(To our readers -- We also will be adding many photos to this post and others in the coming days. Please come back and visit these pages again to see them.)
After five hard, serious days we finally had a day-off. Instead of waking up at 7:00, we had the luxury of one more hour to sleep, which was a nice break for weary students. After breakfast we counted pixels and answered questions on ice melt in the SPRINTT program to figure out whether the ice sheet is shrinking or growing.
In the afternoon people were allowed to do whatever they wanted – some were tired and decided to stay at the school, while others went for a hike to Sugarloaf mountain and a waterfall nearby. The students who stayed home avoided the jet blasts from the airplanes on their way the shops and airport. At about 1:00 hiking-people set out for Sugarloaf and the waterfall. They tried to avoid the mosquitoes on the journey to the waterfall but the copious amounts of bug spray were used in vain – Mikkel got 30 mosquito-bites! However, these brave students were rewarded for their struggles with beautiful views of the countryside and a roaring waterfall. They had quick snack at the waterfall and a not-so-quick photo-op. Then they decided to brave the bushes and shrubs of mount Sugarloaf due to the lack of any real trail. Their efforts were once again rewarded with breathtaking views of the glacier, Watson River, and Kangerlussuaq. After they took in the sights, the students also enjoyed a rather daring run down the mountain.
Everyone met up for an end-of-the-day meal at the Polar Bear Inn. An inn, under the guise of being a Thai restaurant, but also sell food from USA such as pizza and burgers. This evening the American students prepared for the best holiday ever, the 4th of July. To conclude the day some students played soccer (football) or watched movies.
In the living room the pool-table is worn but well-used. You can see Hope trying to beat Valdemar in pool.
After a long fight against the mosquitoes, Mikkel reached the top of Sugarloaf. In the background you can see the Watson River and the ice sheet.
Some people enjoyed their lunch with a beautiful waterfall as their view.
Words of the day: (Greenlandic – Danish – English – Spanish)
Ippernat – Myg – Mosquito – Mosquitos
Qorlortoq – Vandfald -- Waterfall – Cascada
Arsarneq – Fodbold – Soccer – Fútbol