Waking up here already has a very cool ritual: going out and seeing where the icebergs from yesterday have gone ...



But that didn't last long, because another tour was on the programme today and so, after a hearty breakfast, we were driven from the hotel to the dock, where, unlike yesterday, a slightly larger boat was waiting for us.



We would be heading out in that direction later on, but before that we were told that the delayed group was so late because of the icebergs, as their boat had to make a few detours. Another reason for the delay that you rarely hear.



Meanwhile, the fishermen in the harbour went about their work. And they did so with a certain composure, as many boats suddenly turned round because they had seen someone and needed to have a quick chat. For us, we had the opportunity to see a few airplanes approaching Ilulissat.





But then we set off and drove to Eqip Sermia / Eqip Glacier, about 80 kilometres away. The reason why tours are offered to this very glacier is that, on the one hand, it is quite safe to drive close to it. And on the other hand, there is a small lodge next to the glacier where you can spend the night. Which is what most of the guests on the boat wanted to do.

To be precise, all of them except us and the two Germans from yesterday's whale watching tour, who were also on the boat. The number of visitors to Greenland is still manageable and so we should see various groups and people from time to time. This also led to a certain familiarity, as we were able to talk about what the others had done and experienced in the meantime.

My friend stood on deck to watch the icebergs through which the ship was making its way. I, on the other hand, made myself comfortable below deck with a coffee and read a book about "the best band in the world".



Well, at some point the view outside was too tempting and I went on deck. Which was a good idea, as the path led straight through a fjord.





A "small" waterfall along the Davis Strait also came into the picture and was captured accordingly.



And then our destination came into the picture: the Eqip Glacier. This is the most active glacier in the whole of Greenland, but not quite as large as the Sermeq Kujalleq, for example, which fills the Ilulissat Icefjord with icebergs.



A French sailing ship, which had also set off to the glacier, brought a little variety into the rather uniform view. However, only on the edge and not too close to the glacier.



And then suddenly we were standing in front of the glacier. Well, at least that's what it looked like, because in reality we were still a good kilometre away from the glacier. In the dry air, we learnt, you can see further and therefore cannot judge distances and sizes so well without some familiarity.



The engines were switched off and all we could hear was the cracking of the glacier. The ice sheet is formed from compressed snow and air bubbles are trapped in the process. This air is then released again during calving and causes the explosive noises.

For us, it was time for lunch, which was included in the price and served in lunch boxes in proper style. So we made ourselves comfortable below deck again and ate the really tasty food while staring out of the window.



But then we went out again, which is what everyone else did after lunch. We all stood at the railing and listened to the sounds of the glacier. As soon as a loud crack was heard from somewhere, everyone pointed their cameras in that direction to capture any iceberg that might be forming.









After a good hour, we made our way across the glacier. The view from the very front was really impressive as the ship broke its way through the ice floes at full engine power.



Next, the guests who would be spending the night at Eqi Lodge were dropped off.



Getting on and off the train was quite a wobbly affair, where suitcases would probably have been more of a hindrance. All the guests had rucksacks, as the path was steep and there were only stairs after a while.

We were glad that we hadn't booked an overnight stay, as we heard from the many German guests who travelled back with us that there were an incredible number of mosquitoes. And we had enough bites on our bodies as it was.

Once everything was loaded, we took one last look at the glacier and headed back to Ilulissat. We also used the return journey to enjoy the scenery on deck.





Impressive tour which ended, as the days before, drinking a rosé from Denmark because we found it interesting. And ... youi know ... it is a holiday!