One of the greatest things about traveling is the opportunity to meet new people assuming time allows it. Since this trip was both business and leisure, I found myself exploring a bit more. I met other travelers from the US as well as from other countries that include France, Denmark, Germany, Australia, and the UK. As for residents in Greenland, I was able to meet Greenlanders as well as people who have settled here or are here on different types of contracts.
On August 18, 2022, I went to the hotel restaurant for breakfast. As I was walking to get something from the buffet, a young lady said hi to me. I said hello. She then started to say something else, but then she said never mind. I told her to go ahead and ask if she had a question. And then I asked where she was from which turned out to be Los Angeles. I told her and her friend that I'm from Ohio.
Long story short, they invited me to have breakfast with them which I did. We talked, and I immediately felt comfortable with them. They seemed like some of the nicest people I've ever met. So much so that we talked about hiking to Sermermiut. We got a taxi to the Icefiord Centre parking lot and made our way down the wooden platform.
We hiked and spent some time taking pictures and talking to other travelers. At this point, we were on part of the Blue Trail and decided to follow it until it met the Red Trail. Doing so would allow us to circle back around and end up at the Icefjord Centre. We took multiple breaks to take in the surroundings. I was taking pictures, of course. But who can blame me with these views?
After we finished the hike, we decided to spend some time at the Icefjord Centre which was a great way to relax after our hike and also learn a bit more about the icefjord.
Since there was a cemetery nearby, we walked to have a look after our time in the Icefjord Centre. Did you know that graves are often facing a nice view?
When we left, we all agreed that it was time to eat. We headed to Inuit Café. NN had done all the homework regarding food and found that that restaurant was recommended. I had seen it on previous trips, but I never tried it because I expected that the food would be mostly seafood. I don't eat seafood.
It turned out that we could not get a table. It's small, and apparently, it's best to reserve a table ahead of time if you don't want to be disappointed. So, we headed to a restaurant I knew called Naleraq. I had eaten there multiple times on a previous trip and at least once already on this one. Having lunch/dinner together really made the time more enjoyable for me. I felt as though we were kindred spirits. They understood my desire to "go" and experience new places. It was nice how our shared travel interests complemented each other. NN was the foodie of the group; she spends time looking into the food possibilities of a place. I do the same, but it is more about my non-adventurous nature when it comes to food as well as religious dietary restrictions.
LW on the other hand is very much into learning about the culture of a place as well as about people from other countries and/or cultures living in that place. OC, LW's partner I would say is a combination of the two. It was their first time in Greenland, my fourth. And still, we were all able to learn from each other and help each other. Meeting them will remain one of the highlights of my trip, and we are now friends brought together by a common interest/passion, travel!
While we were sitting in the restaurant, enjoying our meals, we contemplated going on an icefjord cruise. So, I contacted a tour operator I knew to see if there was any availability. Suddenly we were in a hurry to get back to the hotel to get ready. Fortunately for us, the tour operator came to pick us up so we wouldn't have to worry about getting to the harbor on time. We had a wonderful experience out on the water.
It was a great day spent with great people.
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