Saturday, September 24, 2011

Delightful Day in Greenland


Hazy silhouettes of both pointed and rounded mountains enclosed the harbor. A pink and blue sky waited. A gigantic, yellow spotlight illuminated the pale, cloudless sky. Like partially submerged whales, dark islands protruded from the calm, frigid water joined by drifting icebergs. A lone fishing, the only sign of life, boat traveled along the rocky shoreline.

Daylight allowed a clearer view of the of the rocky cliffs, boulders, and deep ravines. Brownish vegetation filled in the gaps. Variations of brown and gray covered the mountains above bluish, gray water.

A turn of the ship brought an explosion of color. Red, blue, yellow, green, violet, and white sprinkled the area. From the sea to the mountain tops, homes, churches, stores, and other businesses clung to the rocks. Laughing at the drab countryside, colorful buildings giggled with delight.

Tenders deposited passengers into the small town of Qaqortog, doubling the population for the day. Bundled in jackets, hats, gloves, and scarves, visitors blended with residents, who entertained with a series of programs.

The largest church, overlooking the harbor with a wall of glass, provided a musical program. The choir of Innuit, many in traditional dress, blended their voices beautifully with no accompaniment.

At the community center, a slide presentation about the country's history, climate, plant and animal life, industry, and future development gave a better perspective on the isolated island.

The speaker, whose grandfather married an Innuit, was both Danish and Innuit. Native Innuit were joined by Vikings for a time, but they disappeared and probably returned to Iceland or Scandinavia. Later the Danish settled there to spread Christianity. The Lutheran Church was the only church until freedom of religion was established a few years ago. For years only Danish and Innuit inhabited the island. However, recently, people from other nations reside there.

Fishing and hunting are the primary industries with fish, shrimp, seals,whales, rabbit, and reindeer. Though shrimp have declined with the warmer waters, cod have increased. Discoveries of various minerals will probably provide a boom to the economy. Negotiations are being held with multinational countries about the rare earth minerals.

A group of kayakers performed maneuvers with their long boats. Wet suits and a second suit, which closed around the boat opening, provided insulation from the freezing water. Flipping over in the icy water, startled onlookers but seemed normal to the residents.

The nearby market displayed the day's catch. White rabbits, blotched by blood, hung rigidly and laid on the wooden table. Inside the small building, marine life waited to be bought. Remains of a seal head, flippers, and innards laid on one table. Another table held sections of four foot speckled catfish. With mouths open, cod piled on a second table. Plastic bags of blubber were also for sale. All parts of the animals are eaten.

Rows of boats, pleasure and fishing, lined the downtown area. Small boats zipped around the fiord. Two helicopters passed near the ship. One the size of a news helicopter. The other one was much larger and circled the ship at very close range like the pilot was trying to peek inside.

A parade of many types of icebergs lined the fiord offering a send off to the ship's passengers. Tiny growlers to huge icebergs. Almost flat to intricate sculptures. One resembled a gigantic igloo ready for Eskimos to enter. Ridges covered the top like someone had pulled a rake over it. A steepled chapel rested with open doors. Another form looked like a pig's head with its snout pointed skyward. Some had been smoothed by the elements while others were chopped and ragged.

Surprisingly, in the southern part of Greenland, icebergs congregate in the spring and summer but not in winter. Ice from Arctic ice fields break off in warmer weather, drift south along the east ern coast of Greenland, and move into fiords with the currents.

Mile after mile of craggy mountains, winding inlets, and sparkling icebergs led the ship back to the open sea. A few swirling, white birds followed. In the distance, hazy mountains blended with low hanging clouds forming an indistinguishable picture.

Instantly, an intense fog enclosed the ship blocking all views of the beautiful seascape. Like the closing of the final curtain, the performance was over.

Sunday, September 11, 2011

Sorrowful Reminders

A maze of mostly deserted streets took Alan and me to our destination. Two long fences, one metal and one wooden, blocked the view and held us back. A security guard sat under a white tent. He acknowledged we were at the site marked on our map.
His suggestion took around the large block for a view from the back. Along the way, we pondered the extent of what we planned to see. More barriers separated us from the site. Blocked streets. More guards. Window after window covered by plywood. Offices, apartments, and shops affected.
Tears spilled from my eyes. Ten year old memories surfaced and combined with the scene before me. Words wouldn't come. Heartache and sadness filled me.
Silently we left. Both of us trying to make sense of what we had seen. There were no answers.
Spires of the city's cathedral rose stoically a few blocks away. Our trek took us there. Groups of people quietly stood on the grounds. Clustered in the gardens, piles of red, yellow,purple, and pink flowers formed memorials. Brown leaves and declining blooms showed their age.
Suspended on a line, stuffed animals hung desolately. Instead of being cuddled by young arms, they stared at the flowers below.
One ring of flowers circled a pile of gray rocks. On each stone a red heart honored a heart that had been stilled.
A couple quietly added a bouquet of flowers to the largest mound. They stopped and stared at the ground. We took their place when they left. More tears came. Pictures of smiling, young people lay on the ground. Their lives plucked from the earth like the dying flowers.
Next to us, a mother stood with her three young children. Two elementary age sons listened to her narrative. Suddenly her two year old daughter began crying and crying. As the mother hugged and kissed the little, blond girl, I felt like crying too.
The world for those children had been changed forever like the children in the United States. Innocence and security had been instantly ripped away in a cruel, merciless way.
The Oslo memorials wrung our hearts. We expressed our sadness for their losses to residents of Norway. We understood. Our grief united us.
With the anniversary of America's 9/11 tragedy, our sorrowful reminders combined with the sadness and mourning in Norway. Though we were far from home and not a part of the anniversary remembrances, our experiences in Oslo gave us a memorable tribute to both countries.
Near the church, a letter urged Norwegians to not give up and stay strong. At the end of the letter, four Arabic names were signed. Decent, kind people of all nationalities, cultures, and religions remain in our world and must unite to combat the horrible crimes a few have inflicted on others.

Psalm 107: 28-30 Then they cried out to the Lord in their trouble, and he brought them out of their distress. He stilled the storm to a whisper; the waves of the sea were hushed. They were glad when it grew calm, and he guided them to their desired haven. (NIV)

Dear Lord,thank you for your comfort. Help us to remember and give comfort to others.Amen