Getting there - two flights from Copenhagen to Nuuk
Monday, June 28, 2010 at 7:00AM 
After falling so far behind on sleep, I hung up my Skype call with Margie, and went to bed in my Copenhagen hotel at midnight, but I was so afraid that I might somehow oversleep that I hardly got a wink. I finally just gave up at 4:30 and got up.
Later, as I waited to board the first flight of the two that would take me to Nuuk, Greenland, I saw a man wearing a red cap with the word, "Russia," on it. This is he, Sasha Eynetegin Alexandar, standing with Tatyiana Achirigina. Sasha is an artist known for his walrus ivory carvings and he lives in Lavrentia, Chukotka.
Tatyiana is the Vice President of ICC Russia and the leader of this year's Russian delegation. She is a journalist from Providenyia, who I had met before when she had come to Barrow to observe a convention of the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission. She reminded me that I had taken some picture back then of her and the other Russians who had come and told me she wants them. So I have another task to perform sometime after I get home.
The first leg of our Air Greenland flight took us over Norway, enroute to Kangerlussuaq, one of only two civilian airports in Greenland with a runway long enough to accommodate large commercial air carriers.
As it was a four-and-a-half hour flight, I eventually had to undo my seat belt and head for the restroom. As I waited in line, a little girl fell off her chair, bumped her head and began to cry. Her father picked her up and comforted her.
And then we were over Greenland, headed for Kangerlussuaq.
In September of 1996, I accompanied a delegation from the North Slope Borough that traveled to Chukotka, Russia, by helicopter. In the village of Lavrentia, I came upon a Russian photographer, Vasily Dobriev. Although we could not speak the same language, we communicated by taking each others pictures simultaneously, each of us using film single-lens reflect cameras.
At the airport in Kangerlussuaq, I happened upon the very same Vasily again. Again, there was a language barrier, but we communicated as we had before - this time, with small, digital, pocket cameras.
At Kangerlussuaq, we switched to smaller turbo-prop Dash 7. The stewardess gave us the safety briefing.
Then we were in the air, headed for Nuuk, one hour to south.
Although she looked like she could be Inuit, the lady next to me said she was from China, but we did not share a common language, so I learned no more about her or the purpose of her trip. She took pictures all the way.
When we stepped into the Nuuk terminal, the group, Pamyua, of Anchorage sang a quick song of greeting. Pictured above is Ossie Kairaiuak, Karina Moeller (now of Anchorage but originally of Greenland) and Phillip Blanchett.
You will see more of Pamyua in here this week.
Following registration, there was an "ice breaker" at the convention center. Three Greenlandic choirs, including Aavat sang songs of greeting. At the same time, a display of Inuit art opened in the same building. During the course of the week, I will attempt to track down some of the artists.
An Inuit film festival was also about to begin.
Out on the streets of Nuuk, I saw some young people skating and riding skateboards.
Reader Comments (7)
great post! thanks for sharing!!!
Phew, what a roundabout trip, glad you finally made it! Hope you can get a bit of rest, looking forward to future posts from Greenland.
Yay! You made it! Look at the interesting people you've met. Love the pictures of the lively Pamyua performers and the happy children of Nuuk.
Fascinating already and you had barely made it to your destination. Great posts Bill, thank you for taking all of us on this journey with you.
I keep seeing top rate facilities for Native/Indian/ Aleut people in countries other than the US where everything seems to be ramshackle by comparison. I think of pictures I have seen of well built structures in Canada and now Greenland and compare them to the shabby villages that the US territories specialize in. I am wondering iof I am seeing what I expect to see or if this is actually the case.
Wow, exciting times Bill! Being so far away yet so close to home! I loved seeing the Pamyua folks; when Benton and I worked at the PAC in Anchorage they were some of the best artistic acts that we had the pleasure to work with in our ticket office. Phillip was always our ticketing contact and he was always so pleasant.
Have a nice stay in Greenland and as always thanks for the education that you provide us that have not traveled as extensively as you have.
Got caught in a blizzard in April in Kusuluk Greenland.
Interesting, but we came via Iceland.
Visit Iceland if you get the chance. Another interesting country.