Saturday, June 2, 2007

DAY SEVEN, KANGERLUSSUAQ, GREENLAND, JUNE 2/07

In another five weeks Greenland will be, indeed, very green as the weather warms up and the sun shines for long periods of time, melting the ice and “releasing the land.” That’s what we have been told anyway. At the moment it’s certainly warm and bright but all is brown with rock and sand and very little top soil. This afternoon from a distance we saw Musk Oxen. There are approximately 7,000 animals in this region (minus the one Mariza ate last night in hamburger form…) and they are all the descendants of a small herd introduced from eastern Greenland in the Sixties.

The river that runs through Kangerlussuaq flows from an inland glacier which recedes each summer releasing water into the valley. At the end of June, it will be a torrent compared to its volume now. Last night, a Danish painter (both art and trade) who has lived here for 30 years, told us that he had seen real climate change in this area. Thirty years ago the winters were very cold and the summers very hot and now both seasons are more moderate. Last February, for example, the temperature hovered around -1C. Today it is 20C and that feels downright boiling after both Churchill and Iqaluit.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

Glad to hear that you safely made Greenland before the weekend! I imagine that you will be resting there for the weekend and then taking your first Atantic crossing to Iceland on Monday? Enjoy the rugged beauty!
Wendy

Elisabeth said...

Great going! Wonderful photos - what an adventure!

Anonymous said...

Love reading about your adventure each day- hope you all continue to enjoy it! Rawya x

Anonymous said...

Hey Ras!
Being close friends of your sister Ellen and her husband Gert we will also give you and your crew a comment on your fabulous flight to Denmark. It is a very impressive travelog with interesting photos and comments which my wife and I follow with great interest. Good to see that you all like the Danish beer. We have lots in Denmark. Hope you all will enjoy your stay in Denmark.
Best Regards, Leni and Curt

Anonymous said...

Hello Ras, Mariza and Ellen......
This is Johanna, a friend of Ellen's. Every morning the first thing I do is check on where you are. So exciting! Thank you for sharing your wonderful journey. All the best for the rest of the flight and adventure............
johanna

OutThere said...

Hi Ras and Crew,
Nice to see you out and about. Sorry to have missed the ONA reunion. Maybe make the next one.
Question... Are you planning on flying it back?
Ron Hart

Sandy said...

Ras, Ellen, Mariza,

You all look great! Back here it's all tropical green with daily rains and lush growth. Then I look at your photos and get into your scenery.

Enjoy the last leg of the trip of a lifetime.

Sandy