Dubai

Dubai Stopover

I flew on to Dubai for three nights (although the first night was pretty much none existent – as I didn’t reach my hotel until 5.30am) and was collected at the airport as arranged – a very impressive service. After a few hours sleep, I wanted to make the most of my day, so I took a taxi and went to one of the shopping malls for a few hours; they are one of the things that Dubai is famous for. The Malls there are huge - I got lost just trying to get out of one! I kept going to where it said exit, only to find that they were “car park exits” and not exits where taxis were waiting! Back at the hotel, I enjoyed some more sunshine, around the pool. It was over forty degrees and you couldn’t sit out in it for very long; so I sat actually in the water reading my book for about an hour – now that was nice! What a relaxing way to read your book! At teatime I had a delightful meal (and not as expensive as I was expecting) in one of the hotel’s five restaurants before retiring to bed - ready for tomorrow’s early start.

Before leaving home, I had booked an Early Morning Balloon Flight and I had to ring to confirm it was still going ahead – which it was! I had booked a balloon flight on a previous holiday and knew they were so prone to be cancelled so I was trying not to get too excited. Anyway, I was collected from the hotel at 4am, and driven two hours to the “take off site”, which was way out in the desert. I had taken both my fleeces and my coat – I thought it would be cold high up in the sky; but the minibus driver told me that I wouldn’t need those extra clothes – he said it was going to be really warm up in the balloon’s basket.

When we arrived, I looked around for toilets, but it really was in the middle of the desert  - not even a bush in sight! There were twenty-three people waiting to get in the bigger balloon’s basket, as well as a couple in the smaller balloon - they had hired it privately. Our pilot was Peter, a Hungarian and a very commandant-like character. He told us to put a safety belt on around our waist, in case of an emergency, then he divided us into two groups, one lot had to get in the right hand side of the basket and the other to get in the left hand side.

Apparently the previous day, he had, had to cancel the flight when people were already in the basket – because the wind had suddenly had got up. Peter was ordering all of his ground crew to assist him in inflating the balloon, some were holding it down, two were operating the enormous fans and Peter was firing heat into the balloon himself. Suddenly, as the balloon started rising from the ground, he shouted that we must all get in the basket as quickly as possible. Everyone had to scramble over the sides of the balloon (there were only two foot holes to enable you to climb in), and I think I went in “head first” – what a jumble of people.

The basket was divided into five sections; the middle for Peter and the other sections had five or six people squeezed into them. Within about twenty seconds, everyone was in, the ropes were released and the basket was moving up and then down to the ground, and then up again!  At this moment I didn’t care if the flight was cancelled, it was too manic, too scary – I really didn’t like it at all. But then, everything went calm and we were airborne! Smoothly we glided up, higher and higher – and it was amazing.

The “take off” was forgotten and everyone was enjoying the view. The sun had just risen and as we rose to four thousand feet, the desert below looked incredible. We saw small farms that were growing grass to feed their camels, impalas running about, and miles of sand dunes with the occasional oasis. We were drifting very slowly, at about twelve kilometres per hour and could see the other balloon far off in the distance.

Peter kept in constant contact with their pilot and they compared notes regarding the altitude, the different wind speed and direction it was blowing. It was surprising that at just a thousand feet below us, the wind was blowing so much stronger and in a different direction. Every so often Peter turned the basket around one hundred and eighty degrees, so that we could all see all the way around, and at one time he told us all to look into the sun and smile. He had wound his camera out on a wire, and took a photograph of us all!

As he kept pulling on the cables to put more heat in the balloon it was so, so hot. It felt like it was singeing my hair and I thought that my coat was going to melt onto my skin. The heat was unbelievable – thank goodness I had left my fleeces in the minibus! After about forty-five minutes we saw the other balloon starting to descend, Peter spoke to the other pilot and the ground crew, and told us we would be probably landing at Al Fukar Lake - which was a dried up area, flat enough to land a jumbo jet on.

Apparently we had covered quite a distance today, about thirty-five kilometres in an “S” shape.  We had to practice what to do when we landed, put your arms around the person in front (except for me, I was the odd one out), put cameras away, and hold on to the ropes inside the basket with both hands firmly – and not let go AT ALL. We had to squat down with our backs to the direction we were facing – and keep calm. I was starting to feel – well, more than anxious! We had five more minutes to admire the scenery below, but some people started feeling ill and were told to be sick over the side!

Peter told us not to look at the ground as we were coming down, but it was hard not to look down because we were going over some fabulous sand dunes with palm trees. He told us that it was going to be a bumpy landing because the wind speed had now reached forty kilometres per hour (that would have been too fast to have taken off an hour previous). As we hit the ground, I was absolutely petrified. The basket bounced on the sand several times before it started sliding along for several hundred metres.

The basket had tipped up onto its side, sand was coming in everywhere and everyone was screaming. When it finally came to a halt, we were all stuck there on our backs, feet in the air, sand everywhere – but happy to be on “terra ferma”. What an experience! Peter told us to stay exactly where we were, he jumped out, and we thought that he was going to collapse the balloon and fold it up, but he didn’t! He got his camera out and took a photograph of us all in that very uncompromising position! We were in hysterics by now, and by the time he had finished; we literally fell out of the basket.

The ground crew arrived quite soon with drinks for us all, which were desperately needed. The balloon was folded up, the basket loaded onto a trailer and we were all put in four by four vehicles and taken back to where our minibus was parked. This part of the adventure was the worst bit; it was so bumpy that I think everyone felt sick by the end of it! As we drove back to the hotel the haze was really bad, it looked like there was a sand storm ahead of us. Apparently the haze is particles of sand clinging to water droplets in the air – it is not a fog at all.

I was so glad that I had booked to do this; it really had been a “Once in a lifetime experience”, especially over such amazing terrain. I don’t know if I would ever want to do it again though – the sand landing might not be so soft next time!

I arrived back at the hotel in time for breakfast, which felt more like lunch, after how long I had been up; and then I ordered a taxi to see the best sites of Dubai. Only having a limited amount of time here, it was the better option, rather than booking a full day’s excursion – and I told the taxi driver exactly what I wanted to see. It was Friday (a holiday), and unfortunately the Gold Souk was closed, but I passed the Heritage Village, stopped to take photographs of the Jumeirah Mosque, Burj Khalifa (Sails) hotel and then drove onto the Palm Island Resort. That was amazing; it is a residential area, with the Seven Star Atlantis Hotel at the end, overlooking the ocean. There was a monorail running from the Atlantis back into the city.

The coastline with its pristine beaches seemed to stretch for miles – I wish that I had booked another day here to spend some time by the beautiful ocean. As we drove back towards the city I marvelled at the buildings, they were so tall, so bright and reflective, so amazing – it was quite a sight.

I could never have walked around the city at all, it was far too hot - well over forty degrees - so I asked to be dropped off at the Emirates Shopping Mall. It was a huge air-conditioned complex full of well known shops, many eating-places and the incredible “snow dome”.

I sat in Costa Coffee watching people skiing, snowboarding and sledging – there was even a real snowstorm whilst I was watching. What an incredible sight, people dressed in winter clothes when it was unbearably hot outside; I was very happy to be in the air-conditioned mall.

After a few hours of retail therapy, I took a taxi back to the hotel where I had a last hour by the pool before getting packed again and ready for the journey home. I could highly recommend a stopover in Dubai, a fascinating place with so much to see and do – especially if you like the heat. It was the end of an incredible day and a fabulous holiday – but as always, I was ready for home!



Lynne

Please check out my other blogs ..............

http://lynnemorleys.blogspot.com

http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com

http://morleysjourneytoozandback.blogspot.com

Mauritius

Mauritius

I arrived on the multi cultural island of Mauritius to bright blue skies and a temperature of 25 degrees and had an hour’s taxi ride to my hotel on the north east coast. Mauritius was first colonized by the Dutch in the 17th century, then by the French until the early 1800’s when the British claimed it – until it’s independence in 1968. It’s a lush, sub tropical island, with dense sub tropical forests, volcanic craters and black basalt rocks – and of course surrounded by coral reefs of the Indian Ocean.

The Ambre hotel was a self-contained resort and as it was “All Inclusive” I didn’t have to leave the place, so for three days I relaxed and recovered from the long journey. I walked both directions up and down Belle Mare beach, a long stretch of pure white sand both ways. This was advertised as one of the best stretches of beach on the island, and I could see why - it was idyllic. 

By the Friday, I was ready to go off exploring – the hire car was booked and although it arrived a bit late – I wanted to see what else Mauritius had to offer! I headed inland for fuel and then up the east coast towards the north part of the island. There were many beautiful bays and beaches all the way up the coast, with car parks and palm tree picnic areas every few miles.

These secluded spots were lovely and shaded and enabled you to park only a few feet from the beautiful ocean. I stopped many times to admire the views before reaching Cap Malheureux, with it’s quaint chapel - red roof and white walls, overlooking yet another fabulous bay. Although the locals frequently asked if you wanted to buy something or go on a boat trip, they weren’t threatening at all - they were all very friendly.

I stopped at Grand Bay, and walked around the coast for a while, admiring the yachts and other boats – but it was a bit too commercial for my liking – more like a holiday resort. There were too many activities happening and too many shops! As I passed through many of the towns you couldn’t help but admire and marvel at the temples – they were so different from any that I had seen anywhere else.

They weren’t gold, they were completely multi coloured, pink, blue, yellow, red, and green – every colour imaginable. The highlight of my day had to be visiting Pamplemousse (meaning Grapefruit in Mauritian) Gardens in the centre of the island, 60 acres of tropical paradise that was originally planted in 1735.

It included 500 different species of trees and plants – including my favourite – The Giant Victoria Regia Water Lillies. They were incredible and completely lived up to my expectations – there was a large rectangular pond full of them, some of the Lillies must have been four feet across, with upturned edges, they looked like you could sit on them and sail away.

There was the occasional heron balancing on them, with pink coloured flowers peering out between the pads. There were some very old palms in the garden, (that flower when they reach 60 years of age and then they die!) several other ponds, a deer pen and a tortoise enclosure. It was quite a sight watching the Giant Tortoises; there were 18 of them, some enjoying the sunshine, some wallowing in the mud, some drinking the pond water and a few feeling very frisky!

Now that looked mighty uncomfortable! After visiting the gardens I headed towards the capital, Port Louis, which looked very busy, so I returned to the hotel, along small roads with sugar cane both sides and villages that were so small, you had gone through them without realising.

The most hazardous part of driving, was avoiding the dogs that wandered along the roads. I arrived back to the hotel absolutely exhausted, I had, had a full 9 hours out driving around the north of the island and ended my day with a relaxing walk along the beach.

The second day exploring saw me heading west, but as it was Saturday the roads were so busy that it took hours to reach the first port of call. When I arrived at Tamarin, looking for the Waterfalls, I was directed along an awful dirt track, along the top edge of a dormant volcano, stopping at separate viewpoints to admire the Tamarin Waterfall. From up there I could see for miles over the flat plains towards the coast, and the Black River National Park in the distance. The next stop was supposed to be another Botanical Gardens, but when I eventually found it, I discovered it was now derelict. There were however, more coloured plants and flowers growing along the roadside (even more colour than at Pamplemousse).

I drove into the National Park and found Alexandra Falls, with the loveliest shaded picnic site, and a view of more waterfalls and the mountainous rainforest beyond. I spoke to a very friendly policeman who asked me where I was headed, and when I told him I was heading to Chamarel – he said that it was very hot there! Surely it wasn’t going to get hotter than it was now!

The journey to Chamarel was horrendous – the hairpin bends were the worst that I have ever driven around, especially with the steep drops at each side of the road - when there was only enough room for one vehicle! It was the longest couple of miles ever. The first part of Chamarel was to see the waterfall – the Chamarel Cascade, and although I had already seen two waterfalls that day, this one was the best – as well as water gushing down hundreds of metres, the light was catching the water just right – making rainbows in the sunshine.

Very impressive! I carried on further down towards the “Seven Coloured Earth”, along more terrifying single-track roads. What a sight I was greeted with at the bottom! It was like a lunar landscape, but in so many different shades of red, orange, brown and grey. Some people said that these volcanic mounds looked like a giant coloured tortoise shell – I preferred the likeness to the moon though. The policeman was right, it was very hot down at Chamarel – it was like being in the desert – but surrounded by dense sub tropical forest with many birds, lizards and small animals.

I stopped and had an ice cream and a rest, trying to avoid the intense sun. I was dreading travelling back up the mountain – but thankfully it wasn’t that bad. I headed back through the National Forest stopping at the viewpoint to see the Black River Gorge and the plains looking towards the coast beyond. The final stop on my itinerary for the day was the Grand Bassin, and nothing could have prepared me for the sight of that!  As I travelled through the forest, the single-track road suddenly become a 6-lane highway, and in the distance, there stood a 108-foot high statue overlooking the sacred lake, a place of pilgrimage for many Hindu people.

The spectacular statue was a bronze colour and reminded me of “The Angel of The North” and the road approaching it was so impressive; it made you feel like you were approaching Mecca! I walked around the garden at the top, and down to the lake below (which was full of fish thriving on all of the “offerings” they were being given), and saw strange concrete stools at 1-metre intervals – I think they were used for ceremonies to baptize people. It was an awesome place to see, very colourful, serene and sacred.

The drive back to the hotel took over 2 hours; and in the failing twilight it was a miracle that I didn’t run over any stray dogs, men on bicycles, wandering pedestrians or cars on the wrong side of the road! Ten hours out, I was so tired. I thought that this island wasn’t supposed to be very big – only 45 x 65 km; no one had said how hard it was to actually get around it! I had a much-needed shower, dinner, more insect repellent and went to bed – absolutely exhausted.

Sunday was my last day with the car, and I had decided to see the south of the island, which was supposed to be the rugged, windswept coastline with crashing waves. I headed off through the sugar plantations again, crossing many rivers full of boulders and swirling water. I went through one town (hamlet really) and the police told me to stop whilst a colourful parade passed us – a Hindu ceremony  – the costumes were so bright and colourful!

My first stop was a place called Gris Gris, a small cove overlooking a sandy beach below, with high cliffs and waves crashing into the granite rocks. Because there are no coral reefs to contain the waves here, they crashed spectacularly against the black rocks, which reminded me of Cornwall.  I walked around the gardens on top of the cliff top at Souillac, before heading off to find Rochester Waterfalls. They have got to be the hardest place to get to (and yesterday was bad enough), I was directed through fields upon fields of sugarcane, turning this way and then that way.

The signs got smaller and smaller, finally only showing a wave on them. I was very tempted to get out and walk when it said there was only 500 metres to go – what a good job I didn’t! Eventually, after about 30 minutes of dirt tracks, uneven roads and boulders, I got out of the car and just headed towards the noise of the water and people shouting. At the bottom of a very steep hill, I found hoards of people shouting and cheering at young men jumping off basalt rocks, very high up, into the cool, running waters below.

The falls were very picturesque, with torrents of water crashing down into the cool, deep, dark waters below, surrounded by a lush green forest. But only yards away from that cool shade, the intense sun was blazing down and the car was miles up the hill! After a struggle to get back to the car, and even more of a struggle to remember the way through the maze of sugar cane fields out onto the main road again, I headed to the coast and found a lovely sheltered spot by the beach to have lunch.

There weren’t many people about and it was good to spend some time just sitting watching the sea, which was lovely and calm, and a beautiful green colour – before heading off on the long journey back to the hotel. I stopped at a bridge to take a photograph of the river below, and saw two men jumping and swimming in the water; surprisingly one of them had no clothes on! And I thought nudity was frowned upon in Mauritius! The roads were fairly quite most of the way back; everyone must have gone home for an afternoon siesta – thank goodness. Travelling on the roads had been a complete nightmare – cars and motorbikes coming down on the wrong side of the road, sometimes on both sides at once! I felt like I didn’t have enough eyes – I just had to close my eyes, wave and laugh!

Back to the hotel for a few more days of sunshine and a much needed rest after my 3 days exploring!  I think the maps and tourist guides were wrong, the island is far bigger than they say! I enjoyed the sunshine and all the amenities that the hotel had to offer: I enjoyed long walks along the beach; I had a go at canoeing one day when the sea wasn’t too rough and swam in the sea and in the pool many times.

Although it was very hot, there was always a breeze that kept you from feeling too hot! I never got burnt, which was amazing in temperatures that were well over 30 degrees. I discovered some wonderful rock pools that were left between the granite boulders, when the tide went out – full of wonderful, little, tropical fish (neon tetras, angel fish and little black sharks). As I scrambled further and further out, searching for more interesting fish, I did the ultimate………………I slid and fell in the water. I literally sat in it, thoroughly soaking myself! But it was worth it; the sights that I saw early that morning were amongst the best I had seen from the beach. I loved the white crabs, which looked as if they had red smiley faces painted on them, scurrying into their holes when the tide had subsided. A thoroughly enjoyable time at the Ambre Hotel and on the tropical island of Mauritius!

Next I was planning a short stopover in Dubai on the way home…….....Watch out for that, its very exciting!

Please check out my other blogs ..............

http://lynnemorleys.blogspot.com

http://lynnemorley.blogspot.com

http://morleysjourneytoozandback.blogspot.com

Greenland Trip

                                                 A Few Days in Greenland

     

Saturday 1st June

I got up really early, opening my curtains in anticipation of a glorious morning - but no such luck! I think it rains every morning in Iceland, and the sun always comes out at 9pm. After breakfast, I checked out of my hotel and headed to the local airport. This part of my trip was to the east coast of Greenland, somewhere completely new to me and relatively new to tourism. Greenland is the world's largest island and most of it lies within the Arctic Circle. Eighty five percent of it is covered by ice; with only the narrow coastal fringe of rugged mountains and green valley’s remaining ice-free, allowing a resilient and determined community to live there. 

It is the home to the largest Inuit (Eskimo) population in the world, and with their ability to adapt to the severe climatic conditions here; they have survived where others found it impossible to live. I was hoping to see this magnificent, unspoilt, land before too much of it changed. Surprisingly, it was only just over 100 years since the first Europeans arrived at this coast; and its tiny coastal settlements that have retained their traditional rural way of life - only slightly influenced by the Western world. Most of the east coast is uninhabited, and the only settlements are limited to the Tasiilaq area, also known as Ammassalik.

I flew to Kulusuk, on a relatively small plane; I had expected it to be full - as it was the first flight of the season, but there were many empty seats. The scenery below was unbelievable; the packed sea ice looked incredible, it was just breaking apart, pure white, as far as the eye could see. Before I knew it, we were coming in to land at Kulusuk, a small village with only 100 inhabitants - but it had an international airport. Well that part is a bit of a joke!

The runway, where we landed was a dirt track, and we stopped over the biggest muddy puddle that we had to walk through to get to the small terminal building. Looking around, the snow was piled up at least ten feet high. Whilst I was waiting for the helicopter to take me on the final part of my journey, I met up with several people who were going to the same place as me, a few tourists and 2 ladies who were travelling out there to work. After an hour it was time to board the helicopter, but where were we going to sit?

I have never seen anything like it; the amount of food boxes, as well as our luggage, that was squeezed into the front of the helicopter was unbelievable. I sat looking out of the side window, and what an amazing ten-minute journey! 







What a view! You could see the ice breaking up, reflections of the mountains on the jet-black ocean, icebergs, more ice and more mountains.

It was absolutely breath taking, but the journey went far too fast.

We landed at Ammassalik, on a square of concrete this time - that was an improvement! The sun was shining, the sky was blue, the mountains were white, the sea was still icy and the houses were a multitude of colours. It was even better than the pictures that had drawn me here. The locals call this place Tasiilaq, and it is the largest town in East Greenland, with almost 2000 inhabitants.

It is situated in a protective fjord, with huge jagged peaks on all sides, and it is cut in two by a river, which flows through the Valley of Flowers behind the town. We were picked up by the hotel minibus and taken up to our hotel, high up, overlooking the town. It looked very basic on the Internet, but I was pleasantly surprised, it was far nicer and more modern than I had expected. I quickly unpacked and went for lunch. 

After being told that the town had nearly run out of food and the supply ship wasn't expected for several more weeks (because the ice pack was late thawing this year), I had no idea what food I was going to be eating. When my lunch was put in front of me, I couldn't believe it. There was salmon, white fish, prawns, herring, caviar, salad, fruit, a meatball, cold lamb and delicious home baked bread.

It must be so hard for the people here to work out how much food and supplies they need to keep them going from October, when the last supply ship comes - until the following July, when the next one arrives. Some items come in by helicopter, but this is such an expensive option, it isn't used very often. After lunch, the owner of the hotel, Mickey, took us on a guided tour of the town. Even though it looked sparse, once we started driving around, I was surprised to see how many amenities there were.

There was a school, with an area for boarders, a large supermarket (that sold everything from food, to clothes and hunting equipment), a police station, a church, a busy harbour (when the ice thawed out), a museum, a hospital and a post office that makes stamps for the whole of Greenland. The houses were painted in many bright colours, and often contained several generations of the same family; most had sleighs and husky dogs tied up outside, although for some it was snowmobiles.

There were even traditional fish hanging outside people’s houses - drying in the sun. As we continued around town, everyone was out enjoying themselves, as it was Children's day! So everyone was out with their children, there was lots of singing in the streets - and drinking was banned for the whole weekend. There were quite a few birds, arctic terns as you would expect, and snow sparrows - but not many seagulls - it is too far north for them. There were still piles of snow by the roadside, and we were told that it had been a long winter this year, with snow 2 -3 metres deep. When the weather turns nasty and the wind gets up, it is not unusual for houses to literally "blow away"; that is why some houses have steel cables running over them - to hold them down.

There was a tower in the centre of the town with an alarm on it, which goes off when a storm is approaching. We saw a museum, which was closed, and next to it was a potato house - where everyone’s perishables are stored in the winter. After the trip around town, we had a few hours before tea, to relax. My eyes felt so tired, I can see why people get snow blindness; I had put my sunglasses on earlier - but the brightness had still got to me!

After dinner I went a walk to the edge of the bay, to where the sea ice meets the frozen ice of our bay, to get some more photos, it was one of those places where you can't stop taking them, and with the everlasting daylight, the sun was still high in the sky until well after 9pm. It never really got dark, not all through the night. The Midnight Sun turned the mountains a delightful a shade of pink, and they were always there whenever I looked out of my window - which I did many times through the night!

Sunday 2nd June 

I got up at 7am, to another beautiful day, and I knew what I wanted to do; after breakfast, I was going for a walk in the Valley of the Flowers. This was a beautiful valley with unique arctic fauna, hundreds of different plants, mosses, saxifrages and arctic poppies.

But I was not under any illusion that they would be out yet - the winter here was dragging on. The French couple decided to come with me, as the alternative was to go to church! We were dropped us off near the cemetery where the trail began. I didn't know how far we would be able to go, because there was still so much snow on the ground - but I didn't mind, I just wanted a bit of an adventure. When we reached the cemetery, the snow began to get deeper and we could see up ahead it was getting worse, and Michelle decided to go back, so Jean and I carried on.

We couldn’t see the trail and had to guess where to walk. We just followed where someone had gone maybe the day before, and in parts the snow was up to the top of my legs! I had been told to follow the river, but there was a waterfall to our right that disappeared under the snow; and Jean was worried that we might end up falling down a crevasse into freezing water below. I led the way and could feel and see the ground underneath, so I wasn't worried. After we had walked for about an hour we reached some rocky ground and decided that, that was far enough, we were both rather wet and tired. We opted for going back via the higher ground, using the rocky areas.

Jean took the lead this time, which I didn't mind at all. It was far easier putting my feet in the holes in the snow where he had stepped; although when the footprints were two foot deep - it was hard on the legs! I must have fallen over at least a dozen times. I never hurt myself, and couldn't stop laughing, but I was getting wetter by the minute. It was a scary when we had to cross about 12 feet of ice, and you could see and hear the water running below it. Jean went first very slowly, and I followed, mighty relieved when we reached the solid ground in one piece. I did have an ‘Exciting moment’ - I saw a paw print in the snow, it was a huge paw print that I decided must have belonged to a polar bear.

I knew there were polar bears here, because one of the locals told me one actually went into Kulusuk town last week and as far as I was concerned this was my polar bear "near sighting". When we got back into town, we stopped by the church to catch a lift back with the hotel shuttle, but it never turned up, so everyone had to walk back - up “Nightmare hill”.

The day was becoming cloudier and after lunch, we were told that the flag was flying at the museum (that meant it was open), we decided to have a walk down to it. A old Inuit man ran the museum, he didn't speak any English at all but he was most amenable. The museum was in the old church, and was full of old Inuit masks, costumes, trinkets, a canoe, carvings, paintings and photographs.

We spent an enjoyable hour there, before getting an ice cream from the local shop - to help us get back up heart-attack hill. By this time the cloud had almost come down as far as our hotel and the temperature had dropped considerably. I was happy to let my legs have the rest of the day off and catch up with my diary; I always had the view from my window to distract me. After dinner, which was the best lamb that I have ever tasted, everyone went back to their rooms.

I know that Jeppe said everyone goes to bed early, but this was ridiculous – it was only 7.30pm! Still, I had another day of Iceland to write up, as well as mountain viewing and I could always watch television if I was desperate!

Monday 3rd June

I had the worst night sleep, I even tried wearing an eye mask to make it dark, but that didn't help. So when it reached 6.00am, I got up, had a shower and made a coffee. The weather outside wasn't looking very good, it was drizzly and dark clouds obscured the tops of the mountains. I went down for breakfast, and had a chat to Maggie and Irene, before they left for the airport. I decided to go down to the heliport, to see them off; but then the hotel owner Mickey came to us and said, so casually "There will be no flights from Kulusuk to Reykjavik today, there is a problem, maybe there is too much water on the runway!" Maggie, Irene, Jean and Michelle were given the choice of stopping in Hotel Ammassalik or flying to Kulusuk and staying in their sister hotel there. They opted to go and stay in Kulusuk, where they would have the chance to explore the small fishing community.

I still went a drive down with them and then went a walk, not far from the helipad, hoping to see the pack ice more clearly. I hadn't gone far when Jeppe pulled up beside me in the minibus. He said that there wasn't much down that way, and he took me to the end - which wasn't very nice, it was the rubbish dump and the saddest thing was to see all of this rubbish by the side of, and occasionally falling in, to this picturesque fjord. Anyway, I had a lift back to the hotel where it was safe and dry and I watched the helicopters coming to and fro all morning. I had thought the flight from Tasiilaq would be the problem - not the flight back to Reykjavik!

One thing was slightly un-nerving though, Jean said when he booked this trip, his tour operator said "This is the date you fly out to Greenland, but I cannot give you a date when you will be able to leave. It will depend on the weather"! There were only 3 of us for lunch, no new arrivals, as no one could get here! An interesting tale I learnt at lunchtime was about the helicopter that had broken down last week, leaving 3 guests stranded in Kulusuk. The authorities here were getting so worried that it wasn't going to get fixed by the weekend, and they had no way of getting the spare part from Kulusuk to Tasiilaq, as no boats could get through the ice. So they wrapped the part in two pillows and clear wrap, hired a small plane, and had the package thrown out of the plane, to land on the football pitch. How incredible is that!

I caught up with a few bits and pieces after lunch, but couldn't stay inside all day. So I put lots of clothes on, and braved the rain, heading off towards the supermarket. Problem was, I noticed a shortcut, and trying to avoid all the really big hills, I gave it a go. When will I learn! I ended up in a life threatening position on a cliff side, and then I thought I would walk over, what looked like a playing field. The melting wet snow ended up being about two foot deep, so I got soaked again. When I got to the supermarket, it was such an eye opener to see rifles and live ammunition in between the children’s toys, cakes and Ikea-like furniture! Everything was so expensive, a box of cereal, a small box of chocolates, some facial wipes, shampoo etc were all at least £5 each. I have no idea how people afford to live here. I didn't stay long, and promised myself that I would stick to the roads all the way back, no matter how tired I was - and was it a trek getting back to the hotel! But after a hot shower and a couple of drinks, I was ok, and happy to stop in the dry and warmth for the rest of the day.

At dinner, the Danish professor told me that a few of years ago, 10 polar bears came into Tasiilaq one spring and they were all shot dead. The government grants each town a certain number that they are allowed to kill, because if polar bears do get this far south, it is doubtful that they will ever get back to their hunting grounds in the north - alive. But last week, one was spotted near Kulusuk, and they weren't allowed to shoot it because they had already killed this season’s quota. He also told us about a seal he shot that was so big he couldn't get it in his boat, so he shot in the air 3 times, meaning he needed help.

Someone came to help him, but the seal was so heavy, it weighed his boat down too far at the back, so he had to shoot a smaller one, and put it in the front - to balance things up. When he got back to the harbour with it, even 5 men could not pull it out of the boat, so they called a taxi to pull it out. It was just left, tied with some rope in the water, and when the tide went out, he was able to go and cut it up for his dogs to eat, and all of his neighbour’s dogs too! Anyway, I had an early night, hoping to get a more restful sleep than the one I had the previous night.

Tuesday 4th June

I got up really early, but felt refreshed after a good nights sleep. Looking out of the window, it looked as awful as yesterday and I had no idea if I would be leaving or not.

Apparently it might not have been a wet runway that cancelled yesterday’s flight; it might have been the fact that there weren’t many people booked on the flight! As I was having breakfast, the cloud/mist/rain was getting worse by the minute. At 9am I was told that everything was OK today and the flight would be going ahead. I was relieved but surprised, as the conditions looked worse than yesterday to me. Anyway, after settling my bill, Jeppe took me down to the helipad.

There were only 3 of us in the helicopter to Kulusuk, and not much luggage; so I sat at the front this time and had a great view. Even though it was raining, the ten-minute flight was still spectacular and I loved every minute if it. When I arrived at Kulusuk, the sun was shining; the scenery was amazing and I could see huge icebergs floating down the fjord, by the airport. I had been told that it was worth trying to get into town, and as I had over 3 hours to spare, I tried to get a taxi – but there were no other vehicles about at all.

The walk into town wasn't too far, 15 minutes to the hotel and another 15 minutes to town, so off I set. It was unbelievable walking along the road, there was only enough room for one vehicle; and the snow was piled so high at both sides of the road. Anyway, true to time, I arrived at the hotel and asked if anyone was able to drive me into the town - no chance! They said that the only way was to walk - I thought they were just being miserable because Jeppe had told me that they would happily take me to town.

They said no vehicles could go down the road and that it would only take me 15 minutes to walk it. So I headed off down the hill. Oh my, they weren't kidding. The road would have been totally impassable by any vehicle; it had nearly been washed away by the floodwater that was still gushing down off the surrounding hills. The base of the snow wall at the edge of the road was being eroded away and every few metres, the side of the road had caved in - making underground waterfalls.

As for the middle of the road, it was just a torrent of water gushing down the entire width of the road. How could today’s conditions be better than yesterdays? I walked for 15 minutes, and the banks of snow either side of the road were even higher, they must have been almost 20 feet high. I was starting to feel closed-in by the height of them, and scared that they might crash down and I would be crushed under them. No one would know I was there! So, as I still couldn't see the town, I decided to call it a day, and turn around. 

Once the high banks of snow became smaller banks of snow, the view of the ice floating in the fjords was lovely - it gave off a delightful turquoise tinge. The hills to the other side of the road were more intimidating though. I suddenly had an awful thought that there could be a polar bear out there - I had forgotten that just last week a polar bear was spotted right here. What was I doing! Trying to get myself eaten or crushed under snow.

I hurried back to the airport as quickly as I could and kept thinking of what to do if I came across a polar bear, but I couldn't remember anything. I was so glad to get back to the little airport where I had a coffee and read a magazine, and saw an interesting article with a photo of a polar bear footprint - that was identical to the paw print I saw in the valley of the flowers. Oh my, that really was a polar bear. After a while, Maggie, Irene and the French couple arrived, they had enjoyed their stay in Kulusuk and managed to go on a dog sleigh ride.

Then they showed me a photograph of a polar bear, next to the helicopter, right here at this airport last week.

I suddenly felt glad to be leaving here in one piece! It had been the most incredible few days. I was hoping to see the place in the sunshine, which I had; it had been a great bunch of people and made me remember why I like to travel. As it says at Iceland's airport "It isn't all about the destination - it is about the journey". And on this one, I felt privileged to have had both. I had met the loveliest people, seen the most amazing things and had experiences to cherish forever. We were relieved when they announced that we could board the plane, yes, we were really going.

I had been watching the vehicles outside trying to flatten the runway and move the muddy puddles about, although we still had to walk through them to reach the plane. When we got on the plane, we saw that there were only 15 passengers, when there was room for 50, so it was likely that yesterday’s flight was cancelled due to there not being enough people on it, rather than the weather. The stewardess came down and told us that we were waiting for 6 more passengers; they were walking with their cases from the town, in all that rain and mud! When they eventually arrived, we managed to take off and I was so relieved.


We all said our goodbyes at the airport, and Geoffrey shared a taxi with me into the city. I checked into my hotel, had a quick walk, got everything ready for the morning and went to bed. I was only at this hotel for 9 hours; I had to be up before 4am the next morning for my flight home. Everything on this trip had been fabulously organised. It really had been a wonderful trip, far better that I was expecting, and had left me with such wonderful memories and of course - amazing photos!

Try Greenland – it’s amazing!

Here's a few more ice photographs..................................

In the meantime, please check out my other blogs as well as :-

http://lynnemorleys.blogspot.com

http://lynnejmorley.blogspot.com

http://morleysjourneytoozandback.blogspot.com