Itilleq Fjord, Greenland

Overnight we sailed to Itilleq, a very small town with about 100 people. They live a simple life, hunt and fish during the summer to store the food to eat during the winter. There are no roads to the other towns in Greenland from here, so they use boats to transport what they need from other areas.
Our excursion was a visit to a home of the residents. They welcomed us in and offered us tea, coffee and a view of their way of life in Greenland. The town is very small, so they get around by walking, 4-wheelers and snowmobiles in the winter. During the winter the bay freezes over and they go out on the ice to drill a hole and ice fish for salmon, halibut and other fish that live under the ice during the winter months. They have internet access and their children have a teacher in the early years and then use Zoom for additional education. There is no doctor, only a nurse practitioner, so anyone needing medical attention is taken by boat to the nearly larger city. It really is a natural, rustic life and everyone we met was so nice, even though many foreign people were taking over their town for a day.
The houses were the usual bright colors, with the graveyard overlooking the ocean. Scott made friends with a very young puppy that would grow up to be a sled dog. They use sleds and dogs during the winter to get around in the snow and snow covered ice.
It was really an eye opening experience as to how people can live a much simpler life, be happy and make a future in Greenland.Read more