It is difficult to find a clever collection
of letters to describe the first time I gazed upon the Northern Lights.
Otherworldly. Elusive. Ethereal. I have seen it: the famous shifting dance. Gentle curtains of light bursting with
green and purple, playfully straying, vanishing and returning.
After days of prowling over Scandinavia, the plane landed on the snow-covered tarmac of the city of Tromso amid a vicious polar gust. A winter settlement straight out of a Hallmark Christmas card greeted me. Perhaps it was my imagination, it was as if I can hear the sound of sleigh bells.
After days of prowling over Scandinavia, the plane landed on the snow-covered tarmac of the city of Tromso amid a vicious polar gust. A winter settlement straight out of a Hallmark Christmas card greeted me. Perhaps it was my imagination, it was as if I can hear the sound of sleigh bells.
Spiteful clouds filled the sky on the first
night. I was worried. Cloud cover equals zero Northern Lights visibility. There is never a guarantee to witness the aurora happening, especially with the capriciousness
of the Arctic weather. You need to be lucky and hire experienced guides (also
known as “Aurora Chasers”). Because tomorrow night will be my last in the north, I needed to make it count.
Thanks to some beers and tired nerves, I crashed into the hotel bed and had a well-rested slumber.
Winds swept down from the surrounding whitehead summits the next morning. I was resolute to haul my cold ass out of bed and walk around the sleet-filled city. After all, Tromso is a world-famous location for studying climate change, the Arctic environment, oil resources and of course, the aurora borealis. Also, this is the city where S.H.I.E.L.D. sent Thor’s earthly boo, Jane Foster (played by post-pubescent crush Natalie Portman) for her own protection.
Thanks to some beers and tired nerves, I crashed into the hotel bed and had a well-rested slumber.
Winds swept down from the surrounding whitehead summits the next morning. I was resolute to haul my cold ass out of bed and walk around the sleet-filled city. After all, Tromso is a world-famous location for studying climate change, the Arctic environment, oil resources and of course, the aurora borealis. Also, this is the city where S.H.I.E.L.D. sent Thor’s earthly boo, Jane Foster (played by post-pubescent crush Natalie Portman) for her own protection.
I walked 10 minutes from my hotel to reach Polaria, a building shaped like ice floes pressed up on land by the rough seas of
the Arctic. It had an aquarium, Arctic-related exhibits, a theater,
and the obligatory gift shop. Although the complex seemed geared towards kids, I
thought the aquarium's bearded seals were a hoot. I give this place a seal of approval. I
hope I seal the deal seeing the aurora borealis tonight.
Next stop was the legendary Mack’s brewery, the northernmost brewery and bar in the planet. It’s all here: the inviting pub atmosphere, the extensive variety of pilsners, the stuffed polar bear and the sheer insanity of Norwegians drinking beer at 3 p.m. as the sun disappears and feels like it’s 10 p.m.
I took in the magnificent, otherworldly beauty. I was riveted. I stood in awe. I also had to pee. I relieved myself near some foliage and discovered that urine does not freeze mid-stream in the Arctic.
The occasion called for a celebration. Anja whipped out hot chocolate and cookies, perfect in the bitter cold.
We turned back at around 11 p.m. and by 1 a.m., I was back in my hotel room. I looked outside the window and the snow was falling in big flakes veiling Tromso's streets in a swirl of white, as I reflected on the rewards of the amazing chase.
Next stop was the legendary Mack’s brewery, the northernmost brewery and bar in the planet. It’s all here: the inviting pub atmosphere, the extensive variety of pilsners, the stuffed polar bear and the sheer insanity of Norwegians drinking beer at 3 p.m. as the sun disappears and feels like it’s 10 p.m.
I signed up to meet the folks of the Arctic
Guide Service, a group of local Aurora chasers led by the cute Norwegian bird, Anja. Before heading out, Aurora Chasers study the
weather in their laptops and navigational equipment they borrowed from the set of "Twister". Basically,
they use computers to search for cloudless skies. Due to light pollution, the
chance of spotting the Northern Lights is better away from city lights. And despite ideal
weather conditions, there is still no guarantee. Some galactic feat still has
to happen in the night sky…a collision of solar particles with gases in the earth’s
atmosphere.
The sun has set. We drove and waited for 3 hours along a scenic route. The light show has yet
to unfold. It was like waiting for Madonna to come out during a concert (she took forever, 11 p.m.!, the last time I saw her). I was growing anxious. We decided to drive all the way to the
Finnish border to escape clouds and snow. Then suddenly, at one spot, we traced
a hint of a green band. We parked the shuttle and set up the cameras.
We were in Nowhereville, Finland and it was absolutely freezing. I was wearing a “non-parka” wool work coat, not
the most effective insulating garment in the Arctic Circle.
We stood on the side of the road staring at
the starry sky. After a few minutes, our patience was rewarded. Waves of light began to
appear and the entire sky presented us with a dazzling brilliance of dancing
green and purple shades. I soaked in the site with a feeling of calm and
accomplishment, as I said to myself: "F-ck, yeah, it's the aurora, b-itch."
I took in the magnificent, otherworldly beauty. I was riveted. I stood in awe. I also had to pee. I relieved myself near some foliage and discovered that urine does not freeze mid-stream in the Arctic.
The occasion called for a celebration. Anja whipped out hot chocolate and cookies, perfect in the bitter cold.
We turned back at around 11 p.m. and by 1 a.m., I was back in my hotel room. I looked outside the window and the snow was falling in big flakes veiling Tromso's streets in a swirl of white, as I reflected on the rewards of the amazing chase.
No comments:
Post a Comment