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Greenland: the heat is on

Thursday, July 20th, 2006

It is hot. Officially.

Iwas laughing when the weatherman issued a ‘heatwave warning’ on the second day thattemperatures climbed beyond thirty degrees, but in the last two days it has been as hot as I ever remembered from my childhood summers. As hot as in Bangkok. Perhaps hotter—yesterday was the hottest day in recorded history! (UK only.)

In this weather, thoughts turn to glaciers and icy seas.

That is just as well, because the week is nearly over and not just starting out (as I thought with my heat-addled brain) and it has been a week since I sent the money for the Greenland tickets.

Not a word in all this time. So I sent an email and got an auto-reply: my contact is away until August 8th, two days before departure. Thankfully, she at least remembered to turn the auto-reply on. I explained my lengthy booking and transfer details to whoever is left in the office and hope that they are not all on holiday.

Biting my nails in the meantime.

The email has just returned. Oh shit.

It’s OK, according to the website, she’s given me the wrong email address. From what I remember, organising a student expedition to Venezuela was relatively straightforward.

Next time, I’ll book a package holiday to Lanzarote!

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Greenland: nuts and bolts

Friday, July 14th, 2006

All set. I’m awaiting the final confirmation from UMIAQ so that I can try to book accommodation in Ilussiat, but if the hostel is full, I can rely on my tent—so long as the ground isn’t frozen solid!

I have also sent an email enquiry about diving. I mean: why not? It is probably too expensive (and then I will be relieved!) but if I didn’t ask I would regret it!

The biggest song-and-dance was booking insurance from insureandgo.com. They are by far the cheapest and most suitable local insurance company, and the only one to offer annual multitrip cover for two adults under 64 (travelling together or independently) for trip lengths of up to ninety days! Of course, if I ever have to make a claim, they may turn out to be shit. Their website certainly is. I filled out the online form about five times and never progressed past ‘waiting on form completion’, but the phone sales staff are very helpful. I gave the guy my card details, then emailed him the names etc—and he phoned me back. One day, I’m sure, we will achieve the seamless integration of online business and communication.

The budget as it stands today (I have no idea why there’s such a large space and an orphaned tag below):





SD card & reader







TravelSourceCost (£)
Flights & ferryUMIAQ621
BA (ebookers)103
GearDescriptionCost (£)
Ebay15
TentColeman E272
RucksackGlendale 50L45
BootsSan Marco Goretex20
JacketPeter storm/Millets24
Mat (4 season)Eurohike/Millets13
InsuranceSourceCost (£)
Annual coupleinsureandgo.com99

—That’s 1012 quid, or only twelve quid above budget! However, since the equipment should really be costed separately and the insurance premium covers John as well, I should still have enough for an occasional dorm bed and a bowl of lentils a day ;). It’s not, however, enough for diving and tobacco!

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Greenland: Equipment Haul

Wednesday, July 12th, 2006

It was a beautiful day for it, and it has to be done, so I caught a lift with my husband on his way to the weekly meeting at Reading University.

Looking in vain for the Army surplus shop supposedly on Friar Rd, I passed a bag store and—on a whim—walked in. Unexpectedly, they had a few backpacks on display and after some deliberation, I ended up with a 50l pack for 50 quid; that’s at least 1/3 off the usual price. And because it’s me, the shop owner only charged me � 45. Then I asked about that army store.

“Why, what do you need?” The owner asked.

“Boots.”

“Come with me.”

We went to the neighbouring store room and he indicated a whole shelf with hiking boots lying in lose piles. Most of them were men’s, two were ladies’ and one was my size. I even liked the colour. I reckoned they weren’t waterproof high-tech jobs, but they would do for a short trip and 20 quid was a lot better than eighty or ninety in the outdoor store. After I’d taken them home, I discovered that they are Gortex hiking boots!

Then I went to Millet’s and bought their last navy rainjacket in my size in the sale.

Not at all bad 🙂

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Geenland: planning cont.

Tuesday, July 11th, 2006

This was where I was at last Friday (quote from my contact at Arctic Umiaq Line):

‘hi denni how about this price dkk 6341 flight copenhaven-kangerlussuaq, boat Kangerlussuaq-Ilulissat on seat, return with flight Ilulissat-kangerlussuaq-copenhagen. best regards Inger’

Since then, I have sent three reminders in all that I need the bank details in order to transfer funds. I hope that’s not too pushy. I’m waiting on tenterhooks to get this booked so that I can still get a cheap SAS flight out of Heathrow and have enough time to make all the other arrangements.

With the rush on hostel beds, I have also ordered a tent which is on its way here. No sooner had I received confirmation of my order that an email from Kangerlussuaq Tourism Office arrived, offering me a dorm bed in another hostel! It would be just typical if I didn’t need a tent after all, but it is wise to bring one along in any case.

Lastly, I’m considering bringing my drysuit. Last year, a dive centre started operating in Ilulissat . There I could dive in the mouth of a glacier or drift over the bleached bones of leviathans in the ‘whale cemetery’. Hardier souls might consider ice diving. It’s not really PADI territory and bring-your-own drysuit is a must. Apart from the extra weight and considerable bulk—not to mention extra expense—I wonder if the thing still fits me after ten years!

Anyway, I can’t do much until I have reserved my tickets, so I’m awaiting Inger’s reply with bated breath…

UPDATE: The transfer has been made! My bank does not have facilities for making international transfers online, so I went through two soul-destroying loops on the automated phone system (the second return to where-I-started nearly caused me to rip the phone out of its socket and fling it at the wall with all my power), then called the online helpdesk with a completely off-topic request and got the sweetest lady to help me with considerable patience and a soothing voice.

The money should be there within two working days and I’m go!

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Greenland: hickups

Friday, July 7th, 2006

I have to say my contact at Arctic Umiaq is going out of her way to facilitate my travel to Greenland, but it looks as if I will have to fly to Ilulissat—right over prime whalewatching country—and only spend two nights and a few daylight hours on board a ship.

The flying around inflates my transport budget by almost two thirds, or to what it would be if I flew Air Greenland, although that would not have included any boat rides.

But it’s either that or stay at home.

On the downside, there are several days stopover when I must secure a bunk bed or get permission to put up my tent somewhere—days during which I will also have to eat.

On the upside, I have an overdraft limit. And I may manage to chat up a friendly Dane or Inuit who wants to take me out in a kayak or something…

Now if only that pesky Yahoo email would work, I could resume my official discussion with the sales office. Grrr. As soon as I actually manage to dial up online (our ISP was out two days ago, then it was the local exchange…) the bloody Yahoo server freezes up. At this rate I might as well be in Greenland already!

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Greenland: planning progress

Thursday, July 6th, 2006

Would you go to Greenland for a thousand quid? Even if the trip is only ten days long—perhaps as little as one week, plus a few days in Copenhagen on the way there or back? And with no tobacco run? (Although there may be access to duty-free shopping. Greenland is part of Denmark, but special rules may apply.)

Hell, yes.

I have been in touch with the friendly sales people at the Arctic Umiaq Line which from this summer also fly twice weekly from Copenhagen to Kangerlussuaq, and on. These people offer regular ferry trips along Greenland’s west- and south coast, including the area around Aasiaat where the whales come close to shore in late summer and autum. They offer special ‘r�d pris’ tickets which means I could get a return flight from Copenhagen for around 300 quid. That puts Greenland within my budget. But only just. The ferry round-trip to Uumannaq will cost about 400 quid (seat only) and I have to add on flights from London to Copenhagen and overnight stays. I might stay over at Ilulissat—the stop before Uumannaq—to save a few pennies pounds. There is a hostel there, and there is also one in Kangerlussuaq which I did not know about. As both may be fully booked, bringing a tent is a must.

Greenland here we come!

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Greenland go? Weeell…

Wednesday, July 5th, 2006

It now looks as if the Dell engineers are going to install the Company’s servers (it’s a big order—about 1 million dollars’ ). This means that John won’t get his summer job. He’ll still not take his holidays—he has projects to supervise—but he won’t be paid for the privilege.

Still, I could get about a thousand quid for my trip, but a thousand quid is barely enough to get to Greenland and take a ride on the local ferry.

“You can’t travel like an executive’s wife,” he says. “Not yet.”

Travel like an executive’s wife? For that money I’ll be lucky to secure a sleeper-seat in a rusty trawler and I’ll have to camp in most of the villages and cut back on meals.

Next year, I can have two grand, but next year is NipponCon and this is my best excuse yet to go to Japan (or will be, if I get anything accepted and a novel pitch ready). In the meantime, it looks like it’s curtains for whale watching this year, although I’ll have a look into Glacier Bay. Maybe they do no-frills flights to Anchorage.

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Summer Travel Plans

Monday, July 3rd, 2006

John has received a fat bonus.

He has also agreed to give up his remaining holiday leave so that he can help the Company set up its new servers in London in August (this has nothing to do with his current contract). For this, he will receive consultant fees. In lieu of summer holidays, he’s going to take the entire month of January off—after finishing his contract and before starting his new job—so we’ll be travelling to Australia together. But until then he’s going to work long hours and I don’t particularly fancy hanging out in London while he messes around with the hardware, especially if rumours are true that the carnival’s been cancelled.

So, I’m going to spend some of his bonus and consultant fees on…a trip to Greenland. Whale watching.

That is, if I can rig it. My Danish knowledge will come in very useful here. Greenland has a tourist webguide, but not much advise on getting there and the LP is likewise thin on advise. I’m going to look at my options in more detail tomorrow.

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