Original article on www.gonomad.com
“Oh my god!” I repeatedly say out loud, even though there was nobody around to hear me.
Standing at a view point that overlooks a portion of Greenland’s Ilulissat Icefjord, I’m overwhelmed with disbelief, shock and joy that I’m actually here. A lump forms in my throat. My eyes fill up with tears. The feeling is surreal.
I’m not one to get choked up about the places I visit during my travels. It’s only happened once during a five-hour layover in Germany, the homeland of my grandmother. But seeing this place leaves me flooded with emotions. It’s enormous, stunning, mind-blowing and ridiculously beautiful, yet fragile.
Listed as a UNESCO world heritage site, the massive fjord of continuous ice stretches 70 km until it reaches the enormous Jakobshavns Glacier, which drops icebergs the size of small towns into the frigid ocean. The colossal blocks of ice look like sculptures sparkling in the Arctic sun.
Some are shaped like pyramids, others like castles. They creak and pop like fireworks as they slowly make their way to the mouth of the fjord, only to get hung up on the ocean floor. It’s one of nature’s most impressive displays.
I repeatedly press the shutter button on my camera, trying to capture the grandeur of this spectacular place. But the photos fail to capture its awesomeness, so I continue the 6.9 km hike along the fjord without seeing a single soul.
For those who love to get off the beaten path and away from people, Greenland is certainly the place to be. The population of Ilulissat is about 4,000 people, making it the third largest city in Greenland. The population of the entire country is around 56,000. Finding a nice, quiet hike is never a problem.
Why Visit Greenland?
Greenland is a country that had never been on my radar as a travel destination. When I told people I was coming to the Arctic island, many of them asked me “Why?” What is there to see?” I had the same thoughts until I watched a documentary called ‘Chasing Ice.’ Images of monstrous glaciers dumping icebergs the size of shopping malls into the ocean left me speechless. It was a place I had to experience myself.
I knew the scenery during my five days in Greenland would be epic, but I didn’t think it would leave me speechless everywhere I turned. As the sun sets on the icebergs in Disko Bay, they turn into a painting filled with brilliant shades of pink and blue. The calm water reflects the unique formations like a mirror, concocting a world like no other.
The next day I hop on a helicopter with World of Greenland to get a view of the giant glacier responsible for creating the unique landscape around Ilulissat.
