A Greenland Yarn: Palo and the Kunik

Our new friend had dark hair tied into a ball on top of her head. Her smile was wide and friendly and cheeks full and curvy as the rest of her figure. She pointed to her chest and indicated her name was Palo and then pointed around at the party, enquiringly.

By this time some of us were bright red - and not because of the water temperature – and were looking for an excuse to return to the boat. However I decided it was time to do my bit for Anglo-Inuit relationships and told Palo I was called John.

It was then that I learnt about the custom called kunik, which is not like the Eskimo kissing you see in movies but rather more of a pressing the nose against the forehead and breathing in.

Palo started prattling along like there was no tomorrow and to be honest I'd be happy spending some time trying to work out what she was saying.
Unfortunately at this point the others told me that we had to return to the ship for dinner as Siggi had made his famous narwhale steaks stewed in ginger and he wouldn't appreciate late comers.

It was with sense of loss that I made my way back to Aurora. Looking behind me I could see Palo alone lying down in the water surrounded by clouds of steam, apparently lost in thought, watching the icebergs glide by in the fjord below, her bare back white and gleaming.

I still dream of her, sometimes.

To be continued...