After a very nice itinerary from Fairbanks to Nuuk that consisted of only 3 flights and an 8 hour daytime layover in Reykjavic (we went into town for a last taste of culture and sophistication), Ken and I arrived in Nuuk Saturday evening, April 30th. Despite a lost ski bag (which we've since recovered) the travel went smoothly. We even got exit row seats for the Seattle-Reykjavic leg.
The descent into Nuuk (town not yet visible).
After a full week here, all I can say is that Nuuk leaves me a bit speechless. The flight in was starkly beautiful, but all that beauty was laced, for me at least, with an element of terror. Looking down on a (literal) sea of ice and granite with a propeller buzzing next to your ear makes one keenly aware that a quick exit from Nuuk isn’t necessarily an easy feat. The place has a sort of lunar feel to it. Nothing but rock and ice, with buildings on the landscape that look very out of place. Sensible and stylish Danish design seems to have met its match here in the way of industrial building materials. Overall, the city’s architecture has a bit of an airplane-hangar-meets-country-cottage look. From certain angles, you can create a quaint panorama—but you can’t fool yourself for too long.
A view of Nuuk from the top floor of our high rise. Sermitsiaq (large mountain in the background) presides over the town and is actually a separate island.
To add to Nuuk's other-worldly aspect, we are currently living in a very nice high rise apartment building (11 stories). Greenland functions under a public housing system imposed decades ago by the Danes—a system which no one seems to fully understand. What we do know is this: as a two person couple, we are entitled to a three room apartment (two bedrooms, one joint kitchen/living space). However, due to the long waiting list for public housing, most people (including us) are first placed in temporary housing, which allowably provides one less room for an individual or family than the number to which they are entitled. During this time of temporary housing, apartments are rent free. (Big bonus, because when we finally move to our permanent apartment, rent will be around 1000 USD/month). However, right now we have been placed in “pre-temporary” housing , and have been told we’ll be moving to our official “temporary” housing in six weeks. But our current "pre-temporary" apartment has three rooms, the number to which we are entitled. Confused? Yeah, so are we. What matters for the time being is that we’re not paying anything, so we haven't asked many questions.
Our dining room around midnight.
But back to our current apartment. Although this is my first experience with public housing anywhere in the world, the place has vastly exceeded my expectations. Strike the mental images you’re having right now of Chicago’s Cabrini Green. Leave it to the Danes to decide that public housing should include heated bathroom floors, beautiful wood flooring, glass walled showers, in-unit washing machines, standard issue down comforters, dishwashers, and closet space beyond anyone’s wildest dreams. We’re told that our apartment is on the nice end of the public housing spectrum here, so I’m trying to keep my expectations for the future low. Still, it's an incredibly nice apartment. And when I stand at the sink doing dishes with a state of the art faucet, cleaning the counters and the brand-new glass stovetop burners with a few easy swipes of the sponge, it somehow makes Nuuk feel even more surreal and isolated. At times like this I feel like I'm on some sort of high tech spaceship, never quite able to forget the cold and empty wilderness lapping at the door.
From what we've seen so far, Greenland is incredibly beautiful, and as remote a wilderness as I think remains in the world. We've already been skiing a couple of times, gone on small hikes to the edge of town, and realized that we're going to need to buy a boat to take full advantage of what is on offer here. But apart from the natural beauty, this is a strange and curious place. Most notably, it is a place of contrasts. Nuuk is extremely urbanized, with high density housing, an impressive bus system, and even its own suburb. Yet, real, live, bone chilling wilderness is only a 20 minute walk from any part of town. And the mixture of native people and Danes--some highly educated, some poorly educated, many living together in mixed income housing--in a country that has essentially been a colony of Denmark for 200 years weaves a very fascinating story that we're only beginning to understand.
Backcountry skiing outside Nuuk, May 5th 2011, Stor Malene peak. Found some powder, but ski season is now over.
A view of Nuuk from Kolonihavn (colonial) area. Beautiful spring day.
I will read anything you write. This all changes my view of the world - you are in territory I have not been imagining. We will visit.
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Luge
5/9/2011 07:23:35 am
Regarding your comments about your past experience with public housing: I believe you lived in the aftermath of public housing in the Novye Cheryemushki district of Moscow in the fall of 1999 with your dear brother Mark and your parents (see http://www.panoramio.com/photo/4896021 ). It sounds like Greenland's public housing is a bit above Russian standards.
i love that your first two commenters are mom & dad.
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Ken
5/9/2011 09:41:49 am
#3 sister. #4 fiance. I shouldn't be contributing to this.
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cindi
5/9/2011 10:57:35 am
# 5 fiance's mom!
Sounds like you are beginning a great adventure!!
I think it is wonderful that you are sharing it with us via this blog. Most people won't have the opportunity to experience what you are now. I am just glad that you have each other and are not alone in all that wilderness.
Ken has lived in some pretty interesting places, too. I wonder how he compares Nuuk to Antartica??
Anna - this looks incredible. Just had bfast with Grandpa this morning and we spoke about how great it is that we can know all about what our cousins are doing via Facebook. Glad you're sharing.
#7 Aunt
Anna so glad you are doing this! Love the pictures and your writing. A few questions: What is the population? What exactly will Ken be doing? and you? Have you met anyone who speaks English yet?
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Brook
5/10/2011 03:18:08 am
#8 no relation whatsoever...
Thanks for keeping the facebook h8ers in the loop! Miss you already!
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DNelson
5/10/2011 03:18:29 pm
Shoot, Brook beat me to it.
#9 First Internet troll who will leave mean-spirited, crass, racist, and inaccurate politically motivated comments.
(Oh wait, this isn't my newspaper's site.)
Good description of everything. Write a blog post about food now.