Upernavik

Upernavik is built on a little island (I guess about 2square kilometres) halfway up the western coast of Greenland. Its name means ‘place where we go in the spring’ and it was the spring hunting grounds of the old Inuit tribes who lived in the area. The first missionaries who came to Greenland to bring the gospel did not realise the extent to which the people where nomadic, and when they found a sizable community on this little island they built a mission here. They soon discovered that the Inuit moved away during the winter months, leaving the missionaries to battle out the North-Atlantic winter on their own. The European businessmen and whalers then started using Upernavik as a base, and the five little buildings that remain from that time remind strongly of 18th century European carpentry.

Upernavik is currently home to 1200, and not that many dogs. The town covers about a quarter of the island, but since the island is like a little mountain rising out of the water, they have built up most of the habitable spaces leaving only the cliffs on the eastern side untouched. One of the most amazing features of modern Upernavik is the airport which is built on top of the highest point on the island. They literally flattened the peak of the mountain and raised up enough earth around it to accommodate a runway. This rather unsightly feat of engineering is visible from most places in the town, but it has also confirmed Upernavik’s regional prominence. The other 1800 people living in little settlements on other islands in the area all make there way to Upernavik by boat or dog-sleighs to do most of their business here.

Our flight from Thule arrived with a heart stopping landing on the little eagle’s perch airport on the hill-top. As I set my feet on the tarmac I looked to see if I could recognise Julianne, and indeed, there she was waving to me on the other side of the fence. In the full little arrival hall I was greeted with open hearts and big smiles and I was introduced to many people, all of whom seemed to be related to Julianne – or Nunu as I was now told she is actually called at home – in some way or another.

I was put in a car and taken down and around to the other side to the highest little house on the hill. I don’t know how these quaint little homes can be so spacious and comfortable inside, from the outside they don’t seem bigger than dolls houses – but this may be an optical illusion caused by the happy blues, yellows, reds and greens that they are painted.

Juliana or Nuunu is married to Karl or Aqqaluk. Their youngest son and daughter Miki and Nayara are still at home. I was shown to my room – my hosts home office that he graciously evacuated for me – and after settling in we walked down the hill to the supermarket in town. Nunu had to get the ingredients for the 7 cakes she had to bake that night for Najara’s 7th birthday celebration the next day. A taxi brought us back up the hill with all the purchases, and while Nunu backed I used her laptop to type up the blog entries about the opening Highway at the dining room table. This took me most of the night, and I went to bed just as they woke up at 5am to wish Nayara a happy birthday.