Prince Christian Sound, August 10, 2017

Prince Christian Sound, Greenland, August 10, 2017

Yesterday in Qaqortoq, the Captain went up in the red helicopter that serves the town and made a quick trip up the Prince Christian Sound to see if the ice clogged eastern entrance had cleared. As he had suspected it had not so rather than cruising through the Sound he was going to Plan B and would drive the boat up the Sound while we slept and then at 7 am, would U-turn and we would sail back at a stately pace (10 knots or so) to the western opening, about a four or five hour journey.

80% of Greenland (the interior) is covered by an ice sheet second in mass only to Antarctica. It's so thick in the center of the island that the weight of it has pushed the land to below sea level. Gradually this ice creeps to the coastline in the form of glaciers. Chunks break off (calving), fall to the sea and become icebergs. We saw some bergs that had been carried by the tide in and around Qaqortoq yesterday. There are quite a few in the Sound. They're not the monsters we saw near Antarctica but still an impressive size. Because it's fairly warm (low 50s) they gradually melt as they travel along. Good thing. Otherwise there'd be icebergs in the Keys!

Barbara, the LG, narrated the cruise talking about the geography of the region, birds, vegetation (not much, just moss on the mountainsides), etc. This is when I must confess that I did not rise and shine in time to catch the turn around. In my defense, we had to move the clocks forward another hour last night and my cranky quotient is directly related to hours of sleep. Less sleep = more cranky. So I did the next best thing; got dressed and went out on the deck 9-ish (go through the Showroom on 4, through the crew-only passageway to the big step and narrow door that leads outside) and asked the lady standing next to me what I'd missed.  Not much.

The scenery is stark, dramatic and forbidding. We left the trees and flowers back in Labrador. The coastline of Greenland consists of massive, craggy mountains rising steeply (no beaches) up from the ocean floor. We've seen the occasional bird flying past but absolutely no land animals. As they push to the sea glaciers grind the mountains down into smooth U shaped valleys that eventually become fjords. The mountains not crushed by the glaciers rise to uneven, sharp peaks. We passed a number of glaciers spilling down to the sea and even more waterfalls fed by melting ice plunging hundreds of feet also to the sea. Along the tops of the mountains you can see the edges of the ice sheet. And it's quiet, so quiet. We did not encounter another vessel but we did spot a cluster of a few buildings on the shore of this tiny little protected bay with a sailboat at anchor. I cannot imagine that journey. One would have to time one's departure to get out before the winter ice blocks the Sound. We're keeping a list of Things to Google When We're Not Paying 50 Cents Per Minute for Internet and that unexpected outpost is definitely on it.

It wasn't as cold in the Sound as expected. We didn't go full Arctic Expedition but we did have on long pants (even Jim!), long sleeves, Polar fleece, gloves and hats. The Sound is quite narrow, protected from the wind so it was closer to 50 than 40. But you could still pretend it was freezing and thus the hot mulled wine available was a necessity and could be allowed on the list of acceptable day drinking situations: brunch, airplanes and now outside, surrounded by glaciers.

As I'm typing this we've left the Sound and turned left passing Cape Farewell (love that name) at the southernmost tip of Greenland on our way to Iceland. The sun is out, sort of. At least there are some breaks in the clouds. A lot of grey skies up on top of the Earth.

The Captain just made his daily noon announcements and told us that the weather was so bad last night as the ship made it's way up the Sound that he nearly cancelled the whole thing. But about 2 am the heavy rain finally abated and on we continued. Stuff happens on these trips so the itineraries are always subject to change. It's not like we're eating hard tack, lashed to the mast. As long as they keep putting out those little raisin buns at breakfast and the world's best ever bread pudding at lunch I'm good to go wherever.

We're really punks in the trips taken tally. Last night we had dinner with a man who has taken this trip nine times before. He's been everywhere else, too and was supposed to be on the World Cruise we took in '13. Another man at the table travels constantly, too. He is a frequent flier on six different cruise lines so Lois Lane here asked him a million questions about his favorites, etc. Both of the men had taken trips on the huge ships that carry thousands and although they preferred smaller ships, said that the crew on the big ones were masterful at getting everyone on and off. We might have to try one---a short one!

The what-time-is-showtime conundrum continues. Last night they tried 6 and 8 instead of 8 and 10 which seemed to help balance out the attendance so they'll do it again tonight. However, not only do old people not like change, when change happens they complain. A lot. Evidently the 8 o'clock group continues to send ahead a scout to save seats for friends. Saving seats in the theater and chaises on the pool deck is forbidden but done anyway. (The guys told us that on the big ships you get a ticket for a specific seat at the shows) Old people complain about other people breaking the laws of the land but claim Old People Immunity when they do it. Like that 80+ year old woman that keeps robbing jewelry stores around Atlanta. She always gets caught, always plays the Old Lady card (she looks like Miss Marple), always gets off and then immediately does it all again. So tomorrow night the shows in the Showroom will be at 8 and 9:30. The Cruise Director says that the doors for the early show will open promptly at 7:30 and close at 8. No seat saving which I'm sure the several hundred 5 Star Mariners aboard will do anyway. Evidently the later show people are no problem. The dining room is all the way forward on 4 and 5. The theater is all the way aft on 4 and 5. Early dinner seating at 5:30. Finished around 7 which means a serious stampede from one end of the ship to the other soon after. We, of course, will stay above the fray quite literally by taking refuge in the Crow's Nest on 9. And people think that sea travel is dull. You just have to keep an ear to the ground, your eyes open and schmooze with the staff to find the drama.