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Nuuk (The Promontory), is Greenland's capital. This 180 degree mobile panorama shows only the harbour area, most of the city lies on the other side of the ridge on the right. On the left, you can see the Orlova tied up at the dock.
Nuuk was founded by the missionary Hans Egede in 1728. It survived a smallpox epidemic in 1736 and was maintained as a Danish trading post until it became the administrative centre of Greenland during W.W. II. The city boomed in the '50's when Greenland became a county of Denmark. It has a population of about 14 000, fully one quarter of the island's. Greenland is a modern welfare state made possible by huge subsidies by Denmark. The public sector accounts for two thirds of employment and the rest depends mostly on fishing with shrimp being the major catch. Tourism is a rapidly growing industry but it is aimed at the high priced market (not a place for backpackers).
This large modern building on Nuuk's main street, Aqqsinersuaq, houses a hotel, a supermarket and offices. It is logical to assemble the maximum volume in large buildings in the Arctic in order to minimise surface area and consequently heat loss.
Here is a 90 degree moving panorama of a street corner across the street from the big blue building. The building in the centre shelters a hotel, a bowling alley and a variety of restaurants and bars, also regrouped for thermal efficiency. The same applies to the large white apartment blocks visible in the distance on the left. The cost of living in Nuuk is high, small 3 room apartments in one of these blocks are more than 800 US$/month.
I found the people of Nuuk more relaxed and friendly than those of Sisimiut and Ilulissat. This visibly Inuit gentleman and his three daughters spontaneously reacted positively when I asked permission to take their picture.
In the same area I met Ajorte (Kristian by his Christian name). It was the only significant human contact that I managed to get in Greenland. He told me how he had been sent to college in Denmark at the expense of his church and had hitchhiked all over Germany, France and Spain before returning here where he had become an unemployed alcoholic. He had somehow felt that I was interested in him as a person and asked me about my life. At first I thought he might be panhandling but he did not ask for anything and we parted with dignity and mutual respect.
It was a nice, personal experience.
I had met Ajorte in front of the supermarket. I went in to compare prices which I found to be only slightly higher than in Montreal thanks to heavy Danish subsidies on the transport of goods to the island.
I was fascinated to find neatly packaged local products like whale blubber (muktuk), seal meat and caribou meat next to mutton and imported beef and pork.
There was also a reasonably wide selection of wines but the prices were sky high with nothing below 20 $US a bottle (because of heavy taxes).
Some say that that vulnerability to alcohol addiction of the Inuit and aboriginal people is genetic but it is unlikely that the various Siberian tribes that migrated into North America in several waves since 20 000 years ago were handicapped by the same genes that the Australian aborigines brought with them from South East Asia 50 000 years ago. Yet both share the same vulnerability.
I tend to think that the vulnerability to alcohol in aboriginal peoples is principally due to their marginalisation by modern societies. This being said, I have no explanation whatsoever why the Scandinavians, the Poles and the Russians drink so much!
The cost of living is high but some people live rather well like the owners of this cottage with solarium and sun deck on a huge lot in Colony Harbour near the monument to Hans Egede that can be seen in the background.
Here is another view of the Hans Egede Monument from Colony Harbour where Nuuk was founded in 1728. The red church of Our Saviour was built in 1849 and the large yellow community house in front was built in 1930.
Also in the same area is the Braedet Market where fresh fish and game are sold daily on open air tables like this one. This man specialised in whale meat, blubber and fins but he also had a few pieces of dolphin.
Here is another view of the Braedet market with the caribou meat table in front.
There was also seal meat which is very dark and a few local fish.
The home-made smoked salmon was so tempting!
I would have loved to sample whale blubber that the Inuit call mattak and eat raw but I had no Danish crowns and was too shy to beg.
This was another case where the planners of this cruise missed the boat by failing to imagine what their customers might like after coming so far at great expense. The possibility of tasting whale, seal and caribou titbits on the Orlova would have gone a long way...
Down the hill from the market stands the very interesting National Museum complex.
This exhibit shows a variety of clothing worn by Greenlandic populations.
Also boots.
This multi purpose building complex at the end of Hans Egedesveij, shelters the Vaerftet Restaurant, one of the best in Nuuk, as well as a number of other concerns.
Here is a last glance at the west coast of Greenland as we leave it for the coast of Labrador on the other side of Davis Strait.
