Uunartoq/ The Hot Springs

15JUL: On your own in Qaqortoq - Uunartoq/ The Hot Springs
Map of Greenland - Grönlandsresor
Day 5

Today it is time to experience Qaqortoq on your own and there is plenty to do. At the tourist office you can get a map of the sculptures scattered around in the town. Take a walk over the river and visit the open fish and meat market and the cozy museum, which is also the oldest house from 1804.

08:30 from “kongebroen” A visit to the hot springs Uunartoq booked and confirmed.

A visit to the hot springs Uunartoq. The lakes are situated on an island approx. 50 kilometer south of Qaqortoq near the settlement Alluitsup Paa. It's a great experience to enjoy the warm water surrounded by huge mountains and floating icebergs. On the 2.5 hour boat trip, there are good chances to see whales frolicking.
Grönlandsresor

Uunartoq/ The Hot Springs



Wednesday 15th of July 2015 and I had been awake for about 30 minutes when my alarm went off at 7. And that's even though I didn't felt asleep until almost 2 o'clock in the morning. I had forgot to
Uunartoq

Hot springs are abundant in South Greenland, but the island of Uunartoq is home to the only hot springs in the country that are warm enough to bathe in. Uunartoq Island is located in the Kujalleq municipality in southern Greenland, close to the settlement of Alluitsup Paa. The island lies halfway between Qaqortoq and Nanortalik and can be reached on a daytrip by boats from each of these two towns.

Scattered around the island are a number of pools fed by hot water springs bubbling up from the ground below that keep the water temperature a balmy 34-38 degrees even during the freezing winter. What’s unique about Uunartoq is that the hot springs are in a completely natural environment in the middle of a grassy field.

There are no tarmac bus car parks, no spa complexes with expensive additional products and nor is it overrun. The only structures fashioned by the hand of man are a gangway and two modest sheds in which to change. The ruins of a nunnery stand nearby. Pieces of icebergs drift offshore, and many whales frequent these waters.

The hot springs at Uunartoq have been known for at least a thousand years. During the Viking era, the Norse settlers constructed bathtubs with boulders around the springs creating a medieval spa. The Benedictine nuns living on a neighbouring island in a convent dedicated to Olaf the Holy helped the sick benefit from the health-giving powers and pain-relieving effects of Uunartoq's warm water.

Legends dating back to this period tell how the island’s warm waters cured the sick, relieved their suffering and helped them regain their health. When the Norse settlers disappeared, the Thule race, the ancestors of present-day Greenlanders, took over. Qerrortuut Inuit ruins dating back to the late 18th and early 19th century can still be found on the island.

From www.amusingplanet.com
ask for extra pillows and a blanket and it was cold in my room. Anyway, 3 minutes later I received my wake-up call.

I was in the restaurant 20 minutes before 8 and I had 3 slices of fresh bread and two cups of tea. Danish liver pate, sounds good, and it is kind of good, but it is not even coming close to the Liver pate from Skåne they have at the breakfast at Elite Marina Plaza Hotel in Helsingborg.

I reached the King's bridge at 8 o'clock and the Swedish couple were waiting for the boat. They told me the boat was leaving at 8 thirty and I said that that was impossible. They had told us 8 o'clock yesterday. And as we're paying customers they are treating us with due respect. I would have preferred to stay in Uunartoq/ The Hot Springsbed the 30 minutes waiting instead of staying here.

There was a boat at the King's bridge and this as our boat. I stepped on board and I told the Swedish couple to join me so we could leave. And we were soon on our way towards the hot springs in a small speed boat. We were pretty soon giving up the idea to spot any whales, at least while going to the Uunartoq as it was dense for. Our Driver told us that they had seen whales yesterday and I asked if it was going there or going back to Qaqortoq again.

They had seen the whales when going back to Qaqortoq and we might see some whales going back home to Hotel Qaqortoq in the afternoon. I must say that I was not very interested in the hot springs, I had booked this excursion for the whales.

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs on a gloomy and grey morning

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs on a gloomy and grey morning

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Approaching icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Approaching icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
Passing icebergs in the fog

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
We arrive to the Uunartoq and The Hot Springs

On the way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
We arrive to the Uunartoq and the Hot Springs

It was a beautiful boat ride through the fog and the icebergs. We didn’t see any whales but I have never seen so many seals before. They were swimming in huge groups and understandably, they Uunartoq and The Hot Springswere very afraid and they dived as soon as we approached. Not as on Svalbard where they stayed on the ice enjoyed the sunshine even though we were quite close to them.

We got off the boat at a bridge and we had to walk to a hose and a wind shelter. The hose was a changing room, left side for ladies and right side for men. And as you understand, depends from which direction you approach. But we Uunartoq and The Hot Springsapproached from the bridge.

There was a walk path from the bridge up to the house and hot spring and we passed a bird on the way. The first sign of wild life on the island.

The bird was not scared, at least the bird showed no sign Bird on Greenlandof being scared. Just stood there next to the foot path twitter. We stopped to take a Uunartoq and The Hot Springsfew pictures and the bird just stood there twittering on and on next to the foot path leading to the hot water spring.

Then we discovered that there was a nest with four eggs.

That's the reason for the bird to stay, courage, to protect the nest and the eggs and we rushed away as we didn't wanted to disturb the bird. Respect is what you need to equip yourself with when in the nature. We were soon reaching the hot spring and I discovered that some twat had been throwing plastic bottles and garbage around the hot water Uunartoq and The Hot Springsspring. There were also a plastic bottle on the bottom of the hot spring.

Yeah, nice to see that they bring out the twats to destroy the sights in the area. This was just what we needed.

My new friends went to change in the changing room and I changed in the shelter. And then it was time to get in to the water. Well, first a few pictures. We were half way to Uunartoq and The Hot Springs when I realised that I had forgotten my water camera. So no swimming action pictures today! DARN! This hot water spring was one of the reason for me to bring my water camera. Carrying that one around the world for nothing!

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
They told me to get up as they had launched the whaler back in Qaqortoq

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
The boat driver comes up and he takes a few pictures

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
3 Skåningar??!! in the hot water spring

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
3 Skåningar??!! in the hot water spring

The funniest of things happened in the hot water spring. I don't know if it was due to some bonding between me and a unknown couple. Well, unknown until a few days ago when we arrived to Greenland. But here, it was like a bolt from a blue sky, they told me that both of them came from Skåne. I was about to shit in the hot water spring.
Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st- What the Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.st

Oh yeah, they told me that they were both born in Skåne. I asked why they didn't spoke Skånska. Well, they were born in Skåne 200 years ago and now they were speaking Smålänska, not the most beautiful dialect.

We were soon joined by 2 children in the pool and we decided to start moving back to the boat and Hotel Qaqortoq. We were going to bring 2 campers from Switzerland with us. They had arrived here with the boat yesterday and they were going back to Qaqortoq today.

They had been on Greenland for 3 weeks hiking about 220km. Where have they had their showers? OK, here on Uunartoq they have had the Hot Springs. But otherwise? Camping on a rock, now bathrooms to be seen around here!

When I came down to the bridge there was a few loud bangs and I saw one of the icebergs starting to crack. And one of the icebergs flipped around with a loud bang. This is the very small icebergs, mini icebergs comparing with the icebergs we will see up North. But they made a lot of loud noise. We will leave for Nuuk tomorrow and we will stay there for 2 days and then we will go north to see the glaciers, I CAN'T WAIT! Biggest calving glacier in the world

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
I'm going back tot he boat

Uunartoq and The Hot Springs
A sail boat arrives to Uunartoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq
Going back to Qaqortoq

We left Uunartoq and The Hot Springs in the nick of the foocking time. 2 children in the pool was OK, but when we came down to the bridge there were about 50 people coming. And on top of that a sailing boat after we had left. The darn hot water spring will be full.

Or as my new friend from Småland said: This as the best of the day, we have been alone enjoying the hot spring and now they are 50 people foocking up the place. Yes, we were very very happy Going back to Qaqortoqwhen we left. What a day, a gorgeous day at the hot spring. And we had a very nice ride through the fog in the morning with beautiful icebergs

Beautiful icebergs, where are all the icebergs coming from? Here are a small calving glacier as we saw when we left Qassiarsuk bound for Itilleq. Those were the small icebergs. So where are these icebergs coming from?

These icebergs are sometimes bringing Polar Bears to the south of Greenland, and even all the way to Iceland!! The icebergs are coming from East Greenland and the Polar Bears stuck on the ice starve to death, or most of the time they get shot when reaching Iceland and South Greenland.

A hunter’s wet dream, to shot a defenceless Polar Bear. And we can imagine them giving the full foocking song and dance to their wife and children on what a man they are fighting with dangerous Polar Bears on the icebergs
- DADDY!! TELL US MORE ABOUT THE ADVENTURE!!!!
- Yeah, you know, Daddy is the man

I like the Svalbard style, when they have polar Bear sin the city they come and shot the bear with a tranquiliser and then they lift the bear with a helicopter and the leave him well out of town. Yeah, imagine waking up there with no clue how you got there. Like a real bad hangover.

Well, anyway, we were hauling arse and suddenly we made a stop, a sleeping whale. The same our driver had showed me on the picture? They had passed a sleeping whale yesterday

Whale on Greenland
A sleeping whale

Whale on Greenland
A sleeping whale

Whale on Greenland
The whale wakes up

Whale on Greenland
The whale wakes up
The whale don't move and I'm so excited I still use the zoom. We're so close I would not get the whole whale even if I used the 28mm lens

Whale on Greenland
The whale starts to move very slowly

Whale on Greenland
The whale starts to move very slowly

Whale on Greenland
The whale starts to move very slowly

Whale on Greenland

Whale on Greenland

The whale showed his fluke and disappeared under the water and we continued towards Qaqortoq. We passed more icebergs and I saw hug splashes when the iceberg lost pieces of the ice in the Whale on Greenlandsun. We also passed one huge iceberg flipping over.

So yes, I was very satisfied with the day. And the Swedish couple was also very satisfied with the trip to the hot spring.

It was getting a wee bit choppy when we came out to the Einarfjorden approaching Qaqortoq but it was not so bad. A few squeaks from the chair I was sitting on up front, but nothing to be alarmed about as I'm sure the boat will hold together until we arrive.

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

Going back to Qaqortoq

We got off the boat and we walked back to the hotel. I rinsed my swimming trunks before going to the restaurant for lunch with the Swedish couple. Smoked salmon with boiled potatoes and dill. A pot of tea and by accident I ended the meal with a walnut tart with whipped cream.

I was back in my room and I spent the afternoon with my pictures. Our Guide knocked on my door at 6 thirty and he had set up my midnight sun sailing among the icebergs, helicopter and the Master Explorer flight Going back to Qaqortoqfor me. We were going to meet for dinner in the restaurant at 7 thirty.

I had 2 plates of smoked salmon and potatoes for lunch and now I had a Yet another Smiley on www.aladdin.stsuper plan.

I sneaked up to the bar and I ordered two smoked salmon and boiled potatoes. And I asked them to put the food on one plate only as this would look better at the table. The smoked salmon and boiled potatoes are not on the menu but by now I have had so many of them they just bring it when I order.

I don't even need to ask for the extra bowl of dill! And that is the spirit I'm looking for! My dinner company went to a pub next door and I asked for extra pillows and blanket and I went to my room. We will have to wake up at 6 and leave at 7 for a ferry trip to Nuuk.

So an exciting 30 hour ferry trip tomorrow, whales? Let's hope so and you just need to click HERE to find out if we spot any whales on the way to Nuuk.




       
                  
OK, it has come to my knowledge that we have senior citizens visiting my web page. How hard can it be? So it's not very easy for them to see the blue coloured links to the next page.
Jiffy (also jiff)

noun [in SING.] informal a moment: we'll be back in a jiffy.

ORIGIN late 18th cent.: of unknown origin.

So as you understand, in a jiff pretty much depends on your internet.
So I put a “Next” button here and I hope that there isn't any problem to understand how to use that one. So just CLICK the “Next” button on your left hand side and you will be on the next page in a jiff!

Marunong ka mag-tagalog? Walang problema! Magpunta sa kabilang pahina pindutin ang “NEXT” button sa itaas

Faites vous parlez le français? Pas de problème! Pour arriver à la page suivante faites s'il vous plaît un déclic le bouton “Next” ci-dessus!

Haga usted dice el español? No hay problema! Ver la siguiente página sólo hacer clic el botón “Next” encima!

Farla parla l'italiano? Non problemi! Per vedere la prossima pagina lo scatto per favore giusto Il bottone “Next” sopra

Sprechen sie Deutsch! Kein problem! Wenn Sie die folgende Seite sehen wollen gerade klicken der Knopf “Next” oben!

คุณพูดภาษาไทยได้ไหม ไม่มีปัญหา ถ้าคุณต้องการไปหน้าถัดไป ให้กดปุ่ม “Next” ข้างบนนี้

Вы говорите по-русски? NJET PROBLEMA! Просто нажмите синюю кнопку "Next" с левой стороны и Вы моментально переместитесь на следующую страницу!

E ni Svenskar och inte förstår Engelska så ska ni skämmas. J och Björn, med det menar jag inte att alla mina stavfel ska ältas varje gång vi träffas.

Flag of Skåne / Skånska flaggan Well, the flag of Skåne, just a BONUS flag.


                                       

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