Greenland: An Adventure Off the Beaten Path
Why Greenland?
By Bob Schallmann
In the first of a series of blogs devoted to less-traveled world destinations, today we look at Greenland…
As a child, I was always intrigued by maps. I loved looking at the globes that were ever-present in my school classrooms, letting my imagination run wild with thoughts of exotic destinations and adventures. But on occasion you would see a poster of the world on the wall and in an attempt to put something round on a flat space, things seemed to get a little weird. Up in the north Atlantic, there was an absolutely HUGE blob of white, ironically labeled Greenland! What the heck? So today, we’ll try to unravel some of the mysteries of this white blob on the map and see why it is starting to gain the attention of more and more travelers seeking adventures off the beaten path…
Well, first off, we need to recognize that Greenland is indeed, well, big. It is the twelfth largest country in the world and is regarded as the largest island in the world (Australia is a continent and apparently that takes it out of the running as an island?). Despite its size, there are only about 60,000 human inhabitants, making it the least inhabited country at 0.026 people per square kilometer! As the maps from my childhood suggest, it is largely covered by a huge ice sheet that dates back over 100,000 years. Scientists estimate that if the ice sheet were to melt, it would raise all of the world’s oceans by over 20 feet! While only a fraction of Greenland is free of ice, when combined, this area is still the size of Sweden! All very cool you might say, but why would someone want to adventure there?
History & Culture
Greenland’s history is complex and fascinating. So many cultures have called it home over the centuries, from the Inuit to Vikings to Danish. Although Greenland is geographically a part of the North American continent, it has been politically and culturally associated with Europe for over a thousand years.
The first Inuit people are believed to have arrived in Greenland 4-5,000 years ago with the current inhabitants believed to be descended from arrivals in the 9th century AD. To this day, they live primarily off the land as fishers and hunters. Norseman Erik the Red arrived in 982 AD and when he returned to Iceland three years later, he boasted of the “green land” he had found. His salesmanship resulted in several successful Viking settlements over the next several hundred years. In more recent history, whale hunters and missionaries came to the island and in 1814, Greenland became a Danish colony. Greenland became a self-governing country under the Kingdom of Denmark. Many locals dream of full independence, but the country is still heavily dependent on Denmark.
To visit one of the small villages that dot the southern and western coastlines with their vibrantly colored buildings is to take a step back in time. Sharing a meal or a conversation with these hardy, but good-natured people is one of the highlights of a visit to this rugged and beautiful country.
Scenery & Wildlife
While many of the villages are concentrated in the south and west coast of Greenland, a trip to the less-travelled eastern shores of Greenland reveals the stunning vistas and rich wildlife this country has to offer. These expeditions expose the expansiveness of the ice sheet and the enormous glaciers that creep to the shoreline, calving icebergs as large as the Empire State Building! While exploring this region via foot or Zodiac, you’ll be treated to enormous flocks of Atlantic Puffins and other seabirds nesting along the shoreline. You may even spot an Arctic Fox attempting to steal an egg when the opportunity presents itself! On the open tundra, wary herds of reindeer can be seen as well as the prehistoric-looking musk ox, with their long curved horns and shaggy coats. Keep a sharp eye out for enormous Polar Bears that forage along the ocean’s edge. In the water, whales, including the pearlescent beluga whale, can be spotted by keen observers or perhaps you’ll witness walruses basking on a piece of drifting ice. For wildlife enthusiasts, this is a destination of a lifetime!
So if you’re like me and your imagination has you ready to experience something beyond the ordinary, grab a parka and your camera and consider an adventure to rugged and breathtaking Greenland!
Interested in learning more about Greenland? Contact us at +1 (562) 433-3841 or email us at JSchallmann@DreamVacations.com. Or maybe you want to learn more about our upcoming Ultra-Luxury cruise to Iceland and Greenland?
