TASIILAQ 65°36’48.6”N 37°38’01.0”W
“Dogs are not just part of life for the Inuit – they are their life”
“Bonjour.” I woke up to the announcement of our French captain with a smile on my face. That day was the day. I was going to ride over the eternal ice with the Greenland dogs. Right after breakfast, as we went out, the first mushers were already waiting for us next to the ship. After a cuddly welcome, it was time. I already felt the tingling in my stomach as I sat down on the sled with my husband and our new friends from the ship. I was at least as excited as our dog team, who did not stop barking out of impatience and excitement and were already pulling hard at their tethers. The musher got in position and after a few commands to his dogs finally released the brakes. An incredible thrust went through my whole body, and before I knew it, the cold wind of the Arctic was whipping me in the face. Tears ran down my cold, almost numb cheeks – whether it was the wind or maybe a few tears of joy, I don’t know. But I do know, this was one of the most beautiful moments in my life. An absolute dream. The fact that I was riding a traditional Inuit sled with a team of Greenland dogs was at least as surreal as the majestic scenery of East Greenland that we passed. We drove deep into the fjord and stopped at the very end on the ice, here the mushers showed us how they catch fish in the winter by ice fishing. Again, I took the opportunity and spent all my time dealing with the dogs. Two of them impressed me a little extra: Pongu and Siku. Pongu reminded me very much of my dog Odin; he was a fluffy one with a very majestic charisma. Siku, had rough, black fur and was the lead dog of our team. Big, strong and calm, he had such a soothing aura. The lead dog is usually the most intelligent and experienced in the team and the musher trusts him the most. I immediately understood why it was Siku. I was lost in his deep brown eyes and could have spent hours with him. In the end, moments like these touched me the most and made this experience so special. You could feel how proud the mushers were of their dogs, and while heading back towards the ship, it was amazing to see how they worked together as one. As one being. Dogs are not just part of life for the Inuit – they are their life. Almost nowhere in the world do dogs play such a significant role as they do in Greenland. And rarely does you see man and animal work and live so closely together. A musher and his dogs have a deep understanding of each other, and when they travel out, they are like the wind caressing the ice and land they depend on. Few experiences have touched me as much as meeting the people of Tasiilaq with their sled dogs. This place, with its inhabitants and dogs, is in my heart forever.
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MOTHER VOLUME ONE
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