This is my experience...
a great journey and a lifetime unforgettable experience!!!
This journey gave me a new meaning for travel and for life itself...
and the reason to create this blog and share, with all of you, this thrilling adventure.
Manuel
In the beginning… many thoughts and lots of doubts!
written on the 12th November 2007
I take a look at my calendar and checked,… it’s really 12 November 2007,… it has been almost 2 months since I looked back, for what was the last years and realized I had to get alive, again, and with a new age stage to face upon!
I take a look at my calendar and checked,… it’s really 12 November 2007,… it has been almost 2 months since I looked back, for what was the last years and realized I had to get alive, again, and with a new age stage to face upon!
A journey scheduled to start about a month from this day on the 8th December (actually on the evening of the 7th but I’ll get to my target destination only in afternoon of the 8th) and on which, I believed at this point, I would be all by myself, something that promise to be a journey in the journey itself!
Also the destination chosen, for this lonesome adventure, wasn’t much the kind of destination most people would even consider to go nearby at this time of year – a journey into the Norwegian Arctic in the middle of the polar night season!!!
I guess you have to be some kind of fool to consider this one hell of a great holiday! Well, you can call me crazy… and some did :-)
On the many invitations I made, to friends and work buddies, the best I could get was some maybes that soon went to can’t do it now, sorry!
Well, the plane’s tickets already booked and bought since late September, so that settles things quite easy, Tromsø, here I come!!!
Ah! And, what for, you might ask!
Only to see (or try to see) the Aurora Borealis – or Northern Lights as they call it in northern countries! Again, call me crazy… again, some did :-)
[Just a piece of advice, if you are planning to go this far north, and you don’t want to be taken by crazy, it’s easy… just say you are going to Santa’s homeland, everyone seam to consider this as a normal and reasonable explanation!!!]Who said I'm going alone?
written on the 19th November 2007
It’s always the same, as soon you write it down, there’s always someone to contradict you! Like this! I just said I was going all alone! Well… it’s not true anymore! JV is also coming… good, I guess!!!
Yet, I already need to make some changes to my planning, which didn’t include sleeping at hotels in The more friends you got, the more you can achieve!
written on the 22th November 2007
I’ve been checking on internet (at the Tromsø University
That’s good news for someone that has scheduled and booked a Dogsled activity!!!
Now we are three!
written on the 25th November 2007
Sunday afternoon. The phone rings, it’s JV! His voice sounded a little compromised, like there’s something bothering him! He wanna know how was some bookings that I already told him was done, so I started to worry and want to know what was that all about!
After some hesitations and excuses he ends up asking if I could allow his father to join us!!! Well, I didn’t quite understand the reason of all that hesitation to say that, till he told me his father was 74 years old! Then I understand why he was so cautious about :-)
Like I told him, he was his father and was going with his son and they where both adults!!! Which means: I decline any responsibility on both :-D
Anyway, I started this quest inviting everybody, so didn’t have any problem if someone else wanted to join us. Also if someone at 74, really, wants to go to the arctic (not just “would like to…”), in the middle of December, that someone doesn’t seem that old to me and is most welcome!!!
JV tells me his father was a marathon runner till 5 years ago, so I guess he must be in good physical conditions. Also that his father was more open-minded than the son and this I’ve got to see :-DNight shots in Valongo (Porto outskirts)!
written on the 28th November 2007
Not only FS lend me his photo equipment, but he also offered me a expertise class on how to handle the Canon 350D with the new Tamron Lens, a 17-50mm / f2.8 (for those photo curious that get this far reading! :-)
Because we both weren’t too familiar with night pics, we took this night to make some tests and went to this hill nearby Porto (overlooking the city of Valongo), 
to take some photos on less intense city lights - I know it’s not comparable to the northern lights, but we have to shoot at something at night ;-) from this experience I learn how you feel when using a camera with no light to see it, as we choose a dark spot without artificial light around us! Especially if you are not familiar with the camera: “this button do this… and that button do that…” and I hardly see what he was pointing at!!! Well, we joked with the situation :-D
to take some photos on less intense city lights - I know it’s not comparable to the northern lights, but we have to shoot at something at night ;-) from this experience I learn how you feel when using a camera with no light to see it, as we choose a dark spot without artificial light around us! Especially if you are not familiar with the camera: “this button do this… and that button do that…” and I hardly see what he was pointing at!!! Well, we joked with the situation :-D
So my advice on taken pics in dark environments would be that you get quite familiar with equipment and know the main buttons by heart, cause you won’t see a thing :-)
This was also good to know that with a “warm” +6ºC my fingers almost freeze!!! So the gloves I bought wasn’t as good as promised!!! So what I’m I suppose to do if I get -10 or -20ºC ?! Well, guess I’ve to wait till I get on place, cause also, I’ve just fond out that I can’t operate a new camera and wear gloves at the same time :-D
Ah! The camcorder… probably won’t catch anything!!! As it could be seen from the sequences recorded, with a much more intensity of lights in this place :-(
So, another advice, if you wanna film the northern lights better go with a professional with pretty good equipment :-)Lousy Weather and Aurora Forecasts!
written on the 29th November 2007
Checked the internet just to fond out that the Aurora Forecast was updated yesterday… and is expected a Level 1 on Aurora activity (there’s only one worst - Level 0) for the 8th December – the day on which was booked the “Northern Lights search for clear sky” with a local photographer in order to increase my chances of finding some good spots where to see Aurora!!!! What a bad luck… actually I use some more unpleasant words, but in Portuguese, so you better think it was just some untranslatable comments ;-)
After this, on 4th December, the weather forecast also got worst, with a prediction of a warm +5ºC (in December at latitude N70!!! the arctic is getting tropical… my thought amongst some other untranslatable comments) with some rain on the days before we arrive – just in case some snow resist on melting with the warm temperature, this should do it – what the hell, it’s getting perfect conditions for a total screw up!!! grrrrr!
Thoughts and comments before it gets started!
written on the 5th December 2007
It's 10pm, less then 48 hours for the journey to begin!!!
As usual, at work (doing some planning management at Porto ’s Subway and Light Railway Tram Project Management Team, I’ll just call it EGF team ;-), EGF team mates are curious! When will you go? So your off on vacation, where to?” according to the reply I gave, I get the “ah! To Norway… to get some “bacalhau” for Christmas (all year round we eat a lot of this stockfish - codfish dried out, seems that Norwegians call it “klippfisk” - also a must in a Portuguese traditional Christmas eve dinner), or the “brrrr! to the arctic, what for? To see the Aurora Aurora
I guess, that by this time most of them didn’t even imagine what I intended to do, namely, sticking on a cold (-10 to -20ºC was my believe) dark place, waiting, for hours, that some lights decided to appear in the sky above!!! And for what’s best, with good chances of not seeing anything!!! If they knew this, then more people would take me for nuts for sure, cause they didn’t knew this, they were only doubting if I wasn’t nuts :-D
About these doubtful thoughts, there is also the fact that I was going to Norway and not Siberia (this one is in the top of the list, that people build in mind, of places that you wouldn’t wanna go, much more then Alaska or Greenland , even if you are talking about places whit same latitudes). This sure add me some mental sanity! Norway Siberia , I would pass from little nuts to completely insane! Of course, from an average Portuguese (or west European country) point of view!!! Also is different to say that you’re going to the northernmost part of Norway
So looking at what I got borrowed, I do think I set up an EGF-Team Embassy to the arctic!!! Naming:
This mobile phone from NL; the photo equipment from FS (which also included two other lens, one of them an expensive and heavy Canon 10-22 wide-angle zoom lens that I intended to try out); and also the trekking equipment (warm cloths, portable spotlight and also a backpack) from CR - this guy liked the idea (the first one I met) of going on this quest, and almost agreed on coming, but unfortunately he already had spent his annual budget on his two weeks vacation in Scotland (where he also climbed the Ben Nevis).
:-) Still… the more friends you got, the more you can achieve :-)
Where did I heard this?... :-DLets Get It Started! @ Porto’s International Airport
written on the 7th December 2007
@ 19h20 [7:20pm] - Airport
Just arrived at the airport a few minutes ago! Waiting for JV and its father… I get a little tense… the last few days went running, meaning I was the one running to do all the late stuff, even though today was a completely stressful one!!! Trying to get all the stuff I had in two “little” bags! Yes, in the last days I realised that the bags definitely got shorter from the last time I used them ;-) but today they suddenly got minuscule :-(
Maybe I exaggerated on cloths, normally I wouldn’t, but this time I didn’t wanna get caught on cold!!! But guess that’s not the problem… maybe the problem is that one of the bags is almost filled up with photo and video equipment :-D and some food :-D so, I had to leave behind my second all-weather-coat (how can I call it) and my robe (or bathrobe, don’t know the right word)! This means that I’ll wear the same outfit all the time and will walk around the bedroom with my pyjama :-D about the pyjama (or pajama) and for those of you that get curious on cloths instead of photo equipment, I have to reveal something too ;-) did you know that a few days ago I fond this nice sports pyjama that says in big letters “polar life adventure” with the words “geographic expedition” below, so, what have you done? I really had to buy this one… LOL
Now I’m feeling hot, must have something to do with arriving here with warm and heavy trekking boots and a warm coat, also heavy due to all the stuff that I filled its pockets with, because I haven’t got any more room in the bags :-D
@ 22h00 [10:00pm] – at Ryanair Airplane
Sitting at the airplane on my way to London , never been to England
Just put on my mp3 player , and it started playing this song called “de L’air” which suits just fine for some flying :-D start writing some stuff cause flying at night don’t have much interest unless you’re a good sleeper… all you can do is watch the nice looking air hostesses (Irish or English I guess, but anywhere you go they all look nice, don’t they? :-) besides that you got one half of the plane asleep some air-stressed and the rest reading or talking to avoid being air-stressed!
Start writing about how I almost got pissed off at the airport for them keeping my body-deospray!!! an almost new can of it, a little can but I forgot it was a 150ml can!!! And one keeps forgetting that inside a can of spray there’s a liquid on it!!! Damn :-(
Anyway, as a confidence, when I bag it up I knew this might happen, so I took the chance and loose, but I’m still good in predicting things, hum! Ain’t I ? ;-)
Looking at a guy messing around the bags compartment and pushing aside my little plastic bag (which has got the tickets and all my travel plans on it)… got to keep an eye on that fellow and the bag, or I might be going on my feet to Norway
Because this a lowcost flight you don’t get a seat number, even though and also being the last ones to enter the plane we manage to get us a 3 seats together right at the emergency exit, which is nice, not cause you’re the first to get out of the plane if needed, but because you get more space for your legs :-)
Also at this lowcosts you get some entertainment! I didn’t hear through the loudspeakers quite well, because I got my earphones, but figured they were setting some kind of lottery… Yeh! I think it was it, now the blondie hostess is passing with her hand on the air with some scratchcards to sell, air travelling is getting sophisticated :-D
I was still writing the last sentence when I heard on the loudspeaker something and a guy get up and pick his prize… a airplane ticket… but not just any airplane ticket… I heard it was a return ticket… for those not so familiar with Ryanair, their tickets are mainly the cost of the one-way… I mean the one you go out, cause the usual price for the return ticket is one euro-cent or one penny (fees and taxes not included), so the guy got one hell of a prize, if you know what I mean :-D
My first British experience ;-)
written on the 8th December 2007
Aurora
Time to head for check-in for the Norwegian flight! Surprisingly our flight appears at the information board but without a check-in desk number. So we and some people wait there for it to show up… time passes and I start to wonder why the hell it never come out. Decided to take a walk and start looking for some check-in desk with the Norwegian logo on it… when I got closer to the two ones that have that logo the lady in one of the desks started to ask the people on a huge cue line to place themselves on the other 2 desks on side (which had the logo of some German airline)… it seemed that a lot of people already knew about that lack of info at the board, cause they were already on the cue to a check-in desk that said Bergen!!! Ok, we were heading to Tromsø, that’s in the same country, and the check-in desk was from the German Wings (or something like that didn’t write it back then), that’s in the same continent, no problem… after all when we were already in line, after some time, it finally appears in the information board the number of the check-in desk to Tromsø!!! Yeah… and bingo it went on the23, a good number that stands for a closed check-in desk!!!! They really took their time to un-update the information :-D
@ 07h20 [7:20am] – London Stansted Airport
Ok! I know I got up at 4:30am, but I’m not really in a bad mood!!! Nevertheless from my few hours experience here in Standsted, I can’t say anything nice about the local hospitality and, let’s say, British humour… only spoke with 4 guys here and 2 of them were particularly unkind a third fond it really hard to understand me and the last one, younger and more nice just gave me a completely useful information!!! The problem seem to be with attitude and apparently got nothing to do with foreigners, has the lady who went before me at the information desk point, who seemed to me very British, got the same treatment! The lady at the information desk even manage to say “good morning” in the beginning and “thank you” at the end of each attendance, but with a tone and rough speech that you don’t dare to put any more questions ;-)
The arrival here late at night didn’t went as wanted as my bag arrived a little too broken! But at 1:00am with the need to wake at 4.30am and the hotel already paid for, you don’t have much time to go complain about a broken bag, lucky them!!!
By that time we need to check-in at the hotel, directly connect to the airport, but to fulfilled my partner wish to sleep this night, didn’t have many alternatives, so we stay at a 4 star Radisson SAS hotel, everything booked up on internet, seemed to be ok, wasn’t for the fact that we had to pay an extra 20 Pound because one of us wasn’t a child!!!! I know I’ve booked for 2 and then changed to 3 persons, but already checked all my mails and in anyone of them I’ve ever said something about any child!!! Also checked and they really did mention the 3 of us would pay the same as the 2 booked before. I’ve the mails to testify for it!!! Anyway you can’t argue a lot at this time of night… at least the lady at the desk was cute and nice… no! not an exception to what I said before…she didn’t look British, neither her name :-D
Spend the night in a crowded room with two other guys… not quite used to it, since my army days!!! But a nice comfortable room at a very modern stylish hotel with free internet access… at that late I still went to check my mail!!!
So, here am I sitting by a publicity board looking through the glassy wall of the Airport façade seeing the reddish dawn of day (that we also call Time to head for check-in for the Norwegian flight! Surprisingly our flight appears at the information board but without a check-in desk number. So we and some people wait there for it to show up… time passes and I start to wonder why the hell it never come out. Decided to take a walk and start looking for some check-in desk with the Norwegian logo on it… when I got closer to the two ones that have that logo the lady in one of the desks started to ask the people on a huge cue line to place themselves on the other 2 desks on side (which had the logo of some German airline)… it seemed that a lot of people already knew about that lack of info at the board, cause they were already on the cue to a check-in desk that said Bergen!!! Ok, we were heading to Tromsø, that’s in the same country, and the check-in desk was from the German Wings (or something like that didn’t write it back then), that’s in the same continent, no problem… after all when we were already in line, after some time, it finally appears in the information board the number of the check-in desk to Tromsø!!! Yeah… and bingo it went on the
London to Tromsø - The Northern Lights Express
written on the 8th December 2007
@ 17h10 [5:10pm] – sitting at the lobby of Thon Polar Hotel, while I got two pals, sleeping in the room upstairs ;-)
We arrived on scheduled to Tromsø, and it was, for sure, the best flight ever!!! Not just my opinion, I also heard it said to my neighbour (in the plane’s seat), by an elder nice British lady that insisted to point her opinion, saying that she had travelled a lot but never got such a nice flight!!!
[I have to wake those two guys in less than an hour, so still have the time to write something of what happen before…]
It all started at the Stansted airport, when we saw this cute painted airplane, at first I didn’t knew if it was good, for the fun painting, or bad, if they painted it that way to hide some older aspects… only then we discover it was our plane, and started enjoying taking pictures on the way in… while we make some passengers waiting for us to take the pics ;-)
Inside we seat in the middle of the plane, me and JV on the right (although that was the left side of the plane) and his father on the left with another gentlemen and a young lady in-between. Well I think he’s the one who started the conversation with the lady, but took only a minute to decide his English wasn’t good enough to keep the conversation, so he promptly offers me his place to chat with her!!! Well I’m not to good at staring conversations (really a little too shy for that matter), so I’m glad she started… giving each one of us a brochure of the “Northern Lights Express”!!! Which gave me the chance to get into a conversation with her… and lucky me… turns out that she was from the Tromsø Tourism Board, and a nice to talk too!
So for a flight of nearly 3 hours I got the best seat companion. Among other things, we talked about her job, as she was responsible for the coordination of the Northern Lights Festival, which is the biggest cultural event on Tromsø that goes for a week with lots of music and other cultural activities, and takes place every year around the 21st January (that’s when the sun finally shows itself to the city, after a period that begins on 21st November), so better put this festival at your agendas!!!
I also asked about the life on a northern town, that normal stuff, which I, as a Portuguese, am not quite familiarly with ;-) and also got some awesome aspect about people’s behaviour that really surprises me… I always thought that the way we drive in southern Europe was something that only got to do with our hot temperament!... but this time I got a real life testimony of a typical northern girl, who went living in Italy for a few years and “learn” to drive like a Latin, to the point of when back in Norway realised how she got a different driving behaviour and almost had to re-learn driving the local way :-D
Probably people don’t find this story so weird or enriching, but those who already experience, driving in northern and southern European countries might get my point, and why I make such a deal of this story…
But there’s more, as I also fond out this was the first Northern Light Express flight, so without knowing we were at the inauguration of the connection between London
The plane got a lot of people from the Tromsø tourism board and local travel agents that had been in London
The people had the whole thing quite well planned so we had the most excellent flight, especially if you notice that this was a low-cost flight where we got coffee and chocolates and the oddest… music on an airplane and I mean Live Music, from local Tromsø musicians…
Ah! One thing you must know when playing live on an airplane… you got to be moving, so everyone can hear what you’re playing!!! due to the airplanes noises only the seats near the musicians hear them… so they really did a tour ;-) specially if you think that they also touring at about 800 to 1000 Km/h… so they started their performance somewhere over the north Atlantic to end it (I would say they took a 20 minutes performance) somewhere else about 250 Km’s away from where they started ;-D
And so I had my first party at an airplane… still no one danced :-D
When the plane started the descent, I looked back and give a last look at the sun, as I knew wasn’t going to get an eye on him for the next days!!! Landing at a freezing arctic was also quite an odd experience for us, especially because it was getting darker at 13h00 (1:00pm)!!!
Set foot on land, not so cold after all, maybe 1 or 2 ºC, and glad it wasn’t raining or snowing, cause we had to leave the plane by land… and… this wasn’t a big airport, but they really got to change the place they have the passport check-up! Because it’s too near the damn door… so we had to wait in-line OUTSIDE!!! and not just a few of us… I think the cue line was bigger on the outside!!! I also believe they didn’t get that many passengers before… with such a small hall… unless they wanna give them an arctic welcome!!!!!!!!!!!
Ok, Ok, they amend that with a warm welcome inside the airport just after the luggage claim… yehhhh!!! Party!!!
We couldn’t believe it!!! Welcome party at the airport!!! With a big cake with both the English and the Norwegian flags on it, to celebrate the new air connection, and also with a traditional Norwegian drink!!! The cake must’ve been good, but can’t know it for sure as I didn’t taste it… now that “Gløgg” drink they offer… hummm… tasted pretty nice ;-) it was on its non-alcoholic version and it had almonds floating on it… nham nham ;-P
Who would have guessed, just arrived to the arctic and already a warm traditional local drink to welcome us? Really?… at the airport?!!! Really great :-)
As I found out, later, “Gløgg” is a traditional Christmas drink that it’s served warmed with crushed almonds, raisins, nuts, and can be mixed with red wine.
Also a small note (especially for others Portuguese fellows :-) just to state something I always knew ;-) There are Portuguese everywhere in the world ;-) its unbelievable! There I was standing still in the middle of other people (on that welcome party at the airport), and someone approaches and give me a Good Afternoon! [in Portuguese, that was “Boa Tarde”] and we weren’t even talking in Portuguese at the time… but there he was a Portuguese from Faro (sunny Algarve
The First Night – Bad Weather… Bad Luck!
written on the 8th December 2007
@ Troms Fylke [somewhere by night] – Although I’m writing on the next day (more precisely 4:30am of Monday which is already the 10th December), this is the story of our misadventures in the first night of the quest for the Northern Lights ;-(
After leaving the airport to the hotel, in a bus that didn’t want to close one of the doors :-D we arrive the Hotel Polar, the same time as everyone else! So another cue line and, guess what, again on the outside!!! This must be some kind of arctic tradition ;-) or to make us get used to the temperature… anyway they sure want us to believe that this around zero temperature is real warm temperature as while we’re in line waiting to get a place inside we saw someone smoking on the outside, but wearing a t-shirt!!! Yes, just like if we were in Algarve
Ah! Just to remind me that by 4:00pm it felt just like it was 10pm… weird feeling!!!
Because the room wasn’t ready yet, we got some time to walk around the city centre and take some photos on a Saturday afternoon… although they all look like Saturday night photos :-D
Also tried to buy, in place, some music from a local band of traditional folk music… even manage to find a opened music store… but just to find out it was sold out and would stay like that till Wednesday! Yep… I’m out on Tuesday…
Back to the hotel, room on the 9th floor! The very last floor, so last the elevator didn’t go there!!! It only gets us to the 8th and then we had to use the stairs… but, the view was nice ;-)
All went as scheduled, met Anja at the lobby, to pay for our dogsled activity (booked for the next day)… funny we get to meet before in the plane as she was also on the “Tromsø team” that went to London Aurora
Also as scheduled, at 6:00pm, we met our guide KS (a local photographer) and get onboard his 8 seats van, to go in search of what-we-came-here-for…
Weather seems to be on a bad mood :-(
As I understand for the few words he shared about weather conditions, it seems we’ll have quite a hard time getting clear sky tonight!!! Still liked it worst when he tells me we’re heading to the sea side… everything I read before told me that in bad weather in Tromsø we need to go inland and maybe get lucky somewhere, this wasn’t a good sign… As he told me later things were quite heavy inland with snow or rain and bad chances of getting some open sky… So we were heading to Sommarøy!
We start our trip throughout a series of tunnels under the sea (they even got a roundabout down there ;-), which I believe was the first time I was on a tunnel under the sea (not that it makes a lot of difference, just for the record ;-)
On the rear seats of the van, with our journey companions, a young British couple from Gibraltar and an Italian from London, we leave Tromsø island on to another island – Kvaløya – heading west we reach the north part of the island having the sea on our right side… all the way we got another companion, due to the circumstances an annoying one – the rain!!!
Close to Sommarøy, but distant enough to avoid the city lights, we stop by the beach, as our guide decided to try our luck!
This was the time to get to know the other fellows the Italian more communicative the couple more reserved! Seems this was a good day for KS, as he brings two other tourist on a smaller car driven by one of his friends (a big Norwegian as our guide didn’t differ much from us on physical stature, his friend make a lot of difference among all of the people there)… also apart from two Norwegians, two Portuguese and one Italian, the rest didn’t spend much time outside the vehicles, so, we only get to talk with those ones outside… we talk, but not even a sign that the sky could clear up… still had faith that we could get lucky… so we talk about us and them and about our relation with stockfish/klippfisk and the 1001 ways we got to cook it, although they didn’t believe we could do it, so we refer to some of the most common ways we cook it and didn’t insist much on that idea ;-) but we really can cook it 1001 ways, or more :-D
The weather didn’t get better… I passed some time walking on the beach, a frozen beach!!! I took the spotlight with me, so could walk on the beach and get closer to the water… this was the time for another of those many sights that I never seen/felt before… to walk on a sandy beach cover with a thin sheet of ice!!! If you ever want ice on the beach this is the place to be :-)
All the time I had my camera set and ready to shoot, but nothing happened… wrong, something happened, it started raining with more intensity, so after a while they decided we should move… as they were already getting in the cars I had to unmount it all in a hurry… guess this was when I loose my glasses, cause it was raining and I removed them and then I had to unmount it alone and quickly get into the car, so I completely forget about the glasses… and this was the last time I remember wearing them!!!
On the way the guide keep talking on mobile with someone that were giving him some info about the chances in got in other places (or even with people around the area, didn’t get this cleared). Finally we’re heading inland!!!
Got to go back, through Tromsø, on the way we stopped at a gas station (Statoil) to “refuel” the tourists. I only drank a hot chocolate, but for others it was an essential “pit stop”… specially the guy from the British couple ;-) he was a little, let say big (the word fat is a rude one), she was a little, the opposite! I wasn’t paying much attention but by his comments and others, I guess he ate several hotdogs/hamburgers!!! So it did wonders on their side because he stopped the complaining with her (all the way he was on the negative side, with that: “…we are not going to see anything, why bother… lets go back to the hotel…” kind of talk on her), and went back on the car with a much positive speech, even if we didn’t see anything at the end ;-)
As we were heading inland, I still had some hopes by that time, although that acrobatic fall on the gas station concrete :-( auuutch!!! It hurts just to think about it… I already had walk on ice in the village and was walking with confidence just like one should do, but on one of those do-not-think-and-try-to-stop steps on the icy ground, I just slept… both feet up in the air and my back on the ground… like an half-semi-mortal jump… very funny on those home-made videos you see on youtube!!! Could have been worst, but fortunately it only hurt when I hit the ground… so I just get on my feet, for the attention of several of our trip companions, trying to check if I was ok! With special attention from the couple on the other car (he promptly get some paper towels so I could clean and dry out myself)!
Back on the road (uuuh! this makes me remember my back!), we pass Tromsø on the way to the mainland… No luck today two more stops, one up the hill, but only to get some snow, the other one on a crossroad, to say goodbye to the couple on the other car (and get to know them too), two friendly Japanese (living in New York for the last 6 years) that were in Finland (Kirkenes - for the Ice Hotel) and did a 6 hours drive to Tromsø expecting to see the Aurora Borealis on a better location! Tough luck for them too!!!
Don’t know at what time we arrive at the hotel (maybe around 1 or 2am), finally I realise I didn’t have my glasses, after searching twice in the car… this was an expensive lost!... and after a disappointing Aurora
Fortunately, I did a nice job preparing myself for this (if I may say so myself ;-), so I still kept my spirit high when I got to bed… Already thinking on the plans for the next day ;-)
Dog-Sledding in Tromsø – Let’s have some fun…
written on the 9th December 2007
So, what is there to do in an arctic winter Sunday? For a common local guy the answer probably would be: try to rest a while after a working week or a drinking/partying Saturday’s night! But not for a tough guy from the south, like me :-D
Got to get up early for two reasons: 1 – to get breakfast before it ends; 2 – because I booked the dog-sledding for 10am… that’s the best way to maximize your time on a tour, always book something for the early morning ;-)
Being at budget hotel I fond also a budget breakfast and still don’t understand why the other two guys fond it so good!!! But I’ve also heard JV praising this place one minute and refer disappointedly to it after a while (seems he had a friend that got a job someplace as northern as this one, that only stay there for a few months – seems now he his sympathetic with his friend ;-)… depends on his moods!
10am and we are ready to go, I’m thrill about it and believe that JV’s father is too! So, its time to JV gets more disappointed that his father chooses to go to this activity! If it weren’t for the fact he got to stand by his father, he could be back to bed after breakfast!!! Instead he’s back on the back of another van :-D
We leave the hotel to pick up some other tourists at the local camping (seemed a good place to stay with all those bungalows), all Germans and much younger than us (1 guy and 4 girls, all of them in their early twenties, I guess). They enter the car very reserved, specially the girls. Also that’s where I gave my front-seat for the German girl who complains on back seats, so… that’s why my road-movie got shorter ;-) ah! I thought this was a 8 seat van, till I saw this was a group of 5… and a guy seating on the back of the van on a sideway seat :-)
After a short trip we arrive at the farm/centre! Because of last night’s rain the path inside it was on ice so even the car with special tires didn’t manage to get us next to the main house and we had to walk!... this was the hardest task of the day - to walk on ascending or descending ice, maybe for 50m or more… it was more slipping than walking ;-) holding to each other or to the trees (I decided to go through the trees, deeper soft snow, cause I already had my fall last night ;-)
After this extra activity (not booked ;-), we arrive at the main place to what seems to be a big kennel (dog pound?! didn’t found a better translation) with almost 80 dogs. On a small wooden house we dress the outfits for the activity, a complete suit that included ice-boots, which came in hand after that last walk-on-ice to get here… the suit was also needed against smoke on the final stage of the activity as we were about to find out. The place seemed quite new build… Although I didn’t like seen so many dogs in one place all tied up, they all seemed to be well treated! We spent a good 10 to 15 minutes saying hello to the dogs (which they like it a lot), talking to the owners and taking some photos!
The activity starts with a mini-briefing about the sled they use and on how to drive the dogs. Since the dogs are already trained and a guide is going with us, there isn’t a lot to learn, so it’s very easy to get the main issues… it’s only a little less easier to get them in action ;-)
Time to get the sleds and dogs ready for take off… each sled had 5 dogs and carries 2 humans! I go with the German – JB! While he gets to drive first, I seat on the sled (covered with warm reindeer fur) and get my camcorder ready to go!
And we’re off… wow!!! Sliding on ice its great… even if it shakes and squeezes you to the bone ;-) don’t know how to describe it well, but seeing the beauty landscape of the fjords, the sunlight and the sun presence below the horizon, while seating there and being pulled by those dogs… was really amazing feeling!!!
My turn to drive the sled… wow and wow!!! Double amazing!!! Long time don’t felt so happy and delighted with something :-) The sights were truly wonderful – while standing up on the sled one could also see the sea, so with the fjords, the sunlight and the beauty of a white landscape, you can say WOW… all the time ;-)
After a few minutes I was getting the hand on it… using the hand-break… stopping with one or two feet… I was almost an expert… if it weren’t for the times I kept forgetting to do it and end up with my dogs over the guide’s sled :-D as I was right after him and whenever he stopped to check on the others sleds that follows us – while I was distracted looking back or talking with JB on the sled – I end up stopping a little bit late… only for a funny situation, that was, with the dogs around his sled ;-) …not to mention that speedy turn, on a rough ground… turn out that the sled almost turn around… over us! Some how I manage to stop it at half way so the buddy JB only laid on the ground, without the sled over him ;-D …yes, we laughed a lot !!! and with “astonishing expertise” ;-) I also manage to put it (the sled) back on track again… amazing deed that earned a guide’s compliment in the end of the ride :-) you don’t get compliments for doing it right :-P
Also got a special thanks from a satisfied JV, for pushing him into something he was not interested at all… before :-D
But like they say, all good things must come to an end… and it ended pretty fast… But wait! We still had to get a bit, or bite, of the arctic traditional Sami Tent! Although it was more like a modern Sami Tent, we get the picture ;-)
And it was a really pleasant way to end up our visit and activity. We seat around the fire and had tea with chocolate cake (tasted very good :-) …time to talk with the guide and the other tourists… we also had the company of two little puppies, which were the delight of the German girls, who hugged them till the end of the visit ;-)
After undressing the borrowed cloths, we got back in town, exchanged e-mails with the guide and JB (let them all know that they could find me here in TB ;-) and back to the Hotel… the day wasn’t over yet… what I’m I saying? It’s 3pm, the day(light)’s already gone!!! Of course, the arctic night is here to last…
Before starting to worry about the Northern Lights, we still had the time to visit a major Tromsø tourist spot – Polaria – an Arctic Experience! < http://www.polaria.no/en/ >
We arrive there at 4pm, one hour before it closed, but I think it was enough. Can’t say I like it a lot or that it’s a must go there to see it… but, it’s nice and educational and it’s worth a visit if you’re there. We get to see a movie of Svalbard in a wide big screen, with some nice images and aerial shooting… the other main attraction was the water tank that houses the 3 bearded seals – “the only group of bearded seals in captivity in the world” like says on their site – with a passage underneath we could see them passing above our heads. Then, up the stairs we saw them “flying” on the water from one side to another… it was nice, but would rather prefer see them outside… in the sea ;-)
The Second Night – an admirable Milky Way at the Scandinavian roundabout!
written on the 9th December 2007
@ Troms Fylke [down to the Finnish Border] – Stepping into Finland … can I add it to my list of “Countries I've Travelled To”?! :-D
As soon we return to the hotel (after our amazing Dog-Sledding experience and even before the visit to Polaria), we started discussing what the hell should you do, in order to search for the Aurora
Plan A – go to Villmarkssenter sit in a Sami tent and wait for the Aurora
Plan B – take a bus that goes to the Tromsø outskirts, go to the end of the line and found yourself a nice dark street alley ;-)
I must say that I made plan A in Portugal
No time to waste, ask the receptionist to fond a rent-a-car that could do it (meaning rent a car ;-) which on Sundays is an hard task)… at the airport they all say no! Finally a yes from Hertz on the city’s centre! They had one (and only one) car available at the terrific price of 1600NOK (about €200 or $315 for a day… I just thought “@£§#€&$#”!!!) – “Ok, say to them that we’ll go there… before they run out of cars!” I told the recepcionist
Me and JV walk to the Hertz office and on the way, while JV was trying to convince me that we had to accept, I convince him to let me try and negotiate with the guys there to rent the car only for the night… so when we get there and he confirm the price, there I was saying to the guy that (he was about to close the office) the price was to heavy for a Portuguese (this wasn’t a lie ;-) and that I could deliver the car when they open next morning… and so on… I finally did break a little of the Norwegian ice and he gives another offer – 1200 NOK – JV wanted to accept right away, but the Scrooge in me keep saying this wasn’t a good deal, so I talked to JV to have a little more patience so I can convince the guy to lower his offer a little bit… after all they could rent the car again the next day, so for them it was a great deal to rent the car for the night only.
While I was talking to JV (in Portuguese with an attitude like saying to JV I’m not interested – which wasn’t that right) I saw the guy making some calculations on his own, so “JV keep it cool”!!! … and the final offer (his own words) was 1060 NOK!
Not sure if I could get a lower one but it was too late (more then 6pm already) so I accepted right away and tell the guy to hurry with the contract… which he didn’t he took him an eternity to fill it all up and give me the papers to sign… plus JV, and his big mouth, says he wants to drive as well, so instead of 1060 we paid 1100 NOK! All that work, Grrrrrr!!!
So we’re off… with a good car - Skoda Octavia 4x4 – but to damn late… and that’s when JV starts getting on my nerves! After picking his father and the photo material at the hotel, he wants to find a gas station in the city! But why if you got the car filled up and there are others on the way!? Because he needs to smoke!!! That was a big surprise for me… I mean I knew he smoked, but I didn’t know he was so addicted that he couldn’t leave without them!!! There he was trying to convince me we also needed a roadmap – although I had one of Troms for the biggest part of the ride – still we were loosing more precious time, so there we go to the gas station (that didn’t had roadmaps) to buy cigars… so only by 7:30pm I manage to get out of Tromsø! Although we didn’t get in touch with KS, I knew the photographer probably got out of town by 6pm, so this could compromise that we reach a good place inland before the Lights were gone!!! The sky in Tromsø was heavy clouded, so I believed we would have to drive something like 200Km (125miles) at a speed of 40-50Km/h, which meant more then 4 hours!!!
My plan was to get to the Finnish border and then inside the country till we get clear sky… but after a while JV starts seeing stars and want me to stop right there (this was a Sunday evening with a lot of traffic on this main road!!!) or turn to the hills!!! There I go with him insisting on his, till I finally get to a place I can stop and get out of the car, to see there’s a cloudy sky everywhere… also had to convince him the lights he sees are south and from some village ;-)
We make about 1h30m till we found the first gas station and this time I also wanted to check the roadmap, so need to buy one – at this time the average speed was about 50Km/h with a complete cloudy sky, so I still worried, but not JV – there we went to buy the map and guess what?... they had all kind of roadmaps from Norway (even from Spain and Portugal ;-) but not from the local region!!! So have to go to the nearest station, fortunately not so far, but, like said, not all of us were in a hurry… JV needed to finish his cigar… unless I let him smoke inside! Not a chance… “you stay there while I get us the damn map!!!” So, I drive to the next station, ask for the roadmaps, still had to compare the two they had, choose one of them and finally wait in line to pay for it!!! Counting the time I quickly return to pick JV at the other station… oh! God!!! Now is finishing a burger… so he could eat inside!... no! he still wants to get a coffee after the burger… and don’t ask me why the hell, didn’t he do it before when he got the burger… certainly because this way he could manage to get even more on my nerves!!!
While on the road JV was in contact with KS through his mobile phone, so we already knew he was about 10-15Km from Skibotn… which was also on our way!
Another hour driving, on an even more icy road with lots of trucks and some rain, we approach the place KS was supposed to be, but after reaching 15Km after Skibotn we went forward and didn’t get any sign of him (at some point I even entered a forest road to see if could reach some viewpoint where he might be… no, JV says he told him he was on the road side)!!! More 20 or 30 Km’s and we reach the Finnish border without any sigh of KS, so we loose him!
As we were approaching Finland , we start to see some stars and closer to the border we even could see a clear sky… southwards!!!
We enter Finland, only for 2 or 3Km, but enough to make it a time for celebrations as none of us has ever been to Finland… so, it’s photo time!!! And also a time for JV’s father to remember, cause he wanted to get a picture near the countries road sign… while I kept repeating don’t go there (seems no one listens to me ;-)… he got stuck on the snow and his son had to give him a hand to pull him out of there! Ufff!!!
We return to Norway
So there we were… KS with a van full of tourists (plus his friend in the other car with another 2 or 3) and the 3 Portuguese they couldn’t get ride of ;-D… waiting for the Aurora
As the sky was getting even clearer, KS give us some hope that this could be the day!!!
Time for me to eat something! I still had some of my Portuguese food, so I took a bite and start offering to the Norwegian team and his customers some of my mother's cooking… which they enjoyed a lot! KS and specially his “big” friend were delighted with those “Bolinhos de Bacalhau” I gave them (little balls of smashed potatoes with stockfish)!!!
We wait for another hour… still no Lights :-( instead we got a very clear sky filled with stars shining so bright that you could think you were seeing the lights… there were no lights but a truly magnificent Milky Way :-) this was a new moon night so we had the luck to see it as clear as one could possibly get to see! There it was: the true meaning of the “Milky Way”… as we couldn’t get more Milky than that!!!!
Also KS show me how to find Polaris (the star), while he was taking a picture of her with an exposure of 15 minutes (yes, not seconds) in which we could see, as a final result, the Polaris star in the middle of that photo, with all the other stars drawing concentric trails like circles parts around the Polaris centre…
Finally we got to see what you can technically call a low level Aurora display… but to be honest, for what we came here for, it was a very disappointing Aurora
In the end… after delivering the car and start writing this chronicle… I still managed to sleep 4 hours that night :-D
Wandering around in Tromsø – a Walk and some Thoughts…
written on the 10th December 2007
To wake up only 4 hrs later, in a hurry to get downstairs and have breakfast before it ends at 11am, just to find out that on Mondays breakfast ends at 10am… Isn’t the best way to start the journey!!! Anyway, we went out, the three of us, with the intention of visiting the Arctic Cathedral (common name as it is a parish church and not, strictly speaking, a cathedral). A modern church, built with a nice, simple yet symbolic Architecture, representing both traditional and natural elements…
Well we went out together, but after a short while - a few minutes at the local tourist office and a small walk near the harbor - one of the mattes got to sleepy to go forward and the other one is getting a “little” tired (which doesn’t surprise me after all at 75 you should get tired in such conditions and in the third day ;-)
So, they got back to the hotel for some more hours of sleep, while I go on my “lonely” walk through frozen sidewalks crossing the big bridge, over the sea, to the mainland - the European continent.
Also this took some time as the bridge is over 1.000 meters long and the middle its nearly some 30 meters higher than the banks on each side… on a roughly calculation this is a 4 km walk (2 in each direction from the city center to the cathedral). As a urban track it is not as simple as I might thought… first difficulty: I went through streets near the sea with no traffic… meaning frozen streets and sidewalks, very hard to walk on - there I was… slipping and sliding ;-)
Second difficulty: after a hard walk I was glad to find the bridge’s entrance, without a map, but, as soon I start the “climbing” of the first half, I fond out that, after 2 days without a proper meal, my coffee and biscuits breakfast wasn’t enough, so I had a little dizziness, to remind me that I had to eat something more (on the next time I get the chance :-) I guess this meant that I also had to take a few more hours of sleep, but this would have to wait another day… after I end up my arctic days ;-)
For the next difficulty, I got the wind as a companion for that walk over the bridge, which lowers a bit that “nice and warm” arctic temperature!!! Again nothing that could spoil a great walk on the arctic :-D and that’s how I felt just great, appreciating my time alone on a bridge over the sea!!!
Finally, I arrive at the other part of the city, called Tromsdalen, where the Arctic Cathedral was built… from information’s at the tourist office, I already knew that the church only opens from 4 to 6pm, so I wouldn’t wait to get inside, also, another main feature there is the glasswork on the rear of the church, but, because it is to dark outside, that glasswork can only be seen when the lights inside are on… and they weren’t!!! guessed they would be at the same time the church is open, so just took a good look on the outside to its architecture… too many slipping and one almost-fall, come on, over there it’s not even easy to just go around the church :-D next time another kind of boots, that’s for sure!!!
I return to Tromsø, on the other sidewalk of the bridge (facing north) and already without any daylight!!! Among the many people that I cross with, at the bridge, I notice the typical Norwegian mom pushing her baby stroller, with a firm wide step, passing by at great speed… while I stop (for a best record on my camcorder ;-) and think… man! I’m really slow :-D
On my way back to the hotel I went through one of the largest commercial streets, where one can see people selling the ordinary stuff like t-shirts (tourist ones, but also heavy metal icons or Che Guevara’s), also Andes music and a band playing… I could even spot a beggar, something I thought would never see in Norway , specially this part of Norway
Back to the hotel I started putting into action what had decided while watching the sights over the bridge, meaning: that I would go, alone, on a cross-country ski activity!!! It should get me to the hotel in time to leave at 6pm on tour with KS, in case he manages to get the second car along with his friend… No luck! At the hotel then phone to book, but they say there isn’t such an activity for this day… probably no one else had booked!!! So, just had some tea and… off to bed… I also needed that and if we had to rent another car, I had to be fit… to be the driver ;-)The Third and Ultimate Night – this was the Perfect Night (again, at the Scandinavian roundabout!)
@ Troms Fylke, Norway [down to the Finnish Border - also my second time in Finland… even if we didn’t get off the car this time!!!]
We made a pit stop and I also had in mind that I should eat something more, to prevent any more alerts from my body ;-) so I got myself a nice chicken sandwich and cold milk with chocolate (hum… I was hot inside :-). But we had to hurry up! KS had already arrive to the destination point and was already on the same site that we were yesterday, as we had just knew from a call, a few minutes before we arrive to that station.
So, I go to my room, to sleep a little, before starting our final quest for the northern lights... There, I fond my two mates already awaken!
The news aren't good, nevertheless, JV tried to put a joke on me, saying, there's a big snow-storm coming tonight and that we shouldn't leave the hotel... I didn't buy that! For the real bad news... KS couldn't get a second car, so somehow we have to get ourselves a car!!! We agree that JV and father would rent the car while I get myself a 2 hours nap!!!
Only nearly one hour later, I was gently waked with someone telling me that I had to go do the renting stuff... Because they requested a credit card, and I was the only guy who had the god damn card!!! But, even better... I should pick the car at the airport, and would have to catch a bus that leaves in about... 5 minutes!!! And the next bus? "only" in 2 hours!!! Great, 5 minutes it’s the time I usually take to tied my trekking boots... Hopefully since I’m here, I already practice enough to do it in… 3 minutes :-D
There comes my stressful evening @ the arctic, again!!! Jump out of the bed, asking JV where he booked the car - hertz he said - the price and model of the car - 700 NOK for a Toyota Yaris (one of the smallest cars available for renting), at least the price looked good!!!
And there I went «flying» downstairs (on an elevator ;-) on my way to the airport...
On the way, the bus crosses the island through the streets over the hill (without using any tunnel) which allows me to see the sights of a typical northern town in winter, as I could only see before on TV!!!
At the airport I soon get to the Hertz office, but had to wait for a while… and a while and another while… till the lady that arrived before me, get all the information’s and the keys and leave!!!
Ok, by this time I was a little anxious, and more did I get when I fond out that there was no reservation, and no car left… that’s right, they didn’t have any car for that night!!!!! It looked that this night would be another boomer worst than the first one! I start looking for other rent-a-car with an open office, while I was wandering why they didn’t had a reservation and the guy there didn’t knew nothing about a call from our hotel… odd! Closer to Hertz, Avis office didn’t have any one at desk… so I went to the next one - Budget - the attendant had a shirt with an Avis logo on it… I get his confirmation that it’s all the same office, so if he don’t have a car we’re stuck!!!
But, we’re still on the go… cause, Avis was the one they called and booked the car… all that waiting in Hertz office just to loose some time and get things a little more stressy ;-) but that’s not over yet… the price was not as they told me, as I soon fond out, it seems that price was for a limit of 100 Km’s, for 200 the price was something like 1000 NOK, but we had to do at least 300 Km’s and for that the unlimited Km’s charge was 1200 NOK… grrrr… this time I didn’t even had the time or will to negotiate, so just accepted, after all it was my last chance!!!
Pick up the car at the parking and the other guys at the hotel and leave… off to the site we were last night! On the way I still had to argue with a guy that wanted me to go faster… and that he could go faster… because this… and that… and how he have done a lot of driving without any problem… and some other ballonies ;-( and that’s what worries me, I don’t like hearing someone saying, “I don’t fall”, they always do, fall… and I don’t wanna be around when that happens ;-)
After a while we arrive to the same gas station we’ve been on the night before.
The road, today, had much less traffic than on the day before and less ice too… but still the car on this day was less stable and lighter, which made me more cautious on the speed issue ;-)
After 3 hours driving we arrive at the border… pass through KS and is clients, straight into Finland (so know I can say I’ve been in Finland twice ;-) just to turnaround and get back in Norway again to the same place we were last night!
KS greats us with a big smile, the sky is clear in this area… this seams to be the right place to “catch” the Aurora… or for her to “catch” us ;-)
It’s time to install my tripod and camera! Was talking with KS about the best shooting direction, when he says the N-Lights were “on”… I could see a weak dawn light, so I get ready to capture it with the camera, but… damn it… it won’t shoot!!! How weird, I had charged the batteries, they couldn’t discharge so fast (even if it is colder then a negative 12 degrees it should last more then this)… people start talking about some activity and I don’t even have my camera to shoot… just great!!! I open the battery compartment to find out there’s no batteries in it!!!!! Could I just forgot them at the hotel?! Suddenly I remember that I brought them in my inside pocket so they would keep warm and didn’t discharge so fast, daaahhh!!!!!!!
Aurora Borealis in the sky and I start taking the pics… these first pics came out better then what could be seen live in there, humm… will I get disappointed!? Anyway lets make some photos… this is why I came here for to see the Northern Lights as they really where :-)
Some 15 to 30 minutes latter it all turn the other way around, as one could heard a lot of exclamations from the few people who could witness the wonderful feeling of seeing the lights coming from all directions in the celestial dome :-) and even if the photos showed a must colorful perspective, being right bellow this phenomenon with displays all around us, really worth all the work and effort to get here!!!
I think that both father and son were very touched for being able to share this moment together, but… I didn’t pay any attention, as I was more into taking a lot of pictures, shooting like crazy, changing the camera’s positioning as fast as I could and the Aurora allowed ;-) In my first pics I used 30 seconds of exposure time, which was getting me desperate… so, I try changing the exposure time and ISO’s to get it faster… I start feeling some distortion on the pics, which means the N-Lights were changing faster, when suddenly… WOW!!! We could really see the lights moving and it felt so really, really GREAT!!! Everyone is completely amazed and cheerful… one could hear a lot of WOW’s and other meaningful expressions :-D even the local photographer was very excited with the show that were held right there above our heads in every direction that one could look at!!! This was much, but really much, better then what the photos could show… and no words could describe it either :-)
So you think this couldn’t get better!? Wrong… it did get better!!! I heard people saying, “look up!” Up there!” and I go “WOW… It’s dancing”
This wasn’t about movement! Was all about the magnificent and wonderful earth mysteries giving us one hell of a show (as I can’t think of any word that can describe the feelings and the phenomenon that I saw that night)… the lights were making several shapes on the horizon, while the ones above us where dancing up and down like a rain of light beams that didn’t fell on us yet keep coming and going!!!! Truly magnificent :-)
KS says we have a Corona… think he was referring to the fact there was a circle Aurora displaying a ring of light… and what a big ring that was!!! That night we could see some odd shapes that resembled to some mythic appearances!!! At a time one could pretend to see an angel, because the lights formed a head with neck while from each side two round “wings” gives it the final touch… the shape extended itself to the horizon, reducing its wideness, in a way to look like a genius that is entering a magic lamp far in the horizon… I know... too bad it was too big to be captured on photo ;-) sorry :-)
All the people there were super-excited. Never thought could see KS so excited about it since he’s been living there for so many years and got the chance and did see the lights many times… so I believe this was really an extraordinary night, like he said!!! This night his clients didn’t get so much attention, but, they didn’t care :-D He also took a lot of pictures, with the advantage of having an f1.4 lens, which means he could take good pictures with much less exposure time than me ;-) and this means a lot when you got a Dancing Aurora like we did ;-) Will have to wait till I get back home to see how my pics look like… got the feeling that some were faded or unclear, cause of movement!
Also the thrill of that moment didn’t let me get much attention on weather ;-) although temperature went as low as negative 16 or 18ºC, I didn’t care… I was so excited that I didn’t close my jacket around my neck and was breathing with my mouth open instead of using the nose, as it should be done to keep warm inside!!! So, I wasn’t surprised when I got some of my asthma cutting my breath :-D but it was enough to remind me to close my coat all the way up and start breathing with my mouth shut ;-D although this was harder to do as I was always turning the camera from one position to another… so I had to do some extra effort, which made me breath faster and open my mouth… nevertheless the temperature didn’t bother at all, me or the other people there ;-) when I wasn’t taking photos I was enjoying the live show… and that’s very, very important when you’re in the middle of such delightful event, you need to take pics to remind you later but, most of all, you got to see it live and enjoy those moments as much as you can, something that you don’t entirely achieve when you’re behind the camera ;-D
Also got the time to make a phone call to Portugal to FS, whom I knew was going to be happy that I got so many pics with his camera ;-) also decided not to call CR, I think he’s going to regret not coming when he knows what he missed!!! FS didn’t answer… after a while he call back and I try to ”show” him what’s going on… he couldn’t believe!!! :-D he also wanted to know if I could record something on the camcorder… no way, apart the fact that my camcorder didn’t capture nothing on a distance at night, it also freeze (literally), as it showed on screen when I turn it on: “temperature to low - can’t access hard drive”, who had thought :-D also had to tell him the bad news… his camera also freeze, as I couldn’t chance the lens on the camera because it was sealed to it :-D and took so many lens with me and I couldn’t use then because that one was stuck to the body of the camera (and I try to release it using some strength :-) also let him know how difficult it was to get the ice out of the lens, as I was always cleaning it an it always coming back after a few shots (fortunately it had a filter, so I could clean it without the risk of damaging the lens glass ;-)
The N-Lights were really crazy dancing above our heads… and I just felt GREAT!!!! Delighted and Excited :-) thinking how worth it was to play it all in a single match… all the money I spent, all the time I spent in studying how it should be done, all the trouble I get for being so persistent about some crazy idea… and all worth it… in any penny and any minute!!! I’m not used to this kind of pay off :-D even when I put so much effort on it - generally it just turn out to be ok… not great - this must be my lucky day… yes that’s it… I declare this to be my O.L.D.
In the group of tourist that came with KS, we found the British couple, from Gibraltar, that went in search of the N-Lights on our first night in Tromsø… the big fellow was radiant and when we said goodbye he gave us a big hug :-) before I heard someone saying to the wife “darling, after this, I will always love you” (JV says that she had a lot of trouble to convince him to go on another ride with KS on this night ;-)
hum... another happy ending LOL
The show lasted for hours… I think we arrived around 10pm and KS left the “scene” around 12,30pm!!! KS and his clients said goodbye in a cheerful way :-) some minutes later we also leave the place… sad but we still had to drive for more then 3 hours and I was starting to feel my cold hands and cold, cold feet!!!! Although I wouldn’t mind waiting there for the show to end…
We spent our way back to Tromsø speaking, cheerfully and excited, about our journey in Norway, the planning that I had done on the previous 3 months and the way things turn just right!!! This time I got a lot of compliments and greetings from the mates ;-) for the idea and work done :-) Yes it went just perfect… i know I'm a little stubborn sometimes, but this time it turns into perseverance and that's really useful, whenever one needs to achieve something... like this time ;-)
On our way back to Tromso we even got the chance to see a moose (it's true, it was not a reindeer) crossing the road in front of us, glad I wasn’t speeding ;-) I brake… he stopped on the side of the road… I tried to do some driving on reverse speed but he got scared with the noise of the car and runaway into the vegetation and the dark of this night (remember it was a new moon the night before ;-)
For another hour on our way to Tromsø we still could appreciate the displays above… I think it didn’t end before 1,40am!!! Once I even stop to appreciate another wonderful sight, as we were passing in the middle of the hills (at least I believe we were) and the lights above shaped a cone just like if we were inside it (like a Sami tent ;-) or inside a big circus tent, but instead of a roof we have a veil of lights moving around!!!! This time I also felt like I was in the center of the scene, like if I was the main watcher for whom it all went on, standing there watching the sky with the lights “falling” from “my” zenith to me and the hills around me… this time I also felt more the cold temperature outside the car so, after a couple of minutes we move on :-)
We arrive to the same gas station, we already been before.
By this time the display was already over… my first action here wasn’t related with eating, no sir, the first thing I did when I get to the gas station was to find a private and put another pair of socks, cause my toes where still frozen… even after more than 1 hour and a half inside the car with the heat directed to them, but what should one expect after more then 2 hours with both feet on ice?! The hands where ok by then, but the feet only got better with 2 pairs of socks!!!
By this time the display was already over… my first action here wasn’t related with eating, no sir, the first thing I did when I get to the gas station was to find a private and put another pair of socks, cause my toes where still frozen… even after more than 1 hour and a half inside the car with the heat directed to them, but what should one expect after more then 2 hours with both feet on ice?! The hands where ok by then, but the feet only got better with 2 pairs of socks!!!
Then I get myself a nice cappuccino (at least it seamed, but anything would taste fine by this time ;-) and with my feet already warming up we get in the car and head to Tromsø… where we arrive around 4am…
This trip had some really inconvenient stuff, some that i really don't want to write about, and most of all, the costs (the trip, the eyeglasses i lost, etc ;-) but, fortunately, in the end it all pay off quit well!!! Believe it or not, no words can describe this experience, you just got to live it... then you treasure nature even more and learn that life is also about getting to know your world even better, specially this way ;-) and the more one gives to achieve such great experiences, the more you get in return... at least in fulfillment ;-) Like I did on this day!!!
This night I fell asleep in a very good, good mood!!!!!!!
:-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-) :-)
Note: this are just a few of the hundreds of photos that i took that night! as I've had the opportunity to check, it's hard to see these pics on a CRT monitor, so if you don't have a TFT/LCD you might not get the full picture!
to be continued...
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