They Just Kept On Rolling

Our day in Sisimiut started out a little drab and a little wet. But a rainy day in Greenland wasn't enough to dampen our spirits.  You don't go on an adventure style vacation in Greenland and let a little rain hold you back.  Garbed in spiffy new blue jackets courtesy of Fram and other appropriate gear for inclement weather, we set off on an historical hike to Tele Island.  Tele Island is the site of the original occupation of Sismiut which was over 4000 years ago.  Since the time of the Saqaq culture there have been different waves of people occupying the Sisimiut area.

We hiked to the remains of buildings from the Thule culture. The buildings are covered completely overgrown now but it is easy to see the outlines of the walls. There are also a couple of old graves remaining from the Thule people one of which you can peer inside and see the remains of the 400 year old occupant.

The main industry in Sisimiut is fishing in fact the number one industry in Greenland is fishing - particularly the shrimp fishery.  The Sisimiut shrimp processing plant is the most modern shrimp processing plant in the world and the biggest producer of cold water shrimp in the world.  One of the fishing boats at the pier had large containers of fresh caught crab.

Later in the afternoon the rain let up and became quite pleasant to stroll around the town.

After everyone was on board we were treated to a fantastic kayaking demonstration by two of the local guys on their hand made kayaks.  Wow!  They sure have kayaking chops!  There are 36 different ways to roll a kayak and we saw many of them demonstrated.  With a paddle. Without  paddle.  Paddle in one hand. Paddle behind your back. With a half metre long paddle.  With no paddle and no hands. They just kept on rolling.

The thing is, in water this cold, you have to know how to roll your kayak.  If you come out,  you probably won't be able to get back in.