Today, the itinerary is quite simple: Joinging the day tour to Eqi Glacier.
Equip Sermia, also known as Eqi, is a glacier located approximately 100 kilometres north of Ilulissat.
In the 50s the the famous french polar scientist Paul-Emilie Victor came to this area to study the inland ice.
The glacier front is 3,4 kilometres long and the average height from the bottom to the top is approximately 200 metres with 30 to 80 metres above sea level.
You may think why I have to go so far away to wach a glacier.
That is because Eqi glacier is the very few places in Greendland where you could observe big pieces of ice break off in a very close distance.
The crashes are enormous and the sight of the icebergs falling into the water is impressive.
Besides, it is also the easiest place from which you can get onto the inland ice.
Therefore, the Eqi tour is very popular in Ilulissat. You always have to book the tour in advance.
Actually, I prefer to stay at Ice Camp for at least one night and I might join other excursions to the inland ice.
However, it seems that it's not pissible to reserve a hut for just only one person.
(The image is from：http://www.worldofgreenland.com)
It takes about four to six hours to reach Eqi glacier depending on the speed of your ship.
The weather today is fine, though it's a little cloudy and the sea doesn't look blue.
Some of the icebergs on the sea are huge with strange shapes and look spectacular with the background of the cloud.
I stay at the deck for photographing. The wind on the sea is quite cold but the icebergs always cheer me up.
If you have a telescopic lens, it's nice to catch the sea birds flying nearby.
However, a good picture is took depending your luck and your camara. (It's true that a better camara could catch the motions easily.)
Besides, the telescopic lens is also good for taking photos of icebergs far away.
Even your ship will sail toward the iceberg, you could always take photos before others do.
The pictures took by the telescopic lens are not the same while took by the wide-angel lens.
Around noon, we finally see a long glacier in the front.
It's not so special unless you get very close to the wall. It's really amazing that the wall is quite tall.
The ship continues sailing toward the cornor at the right, and there are lots of flowing ice on the sea surface.
Just when we're looking this huge glacier, we also heard the sound that should be created by the crash of the ice. It sounds like a gun shot but not so sharp.
While we move to another side of the glacier, the ship stops here.
This area is a good place for observing the crash of the ice, and it's also the lunch time.
The meal includes the pasta, breads, salad, croquettes, and Greenland shrimps.
Greenland shrimps taste delicious and the bread in Greenland is also nice and cheap.
While enjoying the lunch, you also have to listen carefully to the sound from the glacier.
When you heard the sound, you have to find the location of the crashing ice very quickly so that you could take your photos in time.
As for the lens, the zoom lens with a focal length of 200 mm would be fine.
With a good camara, the rest is to pray for a good luck.
Someone may prefre a telescopic lens but it's not so easy and too hurry to get the focus in only seconds.
Around two o'clock, we've find the calvings for about five times, and then the ship sails toward the Ice Camp Eqi. Ice Camp Eqi managed by World of Greenland provides huts for tourists, and you could not really camp there.
The boat arrives at Port Victor which is the ”harbour” at Ice Camp Eqi. Some of the guests on the ship will stay there tonight and some tourists at the Ice Camp Eqi will take the return trip.
If you booked the hut, you may also join one of these exursions during the time you stay, or just enjoy the view in your hut.
The extra excursions are:
Hike to the lagoon, the moraine and the glacier.
Full day hike to and on the inland ice.
Two day hike to and on the inland ice.
(The image is from：http://www.worldofgreenland.com)
"Hike to the lagoon, the moraine and the glacier" takes approximately 4-5 hours.
It is possible to do this excursion when spending only one night in the huts. The route is shown on the map above.
You will hike from the huts around the small lagoon at the southern end of the glacier, where you could see geese in the breading season.
Going further up the moraine, there are enormous cracks in the glacier and you could also observe the 70 meter high glacier front very closely.
Then, you could enjoy your dinner and the spectacular view of the glacier in the rest of the day.
By the way, there are many small midges, so you have to prepare "the net" for your head.
(圖片來源：http://www.worldofgreenland.com)
"Full day hike to and on the inland ice" and "Two day hike to and on the inland ice" both depart in the morning.
The full-day hiking takes about 10 hours, therefore, you have to stay at the hut for as least two nights. The route is the pink line on the map above.
As for the two-day hiking, you will camp at a spot about 2 km from the edge of the ice (instead of sleeping in the comfortable hut) and return to Port Arthur on the second day. The route is the pink line and the red line on the map, and you will hike for a longer distance on the ice cap.
No matter which excursion you join, you will see serveral types of landscape, such as the fertile lowland, wind-swept highland, moraines and the inland ice.
The path to the inland ice was made by the French expedition leader Paul-Emile Victor in the period after the Second World War. This path is still clear and intact.
However, these two excursions are difficult for the long path. You have to consider it seriously.
If you are not sure whether the tour is worth or not, World of Greenland provides some pictures as the references.
During the return, the weather becomes very cloudy and dark.
I'm quite satisfied with icebergs in the morning and the falling ice is also catched, therefore, I don't stay at the deck all the way and take a nap in the cabin.
The tourists staying at the hostel told me that they sailed the kayak from Ilulissat to Eqi glacier for about seven days.
It's unbelievable to me but I think it would be very joyful to do the long trip.
We come back to Ilulissat around 7 o'clock in the evening.
It's pretty tiring but I've bought the mince and tomatoes yesterday.
Thus, my dinner tonight is the speghetti.
Though I didn't kayak to Eqi glacier like others do, my trip in Greendland should be unbelievable too.
I enjoy everytthing and the tours in a nice weather.
Walking the track along the icefiord, sailing toward icefiord in the evening, taking the helicopter over the icefiord and watching the ice break off of Eqi glacier.... will be my best memories I have in Greenland.
References：
http://www.worldofgreenland.com
http://www.greenlandinpictures.com/eqi-eqip-sermia-glacier-greenland.html
http://www.greenland-travel.com/about_greenland/Ice_camp_eqi
http://www.ilulissattn.com/English/EqiTour.htm
http://diskoline.gl/en/index.php?page_label=hotel_info&hotel_id=5
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