A few months before my wedding was scheduled to happen (December 2019, India), we started discussing honeymoon ideas (read: my mind was continually coming up with bizarre ideas). We also wondered if we should go on our honeymoon right after the wedding, or take a break and travel after a few months. I wanted to take a break after the wedding to relax and refresh before jumping back into work-life. It didn't have to be an elaborate trip; I was happy with a short getaway. Either I made a good argument, or Nitish (aka husband) let me veto travel plans.
My incessant urge to experience something unique never leaves me. My mind would not be satiated by a relaxed trip to a warm tropical island. I can't seem to trace back the chain of thought, but I was convinced that visiting northern Norway in the dead of winter would be a great idea. To my surprise, Nitish was enthusiastic about the idea too!
Before we knew it, we were on our way to Tromsø, a city that lies 350 kilometers above the Arctic Circle. Here, the sun wasn't going to rise from November 28th, 2019, to January 15th, 2020, and we were visiting during Christmas. I was absolutely thrilled to experience the polar night and life above the arctic circle.
1. The Polar Night
When we landed in Tromsø, we were startled to see that everything was blanketed in snow - mountains, houses, roads, sidewalks, runways. This city had its own definition of normal. While we were struggling to not fall while lugging our suitcases up a frozen staircase - things like driving, biking, and landing planes on a sheet of ice was completely normal to the locals.
Our first stop was a cozy AirBnB perched on a mountain slope. Our hosts were a Sri Lankan chef and a Swedish Obstetrician who moved to Tromsø seven years ago. Smitten by the surrounding natural beauty, they decided to stay forever. They made us feel at home and gave us insider tips to make the best out of our trip. Exhausted from three long flights and jet-lagged, we foraged some leftover sandwiches and passed out for the night.
We woke up in the morning to darkness, and it was hard to tell what time it was. The polar night occurs in the northernmost and southernmost regions of the Earth when the night lasts for more than 24 hours. Although the sun doesn't rise, it stays right below the horizon. This meant that we would experience a few hours of twilight every day from about 9am-1pm. This was the only window we would have to explore the area.
We set off as soon as the sky started to change color. At first, driving on snow/ice was challenging. Back in Seattle, the entire city practically shuts down if there is a dusting of snow. Here, I was shocked to see how everyone was driving at normal speed limits. Nobody cared to slow down, even to overtake. We would soon learn that winterized tires are mandatory on all vehicles. Our tires were studded with small pieces of metal designed to dig into ice and provide additional traction. As the day went by, we got pretty comfortable with driving around.
We utilized the little daylight to explore the mountains and fjords around Tromsø. The landscape was gorgeous! Everything around us was enveloped in snow, and the sky was overcast. This made the scene look greyscale - it felt calm and otherworldly!
Since we were traveling off-season, we hardly saw any people around. We had entire fjords to ourselves. It also meant that all the pictures we have of ourselves were taken using a tripod and a timer. We could only dream of how beautiful this place would be in the summer when we could climb up all these mountains!
By the time we made our way back to the city at around 1pm, it was entirely dark. You'd think there wouldn't be much life in a place so dark, but people went on with their lives as usual, and the locals were kind and cheerful. It was Christmas Day, and everything in Tromsø was shut except for a handful of restaurants. After walking around the city, enjoying the Christmas vibes, and getting lunch, we prepared for our next adventure - the northern lights.
Christmas in Tromsø
2. Chasing the Northern Lights
The Northern Lights (aka Aurora Borealis) are hard to predict, and getting to see them depends on multiple factors such as the weather, the geomagnetic activity of the sun, etc. We wanted to increase our chances of seeing them during our short stay, so we booked a guided tour which would take us 'Aurora Hunting.'
Despite the high latitude, Tromsø's relatively mild winter can be attributed to the effects of the Gulf stream. However, due to its coastal location, Tromsø is often cloudy, with December being overcast 80% of the time. However, these effects vanish as you move inland, the skies get clearer, and you start to feel the unrestrained cold of the Arctic winter.
Our guide was a photographer from Estonia. Over the past few years, he spent most nights hosting tourists searching for the elusive northern lights. He picked us up from our hotel, and along with a few other fellow tourists, we sped inland in search of clear skies.
We spent the drive wrestling between the weight of the jet lag and the buoyancy of following the latest Aurora updates. Once we reached a spot with clear skies, our guide provided us thermal suits and quickly started a bonfire. We enjoyed some warm soup and hot chocolate while we waited for the lights. The skies were clear and dotted with a billion stars. To our dismay, it started getting cloudy, and our guide suggested that we would have to drive further inland.
A two-hour drive brought us very close to the Norway-Finland border, where we started to feel the real chill of the arctic winter. Temperatures plummeted to -20 C. We stopped at the side of a road in the middle of nowhere and waited. The bitter cold and tiredness gnawed at our spirits. The solar storm was weak that day, which diminished our chances of seeing the lights.
After what seemed like forever, we started to see some faint lights. They lasted about 45 minutes. Our guide was very knowledgeable and did a phenomenal job. He also offered to take photographs of everyone with the northern lights in the background. Pictures are deceptive because they are often long exposures that last about 10 seconds. In reality, the green color is much more subdued. However, photographs do not capture a significant component of their majesty - the lights dancing in the sky, changing shape and color. The awe of standing under the lights is indescribable.
Most people in our group spent more time focussing on getting pictures rather than witnessing the lights. I understand that seeing the lights was a dream for each of us, and everyone wants a photographic memory of their trip as a keepsake, or to share with friends and family. However, I didn't quite enjoy the aspect of someone driving me around and doing the hard work for me so I could get a picture. Personally, I love the learning process that goes into figuring out the science and the right conditions myself. Yes, it is error-prone, and you're bound to end up in the wrong place at the wrong time, but it is way more satisfying. If we had more time and were confident about driving in challenging conditions, I would have opted for the struggle.
3. Husky Sledding!
This was undoubtedly the most fun thing I got to do while in Norway. We booked a Husky Sled Ride through Tromsø Villmarkssenter. I went in with zero expectations, and I was the happiest person alive when we came out! If I had to pick one thing to repeat in Norway, it would be this.
Our ride was scheduled to start at 8.am, and as expected, it was dark outside. I wasn't completely awake yet and was dozing off on the bus ride. As soon as I stepped off the bus, I could hear faint dog barks in the distance. Our guide gave us a demonstration on how to control a sled, followed by a safety briefing. She then took us to the huskies. I saw a scene I would have never imagined - there were at least a hundred huskies barking and frantically jumping. The huskies loved running, and they knew it was time to run.
Their enthusiasm was infectious, and I was instantly woken up. If only I had a fraction of that spirit to go running at 8am every day! The ride started, and the huskies took off! They were so strong and fast - I had to keep hitting the breaks to prevent us from bumping into the group ahead of us. It was pure joy watching them run!
After the ride, our guide gave us a tour of the kennel. They had over 300 huskies, and all of them wanted to be petted. We spent an hour just hanging out with the dogs and petting them. They were so happy!
All they wanted were hugs and belly rubs!
We howled! :D
10/10 would do this again! This was our last stop in Tromsø. It was delightful to visit this far off land and experience life above the arctic circle.
Remember the chef from our AirBnB? On our last day in Tromsø, we made our way to his restaurant to get sandwiches for the day. And guess what? The chef himself made us lunch :)
After a few wonderful days at Tromsø, we boarded a plane to our next stop - Lofoten Islands. This place deserves a post of its own. [Link coming soon]
Resources
Husky Sled Ride: https://villmarkssenter.no/activities/husky-sled-ride/
Aurora Small Group Hunt: https://www.wanderingowl.com/tours/382177/winter/
PS: Thanks Nitish, for helping me write part of the blog!
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