Qaqortoq and Sund

Qaqortoq (Quor-co-tock) and Prinz Christian Sund, Greenland We arrived to pleasant weather despite forecasts of rain. Since it was a tendering port, going ashore by lifeboat/tender, we enjoyed our breakfast and picked up ‘tender tickets’, boat assignments. We did not anchor until 10:00 a.m. and we know the ship tours go first so we left about 11. The town looked a little bigger than when I was here last time. Yes, that is a funny ting to be able to say! Carol and I wandered around the pretty little town filled with red roofed white buildings. It is tucked into a curve at the entrance to the sound when going East to West. We checked out the grocery/appliance/clothing/hardware/ if you want it we have it store! Since Greenland is part of the Danish empire the Krona is the monetary system and the exchange rate makes the dollar look good enough. Divide every price by 7.8 to get the USD conversion. Lots of people were stocking up on Danish Chocolate. We were looking at a little red church but couldn’t go in as it was locked. We took pictures of the wildflowers and the babbling brook. When a ship tour came along and went it we tagged on to the end of it. The talk had similarities to the one we had in Red Bay. The population moves away and the fishing and seal industry can’t draw them back. Qaqortoq is much more isolated than Red Bay so struggles. They want to be independent but can’t survive without Denmark subsidizing the economy. Qaqortoq is situated at the edge of the ice cap. Transportation in and out is difficult and is mostly by boat. The long summer days create some vegetable production but the even longer winter nights drive the economy to be able to be less functional in those months. Bookstores and knitting shops do well here as do musical instruments. A couple of container ships were unloading here today. I am sure supplies must be stocked up in the next 60 days or so. No real agriculture can make it nor cattle ranching. Flat land is sparse, the mountains rise from the sea and not far behind them is the unending ice. We had passed icebergs floating and could see snow and ice clinging to the mountain tops. Icebergs were already in the harbor. Tourists do come. I saw some land by helicopter and others come from a small boat by taxi. So yes, there are some happy people here. It attracts adventurers, hikers and is a regular cruise ship stop on North Atlantic crossings. Prince Christian Sound (Prinz Christian Sund) zigs along the southeast coast and separates the mainland from the Farewell Archipelago. It is an all day scenic cruise which we greatly enjoyed. The walls of the fjord rise sharply from the sea. Waterfalls are narrow but plentiful. Lichen and hardy greens create a light wash over some of the lower walls while various rocks tower high into what today was an overcast but then clear pale blue sky. In one of the turns of the sound sits a tiny town whose name I do not know. It hides at the base of the fjors behind a large boulder. The population in the last census was 50 brave souls. There is no way in or out except by boat and then of course only between late May and early September. Last time I was here we dropped off slour, sugar, medical supplies and fifty pizzas! Nothing this time as COVID rules still interupt human interaction Carol and I enjoyed the views from various indoor locations. Last time I braved the cold and winds but this time though ‘been there-done that!’ The did serve Dutch Pea Soup on the Deck 5 Bow. Had it been Dutch Hot chocolate I might have ventured out!