Tromsø & The Northern Lights

The gateway to the Arctic – Tromsø. Located at the 69th parallel (nice), it’s the northern-most place I’ve been to in my life. Surprisingly, the weather was more pleasant than when I last took off from London. There was this stark contrast between the miserable cold back in the UK which tries to kill you, and the fresh cold in Tromsø that keeps you constantly afresh. It was a clear sunny day so just before landing, we were greeted by magnificent views of the fjords – the last time I’ve seen anything as spectacular as this was on my flight from Tokyo to Copenhagen when we flew over the North Pole. That was even more so a treat, given that the in-flight entertainment on that flight was an utter disappointment. Story for another day. It was such a sight to see the rivers that weave through in between snow-covered mountains.

At immigration, the border officer went with a friendly smile, “first time in Norway?” “Yes” “What are your plans?” “Northern lights today and snowshoeing tomorrow then heading back.” “That’s all? Why? Do more!” I was going to say I’d burst my wallet if I stayed any longer because stuff here were really expensive. Man, it was like 100 quid a night for a room the size of my office’s printer room, in someone’s house with a host on his PS5 24/7.

Tromsø’s a pretty cute town. You could pretty much walk from one end of the town centre to the other in 15 minutes. It’s something you’d imagine what a stereotypical Scandinavian town would look like. Brightly-coloured wooden buildings surrounded by mountains in the backdrop. There was a harbour where I just stood there and watched small ships go by, and seamen doing whatever seamen do. In different places you’d find really tiny food bars selling stuff like soup, sausages, and fish. Some are really popular so you’d see a long line for a really small stall, and leaves you wondering where they store their ingredients in the first place. I like to think there’s a secret storage system underground like those cartoons. At night, you get this festive vibe – there’s Christmassy lights hung in different places and alleyways. All in the middle of March.

On the 2nd Day, I took this cable car to the top of Storsteinen which had a viewpoint of the city, and I do recommend getting to the top by sunset. It was such a sigh tto behold as the sun sets behind the mountains, and as the sky turns from blue to gold. That then transitions to the Northern Lights making their appearance just above you and it all culminates into a show.

On the first night, I went for a Northern Lights chase tour. I got an answer as to why the weather was more comfortable than it was compared to London. Our guide Boris mentioned that there was a warm jet stream of air starting from the Gulf of Mexico making its way to the Arctic. “Gulf of Mexico. Not Gulf of America like some old American guy decided to call it.” Let me just say, I was about to look for a piece of paper to get an autograph because I’m a such huge fan of this guy.

I’ve seen the Northern Lights a number of times, but never got sick of it. Every time, it’s a different show. Part of the fun is also the anticipation, the bracing of the cold night, and also staring into the dark sky mistaking clouds for the lights themselves. What’s gratifying is once you see this white smoke in the sky, you get really excited you get to see what most other people can’t see in their lifetime. Such a spectacle of mother nature. We spent a couple of hours driving and stopping by a few spots to find gaps in the clouds to have a clear view of the lights.

The Northern Lights are formed when charged particles from the Sun interacts with the Earth’s magnetic field, further colliding with gases in the upper atmosphere. I don’t believe in any of that science. If there’s anything I learnt from this trip and my time in Iceland, it just so happens that Northern Lights appear when the guide bangs their fist on the bus. It also just so happens that when the lights are brighter, the guide would bang harder. Coincidence? I think not.

We spent some time appreciating the lights over a campfire, some hot chocolate, and homemade cookies. I also met an Australian tourist who unfortunately lost her camera when it got blown over by strong winds. Eventually started doing a tutorial on how to take the lights with the phone. I should have started charging to compensate for my expensive accomodation.

Pretty fortunate to have got to see the lights two nights in a row! The night after, went to the top of Storsteinen, waited until it got dark, and got to see them again, this time, over Tromsø! Met a tourist from Hong Kong who had never seen the lights in his life wondering where we’re supposed to look at and I pointed to this huge cloud-looking thing, and we shared the photos we took. There also were some annoying tourists flashing their torchlights in the sky (that’s not how it works, and please don’t be that person), so I was that guy in the dark *politely* asking them to turn off their torches.

Snowshoe Hiking

Did some snowshoe hiking on the second day in Kvaløya – an island close to Tromsø. In the winter, to get to places where there were no roads, locals would either ski, snowshoe, or sled with the help of their huskies to get around. In this hike, we got the help of a couple of huskies to guide us around. My assigned huskie partner, Joker, however, lived up to his name by not being that all helpful. Navigating the deep snow and crampons was challenging enough, but he insisted on forging ahead, often leading me astray. I’d glance back to find us miles away from the main group, prompting our guides to scream at us to get back on the right path. He even had us crossing a frozen stream on the ice, while others used a safe crossing. Every time we stopped, he’d roll in the snow, adding to the general chaos of the whole thing. By the hike’s midpoint, I was sweating so profusely I had to remove my jacket, despite the cold. But it’s all good – it’s a love/hate relationship I’ve learnt to embrace over those couple of hours.

It was difficult to walk in the snowshoes. You’re supposed to walk normally but it’s a little tricky as they’re slightly heavy, and ideally you’d want them to sink in the snow and ice to avoid slipping. Again, Joker didn’t understand that. So I got home aching calves when I got home. Our journey took us through snow plains that felt like we were off to some unknown. It really did feel like we were on this whole National Geographic expedition, just that we paid for this. We rested at a viewpoint which had spectacular views of the mountains around us and a fjord down below (I’ve probably mentioned mountains and fjords like the 10th time but this is Norway anyway). We were served traditional warm blackcurrent juice (this can rival Finland’s blueberry juice and people know I have an obsession with it) and some homemade cookies. The guide who made them exclaimed, “I’m surprised everyone liked it haha.” In my head I was thinking like is there something in there that I should know of?

We ended the day in a traditional Sami Hut, or a Goahti, chatting on the day over woodfire, some absolutely delicious chocolate cake, and more warm blackcurrant juice. A really cosy atmosphere for all of us to talk through our day and wind down especially after a husky like Joker gave you a hard time.

Oslo

Oslo wasn’t actually part of the plan – I wanted to go straight home via Paris. But the night before, I realised I had to take the chance of any flight out of Tromsø given that planes were close to full. So I started listing myself for flights to random European cities in the morning – joys of airline staff travel. Quite happy to have snatched the last seat on the first plane in the morning – getting home would be a breeze via Oslo. First impressions of Oslo – as soon as I got off the plane, I was absolutely freezing. Ironic considering I’ve travelled away from the Arctic. It’s feels exactly as if I just stepped into a kitchen freezer. I had a really short couple of hours in Oslo so I tried to make the most of my time.

On the train to downtown Oslo, someone who happened to be passionate in film photography took interest in my camera and I let him fiddle around with it for a bit. “Wow this is heavy – you can use this as a weapon!” That is actually my planned secondary use of my camera… for self-defense of course. Anyway, so I started off with walking around the city centre, exploring an Opera House, a public library, and the high street. As I continued walking, I heard music reverberating across the streets, seemingly being played by an orchestra of bells & chimes. I then I tried looking for the source of the music, as if it called for me. That’s when I discovered the town hall. The interior was a work of art. Mesmerizing pieces of artwork and patterns were painted all over the walls. Every room and every floor was different and had their own personalities. It was such a treat to walk into a different room and to discover something different.

I then took a bus to the Norwegian Museum of Cultural history. There’s an open-air museum featuring replicas of buildings throughout Norway’s history. What I was interested in is a 12th-century church particularly because I wanted to examine and appreciate stave architecture up close. This structure covered in black paint, with its emblems covered in gold was quite prominently placed atop a hill, overlooking the village below. As I approached it, it felt like I’ve discovered something unknown and ancient. As you enter it, you’ll be greeted by this overwhelming smell of wood that transports you all the way back all those centuries ago. It was also fascinating to see the detailed wood-carved details of the church as well as the paintings on the wall that have been standing the test of time.

Later, I explored the Akershus Fort, which was built in the 13th century. There weren’t that many people in there so I felt like I had the whole place to myself. There were tight tunnels to navigate and there were tombs housing members of the royal family underground too. I’m sure these walls have seen and heard much; the royal politics, the war, all of it. The upper floors had rooms holding a royal tapestry, a chapel, and huge dining rooms. There was a really impressive colorful glass window mosaic in the chapel too. Pretty cool stuff.

It was a short getaway, and going back to what the border officer told me – maybe I should have done more. Maybe it’s true that price tags here are high, but it’s also true that the experience here was immeasurable too. I have Joker to thank for that. I’ll be sure to keep Norway in my future bucketlist, and be sure to spend a little longer.

For more pictures from my Norwegian getaway, go here: https://www.behance.net/itsdadanial