Last summer I went to Greenland. I love that statement, both for its oddity and for the wonderful memories it brings up. I never thought I would go
to Greenland, and I did not originally plan my summer vacation intending to go to
Greenland, but somehow, I ended up there. And I guess I've never been the same . . .
The name is deceptively plain for
such a complicated place. Often described as the largest island on earth
(Australia being defined as a continent, not an island), Greenland is vast,
pristine, eerily quiet, hauntingly beautiful and . . . unforgettable.
Ever since I was a child and saw this huge land mass
on the maps and globes I spent hours looking at, I drew a blank whenever I tried to imagine this giant
island. China I could imagine in my mind's eye. Africa was another place I could contemplate and conjure up associated thoughts and images. Besides, I had seen pictures of these and many other places I hoped to visit someday. But visit Greenland? The thought literally never crossed my mind. Furthermore, I can't recall ever seeing a photograph of this strange place. If I had, I guess I had filed it away in my memory along with photos of other ice-bound lands and endless white landscapes. And how many people does one encounter who have actually been there?
My travel destinations were the obvious ones for years. Europe and Asia offered cultural riches and dense layers of
history in countless cities and towns. But something started to pull me in a different direction – a distinctly northerly direction. Then on one trip I found myself in Canada's northern reaches enjoying crystal clear nights with startling views of the Milky Way. I marveled at remote seacoasts where seal colonies thrived beneath giant cliffs covered with thousands of seabirds. I was ready to consider Greenland.
Planning a trip to Greenland is not as difficult as you might think, particularly now that the Internet can be used as a research tool. Besides, one's options are pretty limited when it comes to transportation to and within Greenland. There
are only a few gateway cities from which one can fly to Greenland. Once there, only a limited
number of towns and settlements can be easily visited. In addition, there are only two modes of travel within the island due to the vast distances and rugged mountain topography: by boat or aircraft. Finally, the choices of places to stay and eat are in general pretty limited, which simplifies matters a great deal. Probably the most difficult part of planning a trip to Greenland is trying to master the names of the towns and settlements!
