A Journey around the Arctic Circle

@thelosttravelerpj @The Lost Traveler

Chapter 1 - The Beginning ............................................................................................................................ 3 Chapter 2 - Off to The Magic World... Lapland .............................................................................................. 5 Chapter 3 - The Real Home of Santa! ......................................................................................................... 10 Chapter 4 - Levi’s Ice Karting ...................................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 5 - A snowmobile ride through the wild arctic forest In quest of Northern lights ............................. 20

Chapter 6 - A fairy tale Horse ride in the Snow-capped Northern Lapland .................................................. 24 Chapter 7- Husky Safari, where the fairy tale dreams fail… ........................................................................ 30 Chapter 8 - Lapland Snow Village: The Magical Ice world .......................................................................... 37 Chapter 9 - Magic Land to the Magic Light.................................................................................................. 45 Chapter 10 - Sail through the arctic ocean in search of whales ................................................................... 48 Chapter 11 - Northern Lights - The nature’s magical wonder ...................................................................... 52 Chapter 12 - Snow Hike to the Arctic Mountain at -18°C ............................................................................. 58 Chapter 13 - Climbing to a frozen waterfall ................................................................................................. 63 Chapter 13 – Last day in Tromso City ......................................................................................................... 69

@thelosttravelerpj

2

@thelosttravelerpj

Well, the journey began from a photo. Yes… I don’t remember when I watched a small video clip of northern lights on some TV channel. First I thought it’s a graphical animation. Then later realize this is real. Since that day its on my mind as a travel dream and that I am going to experience on this trip. But this trip is costly and need to face may challenges with nature of the freezing Arctic Circle, on the northern side of Scandinavia. So I was accompanied by 3 other friends Mr Sajith Kumar, our very own South Indian who has travelled 7 Continents and 7 world wonders; his friend Lajin, Also and my close friend Shani . It is essentially important to have the right travel company to share your experiences and expenses. Though the main aim of our trip was to head to the northern lights, we didn't miss to see the snow-covered forests, rivers, and mountains of Lapland and we also managed to drive to " The land of Midnight sun " - Tromso, Norway.

.

Planning plays a major role when we seek such adventures, and of course, a lot depends on luck as well cause nature is unpredictable.

However, I would like to share some tips based on my experience and research that I believe would be useful for my readers.

Firstly, the intensity of the Aurora is not always the same - it varies based on the Solar Cycle Year.

Solar Cycle Year can be related to the sun's heartbeat, which beats in every 10-12 years. It is measured by the number of sunspots visible on the sun. The more sunspots, more is the solar flare energy that is released into space and that means more Aurora activity As per predictions, the next peak time of the solar cycle will be during 2024-2025.

3

@thelosttravelerpj

The best times to visit Aurora is during the months of January and February, cause these cold months to offer more visible sky. Also, cold months offer lesser daytime (from 9am to 3pm) and that would mean we get more time to view the northern lights. Checking weather forecasts before planning could help in avoiding cloudy, snowy and full-moon days. The Aurora lights are not visible clearly with the moonlight or with the clouds and our pictures are not gonna be perfect.

The hunting spot or the spot you choose to view the lights are also very important. While choosing a place, consider the KP index of the place. This planetary 3-hour range index KP is the standard from 13 geomagnetic observatories between 44 degrees and 60 degrees north or south geomagnetic latitude. The best places would lie in between KP0 and KP3 (refer KP map).

Our travel plan from Dubai to Helinski to Rovaniemi(Lapland), and our return from Rovaniemi to Oslo - Tromso to Dubai was made after days of discussions, studies and inquiries.

On these days we are going to do some crazy things. Magical ride through Lapland Arctic circle including Visit to the Santa clause home, explore the least explored Arctic region, Travel through the Atlantic ocean, Climbing a frozen waterfall inside the Arctic forest. Climb up a small mountain on this worst weather and to Experience the miracle of our mother nature… The Northern Lights... follow my future articles for more interesting stories of this amazing lifetime experience. .

4

@thelosttravelerpj

The journey began from Dubai on Norwegian Air. Straight to Helsinki and off to Rovaniemi, Lapland on their 3 PM flight. The region was fully draped by a blanket of thick snow. The temperature had dropped below -20 degrees.

Even though Christmas had been wrapped up a month before, the airport was still decorated in glitters. There were many signboards that read 'Welcome to Arctic Europe'.

5

@thelosttravelerpj

We had already booked a car (Volvo VX60) for rent from the airport. Since we were fully equipped with jackets, caps and gloves, the chilled weather didn't seem to affect us much (until we face the real arctic wind). We took the keys and went out. It was a tedious task to fish out our car amidst a heap of vehicles covered in snow.

Airport Entrance

We drove straight to our accommodation in Rovoniemi booked via Airbnb. The accommodation was very close to the Rovoniemi river. And a few minutes walk from the city centre. After unloading the luggage, we set out for a bit of sightseeing.

Even after being in nail-biting weather, the excitement pushed us to take a stroll around the city. There were very few people out there. Because it's evening and no more sunlight. Within 5 minutes, we reached the banks of Rovoniemi River. A major Chapter of the river had become ice. A fraction at the centre was still in a liquid state.

We saw many people snowmobiling over the ice. They have made a snowmobiling track over the river. Soon, the weather became unbearable. The freezing cold wind drilling through the gloves and shoes. Within 10 mute our mobile phones got shut down due to the chilled atmosphere. But DSLR cam was working fine. Operating a touch mobile on this freezing cold has become impossible for us. Just because every time we need to remove the glove to unlock or check something on the phone. Then within a few mints, our hand was becoming frozen. When it becomes unbearable We left back to our room and stuffed warmer packets underneath our gloves and extra layers of socks on the legs………..

6

@thelosttravelerpj

…… Surrendering has never been in our blood! So after a little heat up, we are ready to move to our next destination.

The City Center. It is just 5 minutes away. The tower at the centre of City Center showed -27 degree Celsius. It was fully illuminated in Christmas Lights. There were many ice-statues and iceslides made for children. We spend some time there to too some photos.

7

@thelosttravelerpj

When hunger struck, we went to a restaurant we had noted before - Bull Bar and Grill. The rate is average only.We enquired about the local beer to the waiter.

That is something you can’t do without when you visit a new country! Thus, after a round of Lapland Beer, we had a lavish dinner of Salmon Grill, Beef Steak, Pork Ribs, Special Reindeer Grill and Sauced Red Wine.

Yummmmm.... It just blew us off! What a taste!!

8

@thelosttravelerpj

Next day, The sun would peek out only after 9 AM. So, we got enough time to get ready.

When we get near to our car, the car was completely covered with snow. It took some time to clean and heat up inside. On the way After a sandwich at Subway, we set out to the Santa Clause Village.

Santa Claus spends his time at the Santa Claus Village every day of the year to take care of his mission in life; to enhance the well-being of children and the kindness of grown-ups, as well as spreading the message of love and goodwill and the Christmas Spirit across the globe.

9

@thelosttravelerpj

The Santa Claus Village is the best and major tourist spot in Lapland – Santa’s own hometown!

It is almost impossible not to cross the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi. The Arctic Circle runs through the Santa Claus Village, located eight kilometres north of the city centre, where it is clearly marked. Santa Claus Village in Lapland is a popular place to cross the Arctic Circle: here the line is marked, and you can even get a certificate confirming the feat. At that moment, I felt I was the luckiest man in the world.

10

@thelosttravelerpj

We first stepped into the Santa Claus Office. The ambience was just fantastic and a real fairy-tale-like experience. We were ushered in by Santa’s hard-working and beautifully cute helpers, the elves. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw Santa seated inside on a wooden chair amidst a lot of gifts with his big fat belly resting on his lap! He is around 6.5F tall with a long real looking beard. He greeted us and gave us our seat. And had a little chit chat about the Xmas and arctic history.

However, photos and videos are prohibited inside. For 45 Euros, we all got one photo each to cherish as a memoir for a lifetime.

11

@thelosttravelerpj

Since 1985, Santa Claus has received 15 million letters from 198 countries, which makes Santa Claus Main Post Office a must on any visit to Santa Claus Village. The merry postal elves are happy to serve customers all year round in their headquarters, which is a real post office operated

by Posti, Finland’s national postal service. Every letter sent from here is addressed from Santa and gets a special Arctic Circle postmark not available anywhere else.

The highlight is that if you send a postcard on 18th January, it will be received only on 18th December as a special gift for Christmas.

We had a small deal of shopping there – just a handful of cards and souvenirs. And we send many cards to our friends around the world. The cards are available from 2EUR. The Tourism Information Desk is located right above the Post Office. We went there and sealed our passports for crossing the Arctic Circle. It is not at all mandatory, but that would be a seal that would mark our journey officially forever.

12

@thelosttravelerpj

Pictures from Sant’s Post office Arctic Circle

In front of Santa Post Office

13

@thelosttravelerpj

Santa Salmon Palace By this time, hunger had struck its peak. We went straight to Santa Salmon Palace – the best-rated restaurant in Rovaniemi on TripAdvisor. Santa’s Salmon Place is all about original Lappish cuisine and atmosphere. They serve fresh and delicious salmon baked at our traditional Lappish teepee with open fire.

The enchanting fire and the amazing feeling of Lapland can be really captured in its full essence from here.

About the food, that is one of the best fish grills I ever tried on my life. The process of catching and cooking salmon fish on this freezing cold is very interesting to watch. I will write a detailed post about the salmon hunting and speciality of this amazing restaurant.

14

@thelosttravelerpj

We had to swiftly plan our activities after that, as the sun would set at about 3 PM and darkness would descend thereafter.

Santa Claus Reindeer: Getting to know reindeer is easy in Rovaniemi, as many reindeer tours and farm visits are available – some of them in and some to Santa Claus Village. However, we planned to do that somewhere further inside the arctic so we skip from there.

Kindly notice: flying reindeer are reserved for Santa only, as they require expert driving skills that take centuries to master.

Snowman World: It is a mesmerizing frozen world that features a spectacular Ice World with Ice Restaurant, Ice Bar and Snow Fun activities for the whole family.

We went around the entire place and left back when it darkened. The view of the snowy Santa Claus Village in the glittering yellow lights in the dark backdrop is a sight that would remain etched in your hearts forever. The Arktikum Museum Science Center was on the way back to the city. Since the museum was a subject that never interested us, we just took a gaze from the outside, took some photos and left. Before we sleep I checked the northern lights predictions. But because of bad luck, it's too cloudy that day. So we decided not to waste time for hunting the light.

Our next day was packed for adventures in Levi.

So, we welcomed the night with colourful dreams.

The amazing driving through the empty arctic circle roads is a real fairytale experience. I will come back with those stories on the next Chapter…...

15

@thelosttravelerpj

Photos From Sata’s Village

Husky safari in Christmas House Safaris Husky Farm

Mrs. Claus Christmas Cottage in Santa Claus Village

Reindeer rides in Santa Claus Village

16

@thelosttravelerpj

The excitement was bouncing up and down even during my slumber. I opened my eyes to peek out through the windows.

It was 8 AM, yet the streets were pitch dark and there was not even a soul to spot.

Even though that prompted me to go back under the blanket, I jumped out and took a bath. We had a long way to go, and there was no time to waste. The temperature was stuck up around yesterday’s -27 degrees. The car was about 100m away.

We shooed away all the snow, loaded the car with our luggage and started our engine. Yes, off to Levi.

10-20 km after Rovaniemi is almost devoid of people. Some places are totally uninhabited and hence, the roads are sans folk. ‘Beautiful’ is nowhere near the best adjective for nature’s craft here; it’s brilliantly exquisite. The breath-taking nature of Levi is an experience in itself. Beautiful alpine, frozen rivers and lakes and myriad snowcapped pine trees lacing the roads enhance the sheer beauty of the place. We could see various Chapters of Levi Ski Resort even before we reached Levi. Skiing from the top of humongous snowy peaks is indeed a sight to behold.

The Levilehto aChapterment we had booked for our stay was right next to the Levi Ski Resort.

17

@thelosttravelerpj

We had booked rooms quite close to the resort. One side of the road , once a cycle track, has now been converted to snowmobile track. All hotel rooms were small one-storey structures with roofs holding snow up to 1 feet thickness. We went into the room, took a few rests, and went down. The first was at the nearby Levy Tourism Information Center. There were a few events for the next day to pay for. The road to the Tourism Information Center is so thick with snow that it is hard to know where to dig the way. After getting paid for the night's tour, we went to Saamen Kammi Hotel in front of the Tourism Information Center and had some food. A ferocious buffet for 25EUR only. Then he bought some local beer and put it in the car to fuel up the night. Time is around 4 PM now.

But already it's getting dark and no one outside.

Next, let's move on to the best and most exciting Chapter of the day: Ice Karting.

First I’ll explain what exactly Ice Karting is. Driven on an outdoor ice track with studded tyres, it's an activity where technical skill beats speed. The Ice Karting Race has equal elements to a real formula race, but it takes place on an ice rink. We were trained with video tutorials and given special shoes, helmets, suits, gloves and many other accessories. The cart car having 13 H/P engine and can speed up to 60km/h. It having speed and safety monitor and side of tracks are made of 2 feet tall tick snow wall. So the safety is promised.

The race was between four of us. The sensors fitted on both sides of the track mark the laps covered and time taken accurately. After 3 or 4 rounds, we got the hang of it. . It was getting dark soon, so first we possed for some photos then move to the race. The first lap was very difficult. But we learned the technique very fast. Drifting through the ice is very tricky and lots of fun. Also a few times we crashed each other and hit on the snow wall. After 10 rounds, I became second, following Lijin Bhai.

18

@thelosttravelerpj

When we left from here, our eyes were set at the next target – a night ride on a Snowmobile ride through the wild arctic forest to hunt the Aurora Borealis (northern lights) the ethereal display of coloured lights shimmering across the sky….. I will come back with those stories on Next Chapter… wait till then….

19

@thelosttravelerpj

It's just 5 past 10 in the evening and outside is pitch dark.. We were well prepared for yet another adventure, an experience of dreaming with our eyes open that we awaited for a long while.

Based on the itinerary, we reached Lapland Safari Office in Levi which is pretty much nearby our stay.

It is mandatory to possess a valid international driving license to ride a snowmobile. Moreover, a 15 Euro insurance will ensure that your pocket is safe if at all any damage occurs to the vehicle. Without any hesitation, we took the Insurance to make sure our pockets wouldn't drain soon Before the advent of snowmobile ride, a safety induction will be provided for the basic awareness and safety gear like. Shoes, socks, special suits, gloves, helmet, and all other necessary accessories to fight against -25 degrees will be distributed.

Once you are all set for the adventure, an agreement has to be signed as a consent to accept any risk that happens during the ride is solely your responsibility After all these procedures, we went to the area where the snowmobiles were parked. We were around 20 on the whole. One snowmobile could accommodate only two. Before boarding, we were briefed again. Overtaking and crossing the speed-limit is strictly prohibited. However, rules are meant to be broken, yeah? Else, how can you term it as an adventure if there’s nothing out of the blue!

20

@thelosttravelerpj

The snowmobile tracks were formatted just like ordinary roads, with road-signs and speed limit boards on both sides.

On entering the forests, the tracks narrow more. The roads are contained bumps and humps throughout; if you don’t keep yourself buckled up, then, I need not say what would happen!

However, this deprived us of our most important intention – Photographs!

Heaters are fitted next to the handles and legs of the driver. So the driver is safe on that criteria and the unlucky companion freezes to the ice by the end of the ride Soon, we reached nearby a completely frozen river. We were allowed to increase the speed from this point.

Phewwww! We literally turned it into a fighter flight and What an epic experience it was with skidding and drifting!

21

@thelosttravelerpj

As I mentioned in the first Chapter of my travelogue, This Chapter of Finland is below KP-3 Index.

So, it is difficult to spot the Northern Lights from here.

However, considering the clear sky and lovely weather, there was a possibility of viewing and we kept our hopes high.

At the end of almost 15 km, we put our vehicles to a halt. It was pitch dark. In the faint headlight view, we saw numerous signs that read ‘Beware of Wolf’. Instantly, we made a campfire there.

We were all standing and staring at the night sky to spot color. The temperature just got on our nerves. The fire didn’t do any wonders. It was still drastic cold. Close to where we sat, there is a small wooden structure. Pork sausage grill and hot berry juices were served and all were fighting to grab it. The juice literally made some difference in our health comfort level.

Even though we waited till 12 midnight with both eyes fixated on the sky, not even a trace on Northern Lights appeared. Disappointment took over us. It was time to leave. Our guides tried to cheer us with few jokes. But, all in vain. In the return journey, I sat behind.

22

@thelosttravelerpj

We returned the snowmobiles, dresses and other accessories back and went back to our car. In the sorrow of not getting to witness the Northern Lights, we took our beverages out. Lo and behold! The bottle was all ice.straight back to our room. We put the beer in a vessel of hot water and hit the bed. * Now you may be thinking where on Earth these photos came up from. For your information, these were the photos that prompted us to embark on this journey.

Not all feats come without any sheer endeavor.

But, don't worry, the amazing aurora dance shows are on the way…… So, stay tuned!

23

@thelosttravelerpj

We woke up drowned in the despair of not being able to see the Northern Lights the day before. Though it was 8 in the morning, even a ray of the sun hadn’t peeked out. After a soothing bath in warm water, we set out for the next set of adventures. Our veranda and the car were loaded with heaps of snow. We turned on the ignition key and waited for the car’s warm-up. It was -19 degrees Celsius. It was relatively less cold today.

Now, we are heading off straight for a horseback safari. Horseback safaris are not so uncommon. However, this one is indeed a special one.

The horses are not ordinary horses.

They are special breeds found only in tundra regions with long glazing manes on head and tails. They are more strong, big in size and prettier than the ordinary ones and are called Icelandic Horses (named so because of their origin from Iceland). We reached Lapland Saga where the Horse Farm is located by 9 AM. It is about 30 km North to Levi.

When we reached, the entire place, even the JCBs used to remove snow, were covered in snow. A total whitish touch.

Since we had already booked the ride, our Guide Sophie and her 8 years old daughter were ready to welcome us.

Sophie is also the trainer of all these horses. We were given a special suit, socks and shoes for the ride. because of its damn cold outside with a squall wind.

After that, we were taken to each horse for a general study. Every horse has its own name. I was allotted a brownie named Jomi. Maybe he didn’t like me much; he moved away when I went to touch him! Sophie helped all of us to ascend the horsebacks. It wasn’t that difficult as the horses stood in perfect attention when we climbed.

Thus, we began our ride in a line. Sophie leading all of us in the front, his daughter behind, and then, all of us – one by one. Initially, we rode in a wide road. However, I couldn’t comprehend whether it was a real road or some other pathway due to thick covering snow.

24

@thelosttravelerpj

Within 5 minutes, we reached a place dense with trees and equally dense with snow. The snow from the tree branches was falling over us as we moved amidst them. It was such a beauty and so much fun!! But, my horse didn’t like it much as all that fell on me, I put on him. He made some growling noise and I stopped doing that.

25

@thelosttravelerpj

26

@thelosttravelerpj

Thus, we rode and reached a completely frozen river. The scenery was absolutely beautiful. I really felt like living a fairy tale. Afar, we saw many on snowmobiles. After around 2 hours in the forest, we returned. On the returnjourney, we expressed our desire to speed up our horses. The horses will not abide by the commands we give.

They will follow the same speed and route as that of Sophie’s. He said, “Okay, hold steadfast and get ready!” and made some noise “Hoy Hey” and Sophie’s horse began to pick up speed.

27

@thelosttravelerpj

As it ran, all the horses ran after it. However, Sajith Bhai’s horse which was right in front of me, was too reluctant to run. Though he made similar noises as Sophie made, it was to no avail. But, my Jomi was cleverer. He overtook Sajith Bhai’s and ran forward. That was actually when I felt some motion. Phew! That experience was just incredible.

28

@thelosttravelerpj

Please do watch the Video of this Amazing horse ride from my Youtube page. https://youtu.be/4-YxDYf8F2Y When we reached back, our car was again covered in a thick blanket of snow. Before the light dimmed, we had other plans to complete. So, we changed and came out swiftly. Our next destination was Husky Park. Here are the heroes of ice – Husky Dogs, pulling us over the snow. I will be back in the next Chapter with new news of the same. Catch you later!!

29

@thelosttravelerpj

The aim behind this journey is to relish the Northern Lights to the fullest. Still, husky safari is one that had captured my mind way before. What I have read in fairy tales combined with my imagination have given me a lot of dreams to cherish, and Husky Safari is one of them.

Before you travel through my story, watch this amazing husky ride video from my youtube page. https://youtu.be/F6pppxuNsRw Also, u can watch this on 4K - 360° using a VR or on your desktop/laptop. On this video, you can look(pan) around 360° and experience the journey with the real quality sound. https://youtu.be/y3m4AkHR3Cc Now you can travel through my story…...

Today, as I drive along the roads of Lapland, more than the joy of fulfilling those dreams, the enchanteur and magnificence of the snow-capped nature elevates me to a whole new world of inexpressible happiness.

Amidst throngs of icy pine trees and frozen brooks, we reached Levi Husky Park.

Even though there are many destinations offering husky safaris on Lapland, I specially picked out this one as the ambience here exactly resembles what I have dreamt of.

Also, when 3-4 huskies pull the sledge in all other places, around 10 huskies are allotted for each sledge here. The tour was booked beforehand from Levi Information Center. It is 60 EUR per head for every 2 km.

We were about 10 minutes late when we reached the spot. By then, a tour prior to the safari had already begun. It was a group of 20 including children. To welcome all the visitors, a cute Pomeranian dog accompanied the guide constantly wagging its tail.

30

@thelosttravelerpj

Here, a Chapter from Siberian Huskies, there were 4 wolves and 1 Arctic fox. Their blue or multi-coloured eyes and striking facial masks only add to the appeal of this breed. There were more than 30 of those athletic and intelligent breed of dogs with Siberian’s wolf-like looks.

31

@thelosttravelerpj

On the way, a white reindeer with quite a friendly air and long antlers greeted us. Reindeer is a wild animal. But it was fascinating to see how well it was tamed. There were many kissing and hugging it and taking clicking photographs. However, I had no time for that. My sledge with mighty huskies was ready.

32

@thelosttravelerpj

They were damn energetic and hyperactive that the sledge was fastened strong with an anchor. One can accommodate two. We were all set with our cameras. They removed the anchor and blew a whistle and yelled ‘Hoy Hoy’.

Phewwww!! It was incredible! Far beyond my expectations! The Huskies ran forth as if they were galloping! Most of them were barking loud during the safari. Our dogs reached close to the one in front due to over-speed. So, our driver stopped the sledge for two minutes.

The temperature was below -25 degrees.

Even though we were provided with blankets to cover our legs, it was biting cold. It was as if in a magical world, that we realised our frozen state only when we actually came to a halt.

33

@thelosttravelerpj

34

@thelosttravelerpj

35

@thelosttravelerpj

We really wanted to go once again.

However, due to time constraints, we had to abandon that idea. But, I must say, even though I have embarked on many journeys before, an experience of this sort was indeed a one-piece.

36

@thelosttravelerpj

After a 30 minute drive from Levi. We were reaching close to the Lapland Snow village. After we turned from the main road as per our one and only google aunty's instruction. Actually, we were a bit confused as the road does not seem to be a normal road and we doubted that we are driving through the actual road or not. The way google map was showing is a dark snow-covered path between a pine forest. Anyways, luckily we were driving a good Volvo SUV.

So we had the confidence to drive in the off road. After a few hundreds of meters, we saw some lights and found the actual road to the Lapland snow village. Also, we are too happy to experience that snow road adventure drive.

Snow Village is a Chapter of Lapland ice Hotels group.

It's built up only in the wintertime. There is an amazing video showing the construction of the ice hotel.

37

@thelosttravelerpj

A huge welcome wall which was made of glittering ice blocks completely decorated with sparkling lights brightened our spirits.

The temperature outside was around only -25. So we couldn't stay further exposed. We took some quick snaps in front of the welcome wall and got inside.

The building is completely made by ice except for the reception area. To enter inside the snow park we need to purchase a 15 EUR admission ticket. On the left side of the entry, you could witness one of Lapland's amazing experiences - The Ice restaurant. But the minimum expenditure to enter is 75EUR. But when we had a look from outside, we didn't its that worth visiting. So we just skipped and proceeded to the real ICE world.

When we stepped inside the door it looked exceptionally magical. At first, we see an ice corridor coloured with pink lights and shining ice crystals. The reflection of lights through the ice and the silence inside peeped us to another world.

The temperature inside was around -2 to -5. And we dressed up for -25 because of the outdoor activity. So after a few steps inside here, we started feeling hot… yes.. Really… inside the ice room, actually, we were feeling hot.

38

@thelosttravelerpj

39

@thelosttravelerpj

Game of Thrones Ice Sculptures inside

Game of Thrones Ice Sculptures inside

40

@thelosttravelerpj

After we pass through the corridor, there are plenty of rooms.

A theatre to show the construction of the snow village and ice hotel. A chapel for peaceful pray. And some chat rooms. But the wonder is, each and everything on those rooms is made by crystal clear ice. The sitting bench. The tables, shelves, status each and everything made by ice. And each year they are constructing on a different design.

So, each year the visitors will see something different.

41

@thelosttravelerpj

42

@thelosttravelerpj

After watching all this, we entered the centre. Each junction inside the building is connected with colourful ice corridors. And at the centre, the most amazing experience… THE ICE BAR. The ice bar is completely made of ice. Completely means from the sitting chair to the drinking glass.

Everything is made using crystal clear ice. And they have some special arctic drink. we decided to try something from there. Something unique. Yes, the drink only available in Lapland region. Called Lplandia” its a fine vodka for cold temperature mixed with different flowers. we choose to try a shot from the Blueberry Laplandia vodka. The short glass also carved from ice in front of us and we really enjoyed the hotshot. Next to the ice bar, the is a huge sculpture of "Game of Thrones" made in the ice.

And from there onwards, there are many bedrooms made using ice blocks. Yes.. only the mattress and pillows are made using wool.

Everything else is made by ice and decorated using colourful lights gives a really romantic atmosphere. And each bedroom is decorated with different kinds of sculptures. I felt like, this place is a photographers paradise.

But unfortunately, I don't have any models to work with. So, we took some photos inside and left from there for dinner.

We food a good restaurant called Colorado near Levi ski resort. They having some special Laplandic food.

Yes, the reindeer steak and pork rib grill (there is nothing in chicken and a very small selection of vegetarian food). Also, we tried some beer. Later we checked the northern lights prediction. But we were unlucky that day also. There is full of clouds and snowstorm that day. So we decided to have a good sleep today.

43

@thelosttravelerpj

Tomorrow morning we r moving to Tromso. The land of the Midnight Sun and Northern lights. I will come back with those stories. Stay tuned.

44

@thelosttravelerpj

Today our story begins with Lapland and a long journey to Tromso.

Tromso, known as the land of the midnight sun is indeed a magical light of our the universe, especially in the winters.

Our journey began when we started at 7am, yet pitch dark outside. We had no options of starting any later as we had a flight to catch at Rovaniemi airport to Tromso.

The initial plan was to travel by road, through Levi and Arctic Circle to Tromso. But the roads covered with snow, stormy weather dint allow us to choose the roads.

Other reasons for not opting a drive to Tromso were freezing temperatures upto -30 as you drive further north, and the expenses would have been higher too. Not many people dwelling in these areas and there would probably be no one to seek help for any emergencies. One way car rentals from Finland to Norway would not be very budget-friendly. And for all these reasons and to keep our trip within budget, we just took na ride to the airport and then a flight to Tromso.

Though we decided to take the flight, the drive to the airport by itself was an amazing fairy tale ride.

With empty roads and snow, with the morning chill, we were lucky to find a small restaurant called "Kahvila Lohihovi Oy".

Its not so easy to find a café around and when we actually did, was awestruck. This restaurant was a traditional Scandinavian-style café with large wooden walls and was run by a local lady who stayed just behind this café. Choice of food wasn’t very extensive, but our breakfast that included a decent egg meal and coffee was so content.

45

@thelosttravelerpj

This entire scene was worth a drone shot – with a snowcovered landscape. Flying the drone at -25 wasn’t so easy, yet we managed to take some beautiful shots and compiled it in a video. We had limited time as this was only a short break before reaching the airport.

Watch Video Here - https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=1821216801515531 After having reached the airport, and returning the car, check-in processes were very quick as there were hardly any crowd.

This gave us more time at the Souvenir shop. But being the airport, the products were highly priced.

There are no direct flights to Tromso, and our travel to Tromso was via Oslo. Flight was half hour delayed, and its usually so because of the weather. These flight delays are to be considered while making your trip itineraries. All our flights were booked through Norvigion airlines. We reached Tromso at 10pm after the long transit at Oslo.

Tromso…

The land of the midnight sun !

This dark place, especially during the winters has interestingly minimal day time. The sun shows up after 10 am and hides away before 3pm. The rest of the time is dark and the magic to explore are the northern lights that dance in this darkness.

Tromso airport is not a big structure by itself and not well-facilitated. We had our car booked with Hertz.

The 46

@thelosttravelerpj

chauffeur waited for us but without pre-booking, it might have been very inconvenient in these late night landing times. All airport stores close early during winter. We did have to pay a little extra for the night service of our car but there is no other option.

Outside temperature by this time has touched -15 and its very windy, visibly seen from the inside of the airport. Three layers of clothing still proved insufficient just to walk through these winds from the airport to the car park.

While we were on our way to pick up our luggage, a friend suddenly exclaimed “ Look, the northern lights ! “ I did turn to see at the spark he mentioned….but I was probably tired after the long flight, it took me time to actually believe I saw the northern lights…I assumed it was just the dark sky and some sunlight in-between, ignored it and dragged him away too.

But as we were loading our bags, a Chapter of the sky shined more green than usual, and there was a flow of green in the sky ! Our hearts dropped a beat as this is what we really aspired to see Our dream of witnessing the northern light wave was in front of us, it was just so sudden to see and digest, and the amazement was so worthy that I dint bother hunting for my camera and capture it. The green wave disappeared in about 4-5 minutes. We all knew we got to the right place. All excited, we exited the airport thinking we will witness more of the green sky as we get to our stay. It was about 11 30, with freezing environments, heater in the car, and us gazing into the sky for more green-ness. Luck dint favour us this time, and we decided to call the day off.

Tromso is an expensive city and touring in this city for a few days can equal the cost of a 2-week Europe tour.

Options like AirBNB are recommended to keep our trip within budget. Our AirBNB stay was called “ Greet’s Home” , with close proximity to the Tromso city and just outside the main Kaldfjord Island. Though we reached our destination with te help of Google maps, we barely could see signboards and street numbers. We reached out to the Air BNB personnel and our Host Greet and her husband received us. The couple who stayed at the upper portion of the house had rented out the lower portion.

Though we were super-tired and exhausted, the anxiety to see more of these northern lights kept us hooked, and we were all geared up for an exciting start of the next day.

Tomorrow’s exploration would be a sail through the Arctic ocean to see the biggest of animal kind – the whales !

47

@thelosttravelerpj

It was about 7am. I had just opened my eyes, but the view outside was breath-taking. The snow had almost descended to the levels of my window and I realised we were already late for the day’s exploration. We had to be in the city latest by 8 30 am. The sun is not showing up outside, our car is covered in layers of snow – but even the meticulous task of removing the settled snow from the car was enjoyable. The roads are thankfully being cleares frequently by the municipality, so, driving was not as tough as expected, but the rest of the roadsides stay immersed in snow.

Compared to the snow in Lapland which was dry and dusty, the snow here was harsh and wet. This needs extra caution while driving.

The meeting point for the day was Scandic Ishavs Hotel at Tromso City Center, which is about a 20 min drive from our stay. The public car parking is expensive, rentals being 210 NOK ( 1700+ INR), more expensive than many European cities.The tour buses pick visitors from this point in an Airconditioned bus and drive us to the Ferry Port. This

1 hour drive to the ferry was pleasant, with little sun shine. The open lands were still covered with white layers of snow. We also some frozen rivers and waterfalls. Despite this chill weather, we noticed people jogging outside and children going to school.Interestingly, everyone has a reflector on their shirts because of the low visibility. And all the roads are just wide enough for 2 lanes to pass on either side.

48

@thelosttravelerpj

As we arrived at the port, our ferry was ready. We took our time to suit us up better as the temperature would touch -18 degrees as we go inside the sea. The ferry operator provided us with shoes and suits , more like the suits that heavy duty construction workers would wear, but nothing lesser would fight the harsh arctic winds.

This ferry is a large wooden boat like a sloop. Its completely open and its going to be a sail through tuff winds. The sail began with us crossing small islands and we saw a lot of salmon farms. Everyone eager to see the wheals and looking around.Ocra or the killer whales are the main attraction.Okra is about 6 to 8metres long and 3 to 5 tonnes in weight. They attack the blue whales. Which means if the Ocra is around, your not gonna see the blue whales.

49

@thelosttravelerpj

The ferry operators are constantly communicating with each other warning and signalling them of the whales they spot.

Meantime, we were served warm soup and bread. As we were heading inside lined in our 4 layers of clothing, yet freezing, the captain of another ferry signalled that he saw an orca.Our ferry took a turn so that we will also get to see – all eyes looking into the ocean to spot the orca. We managed to see the tail , but we unfortunately we did not

get to see the orca fully. Slightly disappointed because we waited that long for her sight, but nevertheless, witnessing her tail by itself is an adventure.But the wildlife is like that, we need to be lucky to see the best scenes. And today we are not that lucky. But I feel lucky because I reach this far.

50

@thelosttravelerpj

We got back to the port and then back to City center and its around 3pm – pretty dark already. We strolled around and had some food. Tromso restaurants are expensive and hence supermarket food is a budget traveller’s choice. we head back to our home to take some rest. Because, tonight we are not going to sleep. We are going to see one of the natures biggest wonder. Yha…. The Northern Lights. Will comeback with that amazing stories and

51

@thelosttravelerpj

This day is the most memorable day of my "Arctic circle trip" ,Yes.. Now am going to watch one of the enlightening nature's wonder “Northern Lights”.

Weather forecast is an unavoidable factor if you need to watch the northern lights. There are many mobile apps available to check the predictions. Once I woke up from the nap I checked my phone for today's weather forecast. Wow.. the prediction saying 90% of chance for powerful northern lights. To watch the perfect northern lights, we need to travel to the outskirts of the city where the sky is clear and free from pollution. To explore such a best spot is tedious for this weather situation. The temperature has dropped down below -15 now and a soothing breeze started to blow.

So, as I have expected the situation, we decided to book the first day of northern light experience as a tour. As we were not ready to take chances, we booked with one of the best tour operators “The chasing Light Tromso”.

This is a customized tour so, they will pick up us from the city centre and the guide Mr.Jonas - a local and well known professional photographer who supported us for photography.

A gang of 8 of us in a wagon drove to the northern Chapter of Tromso, a place which is light pollution-free and a good scenic view for northern lights. On the way, Mr.Jonas was explaining about the northern lights and tips for photography. We drove around one and a half hours to find a good spot. This spot is near Sommarøy island entry bridge. Where nature is blessed with an amazing seashore along with mountains. We parked our van near the road and walk towards the seashore. The temperature here is around -18 and was a bit windy.

But we don't have any option rather to sit and wait for the northern lights on this seashore. Most of the shore area is wrapped with a thick layer of snow and some areas are completely frozen ice. Jonas brought some Reindeer skins, blankets, wood for the campfire and some hot food. We made up the campfire, sat around, and eagerly awaited for the northern lights to arrive. Meantime Jonas served everyone some hot beef, veggies and some hot berry juice.

52

@thelosttravelerpj

Since we are waiting for the northern lights, we set our cameras to an apt location where we can capture the photos of the lifetime. We were super lucky to witness a clear sky, zest with billions of stars in our naked eyes. We captured a few photos meantime.

Still, we are waiting for the northern lights to come. Actually, capturing the northern lights in the camera requires specialization in photography.

However, with systematic practice over basics can get the best results. I will recommend using a full-frame DSLR camera to capture this (i am using Nikon D750). But the choice of lens is most important. The best result you can get from a F 1.4 or F 1.8 Wide angle lens. Of course, we can take this using F2 or F2.8 lens also. But it always depends on the strength of the Northern Lights. Then you need a good heavy tripod to stand motionless against the strong wind. A shutter remote, so you can take long exposure photos. And a good knowledge of camera

53

@thelosttravelerpj

manual settings. Because each time the strength of the northern lights will change. So, we need to change the camera settings accordingly at a quick pace.

Time is around 10.30pm now. We started noticing a cloudy sky and isn't green coloured.

Anyway, we tried to take a long exposure photo of that… unbelievable.. Yes.. it's the northern lights.. The magic just started.

Within 10-15 minutes the Ray's started becoming more and more powerful. We started clicking our camera and enjoying this natural wonder. The northern lights are getting much stronger between 11pm-2am. After taking some photos, I laid down on that Reindeer skink by looking at the sky, watching this amazing dancing light and billion stars being thankful for realizing how lucky I was to witness this.

After some time, regained my conscious and focused on capturing photos on the camera.

Now the northern light is very strong and floating like a sky reviver. It’s moving, changing patterns, so we are betting different pictures on each click.

And when it's getting stronger and stronger, the seawater is reflecting the light and the whole area is becoming greenish. We want to capture that light reflection from the water. So we moved our tripod into the water area so we can get a better picture. But unfortunately, I did a wrong step. When I stepped into the water, it was deeper than I expected. My leg dipped completely inside the water and my feet and pants became wet. It's damn cold. It's -18 outside. But I know, this is a once in a lifetime moment. So I was not ready to compromise.

Took some photos promptly on the water and ran into the campfire.

Removed my shoes, layers of wet socks and kept my legs very close to the campfire. Luckily we were carrying some heating packs. So I used that inside my shoes while we are going back. I will recommend everyone to carry some extra pair of socks and heating packs when you are planning for this trip.

54

@thelosttravelerpj

55

@thelosttravelerpj

56

@thelosttravelerpj

We spend there till 2 am there watched amazing northern lights. Meantime we talked to other co-travellers and Jonnas to get some good ideas about northern lights hunting locations. We stayed in Tromso for 5 days and each day we drive into some locations and experienced amazing Aurora all the days.

Some Tips to Watch This amazing Northern Lights Planning plays a major role when we seek such adventures, and of course, a lot depends on the luck as well because nature is unpredictable. However, I would like to share some tips based on my experience and research that I believe would be useful for my readers.

Firstly, the intensity of the Aurora is not always the same - it varies based on the Solar Cycle Year. Solar Cycle Year can be related to the sun's heartbeat, which beats in every 10-12 years. It is measured by the number of sunspots visible on the sun. The more sunspots, more is the solar flare energy that is released into space and that means more Aurora activity! As per predictions, the next peak time of the solar cycle will be during 2024-2025. But still, it’s possible to watch northern lights every year winter time.

The best time to visit Aurora is during the months of January and February; cause these cold months to offer more visible sky. Also, cold months offer lesser daytime (from 9am to 3pm) and that would mean we get more time to view the northern lights. Checking weather forecasts before planning could help in avoiding cloudy, snowy and full-moon days. The Aurora lights are not visible clearly with the moonlight or with the clouds and our pictures are not going to be perfect.

The hunting spot or the spot you choose to view the lights are also very important. While choosing a place, consider the KP index of the place. This planetary 3-hour range index KP is the standard from 13 geomagnetic observatories between 44 degrees and 60 degrees north or south geomagnetic latitude. The best places would lie in between KP0 and KP3 (refer KP map).

After all those amazing experience, we reached back to our AirBNB at 3.30am. We did get enough for the next day's activity. Next day, we had a snowshoe hiking to the Kvaloya Mountain.

57

@thelosttravelerpj

After the amazing experience of Northern lights, today we are going to witness another sensuous adventure. Yes.. we are going to hike a small mountain. What makes this adventure special is the weather.

Today is -18 and windy. These weather conditions make the hike more challenging and compelling, for I always love to hike be it the summer or winter. Yesterday was in fact exhausting and we were tired as we woke up today. We dint get to have decent breakfast and in the rush, we also missed to carry a few important things we needed for the day.

The place we were going to hike is a Chapter of Kvaloya mountain located at the north edge of Tromso. We had arranged a guide from the Tromso Outdoor tour company. A tour guide for a hike in such weather is essential. And we also need to arrange our hiking accessories like snowshoes, hiking poles etc. the guide had sent us the starting location. We navigated there on time using Google maps and the drive to this start-point by itself was beautiful.

Most of the areas were empty with no houses or shops and no people, just thick layers of snow. We were not able to identify the parking slot at the start point because of the snow. After some time, the guide came with three other people who were going to Hike

58

@thelosttravelerpj

with us on this trip. Though I had forgotten my jacket, my guide helped me with one. We all found snowshoes that fit us and we were ready to begin.

The mountain ahead just seems like layers of snow, no trees and bushes. Well, it is not so easy to get used to these snowshoes. Its only after about 100m of walk that you get comfortable with them. And besides, climbing ahead was more difficult because of the cold weather and winds. Also considering that we were on low on energy, we requested our guide to break.

59

@thelosttravelerpj

But our guide would just keep promising that it's only a few more metres every time we asked him and finally after 2hrs, we reached the viewpoint.

There was a

lake on the other side of this

mountain.

The view was so amazing. We felt lucky to have reached there and we sat there in the midst of the cold winds. After taking photos, we began the downward hike. It was easier this way because the wind was blowing in the opposite direction.

But i was dying of thirst and we dint have water.

So, finally, I decided to eat some ice. I collected some ice from some of the leaves and ate them, it did help me recover. It took almost 4 hours to complete this trek. And it was getting dark already. It was an amazing experience but remember to do some preparations and take enough water.

60

@thelosttravelerpj

.

61

@thelosttravelerpj

After returning all the accessories, and thanking our guide for motivating us to the limit, we drove to the Tromso city. It took around 45 min to reach the city and it was become completely dark by that time (4pm).

We were all starving because of the day's activities. We decided to have some good food. We went to a restaurant called Scandic near the city

centre.

restaurant.

It It

wasn't was

a a

luxury regular

Norwegian restaurant. The food was too good but the bill was not. We paid around 15000 INR(for 4 people) just for that decent meal. I believe the restaurant experience in Norway is always very expensive. So usually we don't go for that. A good meal is done, we decided to head back to the room and await the northern lights once again.

And tomorrow we are going to do yet another crazy thing. Yes.. we are going to climb up a 100feet frozen waterfall.

I will come back with that amazing ice climbing experience on my next Chapter.

62

@thelosttravelerpj

Today, our activity is a bit far from Tromso and hence we had to start early. Though we were tired, limited time pushed us up from our beds. As expected, the car parked last night was full of snow. We took some time to clean up. But, It was fun cleaning the car and we started our drive towards Tromso town. It was about 8 30 already but still dark. We picked sandwiches on the way and the day's activity was booked with " Lyngen Adventure" - Tromso. So, we drove up to the city centre and took the tour company pick up from there. It is an expensive adventure - 1600 NOK per person ( 11800INR), but am sure all of you will agree that its worth it after seeing the pics.

The adventure sport is a 2hr journey from Tromso City Center. We were in a van that had 6 people and as expected, the onward drive was beautiful with white landscapes. We did take a small ferry form Breivikeiet.

The plan was to enjoy the view from outside the ferry, but due to the heavy winds, we stayed inside. And the temperature is -16 today. We continued the drive to Lyngseidet after the ferry.

Lyngseidet is a small town, we first stopped at the “Magic Mountain Lodge” at the Lyngen Adventure Office. At the lodge, we picked our accessories needed for the climb and freshened up. The drive to the forest began thereafter for about 15 - 20 mins.

The offroad drive was pretty challenging with thick layers of snow and no people around. After parking the van in a snowcovered open area, we began our walk through the forest. A silent work amidst animal sounds at distances and snow for 20 to 30 minutes brought us to the frozen flowing beauty.

Wow ! Nature is a bliss. Its an amazing view. The frozen waterfall is much taller than expected where the water is completely frozen to ice. There are about 2 or 3 levels,

63

@thelosttravelerpj

when we climbed the first level, we were already at 100 feet. It felt so amazing to see a frozen waterfall. A real wonder of nature.

Near the waterfall, A small tent made of reindeer skin was set up by the tour company wherein we had a campfire and we can survive from the killing cold. A few hours of rest and meanwhile, one of our guides hike up to the top of of the waterfall (through another way) and fixed our safety cables from the top. And yes, the best was yet to come.

We were given some detailed instructions as to how to use the ice axe and crampons(a sharp metal plate fixed to the climbing shoes). Good stamina and energy are required to do this activity - not a cakewalk.

The climbing technique is, to get the grip against the ice, we need to hit the crampons hard onto the ice. Once the position is set, our body weight will be on our feet fingers. The next step would be to hit the axe up and pulling your body along for the second step. It took a bit of a struggle to adapt to the right way of moving and climbing up

64

@thelosttravelerpj

the ice waterfall. We literally sweat inside the winter clothes. also, I fell down a couple of times and hit the rocky ice painful indeed. Nevertheless, there is no gain without pain. But all this while, the fun quotient was always alive and even after a 3 hour climb, we could still move on.

Each time climbing was a different experience. We never lose the fun. We took a short break in a tent after 3 hours of adventure made some coffee and sausage and we were good to go again.

65

@thelosttravelerpj

66

@thelosttravelerpj

.

It was getting dark as it became 3pm and we headed back. The snow forests were silent and us walking made so much noise. It became completely dark as we reached our van , the ferry was also closed. We took an alternative route by road to Tromso city - a longer drive but we were content cause we saw the amazing Northern lights yet another time. Some burgers for dinner, physically exhausted, had nice hot water shower and falling onto bed wrapped the day for us.

Tomorrow is going to be drive around Tromso city and the city touring, for which, please come back to read the next Chapter.

67

@thelosttravelerpj

68

@thelosttravelerpj

Compared to the other cities I travelled, Tromso is a very expensive city to travel to and live in. Today is our last day in Tromso. We are all a little tired because of this long trip by facing the extreme winter climate. The last few days we spend in Tromso, and expereanced amazing northern lights every day in different locations. I don’t want to explain each day northern lights experience and make this travelogue long.

So today, our Last day – We plan to visit the Tromso city attractions. As I mentioned at the beginning of the travelogue, we have only very little daylight to explore. First, we drove around some remort area away from the city to experience some wild snow road diving and reached back to Tromso city by 11 am.

69

@thelosttravelerpj

The first stop we made is on the Arctic Cathedral Which is one of the top attractions in Tromso city the architecture of this church is unique in a way by adapting the geographical condition. The church was not opened when we visited, so we only have an external view.

Next, we Moved to the Tromso city viewpoint.

This is a hilltop near Tromso town where we can enjoy the amazing view of Tromso city.

70

@thelosttravelerpj

To reach here, we need to take a cable car from the Tromso cablecar station (Fjellheisen).

At the time we reached here, there was some heavy snowfall happening but the cable car was still functional. Once we reached the hilltop, the view was completely blocked by heavy snowfall.

Anyway, I decided to stay here until getting a clear view of Tromso city. Because when I planned this trip, the view from here is one of the priority on my itinerary. After one hour the snowfall is stopped and slowly we were getting a nice view of Tromso city. also we can see on the hilltop there are several hiking paths leading to other viewpoints. But the path was completely covered with thick layers of snow. So it's impossible to walk around without a snowshoe. I fixed my camera on a nice location where I can capture the Tromso city transition from daylight tonight. But it was never easy on that windy freezing snowing climate.

71

@thelosttravelerpj

72

@thelosttravelerpj

Around 3 pm it became pitch dark then we moved back to the town centre for some shopping and last night dinner and drinks.

We brought some souvenirs for ourselves and our friends. Also brought some sandwiches and Polar beer” from the grocery. The town is still with the Xmas lights so it's an amazing experience to walk around the street with the snow. But the temperature is reaching -18 and above so it's never easy. Around 7 pm we reached back to our homestay and packed our bag for the airport. we are taking a flight to Copenhagen Denmark for a night then returning to Dubai.

The overall experience of this Arctic trip is so amazing and I wish everyone who is walking with me on this travelogue will get a chance to visit these amazing locations. From all of my travel experience, I will rank the Northerlights experience as Number 1. We don’t experience this at least once in a lifetime, I believe our life is not fulfilled. Yes, this is an expensive region to visit. But proper planning can control our budget and help to explore with minimum budget. Hop this travelogue give you some motivation and idea about the region and help to plan yourself. Thank you everyone for reading and wishing all of you a safe trip.

73