Qaqortoq, Greenland.

A solitary iceberg appeared outside our window, followed by the hazy outline of Greenland’s rocky coastline.  It gets light early, around 5 am, allowing us to enjoy the coastline as we approached Qaqortog.  We docked around 10 am.

The Nieuw Statendam stopped about 1 mile offshore in a calm harbor.  We had smooth seas, no fog, and a light breeze, tendering should be quick and easy.   We arrived around 10 am and our tenders were in the water soon thereafter.  The Nieuw Statendam was cleared by local authorities in about 15 minutes.

Qaqortoq is a small town, with only a few excursions available.  Everything was already booked when we scheduled this cruise so we decided to spend a couple of hours exploring the town.

Tender tickets were required until 11:10 am when they announced open tendering.  We left our cabin around 1 pm and caught the 1:15 pm tender.  We were ashore 5 minutes after the tender left the ship.

There is a Tourist Information Office next to the tender pier.  It also houses a gift shop offering jewelry, T-shirts, and other souvenirs.  They accept USD and credit cards.  While USD is accepted, the exchange rate is very unfavorable.   For example, something that would cost $2.78 if you paid in Kroners, would cost $3 if you paid in USD.

Outside the Tourist Center, there were about 5-6 tables of vendors selling various crafts.  One person was offering 90-minute walking tours for $50 USD.  We headed off to the right on our own to start our big loop of the town.

During my research into this port, I learned that a nearby bar/restaurant had a car that was built into an exterior wall facing the street.   You can still see it on Google Street View – Here is a screenshot.

This same bar claimed to have the longest bar in Greenland.  Unfortunately, the bar was closed so we couldn’t peek inside to learn how long the longest bar may have been.

We ran into the most interesting man in Qaqortoq,  his name was McGraw, and we had a wonderful chat.  He explained that the car in the wall we were looking for was removed 3 years ago when the bar changed hands.  Everyone we met in Qaqortog was very friendly.

A short walk uphill from the bar was the town Post Office called Tassus and a little further was the grocery store/department store called Brugesni.  It was like a small Target or Walmart with a grocery section on one side and hard goods on the other side.  Most of the signs were in Danish, so having the Google translate app on our phone was helpful.  There is a restroom inside near the front door.

We picked up a fake potted orchid for our room along with some chocolate-covered licorice.  They accept VISA/Mastercard.

Outside the Qaqortoq Hotel there is a large Inuit Boot on a small hill – which makes for some great photos and the local children seem to enjoy climbing the rocks.

Our next stop was the Qaqortoq Museum.  Admission was 60 DK ($8.24) or $10 USD if you didn’t have Kroners.  They also accept credit cards.  There are 3 buildings as part of the museum that are included in the price, but the other two were already closed by the time we arrived.  If you want to see everything this museum has to offer, go here first.  The main attraction was on the third floor which had the room Charles Lindbergh used when he was visiting while scouting possible refueling stops for Pan Am.  We spent about 30 minutes here.

Outside the museum is the Mindebrønden fountain, completed in 1932, and is the oldest fountain in Greenland.  It depicts whales spouting water out of their blowholes.

Nearby the fountain was a store, Sissami, selling camping and other outdoor gear.

Gas is only $2.40 USD a gallon.

At the end of our loop we were back at the Tourist Information Center.  We didn’t find any interesting T shirts or caps and ended up only buying a keychain as a souvenir.

We were back on the ship around 5 pm.

The weather was nice during the SailAway and we spotted several icebergs as we headed toward Prince Christian Sound.

Hyperion Night was the headliner in the World Stage tonight.  Once again he put on a dazzling performance.  Unlike other pianists you may see as guest entertainers, Hyperion is not only a fantastic pianist, he is a great entertainer.   His shows strike the perfect balance between playing the piano and commentary.  His shows take you on a musical journey that is compelling.  Tonight he talked about the trials and tribulations of Russian composers and discussed the age old question of who was better – the Beatles or the Stones.  As a bonus, he is quite friendly and approachable and mingles with the audience before and after his shows.

Tomorrow we will cruise the scenic Prince Christian Sound.