Friday 26 June 2009

Kangerlussuaq

Greenland! We finally made it. Our plane touched down at the Kangerlussuaq airport at 15:30. We were warmly greeted by the Expedition Team and shown to the buses. A short but very scenic fifteen minute ride through the rocky landscape of the fjord brought us to the dock. And there before us floated our new home for the next week, the MV Fram.
On the bus ride we learned that Kangerlussuaq started out as an American military base in 1941. It was later sold to Denmark, as is, for the sum total of one dollar. Today Kangerlussuaq’s raison d’ĂȘtre is the airport and a growing tourism industry. The Greenlandic translation of Kangerlussuaq is "Long Fjord". At 170km it is the longest fjord in Greenland.
Our first challenge of the trip was trying to figure out the straps on the life jackets whilst dodging hungry mosquitoes. Before long we boarded the Polar Cirkle boats and had a short exhilarating ride to the ship. Upon arrival to the Fram we were checked in and escorted to our cabins.

At 20:30 we were directed to our muster stations for a compulsory safety drill. At 21:00 in the Observation Lounge on deck seven we were welcomed to the Fram by the Captain and introduced to the other officers and the Expedition Team.











































































Our first challenge of the trip was trying to figure out the life jackets whilst dodging hungry mosquitoes. Soon enough though, we were safely on the ship and escorted to the comfort of our cabins.

At 20:30 we were directed to our muster stations for a compulsory safety drill and then at 21:00 we were welcomed to the Fram by the Captain and introduced to the other officers and the Expedition Team.