Reaching the miraculous Aurora Borealis - Kiruna, North Sweden

About two years ago, four girls had a dream. A dream to see the mysterious light in the North. They braved the cold of -30 degrees Celsius to Kiruna, north Sweden to fulfill the dream.

I must say it was one of the most unforgettable trip in Northern Europe. It was fortunate that we managed to catch a glimpse of the much said Aurora Borealis or Northern Light as many said only luck, timing and patience can lead you to this meteorological phenomenon. We only needed to wait for one night to witness this historical moment of my life!

Not only did I see the "Dance of the Spirits" (as what the Cree would call them), I also saw a shooting star in the clear dark sky! Couldn't have asked for more, really ;)

Aurora Borealis can be seen in places that are located in the North and it should be far away from cities. So, there are many choices of locations if you wish to see one. We chose Kiruna because it was the most economic option and nearest to where we were (we were living in Denmark then).

I must say they looked much more beautiful through the naked eye then through the lens of the camera (maybe because of the limitation of the camera or the photographer - the camera needs to be adjusted to the extreme temperature before it can operate optimally). There were rays of white and yellow lights as well instead of just the green as captured by the camera. The even luckier ones will see more colour ranges.

As soon as we reached Kiruna, we actually went with Henrik Taube tour to the site where we were supposed to wait for the Northern Lights to appear at night. We went there by 2 transportation mode - snow mobile and dog sleighs! It is indeed an experience that you should try ;)

We also took the opportunity to visit the renowned Ice Bar and Ice Hotel while we were in Kiruna. Each of the rooms in the Ice Hotel were themed and there were people renting the rooms! So, do take note when you were busy snapping away.

 On the way to Ice Hotel!

 Ready to explore the themed rooms in Ice Hotel!

We took so many pictures of differently themed rooms. Just selected a few to give you an insight of how creative these people are!

I love the hotel we stayed in Kiruna. It was called Camp Ripan. From the outside, you would see as though we will be living in a cabin but it was a proper hotel and it was a very comfortable place to stay warm or hang out with friends.

Click Away!

Saw this inspiring picture posted in Facebook by a friend. So, start clicking away!! ;)

The Most Beautiful Sunrise

Perhaps there are many more places with much more captivating, beautiful, mesmerizing sunrise than this one. It is undeniable. However to me, it is the most beautiful for now.

The moment was captured while I was walking to work in Copenhagen, last December 2012. 

Denmark is indeed a very cold country. Many complaint about the bad and gloomy weather, including myself but it is strange how it makes one miss the Viking land.

Iceland Adventure

When people mention Europe, places like Italy, France, Germany, U.K will come to mind without a stint of hesitance. They are indeed countries that most people would visit when travelling to that continent. No doubt they have lots of attractions and history to offer.

Scandinavia (consists of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Greenland) is the path less traveled. However, over the past 3 years, Scandinavia seems to make it to the travel list to others that are not from the same continent.

Some said Iceland is part of Scandinavia. Geographically, it makes sense. Anyway, it forms part of the Nordic Europe.

If you ever come to North Europe, do make some plans for Iceland. It has a lot of nature beauty to offer. A nature lover and an adventurist should not miss this volcanic land.

Like Bornholm, it is best to travel via car. Public transportation is almost not visible in our entire 5 days journey. It is relatively reasonable to rent through websites and collect the car upon you arrive at the airport.

Should you plan to move around the island, which is highly recommended, do plan your trip and book hotels at different locations instead of booking only one hotel. The distance between two touristic locations can be as far as few hundred kilometres. Driving back and forth can be tiring and a waste of time.

Iceland uses its own currency. So, do remember to exchange currencies before you take off or you may also do it in the airport upon arrival.

  Our rental car that accompanies us for 5 days :)

 Icy mountains, despite it was June!

 Geysir - one of the largest natural hot water spring. When it exploded, it was huge. We got wet as we were trying to walk to the other side and it decided to explode just at the same moment -.- Luckily the wind was cold and the water splashed on us were already cold by the time it landed on us. Else, we will be scalded.

  Gulfoss huge waterfall - you could hear the loud sound of water gushing down with an immensely high speed and force. It is indeed a great creation of the Nature. Reminds me of the Niagara fall though I have not been there before :p

 Another amazing creation - Kerid crater. You could see the water is colourful when the sun shines upon it. It was rather rainy when we were there. However, you will notice that it is rather glaring despite the sky is not at its brightest. The strong UV rays from the north.....

 The volcano that erupted which caused many stranded in airports and in foreign lands in 2010.

 Jökulsárlón - or loosely translated to English "glacier river lagoon". River or lagoon with floating ice/glaciers. The lagoon is said to have grown due to melting of the Icelandic glaciers. If you wish, you may take a boat tour on that lagoon and have a closer view of the ice. We witnessed a huge glacier broke into 2 pieces and collapsed just right after the boat passed it by. So, do be careful if you take the boat tour.

Whale meat (the one on the right most)! It is very common in Iceland. One of the main delicacies that you ought to try if you are there. I am not a huge fan of it. The meat can be as tough as that of a beef. It is chewy too. The Japanese loves the whale meat. So do the Icelandics....

 More waterfall....The country has a lot of waterfalls!

Blue lagoon. It has a hotel and a spa there. The lagoon is man-made though ;)