Greenland Part Two - THE END

Its Snowing!

My second week was equally as eventful as the first!  After that last day I had a great night at the bar but gee, the boat got a bit rockier that night!  I kept on walking into walls!!

Luckily we had a sailing day the next day so there was nothing to miss!  I slept and they had a documentary on a loop so I was able to learn about the Vikings! Actually that was a great thing about the ship – is that there was always a talk or a lecture or a documentary going on.  I learnt about Vikings, Polar Bears, the Melting of the Ice, animals in the Arctic and the Antarctica and even Elves and Troll!  We had one talk given to us about Tasmanian Devils.  Of course us Three Aussie Girls sat in the front and heckled!!

Beautiful Blue Ice

With the month and the cruise nearly over, only 5 more sleeps today was the only real “bad’ weather day.  We went kayaking in the morning and the colours of the ice had changed again!  It was fantastic, kayaking around the coast of Greenland, seeing Musk Ox and birds all while it was snowing!  

I was so excited it was snowing on me!! 

We headed to Ella Island – this is where they had seen a polar bear the last two times.  We were able to land.. no polar bear in sight but you could see where they had been.  They had ripped off walls and had broken into a lovely old cabin and just trashed the place.  It was hard to see.  We found some old antlers and papers that had been preserved from 1995.

Trying to read the Newspaper - it was in Danish!

30^th September – a morning that I think we all will never forget! It was the first time that a few of us Kayaking people decided to head on land to see what these walking groups got up to.. hmm.. I was one of the last boats to head over to the landing point.  We hopped out and I was trying to find some snow to make a snow angel (priorities!) when we hear over the radio that there 

was a Polar Bear heading towards us and closing fast!  I turned around and there it was – running at us! That was unexpected! It was headed for our group so we quickly put our jackets back on again and then hopped in the zodiac as two other expedition leaders let off some flares to try to frighten the Polar Bear away.  It didn’t work!

After 5 flares they decided that they had to take another form of action and they shot two rifle shots over the Polar Bears head.  That makes it pay attention.  It came within 50 meters of us before it decided against eating us yellow things and slowly.. very slowly it walked away.  We all got back on board the big boat (all accounted for) and watched it come back towards the shoreline and then went back to where we think it may have come from –

Such a Beautiful Day to go Polar Bear Watching!

a stinky old Musk Ox it was eating.  So our walking expedition was cancelled but we were so lucky enough to be able to head over in the little Zodiacs and get up close and personal look of the Polar bear.  It was fantastic it was not even disturbed about us at all it just kept on eating the Ox while we all floated past.  It was mind blowing.  They are such a massive animal with such force but so majestic! 

The last expedition day and I was able to make my Snow Angel!!  Very first one!! I was so excited!! We had kinda another scare – there was an unconfirmed sighting of another bear

 

and there were signs that there was one around but we never saw it.  It was actually sad to leave the shore as it was the last time that I would step on Greenland.

That afternoon we went Kayaking for the last time.. it was such a great day.  We kayaked near a glacier and we just sat and listen to the sounds of the Arctic.  It was great.  I didn’t want to get in the boat.  They filmed me getting out of the Kayak which was funny as!!  I was like a seal just sliding into the zodiac! Our last night in Greenland we were given one last light show.  It was great to see.

Sitting quietly listening..

The next two days we cleaned up, attended some lectures and just hung around the ship.  On the last night we had a beautiful dinner and cocktails and we were presented with a fantastic DVD that the crew put together of all our photos. It was a fantastic job and even some of my photos are in the DVD including the photo of my snow angel!!

Our Certificates

Jane and Tim!

Me Sue and Gail

Me and the lovely Kayak ladies!

Myself, Gail, Claire, Jen and our wonderful Captian!

That last day we all packed up and walked off the ship was so sad. I met some wonderful people and learnt so many things from them and where I was. This will be one adventure that I will never forget..

SO where to next…TBA!!