Oqaitsut

After our morning walk, we took fast boats to visit Oqaatsut, a small settlement north of Illulisatt. There are no roads so the only way to reach the village us by boat, though you can walk along a trail which is eight miles, I think.

On the way there one of drivers (is that the right word?) thought they saw a whale so we spent some time searching for it. Everyone was eager to see one but after quite a while the two boats headed for the village, having failed to spot it.

There are about forty people living here and how on earth they manage I will never know. There's nothing here and in the winter the sea freezes so I'm not sure how boats get here. I'm also not sure if walking is an option given temperatures can be -30c. Or maybe they are just used to it.

There is a small infant/primary school here but when the children are older they go to school in Illulisatt. Fishing provides the main income.

I enjoyed visiting but it did feel a little strange to be honest. As you can see, there are no defined gardens so I had no idea if I was intruding. The locals pretty much ignored us so I wonder what they must make of all this, when strangers arrive by boat, wander around taking photos then leave. There is a guest house on the hill where you can get a coffee but we didn't use it.

I didn't go too close to any of the houses and didn't take all that many photos either, because it felt wrong somehow. I ended up finding a comfortable rock and looked out to sea and although I didn't see it, some of the group say they saw a whale in the distance. I think they did, or maybe it was just wishful thinking.Read more