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| Moiz & I overlooking the fiord outside the Alta Museum |
The Wonder of the Northern Lights.
Our amazing
planet Earth has so much to offer the traveller, the adventurer, the tourist,
the mountain climber, the diver, the caver, the researcher or the explorer. Be they man made or natural, the wonders of
our planet never cease to allure the human being to the ends of the earth, or
endure extremes, to fulfil this yearning to see and learn about them.
Such is
that magnetic pull of the Auroroa Borealis, also known as the “Northern
Lights”.
Thanks to a
recommendation by my brother in law, we chose a Viking cruise as it offered a
comfortable way to fulfil this dream.
Our ship, the Viking Sky, was scheduled to cruise from Bergen, sailing
northwards along the coast of Norway, towards its Northern Cape and the city of
Alta being its northernmost port of call, before we turned around and came back
south to disembark in Tilbury, England. Our voyage was titled, “In search of
the Northern Lights”,from 25th January to 6th February 2019.
Bergen (1*C – sunrise 9.14am
sunset 4.28pm)
| Bergen quayside in summer |
Bergen is the 2nd largest city of
Norway. Nestled among seven mountains,
it is the centre for aquaculture, shipping, petroleum industry, higher
education, media, tourism and finance. About 300 cruise ships call annually,
bringing half a million passengers into the city to delight in its attractions,
it’s mountains and fiords including Signe fiord, the country’s longest and
deepest. Today, the quaint Quayside with
timbered Hanseatic warehouses and gabled wood buildings coloured rust, red and ochre
is on Unesco’s list of World Heritage sites. It was delightful to stroll along
here, checking out the arts and crafts, and tasting the local delights at the
charming cafes within them.
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| Bergen Quayside in winter |
We boarded our ship nearby the old
Quayside. It was already snowing. In a sense it was already preparing us for
the colder temperatures that awaited us as we sailed further north.
With a capacity of about 900
passengers, our luxurious liner gave every couple a plush suite with a
veranda. Due to freezing temperatures,
it was unlike other summer cruises where one could sunbathe on the deckchair,
reading a book. Instead, in warm
comfort, we could still laze on a deckchair near the pool, or sit in dining
rooms, or lounges that had floor to ceiling windows, through which we could
enjoy the spectacular beauty of Norway’s jagged coastline, dotted and
crisscrossed with a labyrinth of channels and fiords, through which we sailed
during our 13 day journey. During the long nights, there was music to listen to,
stage shows every night, the latest movies to watch, port lectures to prepare
us for the each port of call, talks about the history of the Vikings, and most
importantly information & slideshows to educate and prepare us for the
northern lights that we all had travelled so far to see and hoped to witness.…and
guess what?? Free Wi-Fi on board!!!
It was a comfort to know that even
while sailing, and if the northern lights were sighted during the long nights
by the bridge crew, it would be announced over the PA system. When this happened, it would give us the
opportunity to bundle up and rush up to the top deck to see them. And if one felt too cold, one could run back
indoors, warm up, and come back out to see them again.
We cruised the Norwegian Sea
through snow covered idyllic fiord lands, crossing the Arctic Circle, towards
Narvik.
Idyllic fiords |
| Idyllic fiords |
Maritime traditions are part of
almost every cruise, and the crossing of the Arctic Circle is also an important
event. The staff and crew put together
an “Order of the Blue Nose“ ceremony to mark it.
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| Snowman on board |
Guests were invited to make a
‘Polar Plunge’ into a converted hot tub filled with ice-cube-filled freezing water,
emerging to be awarded with a blue cream frosting dabbed on their noses, then
downing a shot of Norwegian spirit to warm them up. Staff and guests of all ages took part in
this hilariously fun and crazy party, watched and photographed by the rest of
us on board.
Narvik (-8*C sunrise 9.39 sunset
2.28pm)
Narvik was our first port of call. When we awoke the next morning, it
was still dark and our veranda was snowed up!
And so were the decks of course.
We even had two snowmen on the deck as additional passengers, one fat
& one thin ! And they kept us company till the end of our journey.
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| Snowed up veranda |
Fishermen catch cod here for consumption and export. The ice free waters here allow the search for
oil and gas, releasing deposits from under the sea bottom, more than half a
mile deep. The Vikings first settled here due to it being an ice free, natural
and deep water port. But it was the
discovery of iron ore nearby in the 1870’s that shaped Narvik into a major
exporting centre. A coach tour of the
city and around the bay gave us an idea of the beauty and charm within the fiord.
Alta (-14*C sunrise 9.30am sunset
1.50pm)
Our second port of call, Alta rests on the stunning shores of Altafiord. It is the gateway to some of Europe’s most
magnificent natural beauty. With its
frequent clear skies, it’s also an ideal place from which to catch the northern
lights. It was completely destroyed in WW2, but the resilient Norwegians
rebuilt it. Today it exports oil, gas, iron ore and slate.
The city is most known for its ancient rock carvings dating back as far
as 4200BC, important evidence of human activity in the far north in prehistoric
times. Since their discovery in 1973, more than 6000 rock etchings have been
uncovered, fascinating depictions of hunters, gatherers, rituals, animals and
symbols, qualifying it to be Norway’s only primitive UNESCO World Heritage
Site. And the Alta Museum, built next to this site, overlooks the scenic
Altafiord.
One can also try dog sledding, or go for a reindeer ride in the snow,
operated by the Indigenous Sami tribe. The Sami are indigenous people,
inhabiting parts of Norway, Sweden, parts of Finland and a small part of
Russia. The Norwegian authorities tried to suppress them for 150 years, trying
to change their habits. But they survived the oppression and retained their
culture. Today they are respected as a recognised minority, freely practise their own language, and their
traditional habits of fishing, farming, herding reindeer, etc. for their
livelihood.
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| the Sami in their indigenous attire |
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| Entrance to Igloo Hotel |
We had to see the much advertised Sorrisniva Igloo Hotel, where
everything inside and outside is made of snow and ice. It was their 20th
year in operation. It takes 30 ice
artists 5 weeks to build it every year, with blocks of ice from a nearby lake
when it freezes every winter. It opens
for business in January, and melts away in March.
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| Bed in Igloo Hotel |
There are about 40 little rooms and suites, each with a theme which is
carved out on the walls and bedheads.
Beds are made of solid blocks of ice covered with reindeer skin; and
guests sleep in heavy duty sleeping bags on them. In the halls are life-size figures carved out
of ice, where dinner parties and fashion shows take place, and there is a
chapel for weddings! A bar counter made of ice slabs is where one can have a
drink served in a largish ice cubes hollowed out to hold the liquid – drink it
quickly before the drink freezes too! And it’s minus 10*C inside and outside
the hotel. Crazy or what? And yes you
wanted to know I’m sure….toilets are in the main reception area which is a separate
wooden building with a warm fireplace, and a dining room.
Many, we hear, after paying so much (its USD300/- p.p.), can’t sleep in
their rooms, and end up catching naps in the warm reception area.
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| A drink in the Igloo Hotel- in an ice cube |
One of Alta’s most striking sights is not natural at all – the Cathedral of the Northern Lights. This boldly designed building in the heart of the city, is a vision in titanium, its circular exterior spirals upwards, paying tribute to the natural display of the spiral twists and twirls of the northern lights itself.
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| Cathedral of the Northern Lights |
It was but natural to attempt a search for the northern lights in Alta.
It was 9pm when we boarded our
coach with 40 others, which would take us an hour away from the city lights, to
a popular spot, about 1000 metres above sea level. With commanding views, the
show would be great. It was bitterly cold and dark, - 16*C. The glow from a log
fire inside a Sami Tent was welcoming. A cottage beside it, also welcomed us
while we waited for the lights to show. All the conditions were perfect except
for one – it was a cloudy night. But
expectations were high and we all hoped the cloud layer would lift. But it didn’t, and after a couple of hours,
with great disappointment, we all trooped into the coach and were taken back to
the warmth of our cruise ship.
Tromso (-10*C sunrise 9.30am
sunset 2.25pm)
Our next port of call was Tromso,
west of Alta, almost on the same latitude, and best known as the gateway to the
Arctic.
Human settlement in the Tromso area
dates back thousands of years, though the city itself was founded only about
200 years ago. Its location near the
coast and warming effect of the Gulf Stream, gives it a milder climate and
Tromso easily became the center for trapping in the Arctic region, and in the
early 1900’s it became the starting point for expeditions to the Arctic..
The Sami population is large here,
second to Oslo. As a result, their reindeer herds freely roam here, sometimes
even blocking traffic! Moose also thrive here and are often seen roaming around
the edge of the city.
The city’s historic centre, on the
island of Tromso is distinguished by its century’s old wooden houses. The 1965 Arctic Cathedral, with its
distinctive peaked roof and soaring stained glass windows, dominates the
skyline. A coach tour from the island, across the bridges, gives one a great
overview of this lovely city. Like the rest of the country, we are surrounded
by stunning views of fiords and mountains. The city centre itself was just
beside the dockside where our ship was berthed, so a little walk around it was
the best thing to do.
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Tromso Arctic Cathedral |
Tromso is also famed as another
viewing point for the colourful northern lights that light up the night-time
sky, during the long dark nights of winter.
As soon as we could, we booked another tour to catch the elusive lights
from here, and kept our fingers crossed.
This time we left at 7.30 pm, for a one and a half hour drive away from
the city. Our guide was very helpful with setting & adjusting our cameras,
and handing out tripods and protective jumpsuits to whoever needed them. He
promised that he would take photos of us and the lights with his professional
equipment, and that we need not freeze our fingers if we took our gloves off to
snap a photo.
Upon reaching our remote
campsite, a log fire was already blazing in the Sami tent to keep us warm while
we waited. While a scout kept watch
outside, we roasted sausages and bread over the fire, accompanied by roasted
veggies wrapped in tortillas, and even crepes for dessert.
Precisely when the lights make
their quiet yet dramatic appearance is unpredictable.
The snow outside was deep, the
silence deeper. We were some 190 miles north of the Arctic Circle, and the
temperature was a frigid -16* C.
This time the conditions looked
perfect. It was dark & cloudless,
the stars were shining, and we were far away from light pollution. The scout
gave the signal, and we rushed out.
They first appeared as a wisp of a grey cloud across the sky from
horizon to horizon, and then increased in intensity. Within seconds it swirled into spirals and
whirlpools, twisting and swaying, like the folds of fabric twirling in the
wind. They were dancing curtains of light fluttering in the sky.
To the human eye there is not much colour, except for some light pink
and blue that I saw. But through my
camera lens, the colours appeared brilliantly.
They were fluorescent green, purple and pink ribbons on a backdrop of a
dark starry night, like soft strokes of a painters brush. It was mesmerising
and magical, surreal and humbling.
It was exhilarating, a feeling of elation, almost as if we ourselves were
soaring into space, uplifted with our excitement. It was astral splendour.
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| Astral splendour of the lights |
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| Sami Tent in which we waited around a log fire |
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| This first sighting was just a wisp- notice the stars |
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| Like soft strokes of a painters brush |
The show went on for almost half an hour, and because the crisp winter
air was biting gently on our cheeks, we would escape into the tent, warm up and
come out again, trying not to miss a second of the show.
We could not believe we had seen the Aurora Borealis!
We had witnessed a wondrous phenomenon.
We saw the greatest show on earth.
We felt so blessed, and thankful.
As we headed back to our cruise ship after midnight, we felt as if we
were in a dream. It would take a while to absorb it and realise that it was not
a dream. Wait… we had photos to prove it was NOT a dream.
We sailed away from Tromso the next day. The sunset was at about 2.30pm
and it was already very dark by 3pm. It was a sea day and we were cruising not
too far away from the coast heading south.
Lo and behold, at about 4.30pm, the first ever sighting announcement
from the ship came on the PA system that the northern lights had been sighted
from the bridge.
Naturally we all rushed to the top deck for another chance to witness
this wonder. Once again these wisps of
cloud stretched across the sky, twisting and twirling, appearing and
disappearing for a period of almost 6 hours that night. It was an added bonus
for us.
There were a few days at sea that
passed easily because there was so much to do on board. The Jacuzzi was a
wonderful way to relax. There was a steam and sauna room and for the first
time, we were introduced to a snow grotto within the spa. Yes a small cold room,(
the size of a regular steam or sauna) with real snow in it. With these four, one
has to alternate a hot & cold treatment among the hot tub, sauna, steam or
snow. Cool eh?
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| Moiz in the snow grotto |
There were 2 gourmet restaurants to
choose from, buffet and sit down dining rooms, a pool grill, and English
afternoon tea by the poolside every day, and small cafes dotted around the
ship. Wherever you were, someone would surely come by and check if you needed
anything. The service was impeccable.
There was a library, games and quizzes to participate in, or just relax and
read your book, or standby to take photos…the scenery was so incredible, you
didn’t want to miss a good shot.
We cruised southwards in the
Norwegian Sea, best known for its bounty of seafood it has provided since
medieval times. Today it is enjoyed fresh and flaky, a far cry and more
delicious than the dried and preserved fish made by the early Norwegians. But another product from these famously cold
waters goes largely overlooked. As far back as the Viking age, locals extracted
salt from the surf by reducing the seawater over an open flame. Today, harvesters produce a massive volume
of Norwegian Sea salt on the pristine shores of Norway. Their artisan methods
coax salt from the sea much as the Vikings did, via a rigorous process of
crystalizing, rinsing and drying.
We had sailed far south for 2 days,
so the temperature was more comfortable now, and the days slightly longer.
We passed the Arctic Circle again.
As it was daylight when we passed this imaginary line, the captain slowed down
the ship for us to see a marker on a small island off the coast.
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| Arctic Circle Marker |
Stavanger (4*C sunrise 8.45am sunset
4.58pm)
Our final port of call, Stavanger is
a city in southwestern Norway. Here the land is flatter and the landscape not as
dramatic as what we had seen in the rest of the country. In the centre of town, the Stavanger
Cathedral dates back to the city’s 12th century founding. The Norwegian Petroleum Museum illuminates
the oil industry. Offshore oil and gas was discovered in 1969, after which a
period of hectic growth followed. Today
Stavanger is labelled the Oil capital of Norway.
A historical site worth a visit is
“Swords in Rock”, a monument built to commemorate a historic battle which took
place in the year 872, when the King gathered all of Norway under one
crown. The three bronze swords stand 10
meters tall and are planted into a large rock next to the fiord. It represents
peace since, being planted into solid rock, they will never be removed.
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| Bronze Swords |
Stavanger is also home to one of
Europe’s most interesting Old Towns. The
cobblestone streets are lined with the continent’s highest concentration of
wooden buildings that date back to the 17th and 18th
centuries. And from the deck of our ship, we had a bird’s eye view of this
charming locality right beside the harbour.
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| 17th & 18th century wooden houses |
We disembarked a day later, sad to
end our holiday, but delighted to have achieved what we had set out to do.
Armed with blessings and luck from everyone we knew, we were convinced the
Almighty would not let us down. After all it was He who created this wonder for
us to see.
Some facts about the
Auroras:
The Aurora is the handiwork of
electricity charged particles ejected from the sun. Bursting through space at 2 million miles per
hour, they are caught by the earth’s magnetic field, which funnels them into
the upper atmosphere near the north and south poles, where they stimulate the
auroral display.
In the North Pole, they are known
as the Aurora Borealis, while at the South Pole they are known as the Aurora
Australis.
Colours vary based on the
conditions present when they collide, at what speed, at what altitude, and with
which element e.g. oxygen or nitrogen. Green appears typically about 60 miles
above the earth’s surface – the closest and thus the most commonly visible to
the human eye. Blue, purple and violet tones materialise more than 60 miles
above the earth’s surface, thus less visible. And red appears only more than
150miles in altitude, thus the rarest colour to be seen from the earth’s
surface.
The human eye rarely detects these
colours because of the distance. They are feint and far. Strangely, they look
white or grey to the human eye, but through a camera lens, they are brilliantly
green, sometimes touched with pink or purple.
The best time to view the aurora borealis
is during the northern winter during the end of the year.
The best time to view the aurora
australis is during the southern winter in the middle of the year.
There have been many legends
associated with the northern lights over the ages. Some believed they were the souls of dead
maidens, while others believed they were magical fire foxes scampering across
the horizon. A celestial bridge of fire
to the sky was another belief, or maybe
the spirits of ancestors dancing in the heavens.
In
1896 a Norwegian Physicist , Kirstin Birkland, was the first to prove
that the aurora were electrons streaming from the sun and steered to the poles.
In the 1950’s, extensive research
only explored this theory.
Only in the early 21st
century were scientists able to prove what actually causes the Auroras.
Astronauts on board the
international Space Station, which orbits our planet at an altitude of between
205 and 270 miles, have front row seats to this magnificent light show.
And if you are flying over the
north pole from New York to Tokyo for example, if it’s dark and cloudless, and
if you happen to be NOT sleeping and decide to open your window at the right
time and look down, and if you are on the right side of the aircraft, yes, you
may be lucky enough to view this amazing show of lights!!
Hope you enjoyed reading about our adventure. And, if you haven’t
already, we hope you too will see these amazing lights someday.
Shirin Moiz
