I’m not known for my sea legs.
If you ask my dad, he’ll tell you all about how as a tiny child I threw up on the Star Ferry crossing Victoria Harbour in Hong Kong. Or that they had to leave some yacht party early because I wouldn’t stop vomiting. I’m treated to a retelling every time I mention getting on a boat of some sort. It’s a narrative I’ve been changing for most of my life.
So he was pretty shocked when he found out I chose Discovery Bay when relocating to Hong Kong in 2008. Or that I booked myself on the famous Hurtigruten as part of my Scandinavian itinerary.
It took me awhile to get this far. My mom still has a photo of me lying on the pier throwing up after a delicious meal on a sampan restaurant. In all my permed hair glory. Hong Kong was once a fishing village and many families lived in sampans in areas such as the Causeway Typhoon Shelter. Last I heard, years ago, these seafood sampans are no longer.
from Bermuda to Discovery Bay
For several years I lived in Bermuda and in several parishes. My last home was in Paget. So on some mornings, when it was calmer, instead of riding in to Hamilton on my scooter, I took the ferry. The picturesque islands were also easy on the eyes.
Then I moved to Hong Kong, to Discovery Bay. You can only get to this interesting place dubbed Dogs and Babies by ferry or by train and then a bus. There are no personal cars allowed in the area. Just golf carts. Except when the winds were strong and seas were choppy, I took the ferry into Central. This was the fastest route. The ferry was also easier on my ears than the underground, which was a longer and much less direct way of getting into town. The train was also often unmercifully overpacked.
From Discovery Bay, you can also take the ferry to islands like Mui Wo and Lamma. Lou, Abby, and I mostly hiked to Mui Wo rather than take the boat. The beaches there were often empty and a great place to let them run and swim. We’ve also been to Lamma, where Abby discovered she was indeed a retriever. She skillfully retrieved the tennis ball each time we tossed it into the water, even when it was not meant for her. The boat to Mui Wo was much smaller. There were no plankways so I had to carry Abby on and off. She was not as confident as Lou in some things.
I have also been practicing Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help as a student and practitioner since 2007. This has strengthened my constitution and dissolved my fears and guilt about getting sick. Since I was young, I’ve tried just about everything. This includes gravol in high school, before I began to discover how my body was sensitive to pharmaceuticals. Gravol left me drowsy, irritated, and generally icky and unwell. Those acupressure bracelets also never worked for me. One of the best and simplest-to-do Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help is holding each of your fingers for a few minutes a day.
The Test Drive – Cruises
Well, not really a test drive. It’s not like I knew I was working towards the Hurtigruten! However, I did go on a couple of cruises. Unlike ferry rides, cruises are longer and you can’t really get off. Not really. What I learned was that I do need a porthole. A balcony is even better.
That time my sister came to visit me in Singapore for Chinese New Year, we booked a last-minute cruise with port calls in Penang, Malaysia and Phuket, Thailand. We had to change rooms because I was starting to get sick. Having the balcony made an incredible difference! So great to have this upgrade.
Royal Caribbean offers a 4-night cruise from Singapore that docks at these ports. It’s a fun way to travel and see these two cities.
I know from the Mediterranean cruise with my sister that I can do calm seas. Big boats on calm seas. Anytime I can get fresh air and the wind in my face, I’m good. So yes to speedboats and jet skis.
Ahoy from the Hurtigruten
I’ve always felt drawn to Scandinavia for some reason. Growing up all I knew was that Dad was in shipping. No details then – honestly no idea what he did.
It was only when I told him about my summer trip to Scandinavia and invited him to Norway that he offered a few stories. It turned out that many of his ships came from Norway and he travelled there for business. Later on, I started finding these souvenirs around the house, like this blue vase I’ve always loved.
Going to Scandinavia in 2015 was very last minute. It was quite an open canvas what I could do, seeing I was going solo. I was pulled in several directions, with all kinds of recommendations and advice from friends. Oslo for Gay Pride with my friend then stay with her family in Bergen and see the western fjords. Maybe fly over to Iceland then hop onto Greenland. Copenhagen with another friend. I ended up doing one of these things.
The Lofoten Islands
When I saw photos of the Lofoten Islands in Norway, I think I stopped breathing for just a moment it was so breathtaking. I knew that’s where I wanted to be.
Northern Norway called me and I answered.
There are a few ways to get to Lofoten from the mainland. You can fly into Leknes, Svolvær, and Harstad/Narvik – Evene airports. Harstad/Narvik – Evene is a couple of hours driving to Svolvær and almost five hours to Reine. First figure out where you want to be.
I flew into Bodø via Oslo from Stockholm, where I had been for a few days. To catch the super early morning ferry, I overnighted in the Arctic city of Bodø, the capital of Nordland County. It is also where the world’s strongest tidal current is found. Ah, and my first Norwegian Midnight Sun. While Bodø isn’t old as a town, signs of human habitation date back 10,000 years.
From Bodø, you can get on the Bodø-Moskenes ferry or the Hurtigruten. Wanting to try both, I chose the ferry to the Lofoten Islands and the Hurtigruen back to the mainland. If you are driving, the ferry is the way to go and it’s best to book a reservation travelling in the summer. The Bodø-Moskenes ferry is about 3.5 hours.
The Hurtigruten
The Hurtigruten’s original route onboard the DS Vesteraalen took passengers and cargo from Trondheim to Hammerfest. Soon, they added Bergen to Kirkenes up north. The locals first used it as a ferry and it supplied remote areas otherwise inaccessible. Founded in 1893, the Hurtigruten is a Norwegian institution.
Now you can sail aboard the Hurtigruten along the western coast, all the way up to the northernmost point of Europe. Take a Coastal Explorer voyage and go port-to-port, with 34 stops or choose from a variety of longer Explorer voyages. Offerings have certainly expanded over the years, though the cabins are still more functional than luxurious unlike those on what we usually call cruise ships.
2023 Update: This year is Hurtigruten’s 130th anniversary. Starting this year, they are offering two itineraries : The North Cape Express and The Svalbard Express. Leaving for the first time from Oslo, The North Cape Express includes 16 destinations to explore Norway’s coastline and to see the Northern lights. The Svalbard Express is Hurtigruten’s summer itinerary, with 14 locations to see the Midnight Sun. Both will be aboard their flagship vessel MS Trollfjord. This was the one I travelled on and was refurbished this year. From the website, the new itineraries look amazing. It’s much more like a cruise, with a daily program and amazing food.
Hamnøy to Solvær
After my all-too-brief-and-still-amazing stay in the Lofoten Islands, I took the bus from Hamnøy to Svolvær to board the Hurtigruten for Tromsø, my next stop. Another option was south to Trondheim. I chose Tromsø because of the Midnight Concert at the Arctic Cathedral, the Saami Identity exhibition, and I just wanted to venture further north.
In every walk with Nature one receives far more than he seeks.
John Muir
I wanted to stand small and big in the wild remoteness, in the expansive and openness.
So on June 21 2015, I stood by the road across from Eliassen Rorbuer in beautiful Hamnøy to wait for the bus that would take me to the Lofoten capital of Svolvær. MS Trollfjord was scheduled to depart at 10PM and arrive at Tromsø the following afternoon at 2:30PM. Because of the Midnight Sun, I could leisurely explore Svolvær until check- in, which is about half an hour beforehand at that particular port. I had the whole day to explore the city. (Info about the bus in Norwegian and English)
A Day in Svolvær
Svolvær is the largest city in the Lofoten Islands. In comparison, Oslo’s population is about 709,000 and Tromsø’s is 77,900. Svolvær, about 5,000. I actually loved this about the towns and villages in Lofoten, the physical and aura space. There is one road and everywhere you looked was magnificent and breathtaking.
Tourism is important for many places in Norway. However, like many villages in this part of Norway, cod fisheries remain vital. You can see many of the drying racks. Every year, since 1991, at the end of March, the World Cod Fishing Championships take place here to see who will reel in the biggest skrei. The best fish burger and the best cod fish burger I’ve had was in Northern Norway.
My first stop in Svolvær was the information centre. I stored my luggage in their lockers before my day out in town. I started near the centre, browsing the shops. Next I walked into the town market, looking at the different offerings, from a variety of reindeer, whale, and other meat to hand knit sweaters. I purchased a pair of socks for my sister as a souvenir. Another place I spent time at was art shops. I enjoyed all the art and music on my trip to Norway. If you are in Lofoten in September, check out the Lofoten International Art Festival.
Here and there, I bought some snacks, before walking over the bridge, toward the sea. It was beautiful and I sat on the rocks looking at all the houses.
Boarding the Hurtigruten
What may be good to know – though I’m not saying it’s true for all sailings – is that I had to lug all my bags up several flights of stairs. To be fair, in the “Essential Information” sheet, they recommend not bringing luggage that is “heavier than you can carry yourself.” Since all ships except MS Lofoten have wheelchair accessible cabins, there must be ramps though I didn’t spot any.
Travelling on the Hurtigruten is a lot more expensive than the ferry. That’s if you have to book a cabin. For any travelling less than 18 hours, you don’t have to pay for a cabin. And you still get breakfast included. Served from 7:30 to 10:00 AM, breakfast is a buffet of cereals, fruit, meats, cheese, eggs, and more. After a rather restful night of sleep, I leisurely got ready and headed down for a meal. I found a window seat, with the sun streaming in onto my plate of delicious and filling Norwegian fare.
My Stay Aboard the Hurtigruten
After checking in, I dropped my bags off in my cabin and headed to the deck for welcome food and hot drinks. It looked like most people took up the captain’s invitation and were there as well. With the Midnight Sun, the skies were still beautifully illuminated. I’ve mentioned just how beautiful this part of the world is, right?
The highlight of this invitation was to be outside when the ship sailed into the very narrow passage of Raftsundet, between the mountains of Trollfjorden. The mouth of the sound is merely 100 metres and the whole passage just 25 km. We didn’t go through it but turned around. Yep, turned around. We were so close I felt like I could just reach over the railings and touch the mountains, waking up the trolls. Love all the troll stories of Norway!
… and that emerald green of the water? This really was the colour of the sound. Seriously.
The 822-passenger ship I was on – MS Trollfjord – was named after this very passage. That felt extra special. With only one night onboard, I opted for a cabin with portholes, giving me sight of amazing landscapes. After coming in from the deck, I did not retire right away. It seemed most people did. Instead, I roamed the empty ship, looking for some hot tea. I bought a red travel mug that I could refill while on the trip. I later gave it to my dad as a souvenir. I still have a photo of him holding it that he had sent me.
Having been solo for about three weeks and here in northern remoteness, the quiet of a sleeping ship felt comforting. That was the plan, to travel progressively south, and to more and more density. The alternative, I felt, would be too jarring.
The Star Ferry
My story has come a long way from riding Hong Kong’s Star Ferry. Like the Hurtigruten which dates back to 1893, the Star Ferry also has quite a history, finding its origins in 1880. Leaving from either Central or Wanchai on Hong Kong Island, this commuter ferry goes to Tsim Sha Tsui on the Kowloon side. Fares are as low as HK$2.9 for kids and seniors and HK$4.00 for adults on the weekday, depending on the departure pier. The US-HKD exchange rate is roughly 7.8. That’s less than 40cents for the kids. So for a couple of quarters, an adult can go traffic-free from Hong Kong to Kowloon for a scenic, historic, and fun little “cruise”
If you’ve been in Hong Kong longer than a minute, you’ll know their traffic is something else. Most people take the underground; however many still drive or take a taxi through the tunnel from Hong Kong to Kowloon.
If you are in Hong Kong end of November, you’ll find buildings on both sides of Victoria Harbour lit up with Christmas-themed decorations, later switching over to New Year celebrations. And then there is the Symphony of Lights, a free nightly multimedia show since 2004. Seeing these lights is a highlight of any trip to Hong Kong in the winter.
My solo sojourn to Scandinavia left an indelible mark. To this day, countless moments remain touchstones, for inspiration, hope, and grace. I’m sure the little child throwing up on boats, cars, trains, and planes would not have imagined travelling so happily alone, exploring such vast beauty and dwelling in the generosity of the northern spirit.