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Archive for August, 2006

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A Whale of a Day

Monday, August 14th, 2006

The ship was equipped with a giant, 101 person life raft which can inflate in seconds. Passengers glide down a sort of rubber chute; at no time does anyone come into contact with the water. Just to make absolutely sure, they don’t just wear life jackets, they don ‘full immersion survival suits’—think membrane drysuit with fluorescent strips and a whistle.

This is Geenland, land of extremes.
[read on]

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My ‘Assault’ on the Icecap

Sunday, August 13th, 2006

Hikers and adventure travellers: No snickering at the back!

The air tasted of Wrighley’s ‘Ice’, but this was the real article. An artic breeze washed over me like a refreshing shower. I enjoyed it nearly as much, although it slowed me down. I had’t thought there could be anything which could slow me down any further.
[read on]

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‘Beach Holiday’

Saturday, August 12th, 2006

I was wheeling along Greenland’s only inland road leading to the icecap. Twenty-four kilometres on a 21-gear mountain bike should be a doddle. Or so I thought, when I set off that morning.

A mere two kilometres later, with gears crunching, legs screaming and brakes squealing on the steep, gritty downhill sections, I thought otherwise.
[read on]

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Flying into the Sunset

Friday, August 11th, 2006

Sweat ran freely down my forehead as I finally sank into the seat, gasping from the dash across the terminal from the security check to the departure gate—it had to be over a mile through a shopper’s paradise, past gleaming displays of books and gifts and duty-free goods. Shame that the check-in didn’t open until 90 minutes before the flight. Since I had stayed outside to smoke, the first I saw of it was a massive queue curling its way around the departure hall. They could not surely all be destined for Kangerlussuaq?

They were. My visions of flying there in a twin-Otter with six passengers on board evaporated.
[read on]

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Homecoming

Friday, August 11th, 2006

The flight was short, without any delay, as if the previous day’s chaos had been a dream. Soon, the patchwork quilt of the English countryside was replaced by the more regular geometric shapes of Danish fields as we descended through the clouds.

It is a peculiar feeling to return to a country which you have lived in once, and where you speak the language (OK, speak is maybe an exagerration). I had been looking forward to Danish books, salty liquorice and even sandwiches with remoulade and pink salami, but I was surprised when even the airport signs made me break out in a wide grin.

The previous day’s security alerts had cost me my stay in Copenhagen and I had about four hours to wait in the airport. I stepped through the door expectantly.

When I lived there, I never flew to Copenhagen. Regular trains run from Germany and, back then, were the cheapest way to travel to Denmark.

Despite the optimistically named ‘Arkaden’, it turns out that there was little to do in the airport. The shopping mall contained a seven-eleven, a clothes store which could not stand up to a comparision with the average Oxfam back home and little else. No bookshop. However, the 7-11 had a selection of cheap paperbacks. Surprisingly, most were in English, but I did manage to pick up a Danish translation of Dean Koontz’ ‘Hideaway’ (‘D�dens Museum’—I always thought the Danes were better at titles). It cost little more than the price for a newspaper which was good, because I had quite enough of the papers for a while.

The chilled Tuborg in half-litre cans was also good. I settled in for a relaxed break, waiting for the flight to Kangerlussuaq.

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Airport Chaos: Rollercoaster Ride!

Thursday, August 10th, 2006

So the next thing I had to do was to contact Atlantic Umiaq Line. I sent an email which Marlene, Inger’s holiday stand-in answered: she’s forwarded it to Inger because she in turn is due to go on holiday tomorrow. I emailed Inger. I phoned, and even ended up leaving a message in half pigin-Danish, half-English. But this message was not a plea for rescheduling my trip.

Easyjet is flying again! (The HTTPS link may not show, but this latest update has not yet made it onto their main website.)

Greenland is back on. Or is it?

I’m biting my nails while waiting for Inger to answer. I’m not even thinking about any potential incidents at Stansted tomorrow.

On a minor note: both my boots (which I haven’t worn in in the hot weather) chafe at the heels. But I’ll put up with it, so long as I get to Greenland!

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Airport Chaos: The Saga Continues

Thursday, August 10th, 2006

Going to Heathrow made the most sense at this point. I could not get trough to anybody either by phone or online. In addition, there was always the possibility that the airline would say that—as I wasn’t available at the stipulated check-in time—no alternative arrangements could be made.

It is better to take care of these things in person. I took an extra water bottle and prepared to camp in the terminal for the night.

There was no congestion on the way; nothing like the chaos at Makassar Pelni passenger terminal once we got there. In fact, everything looked almost normal, aside from the presence of extra police vans and many fluorescent jackets.

We got as far as the entrance. One of the jackets handed me a piece of paper with the freephone number printed on it which I had tried all morning to reach, and the list of required precautions for check-in, which I had also read a dozen times.
[read on]

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Greenland: Airport Chaos II

Thursday, August 10th, 2006

As expected, communications with BA have broken down. My flight is now scheduled to ‘arrive’ at 11:42 the following day (11th August). In effect this means that it has been cancelled, but clearly BA cannot get it together to make alternative arrangements for existing passengers—who will have to travel to the airport and then turn around, after a 6-8h wait.

All phonelines are engaged. Even ebookers are engaged (Ebookers do not consider it necessary to forward my correct booking reference with which I could make arrangements on the BA website. I have to consider carefully whether I will use them again.).

I re-iterate: the level of incompetence over what can be regarded as a routine disruption is staggering.

***

12:29. Now they have admitted that the flight has been cancelled. I knew that twenty minutes ago.

***

13:15. Verdict: GO! I’ve just taken out 50 quid (local machine’s maximum) and will stage a sit-in at LHR, until I get a flight confirmation. I’m prepare to transfer to another airport.

If I’m really lucky, they’ll lay on a British Rail-style replacement bus service to Stansted or Luton.

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Greenland: Airport Chaos

Thursday, August 10th, 2006

Trust the f*cking terrorists to choose today to target UK flights with a major bomb plot.

Heathrow is in turmoil.

Just as well that I’ve booked my flight a day ahead—although I thought the problem would be the usual BA delays and getting to the airport on time.

Updates to follow.

***

Hubby just came back from the office (5 min drive away) and between us (me web, he phone) we found out that the flight will probably leave later this afternoon with some delay. Now it remains to be seen who has to be on it because of ongoing connections. Mine is not before tomorrow, so I could bump of—but I’ll need a guarantee of a flight tomorrow. BA isn’t so organised that they’ve started trading bookings yet. I didn’t expect them to, despite precedents due to strikes/terrorism threats. That is precisely why I booked my outgoing flight a day in advance.

Without BA’s cooperation, there is no point in volunteering to change my booking. This would only end me in deep water as they assume they can mess me around. Sad, but true.

My first reaction was to get to Heathrow now because of inordinately long checkin-times (no handluggage, all footwear to be X-rayed—later on, I fully expect an orifice search. Yuck!) However, presently there is massive congestion so I told John to come back at one. By then, short-haul business travellers will have dispersed, and the morning crowd will hopefully have made alternative arrangements (just like I would if a sensible system was in place online or by phone).

Hopefully.

I might update further, but I’m not taking my Zaurus/WiFi card, so don’t bank on it. I certainly try to update from Copenhagen.

Remember, there is unlikely to be internet-access in Greenland, so entries and pictures may follow with some delay. My digital camera has to travel in my backpack, and I hope that it will arrive safely.

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Greenland: Inventory

Wednesday, August 9th, 2006

Of course the old backpack would have been perfect. It had some funny pockets, but after nearly 2 months on the road, I knew where to put everything and find it again, quickly.

The new pack is too small. It was either that, or an unwieldy 85l job. At 65 litres, the thing is the pefect size for SE Asia, but for Greenland? I can’t seem to find any room for my packets of dried noodles. Perhaps they’ll have to stay at home, to be replaced with dried fruit, chocolate and nuts.

As it is, the various bits I have to find room for, or attach to the outside are:
[read on]

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