Icleand v Greenland

There is much debate raging on this topic this week. The question being asked is is Iceland an improvement over Greenland or is vice versa?

There is much to sell Iceland, sure, but what about Greenland? Is Greenland actually better than Iceland? When you compare the two- Iceland and Greenland- which is the superiour?

This is what is being asked. If you have opinions- please no swearing or abuse- then please join into the deabate at the Iceland v Greenland website:

http://www.onemickjones.com/forum/viewforum.p...

Having visited both island a few times, sometimes for scientifid/business reasons and other times purely as a tourist, I would say asking such a question is like asking if mutton is better or wprse than pineapples. How can anyone compare these two totally different, absolutely unique and stunningly beautiful places, or even the two totally different kinds of people that inhabit them?

Mind you, I would imagine Groenland in Winter might be slightly less pleasant than Iceland, with virtually no daylight at all and no nice volcanically-heated central heating to keep one warm and cosy!

On the other hand, being TOTALLY safe from unexpected eruptions, and having an even better view of the Aurora Borealis, might just compensate and even things out! In Summers, both are very exciting and unique places, and I have usaed up many rolls of film to keep a record of the wonders I have seen there.

I guess there is more to do as a tourist in Iceland - Greenland is worthy of a short visit, my first was a day trip from Iceland, to a place in the east coast of Greenland, and was near Midsommer. Being less than adequately informed, i had to leave the specially arranged sealskin boots, fur lined parka, thick mittens, and polar undies on the plane, and ended up in just a bra top and hot pants, with a pair of sandals on my feet. The costal strip was alive with brilliant tiny flowers and green plants shorter than a well kept lawn. The backdrop was rusty brown hills topped by glistening glaciers. I watched icebergs breaking off the glacier ends into the sea, heard the groaning and grating of ice masses against each other; the new icebergs were so bright they hurt the eye even with sunshades on, and in shadow they had all the colours of the rainbow inside.
The Inuit lived in colourful wooden huts, single storied, on raised foundations of rocks. Outside Huskies lay panting in the sun. Fish hung drying on racks infront, and in the clear, azure sea one could look down all the way to the bottom, and see fishes swimming about and seals chasing them. The local people gave us a concert of their songs and music, demonstrated how to use a Kayak, and we were offered soapstone and ivory carvings, tape cassettes of songs, and seal skin gloves and hats.
After this shiort visit I resolved to return, better equipped, for more serious reasons.

It is sad that now all the ice is melting, not only for the local people but also for everyone else, as a lot of the rest of the world will disappear when the sea level goes up 7 metres as a result.
What can one say about Iceland? I have been to Rejkavik, which the last time I was there, 3 years ago, had changed so much from being the pretty, quaint fishing port i first got to know, into a modern city similar to a great many other cities, yet still with a special, Icelandic flair. I have seen the place, if i remember properly called Hveragerdhe, or somethig like that (no special icelandic letters in computer here to write with), where salads and fruits includsing bananas grow in huge, warm greehouses, courtesy of the earth-heat and the steam that comes out of the gound. I have been to the Westmanneya, visted Surtsey, that emerged a few years ago from the sea, been to Akereirey in the north, and crossed the island in a car with shielded windows and lights against rocks being thrwon up, on roads made of cinders. Stood upon volcanoes that were sleeping, seen the famous Geiysar, and others like it, swum in blue crystal coated natural ponds, drilled through ash mountains and collected core samples, to search for pollen grains from long ago, eaten puffins, and smoked mutton, and Skeyr... I just LOVE the place, and the people, whose enthusiasm for their island is inspiring.

It is impossible to choose between them.

Briar