There are only a few places in the world from where you can see the Northern and Southern Lights. Known as the Aurora Borealis, these natural light displays in the sky are more Cirque du Soleil than most people have dreamed of. Imagine being faced with a black, bleak horizon. There's something so nightmarish yet other worldly about this experience. The feeling that you are almost embryonic, and just a particle in a galaxy is so much more pronounced when you are at the edge of the world.
The term Aurora Borealis is referred to commonly in the Northern Hemisphere, but whether you choose to head North by Northwest or South by South East, the aim for many travelers is to hunt the light …..to truly see the light at the end of the tunnel.
There's something so Big Bang about the whole experience, even if you're not a cold-weather fan. It's so raw, it's so Into the Wild and something I bet Carl Sagan would have liked to do. Even though I really don't dig the cold, I am guessing my heart could warm up to the idea of going on a cruise, wrapped in layers of cashmere and watching the sky light up with these swirls.
One such way to "Hunt the Light" is to use an agency that really knows what it's doing. Hurtigruten is a travel expeditioning company specializing in cruises and journeys to remote regions of the world. Think Antarctica, Iceland and the Artctic's Spitsbergen. If you engage in one of their expeditions, be warned that you'll get your fair share of really "out there" real life experiences.
In the Arctic Circle, for example, they'll give you a "polar baptism" which is essentially an ice cube shower (you'll get a Certificate to commemorate the occasion).
To get some adrenaline into your life and to be "baptized" in the Arctic Circle, you can visit their web site (which didn't really work for me, but you might have better luck), or dial (800) 323-7436.
- Charu Suri