The nearby Greenlandic sled dogs we'd met the night before let us know they were also wide awake, too!
Some images as we traipsed through puddles on our way into town and breakfast at the hotel:
We knew from its yellow exterior that the building was the town's medical clinic.
More views of the town's church, with its unusual shape described as God's inkpot:
Again, based on Greenland's unique color-coding system, we figured the blue buildings were likely the town's hydro plant.
Because of our ferry's cancellation two days earlier and then its long delay the previous afternoon, we only had a few hours to explore Qeqertarsauq before moving due east across the bay that afternoon to the coastal town of Ilulissat for a few days. That meant we didn't have the time to explore what lay beyond the bridge as we otherwise would have. However, we did take a lengthy hike to a deserted area on the other side of town.
Beneath the cliffs, an underwater microphone, or hydrophone, was anchored to the seabed, recording all underwater sounds in Disko Bay. Imagine hearing the sounds of whales, seals, ships, and icebergs, or just enjoying the silence of the sea on a calm day! Because the hydrophone is a passive recorder, it made no noise and therefore didn't disturb the bay's wildlife.
From Siorarsuit Beach, Greenland's only black sand beach, we had stunning views of the iceberg-dotted waters. The beach was a reminder of the area's volcanic origins.
Bordering the beach were the only geodesic-domed houses I recall seeing anywhere in Greenland.
I imagine this is likely your first sled dog caution sign, as it was ours, too!
On the other side of the small lake was the University of Copenhagen's Arctic Station, which was founded by Danish botanist Morten Pedersen Porsild in 1906. The year-round environmental research station focuses on the function and development of entire ecosystems by monitoring, for example, wildlife, plants, and weather.
Just beyond the beach was the town's impressive soccer field, the only one we saw in Greenland.
The basalt cliffs were characteristic of Disko Bay.
Imagine having a picnic in such a godforsaken spot, but it did look very idyllic!
If you click on the image to enlarge it, you'll see two people in the lower left of the picture. I couldn't tell, however, if they were fishing in the swift-moving current or what.
After hiking down a steep hill, we crossed the river and climbed up the opposite hill.
The view from the bridge:
Fellow hikers certainly wouldn't miss the large red trail marker!
Because time was slipping away and the uneven moraine field seemed to stretch on forever, we decided to turn back after first admiring the terrain.
I wondered if the cairn was decorative or another trail marker.
The pink lichen and tiny flowers were lovely!
I'd have liked to have known what the colorful painted buildings were and why they were so closely huddled together in the vast space.
It was nice to see the soccer field being used on our way back. I wonder if it was the country's northernmost one.
In lieu of a backpack cover, a plastic bag came in very handy when it began drizzling as we made our way across a field toward the Arctic Station!
A sign outside the station explained the snow fence experiment, started 13 years ago near the small lake, even though it was expected to last only 10 years. The intent was to explore the effects of snow on ground temperature, plant cover, and the exchange of greenhouse gases between the soil and the atmosphere.
Not surprisingly, climate change in the Arctic has led to complex interactions among plants, microorganisms, and the soil environment.
A research facility affiliated with the Arctic Station:
As we returned to town, we wandered through the town's cemetery.
Beside the pier where we'd arrived yesterday was the Qeqertarsuaq Museum, built around 1840. Located in the old bailiff's or governor's home, it was used as the residence of North Greenland's most important official until 1950. Qeqertarsuaq was the capital of North Greenland from 1782 until 1950. After that, the house was used by the town's doctor and later for "social housing" until it opened as a museum in 1992.
The former Gentlemen's Room on the main floor included items belonging to Philip Rosendahl, the governor from 1925 to 1939, including his dress uniform and documents from his term. One of the documents recorded the French Navy's visit on July 1, 1939, and the official dinner hosted by Rosendahl at his residence. The local Danish and Greenlandic officials were also present. A Danish watercolorist painted menu cards of scenes around Qeqertarsauq as a gift to the French Captain.
When the former Living Room wasn't used for temporary exhibitions, the Greenlandic and Danish flags were hung up from the center. Surrounding the flags were watercolors by Lis Sejerholt, painted in 1960.
One wall featured a handsome quilt created by Birthe Christiansen, the wife of Qeqertarsauq's last governor.
Even though we'd already purchased some tupilaks further south in Greenland and have long had a substantial collection of Inuit carvings from Arctic Canada, we admired the museum's excellent collections of both.
The former Governor's Office housed an extensive collection of paintings by Jakob Danielsen, depicting his childhood in the Sioraq settlement and his hunting experiences as an adult in Qeqertarsauq.
A small adjacent room held his tools as if he would return any day to begin painting anew!
It was a shame that Steven and I were only able to see a few of Qeqertarsauq's historic homes, and not hike as much as we'd have preferred in the short time we had before leaving for Ilulissat that afternoon.
Disko Island is among the 100 largest islands in the world, but because it is far younger than mainland Greenland, it is very different. Had we been there in the spring, it would have been one of the best places in the world to observe Greenland whales, known as Aarfivik, meaning "barrel-shaped." We'd hoped to see humpback whales just off the shoreline, but we were out of luck.
The 2.5-hour trip further east in Disko Bay was a particularly bumpy passage because of having to navigate around the many icebergs.
The images and the reflections were all we could have dreamed of!
I remember thinking that the ride sounded like Rice Krispies cereal going snap, crackle, pop, and the contents of a blender being mushed together, shaken but not stirred!
I pitied the captain having to make his way ever so carefully through the icebergs, as it must have been challenging, even though it was August. I knew we wouldn't have wanted to be taking the ferry several months earlier, when the ice conditions in the bay would have been so much worse.
After seeing what seemed like a thousand icebergs that afternoon, we weren't sure what had possessed us to book a late-night iceberg cruise to see even more that night!
These are not meant to be in black and white, but they were what we saw, Sarah!
What a relief to get on terra firma in Ilulissat after the boat ride! The large building was an example of the apartment blocks the Danes assigned to the Inuit when they were relocated from their isolated communities to towns, where they had been self-sufficient.
In one of the town's squares was a sculpture of a Danish explorer - I can't remember which one, now!
We had a brief time to explore the town before our iceberg cruise.
After our excellent Greenlandic sled dog demonstration the previous night, we were pretty familiar with what one of Greenland's dog sleds or sledges, as they sometimes called them, looked like!
These government houses looked nice enough from a distance, but sad and forlorn close up.
As you'll see in the next couple of posts, the reason tourists come to the bustling town of Ilulissat is the mind-boggling number and size of icebergs, and the related UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Ilulissat Icefjord. Even from our already brief experience, we knew the icebergs wouldn't fail to captivate us, and that even local people would just stand and gawk at the wonders of nature!
We wouldn't lack for something to do in Ilulissat if we signed up with the Albatross Arctic Circle tour agency! We just hoped we wouldn't be marooned in Greenland's third-largest town, like some tourists had just been for two weeks, when weather conditions prevented boats and planes from coming or going! Traveling in Greenland isn't for the faint of heart, as I mentioned previously.
In front of the church was a statue of a fisherman, representing the halibut industry's 100th anniversary.
Nearby was the town's kayak club, which had modern versions of the traditional Inuit kayak.
Next post: A thrilling nighttime cruise among giant icebergs.
Posted on November 2nd, 2025, from a record hot day in Denver. Steven and I love the city's dry heat, but 80° temps in early November are a tad scary. My Toronto Blue Jays lost the last two games of the World Series at home, ceding victory last night sadly to the LA Dodgers. It was a tough loss, not just for the team but also for Canadians. Don't forget to take care of yourself and your loved ones.
