Sunday 15 August 2010

The Fellow In The Orange Jacket


Steffen is the fellow in the orange jacket.  He is a member of the Expedition Team and an excellent geologist. Of course I will deny that I ever said or wrote that. Steffen is very happy at the moment because he likes the rocks upon which he is standing.  Look at everyone else in the photo.  They are photographing the beautiful waterfall just behind him.  If you talk to Steffen he will tell you all about the beautiful ancient lava flow that the waterfall is covering up.  If you ask him about the colourful stratified cliffs that tower over Qeqertarsuaq he will tell you all about ancient volcanic eruptions and that each layer represents a period of volcanic activity.  The dark layers being basalt and the lighter red layers volcanic ash with high iron content. 

But everyone knows the dark layers are chocolate cake and the red layers are strawberry filling.

Everyone had a really great day today.  How could you not?  Qerqertarsuaq is very beautiful. The weather was perfect.  We started our landing operations at 09:00.  Almost everyone joined us on a hike to the Valley of the Winds.  Our hike ended at the waterfall (just behind Steffen).  Everyone was free to hike back to the ship on their own, at their own pace.  As usual there were lots of icebergs just off shore and a few bergy bits strewn along the beach. 


We heaved anchor at 15:45.  Our late afternoon was filled with lectures about Greenland and briefings about tomorrow’s activities.  Both fin and humpback whales were spotted in the afternoon.  We cruised through Disko Bay and around the time of the fashion show (22:00) entered Vaigat sound.  The fashion show was a lot of fun.  Clothing from the gift shop was modeled by the ship’s crew, officers (including the Captain!) and the Expedition Team.

Right now we are heading west, into a beautiful warm sunset