To the North Cape!

The evening on the ship was pretty eventless. I walked around to get to know the ship and to find all the facilities. The nice thing was, that I had booked an inside cabin without shower and toilet. However, since the ship was nearly empty and just few people needed cabins I had been given an outside cabin with a complete bath! Although it was an outside cabin I had no view. The window was closed and when I asked about it one of the crew members explained, that it was because of the heavy seas in the North that can destroy the glass!

In the evening I was walking around the ship again. It was nice to be on one of the old ships of Hurtigruten where you can really go everywhere; I was walking around the different decks and also to the working areas, meaning the areas where the load is and where the ropes are. I really felt like Tin-tin, who for some reason is always on a ship during most of his stories.

Later I sitting in the salon, was looking out, was reading and listing to music, when the tour leader came to me and told me that this evening the captain would tell something about stockfish and would also let us taste some. Since I anyways didn't had anything else to do I decided to go there.

When the group gathered I realized, that these were basically all passengers on board. I was happy to be on such a small ship and have such a personal treatment. The captain was explaining a lot about the production and history of stockfish and in the end he let us taste some. This wasnt so easy, since the stockfish naturally is quite hard. He was hitting it with a hammer and was hitting and hitting until it was in small pieces and we could eat it!

After this presentation, which had been held on the flag deck of the ship I was quite cold, no wonder when being nearly 500km into the Arctic Circle already. So I went inside to warm up again. I was again sitting in the salon, waiting; The main purpose of my trip to the North was besides the North Cape also to see Northern Lights. The last time I had been in a region where Northern Lights could have occurred was in January; I was with my two flatmates and friends in Finnish Lapland. We were there for nearly a week but had a cloudy sky the whole time and hence didnt see the Northern Lights. This time I really wanted to see them!

So I was sitting and waiting. I had told the reception of the ship, that they could wake me up at any time of the night in case they would come up. I, however, wasnt tired, was way too excited and couldnt sit quietly not to mention sleeping. The whole evening I was putting on my clothes, going outside until I was freezing, going back inside, taking off my clothes and waiting to get warm again. Then the circle started all over again. I was walking around on deck, since I didnt know which direction to look and also to keep warm.

This was going on and on. I was sitting, waiting, walking, putting on clothes, taking them off again, playing around with my camera and so on. Then suddenly at around 12.15 in the night out of nothing, without a sound, without a warning they were there!

Clouds of grey and green were hanging in the sky. First really soft and more like a cloud illuminated by the full moon and then more and more, glowing stronger and stronger in green. Appearing soundless, some staying for some minutes, some vanishing within seconds; some moving fast and hectic over the black sky and some just hanging there not moving at all.

I was just sitting and watching. I was unable to move, it was simply one of the most beautiful things I had seen in my life so far. So majestic and impressive. Just a wonder of nature, which is hard to describe; something everybody has to experience himself! I had tears in my eyes and was just staring into the sky in amazement!

I stayed outside for I dont know how long. The colors got stronger and weaker, the intensity was changing all the time. I had been putting my camera onto the tripod and just pressed the release button every time the camera made a noise. I couldnt take my eyes of the sky and didnt even feel the cold!

After, as I said, I dont know how long. The Northern Lights stopped as quickly as they appeared and I waited for some time more, hoping they would come back. As they didnt I realized, that I was freezing and went inside. I went to my cabin, had a hot shower and went happily to bed! One of the things I had come for was fulfilled, the next thing was planned for the next day and so I fell asleep with a smile on my face!

~M~