Many of the buildings of the town are from the 19th century. There is an outdoor museum which is housed in a few of these buildings. There are many items from the old Inuit culture, the Norse settlements in Greenland from 982 AD and the Danish colonial power 1791-1953. We saw old kayaks, sealskin covered long boats, old radio equipment, items from a bakery, etc. One of the main attractions is is a traditional sod house, the kind used by the Inuits for centuries. By the way, Inuit is the correct name for the inhabitants of Greenland. Eskimo is incorrect and is considered a derogatory name ('eaters of raw meat'.)
The church was built in 1914-1916 and is Moravian. We looked inside briefly - there was as service going on to give thanks for the safe return of some fishermen from a recent outing.
The town is a typical Greenlandic town where modern lifestyle and hunting tradition meet. The people live in small colorful houses. School was out for the day so there were groups of young folks walking about. There was a show in the cultural center of local dances, quick-paced and evidencing Scottish and Norse influences, and a performance by a children's choir. The space was very small so we couldn't get in but we did get a couple of photos of children.
What a step back in time this was. The people are very friendly and smiling. It is a big deal for a ship with a couple of thousand people to drop in for a few hours. The headmaster of the school was manning one of the check-outs at the Tourist Center. It does provide some income for the community which is nice.
Most of us felt these two days in Greenland were the highlight of a trip full of highlights. Memories of breathtaking, majestic scenery, and colorful villages will linger as we soon plug back into our busy, "modern" way of life.
Mixed in with our photos below are photos of the area from the late 1800's.
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