently needed to reach Simon, because he was going from Qaqortoq to Nanortalik to play a show that day, and was planning to make a two hour trip with his dad in his boat to pick us up in Narsarsuaq, then we would go four hours by boat to his show. A nice fellow in the row in front of us loaned me his cell phone, so I could call Simon at his dad's house in Greenland. Turns out, if he met us as planned, he would not make the gig. He called back the boat that his bandmates and other performers were on, and went with them. His dad would still pick us up, and take us to Qaqortoq. We would have to wait one more day to meet up with Simon. So it is in Greenland. Often. It's just usually due to the weather, or ice, but not some damned airplane part that needs to be replaced (oh, I'm glad they're on top of it though, truly I am).

Coming in to Greenland. Basically, it's a big WOW.

Our descent towards Narsarsuaq, Greenland

Django hauling his luggage the 2 km to the boat after we opted not to wait for a taxi.

On the boat. Karl Lynge at the wheel.

So many waterfalls!

Icebergs never cease to impress. Especially when they are blue. This was the true color, I swear.

Iceberg on the way to Qaqortoq

Django's Ittu letting him steer the boat. When I took this shot, I just thought Django was simply thrilled to be standing near the helm. When I got a different view, I saw he was actually steering the boat. He did for quite a while and did a great job, even going between icebergs!

Django at the helm.

Django steering.

The view from the lovely home we got to stay in. Qaqortoq, Greenland.

Random silly picture:

So, the reason we were in Greenland at all, is that Simon was the artistic director of a festival in Qaqortoq, and nearby towns. It was a summer celebration culminating on the solstice. Simon was able to bring some international artists and performers to Greenland, one of whom is our friend Jesse Watson, an amazing painter from Port Townsend, Washington. We stopped by to visit him before hopping on the boat to meet up with Simon. Two days in Greenland, and Jesse already had several paintings in progress...

Look, it's me... and those are icebergs. Yup.

On the way to Narsaq to meet up with Simon for the second day's performance. Well, why not rendezvous with Simon out in the water and travel the final hour together? We waited quite some time for them, but they had good reason to be late...

After a bit of waiting and wondering, they finally show up. Simon, getting ready to hop over.

Simon joins us! Turns out, they ran into (figuratively!) a lot of ice that blocked their passage. They actually tried to push through the ice, but ended up taking a different route. Ah, traveling in Greenland!