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Scandinavia
I landed in Copenhagen. From the airport I got on a bus that took me to the ferry that would take me across to Malmo, Sweden. Any Swede will tell you that when coming to Sweden, bring liquor. With this in mind I bought the biggest bottle of liquor I could fit in my bag before I got on the ferry for my 45 minute ride to Malmo.
By this time my brother had started work in Malmo but had yet to find an apartment. We both slept on our friends Sebastian and Martina’s couch and made a present out of the bottle of liquor.
At this time I found out that all flights to Greenland were booked. Considering the cold weather I was experiencing in Malmo, the fact that I did not have any warm clothes since I was packed for the tropics and the good time I was having with my brother, the idea of going to cold Greenland did not appeal. Thus I was not saddened when I found out that chances where that I would not be able to go.
It was Friday morning when I got the call that they had found a seat for me. I was to leave the very next morning, Saturday, the day the longest bridge in the world, connecting Malmo and Copenhagen, was to open. This was a cause for celebration. To add to this, Seb was resigning from his position. He invited us for dinner at his family’s and then offered to buy rounds at the bar. We did just that.
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Knowing this to be my last night in Malmo for a while I made the most of it. I ended up stumbling home at dawn, had two hours of deep sleep and took the ferry back to Copenhagen where I got on a flight to Kangerlussuag, Greenland.
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I was not very excited about going to Greenland until the captain came on the loud speaker and said that the weather was clear skies at 20+ degrees, perfect tanning weather. I took a tour of the area surrounding Kangerlussuag. I saw some muskoxs and noticed the way the clean air made every thing seem closer than it was. A few hours later I got on a flight to Nuuk the capital. This may have been one of the greatest flights of my life. With the clear skys and crystal clear air I could see the beautiful scenery through the eyes of an eagle.
In Nuuk I met up with my father, Ichak and his wife Nurith. I had not seen them for over six months and it was great to see them. We had dinner with my father’s good friend and business associate, Jesper and his family. The next day, Sunday, Jesper organized a boat ride around the forges near Nuuk. The weather was great and we saw a good deal of seals, whales, fish and glacier carved mountains. The water was very glassy allowing us to head out full speed with the high performance boats. That night we had a delicious dinner with Antone’s family, a good friend and client of Jesper. |
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The next day my father gave a lecture in Nuuk and I sat in. That evening we all got back on a plane to Kangerlussuag, the hub of all Greenland air travel. Our connecting flight was delayed until the next day. I had heard that the post boat was leaving that night from Kangerlussuag on its way north and would stop in Ilulisaat, our intended destination. The flight took about one hour, the boat around thirty. I had time to kill and figured that taking the boat would be a good way to see more of the country. I did not know if they had room for me on the boat so under the midnight sun I went down to the harbor. They did not have a bed for me but could give me a stowaway position. This meant that I could get on the boat but would not have a bed for thirty hours. I figured why not and got on board.
Now most cruise boats that we think of have comfortable seating areas where one could comfortably rest. Well let me tell you that this one did not. I will leave it at that. With this cruise I got to see much of the coast between Kangerlussuag and Disko bay.
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I arrived in Ilulisaat at 6:00 in the morning. The sun had not set once since I had arrived in Greenland. I had trouble sleeping. I dropped my bag off at the hotel and went for a hike. Ilulisaat has more dogs than people, as they pull sleds in the winter. Accordingly I saw more dogs than people.
After my hike I took a quick nap and when I awoke the Adizes 21st annual business convention was under way. This is my fathers company that deals with organizational change and every year all the associates meet some where to broaden the body of knowledge that is the Adizes Methodology. I have been to 8 of these and this was by far the best.
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One highlight was a midnight boat ride among the glaciers, we made cocktails with million year old ice that we took right off the Icebergs. Another highlight was a helicopter ride to the glacier edge. Our pilot gave us a thrilling ride that a few others and I enjoyed.
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See next page for the rest of the Scandinavian Story...
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