Inside Life on a Remote Frozen Island Few Ever See

Hello, today we are going to be travelling in Greenland. It may be hard to leave the summer heat behind for the cold, but it's the only time of the year when the weather is nice in this frigid land. So, please get comfortable, and let's start our journey through these picturesque landscapes. I'm going to a place I've dreamt of visiting for a long time, to the land of ice, Greenland. Even on the plane, I am hyped. And here, through the frosted window, I see Greenland. As I sit in awe, my imagination runs wild. Vikings, explorers, and locals who live between ice and cliffs. And I noticed that I'm not the only one. Others are sitting in awe of the sights too. A view of mountains, permafrost, and cliffs opens up. It's breathtaking. It's June, so the summer thaw is here. The shores are blooming, and the ice is receding. In winter, the land freezes over. Ice, snow, and wind are everywhere. And now, the land is awakening. And when I call Greenland large, it's six times larger than Germany. The view here makes you feel like you're in a different world. Thus begins the trip through the most frigid, desolate, and isolated place I've ever visited. Well, I arrived at my hotel. A small, cozy house. Let's go inside and take a look. This is my room. And the bedroom. Not a big one, but it is warm and nice. I spend 90 euros per night in this room. I have a kitchen. I can cook. Here is the living room. There's a kitchen. A small, blue, cozy hamlet. I set up my room. You can see all the houses on the cliffs here. Mine as well. It is 8pm. The sun is still shining, but it is still cold. I will go out and buy some food. The first thing I did when I got here was set up the mobile data. I used the Saly app, an eSIM service. It's important to know that the European Union does not require a visa for Greenland. But phone operators charge a lot. I found out that the cost of a gigabyte is $250. And Saly sells it for only about $7 if you use the JourneyLT discount code. Now I can use Google Maps. Find interesting restaurants and cafes. I'll take a walk here. You can see the sea. And there is still snow. I noticed that there are a lot of migrants here, so the food reflects their culture. I'm having Asian rice and beef for lunch and it tastes as good as it looks. Afterwards, I rush to buy some food for tomorrow, as most places are closing. I came to a large shop to check out the fish and meat. I'd say the prices are about 30-50% higher than in Europe. A lot of different fish. Crab legs too. They cost 999 Danish kroner, which is about 150 euros. I bought some yogurt for about 250 euros. And some local smoked fish. It costs 6 euros. As tomorrow I sail into the sea, I have to have lunch ready. Got some salad and smoked fish. Prices aren't low. Some are double those in Europe. Restaurants are even more expensive. My shopping list cost me 38 euros. Europeans can now rejoice that they live affordably. It's midnight and it's still bright despite the shutters. Good night. Good morning. I didn't sleep for long. I woke up at about half past four. The weather isn't the best. Very foggy. I'll go visit some fjords, so I hope the weather clears, and I can see the wonderful views. It's Saturday and the streets are completely empty. People are probably resting in their warm homes. It's very cold outside. The temperature is 1 degree Celsius, but the feeling temperature is negative 6 degrees Celsius. The wind is freezing, so I bundled up jacket, fleece, long johns, hat, gloves, and everything I have. I'm heading to the ship and I can see a construction site. It's all stone. They'll probably remove it and fill it with concrete. That's the land of Greenland. My goal is that small port. This is what the industrial part of Greenland looks like. It's an industrial district. Lots of nets, lots of hangers, and fish storage. You can probably guess what Greenland's dominant industry is. Not many competitors here. There are also a lot of oars. That's why both China and the USA are trying to influence it. The Chinese own many ore processing monopolies, so Greenland is split between China, the USA, and Europe. You really feel Greenland here. Such old, rusty ships. You can clearly see that they have served for many years. It's Sunday, but there are tons of ships out at sea. After lunch, I sailed away, leaving the colourful houses behind. And when I saw the fjords, I couldn't take my eyes off the beautiful scenery. The fog is encroaching, but I hope it doesn't hide the beauty of this land. Interestingly, the fjords of Greenland can reach depths of more than 1,500 metres. For example, the Scoresby Sound, located in the middle of Greenland, is one of the largest fjord systems in the world. It's 1.5 kilometres deep and 350 kilometres long. It's a true monument of nature. A breathtaking sight. The air's getting colder, the sea breeze washes over my face, and here come the icebergs. White as frost, blue as the sea, they drift silently through the fjord. I want to see more of nature. I'm sailing among ice giants, which formed through thousands of years. I know that in a few weeks, they will melt and shift. The only constant here is change. Some are strong and imposing, while others are delicate, sculpted by wind and water. They resemble masterpieces, their icy white and deep blue contrasting with the dark fjord beneath. Look at this magnificent piece of ice, a thousand years old. And it doesn't taste bad at all, not salty like the sea. The icebergs are breathtaking, jagged, sunlit, and colossal. I've arrived in Kapisilit, a small settlement in the fjord. Let's look around. Here's the town itself. The locals are relaxing, sipping on beer. The main mode of transport here is ATVs, and in winter, snowmobiles. There are no proper roads. I stopped by a local shop. Let's see what they have. All the people here are local Inuit. Hello. What a beautiful child. He's stubborn. The shop really has everything you could need, though prices are a bit higher than in bigger towns. It's kind of funny. They even sell frozen fish here. You could just leave it outside, really. Well, it's probably warmer in the freezer. This is the country of ice, after all. We'll take a stroll through town. It's in a beautiful spot, nestled between cliffs. This area is well thought, which is why people live here. It's warmer than the surrounding fjord. More people are arriving. The shop has short opening hours, so folks come early and wait in line for supplies. My prayers have been answered. The weather has finally cleared. The sun is out, the fog has lifted, and I'm strolling among these charming houses. It feels like living in a paradise. No worries, just breathtaking views everywhere. But this region is remote. And in winter, it's plunged into long, dark nights. So, for now, the locals are enjoying the summer air on their terraces. This is how people have decorated their front yards. Deer antlers, buffalo skulls, and goat horns. Almost every house here has a terrace. I can tell the locals have been waiting for summer. Otherwise, this place would be a frozen hellscape, but now, heaven. I even took off my coat. The terraces are where people enjoy the summer, soaking up the sun and fresh air. I relaxed too, coat in hand, taking in the scenery. Greenland has more than 60 settlements, home to around 8,000 people. Even in such remote regions, communities thrive, keeping their culture and traditions alive. Life here is peaceful yet intense, governed by the rhythms of nature. In winter, life slows to a standstill, dictated by the passing of the seasons. But in summer, it's neither cold nor hot. The locals go fishing and hunting. Many grow vegetables like potatoes and carrots, and every harvest is important, as supplies may be delayed. The small terraces become oases, where people chat, grill, and enjoy the summer. I climbed up the hill so that I could see the town from above. In the distance, there are snowdrifts and hills. It is a very beautiful place. There is a small graveyard here, so the dead can rest in this beautiful place. The views are stunning. I am thankful for the weather. As I approach the docks, the locals are taking care of their boats. Each ship has its place. Old wooden ones, new plastic ones, they're all tied down tightly. They not only cherish their ships, but also their old equipment, like nets, boxes, and hooks. The children run around the coast, catching small fish. European children play with kittens. Here, they play with fish. They were forced to move from here, to Nuuk, to the capital city, because of the Danish government. Why did they do that? The Danish government wanted the people together. So the people were forced to flee the city? Yes, so they were forced. Now, it's only summer houses and, yeah, church over there. But people like this place. They wanted to stay in this place. Yes. It's a nice place, very nice place. And they were doing here, hunting, fishing? Yes, there's a, what's it called, a fish factory. They are drying the fish, what they do in the factory? Yeah, drying, cutting. Cleaning. Cleaning, yes. The town of Kornak is surrounded by icebergs and hills. We'll go explore the colourful town, and see what the locals are up to. If we find any. The Danish government doesn't want people living so remotely. It's hard to provide supplies, healthcare, and education in such a distant region. They get sent to larger cities, and provided with land and housing. But this place is beautiful. Lively settlements are disappearing. What's the reason for this? Because of hardship, economic problems, and remoteness. So the government encourages people to move into the where there are more opportunities, leaving behind the life they've known. A centralised population is easy to maintain. The transfer to larger cities helps with integration and reduces social problems. This process isn't without complaints. The relocation left deep wounds in local memory. And now, Greenland is searching for a balance between modernity and culture. It's difficult to manage the village, I guess. Like, no doctors there? No. No schools? No doctors there. And we don't have a road between the villages from here. Only the sea? No. Through the water? Yes, and the helicopters we use it. Very expensive living here. And in the winter, here is all the ice everywhere? The sea is frozen or not? Not ice, but a lot of snow here. Snow. But the winter is water, not ice. Yes, but in northern Greenland, there's ice. Completely. Yeah. So you reach by helicopters? And do you see the sun in the winter? Yes, we do, here in Nuuk. But in northern Greenland, no sun. Always dark. Always dark. Oh, man. Maybe about four months. Four months darkness. How do they live? I don't know. Are you still smiling or just depressed all the time? I don't know. I see you're smiling. Very beautiful place. The waterfalls roar, the seagulls squeal. Greenland just hypnotizes you. During the summer thaw, as the snow and ice starts to melt, all the waterfalls reawaken. It's the ideal time to go searching for waterfalls, as they come alive and spring from the cliffs, rolling all the way down the slopes of the fjord and finally blending with the ocean. Each waterfall is unique and changes depending on the temperature, snowfall and intensity. After enjoying waterfalls, I'm going back to the hostel, waving goodbye to the locals. Nuuk is the capital of Greenland. There is a graveyard only a few minutes away from my hostel. Truth be told, I'm right next to it. Some people might find that unnerving, but I see it differently. They are resting in peace, surrounded by fjords. The graveyard is beautiful, white crosses surrounded by the sea. It looks like a park. And dead people aren't as scary as living ones can be sometimes. Although, Greenland is very safe, so I don't need to fear anyone. You don't have to be afraid of life here. It's probably the most peaceful place on earth. My first impression of Nuuk is that there are many different buildings. Not only traditional wooden houses, but massive, modern buildings as well. The town of Nuuk is very beautiful and is growing. People from Asia are moving in here, and from other countries too. There isn't much colour or greenery here, so people paint their houses in different colours. Nuuk is practically built on cliffs. There isn't a single piece of soil. The cliffs are solid. There's still lots of snow, despite it being June. It doesn't feel like it. It's windy and cold. I hope it gets sunnier. It's 10pm, and the sun is setting. I don't think the sun will go fully down. And I am right next to a graveyard. At least in Greenland you can die. Unlike Svalbard, it's 10pm, and it's fun walking around Greenland. You know why? First, unlike South America, you won't get mugged. And the second reason is that the sun will not go down, so you can walk even at midnight. In Europe, old cars sit in front of houses, and here, snow motorcycles. My first impression of Nuuk? There are rocks everywhere. Every house is built on a cliff. There are wooden walkways. Otherwise, it would be really hard to walk here. Thus, you can enjoy the coast. Unlike the tropics, here there is no hot sand. Only cold stones and freezing water. Local children are fishing, and adults are kayaking around the fjords. The path here is great. We can walk along the cliffs on the boardwalk. The sea is beautiful. But what surprises me is the size of the crows. They are like four times the size of European ones. If there was a bench under a tree with those crows, I would definitely avoid it. I would be covered in droppings. And with that, I say goodbye until the next episode, in which I'll show you something shocking. It was new even to me. Don't forget to subscribe, hit the like button, and see you soon.