We walk upwards, and on the way, we look at the small cemetery in the abandoned settlement. The last people left in 1960 when it was simply shut down. The white crosses show that quite a few children did not live long, some only to the age of 8 or 10. They were all called Olrik, the family name of the settlement manager, Moses Olrik, who came here in 1922.
We continue upwards, finding bog whortleberry and the beautiful tikiussaak (Greenlandic bluebell) on the way. Here we sit down for a moment to listen to a lesson in geology.
Back on the "Porsild", we first pick up Mikkel who was put ashore sometime before the rest of us to do some GPS measuring.
Then it turns out that team D has a surprise in store for us. They have bought white wine and shrimps and baked bread and cake which we are having on the return trip. It's delicious, and we have worked up an appetite.
The dinghy deposits us at the Arctic Station at 6, in time for dinner an hour later. Today the menu is reindeer meat with curried rice and mushrooms. But we are not particularly hungry, owing to the shrimps and cake we had earlier. It's a pity as it tastes very good.
Back in the school at 8, Jesper and Kristian teach us something about GPS. Jacobi has made up a competition for guessing the height of the large iceberg which lies directly outside. It is easy to be fooled by the clarity of the Greenland air, distances are almost impossible to judge, veering on the short side. The iceberg lying "right over there" is perhaps as far as 30 kilometres away. The prize is a chocolate bar, and the guesses are made in writing. The guesses are anything from 24 to 127 metres. But the exact measure is 79.5 metres which was stipulated by two persons, Elsebeth and Tina who each receives a Ritter chocolate bar.
Tonight, the local football team has invited us to a dance from 10 to 1. They have bought 30 cases of beer, and the event is to take place in the community house. We're a bit curious about the outcome.
At 10 we walk up to the community house. Some of our students are already there and a few Greenlanders. Leif Skytte sells beer, soft drinks and crisps. The music starts and more people arrive. Arne opens the ball by asking a Greenlandic girl to dance, but it doesn't work very well. She is too shy, and quickly begs off.
But then things start to move. The students dance with each other,
and after about an hour, the party has really taken off. There's a deal
of "Kalattut", a special Greenlandic kind of polka which we try to learn.
It is evidently inspired by the Scottish reels which were introduced into
the country by the whalers of the 17th century. I sweep Jacobi into a furious
dance which he only consents to if I promise to lead, which I do!
As it is a football dance, the DJ suddenly puts on a popular number
about the Danish national team, and I grab the chance to start a chain
dance to get the locals a bit more integrated. When the power fails a little
later, we have to provide our own music. A wonderful time is had by all,
the students have danced and enjoyed themselves with the Greenlanders and
each other. The party goes on till 3, or so we thought!