TRAVEL QUEST
Winter 2015
Cruising the
Norwegian Coast
p. 4
Traveling where the Vikings once sailed.
Working with
Mr. Anderson
p. 7
TravelQuest’s eclipse meteorologist.
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Winter 2015
The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. Saint Augustine
Vol. 8 No. 2
TRAVEL QUEST
Features
Cruising the Norwegian Coast
Taking a journey where the Vikings once sailed,
albeit in considerably more comfort than in one
of their open longboats.
page 4
Working With Mr. Anderson
Jay Anderson is renowned in the field of eclipse
weather prediction, but he is also most giving
of his time and energy when called upon by
TravelQuest.
4
page 7
In Every Issue
3
Reflections
Thank you to those who help us travel.
3
Notebook
I still think of flying as miraculous.
9
Travel Talk: Do You Really Need
All that?
7
10
Upcoming Adventures
Costa Rica stargazing; three Eclipse 2015
options, a northern Norway aurora trip, and two
trips to Indonesia for Eclipse 2016.
On the Cover:
The prow of a Viking longboat, once a familiar sight up and
down the Norwegian coast. Courtesy Paul Deans.
10
Courtesy Rick Fienberg 2009.
Lighten your load...thoughts on packing less
when it’s time to travel.
332 N Rush Street
Prescott, Arizona, 86301 USA
1-800-830-1998 (US and Canada)
1-928-445-7754 (International)
Fax: 1-928-445-8771
[email protected]
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Reflections
I’m writing this at 34,000 feet above the North Atlantic Ocean,
on a Delta Airlines flight from Amsterdam to Atlanta. It’s a
travel day — a day that merely gets you from here to there.
It’s the journey that takes you to your destination, where you
will experience whatever awaits — friends, family, exotic
peoples and their culture… or even a total eclipse of the Sun!
These travel days can try one’s patience, with shoes and
belts off, laptops out, sometimes grumpy security people, or
tired flight attendants. But I realize that all these hard-working
people — pilots, flight attendants, train crews, waiters, taxi
drivers, hotel staff, and security personnel — are performing
their tasks so that you and I can go about our travels to see
and experience the wonders of this amazing world we live in.
Theirs are not easy jobs, but there they are — all day,
every day, 365 days a year. Yes, it’s their job, and that’s what
they are paid to do. But I have to say that by and large, these
It was a long journey to see the eclipse on Easter island in 2010,
but the experience was well worth the travel.
dedicated professionals are there for us no matter what. And
to them I say: “Thank you!”
Aram Kaprielian
Notebook
Flying isn’t as much fun as
(and raining) in Seattle. So in the span of a 90-minute flight,
it used to be. This isn’t the
fault of all those folks
trying to help us get from
point A to point B; as
Aram points out (above),
with no muss and very little fuss, I experienced a 40°C change
in temperature (it’s even more impressive in Fahrenheit: -16°F
to 55°F). Who says that’s not amazing?
Yes, I recognize that it’s not always smooth flying (that
remark has nothing to do with turbulence), but honestly —
they’re doing the best
they can, often under
difficult circumstances.
But despite the challenges
of ever-changing rules,
how would we ever chase eclipses (especially you, Glenn
Schneider) without airplanes?
Speaking of which, it’s time to start packing for my next
trip. It’ll be a little longer than usual, but I’m determined to
‘practice what I preach’ and take only one carry-on bag plus
ever-expanding fees, and
ever-decreasing amounts of personal space in the main cabin,
I still consider flying to be rather miraculous.
I thought of this earlier this year after I flew to Seattle from
Edmonton. When I boarded the plane it was -27°C (about
-35°C with the wind chill, but who’s counting). When I
stepped out of that big metal tube with wings, it was +13°C
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that ubiquitous ‘personal item‘ — in my case, a backpack. I’ve
written often enough in “Travel Talk” about packing light, so
let’s see if I can follow my own advice.
Paul Deans
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Cruising the Norwegian Coast
Story and images by Paul Deans and Pat Price
We stood, wind-whipped, on the lip of a
tundra plateau. One thousand feet below
us, the Barents Sea crashed against the
rocks; 1,300 miles to the north lay the North
Pole. It seemed as though we were standing
at the ends of the earth.
This is Nordkapp, the North Cape, the
northern tip of Norway and continental
Europe. At 71° North, it’s at the same
latitude as central Greenland and Siberia.
That it’s not as cold as these more-remote
locales is thanks to the warm waters of the
Gulf Stream, which flow up from the Gulf of
Mexico and keep the fjords and harbors of
Norway ice-free during the winter.
My wife, Pat Price, and I arrived at
A beautiful Norwegian fjord. Those joining us on TQ’s Norway trip later this year who have
read the series A Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy will appreciate the work of the fictional
character Slartibartfast, a planet designer who won an award for creating these fjords!
Nordkapp via the Hurtigruten cruise line.
Since the 1890s, Hurtigruten has carried
freight and passengers to and from the towns and fishing
villages that dot Norway’s coastline. We sailed in early
October, from Bergen in the south to Kirkenes in the far
north, on the 490-passenger M/S Nordkapp, one of 11
Hurtigruten ships that ply Norway’s coastal waters.
While the Nordkapp feels and looks like a small cruise ship
— complete with comfortable cabins, lounges, dining room,
passed isolated fishing villages, farms, and houses snuggled
into inlets and islets. Farther north the mountains press closer
to the sea, forcing settlements into ever-diminishing strips of
land squeezed between the cliffs and the ocean.
At Trondheim we had a several-hour stop, so we booked a
tour that included a stop at Nidaros Cathedral (below).
Trondheim, once called
and numerous works of art lining the stairwells and walls —
there is a significant difference. It’s a working vessel, and at
each port the ship’s cargo bay opens wide to disgorge and
accept a wide assortment of goods. Meanwhile passengers
board, depart, and at the larger ports of call, head off to
Nidaros, was Norway’s
first capital from 872
explore the town for the few hours that the ship is docked.
returning to Norway
from exile, was killed in
Cruising the Coast: Aurora Alert
Once out of Bergen, we quickly adapted to shipboard life.
Most of the Hurtigruten vessels have a large interior observation lounge on an upper deck toward the bow, with a 270°
view forward. On the Nordkapp we found ourselves in the
Polarsirkelen Lounge much of the day, relaxing and taking in
the panoramic views of the Norwegian coast.
The ship usually sails close to shore, weaving among the
thousands of islands that make up Norway’s coastline. We
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AD and remained so
until 1217. In 1030
King Olav Haraldson,
the battle of Stiklestad
and a spring began to
flow from his burial site
outside of old
Trondheim. His body
was moved, and
Nidaros Cathedral was
built over the grave.
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On our voyage north we passed many isolated villages (the Nordkapp docked at a few of them) and numerous, even more isolated, homes.
The next morning we woke to an announcement that
we’d just crossed the Arctic Circle. We were now in the land of
the Midnight Sun; later a ceremony inducted us into the notso-exclusive Arctic Circle club. In summer the Sun slides
across the northern horizon at midnight, so the locals can
swim, sail, and hike 24 hours a day if they so choose. Of
course in mid-winter, most activities take place within the
glow of artificial light.
That evening, just as we finished dinner, there was
another announcement: There are northern lights overhead.
Silverware clattered as most of the dining room emptied, and
passengers stampeded to the upper decks. We didn’t even
bother stopping for jackets as we made our way to the lightfree top deck.
And there they were: shimmering curtains of green and
white, now pale, then brightening. Then they hung straight
overhead, lower fringes tinged with red, now, rippling and
weaving from right to left and back again — an iridescent
celestial dance. For more than an hour they performed for us
before clouds drew a curtain across the sky and ended the
performance. Two nights later, the aurora put in another
appearance, but it paled in comparison.
Into the North
As we sailed, we stopped — day and night — at tiny villages
and large towns. Sometimes the stops were nothing but a
15-minute pause in our voyage north. At longer stops we
disembarked and poked around the town, making sure to be
back on board before the posted departure time, because the
ship won’t wait! In larger locales such as Bodø and Tromsø,
there was time to explore for an hour or two.
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Some of our stops were very short — 15 or 30 minutes long. Others
lasted several hours as a variety of cargo was off-loaded, then
replaced by other goods (and passengers).
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Approaching Nordkapp on the M/S Nordkapp (above) and the Nordkapp monument (right).
Once docked at Honningsvåg, we climbed into a bus for the 40-minute
ride to the North Cape. It’s a barren, bleak, and yet stunningly beautiful spot,
with the underground North Cape Hall (theater, gift shop, cafeteria, and
viewing deck) providing welcome relief from the wind. Nordkapp is known as
the northernmost point in Europe, but as we discovered, that’s not quite true.
The neighboring Knivskjellodden point, just to the west, actually extends
4,780 feet farther to the north. Drat!
After a final night at sea, we docked in Kirkenes the next morning. Under
gray skies, the mining town looked bleak and forbidding. Kirkenes is only six
kilometers from the Russian border — road signs in town are in Norwegian
and Russian. Waiting in the Kirkenes airport for the flight back to Oslo, we
considered our voyage north. Our start point at Bergen seemed very far away
in time, distance, and perspective. During the cruise we’d covered a lot of
ground…or rather, water. It did feel like we’d been to the ends of the earth,
and now it was time to go back.
TQ Tour Addendum
On our TravelQuest Norway’s Aurora, Sami Culture, and Scenic Wonders trip
to Norway (October 5 to 15, 2015), we’ll be joining the M/S Nordnorge in
Trondheim, not Bergen. The ship departs late morning, but we’ll have part of
the previous day to explore the city.
When we dock in Kirkenes after four nights at sea, we don’t immediately
return to Oslo. Instead, we head inland for four days to explore Finnmark
(Lapland) and experience Sami culture. And during the entire tour, except for
our nights in Oslo and Trondheim, we’ll keep watch for those lovely dancing
celestial lights — the aurora borealis.
TravelQuest Trip Leader/Astronomer Paul Deans is very excited about
returning to Norway. Prior to the start of the Hurtigruten cruise, he and
his late wife also enjoyed exploring Oslo, a truly delightful city.
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Join us in Norway
Our Norway’s Aurora, Sami Culture
and Scenic Wonders tour, October
5 to 15, 2015, is more than just a
cruise up the coast of Norway. We’ll
venture inland to explore the culture
of the Sami people who have moved
with their herds of reindeer for
hundreds of years. Join us as we
explore Norway, discover Sami
culture, and watch for the aurora.
— The TravelQuest Team
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Working With Mr. Anderson
Story and images by Aram Kaprielian
As jobs in the travel industry go,
planning and operating total solar
eclipse tours has got to be one of
the most challenging.
First, imagine organizing a
journey for 100, 200, or even 300
people, often to locales in remote
and seldom-visited parts of our
planet. That alone makes for some
rather sleepless nights. Even scarier,
imagine not only having to identify
a good viewing location within the
path of totality, but also trying to
anticipate, as best as humanly
possible, the weather prospects for
a specific location at a precise day
and time — a day and time often
well into the future! This business
is not for the faint of heart.
Jay Anderson (left) and Aram Kaprielian scout Easter Island prior to the 2010 solar eclipse.
Welcome, Mr. Anderson
The preceding serves as an introduction as to how eclipse
meteorologist Jay Anderson came into my life. Our relationship began in the late 1980s when, based upon our success
in selling a trip in 1986 to Baja California to see Halley’s
comet, my father and I decided to re-position our Southern
California-based group tour company (Travel Bug) to an
astronomy tour company.
While researching eclipses at a local library in the late
1980s — remember, in the ’80s that’s how we did research
— I came across Jay’s name in several different solar eclipse
weather articles. I wrote him a letter (remember those?)
asking him about eclipse viewing weather prospects in Baja
California for the now famous July 11, 1991, total solar
eclipse. Jay graciously provided our fledgling eclipse tour
company with all the weather information we needed to
operate that first successful eclipse trip.
Since that late-’80s contact and his subsequent initial
collaborations with Travel Bug — assisting us in finding an
eclipse-viewing site in Bolivia for the 1994 eclipse and
traveling to India for totality in 1995 — Jay Anderson has
helped TravelQuest create and deliver what is without
question (in our opinion) some of the finest, most successfully operated total solar eclipse tours in these last 20-plus
years. During this time, his involvement with TQ has
included 13 total solar eclipses experienced on four
continents. But Jay does much more for us than travel with
TQ groups to the various eclipse-viewing sites and forecast
Jay and Aram research sites in Egypt prior to totality in 2006.
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eclipse weather along the path of totality (which, by the
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Left: When participating in a TQ eclipse tour, Jay also works with the local ground operator to ensure all goes smoothly. Here he’s with Steve
Xu, the head of TQ’s partner company in China for the 2008 and 2009 eclipse trips. Right: If the local media discover that Jay is an “eclipse
weatherman,” he becomes an instant celebrity. Here he’s interviewed after the 2009 eclipse near Shanghai. Courtesy Paul Deans (x2).
way, he graciously does for every solar eclipse chaser in the
world via his web-site: eclipser.ca).
One of the great treasures of owning TravelQuest is having
the opportunity to inspect destinations ahead of each eclipse
our translator, and using any spherical object he can find —
an orange, a soccer ball, his fist…or simply drawing on the
ground with a stick — Jay patiently explains just how an
eclipse happens and what people will see on eclipse day. His
big smile, clearly stated concepts, and incredible enthusiasm
tour — and Jay often joins me. But while I scrutinize hotels
and work out tour-related logistics with local travel partners,
Jay spends his time finding the very best eclipse-viewing
sites for TQ travelers, as well as developing his eclipse-day
weather predictions.
win the day every time.
Jay is, of course, renowned in the field of eclipse weather
prediction. But after working with him and his wonderful wife
Judy for all these years, I
can say, without a doubt,
On these scouting trips with Jay, I am privileged to see
his personality and technical excellence really shine. I can’t
begin to tell you how often I have smiled to myself as I
watched him explain eclipses to residents in eclipse-viewing
areas. These are folks who often cannot read or write. But via
that he is among the most
friendly, approachable, and
delightful people I have
ever met. Topping it all off,
Jay is most giving of his
Scouting With Mr. Anderson
time and energy when
called upon by TravelQuest.
In order for TQ to have
evolved into a premier
astronomy specialty travel
company, a lot of things
had to come together —
In 2014, Jay paid a visit to Aram
great clients, TravelQuest
at TQ’s home base in Prescott,
trip leaders, office staff, and Arizona.
partner companies all around the world. But for me, one of
the key blessings has been getting to know, and work with,
Mr. Anderson.
Jay and Aram relax near Axum, Ethiopia, during their pre-eclipse
trip two years prior to totality in 2013. Courtesy Michel Girardin.
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Aram Kaprielian is the founder and President of TravelQuest
International.
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Eclipse 2013
Memory Book
What do a small school in northern Uganda, an airstrip
on the eastern shore of Kenya’s famous Lake Turkana,
an ocean spot hundreds of miles off the coast of Sierra
Leone, and a site in Ethiopia just north of the Kenyan
border all have in common? These were the locations
where more than 100 TravelQuest travelers gathered to
stand in the shadow of the Moon in November 2013.
The Eclipse 2013 memory book relives the experiences
of these travelers — in their own words and photos.
This 64-page, soft- or hardcover commemorative book
contains 150 full-color images and 15 fascinating
stories written by 19 TQ travelers.
To preview the book, go to the Eclipse Memory Books
section of TravelQuest’s website. There you’ll also find
Memory Books from previous TQ trips.
Travel Talk: Do You Really Need All That?
Regular readers of this column know that I have a particular
fondness for not traveling with too much “stuff.” Whether it’s
a personal trip or a TravelQuest tour, I dislike schlepping
excess baggage. And when it comes to flying, anything
beyond a carry on is (in my opinion) “excess baggage.”
I’m fortunate that I don’t take much equipment with me
on TQ trips — always a camera, often a tripod, occasionally a
small telescope. I don’t bring a lot of gear since I derive at
least as much pleasure from helping travelers enjoy the tour
and seeing the eclipse (or aurora) as I do from watching these
events myself. Besides, I want my bag to be hassle-free when
on tour; another reason I want to go light.
Going light means there are plenty of decisions to be
made before heading to the airport. I know I’ve dealt with this
topic several times before, so I’ll try to approach it from a
slightly different angle.
This traveler has far too many bags for my liking. Source: Wikipedia.
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What you take obviously depends on where you’re going.
If you’re going to the Faroe Islands or Svalbard for the eclipse
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(or on any other trip), your usual thought process includes
asking the question: "What do I need?" The trouble is, this
almost guarantees that you’ll bring too many clothes (the
number one reason for overpacking). Instead, after reviewing
TQ’s Packing Checklist for your tour, lay out the shirts, pants,
skirts, shoes, underwear, and outdoor clothing (for hot or cold
weather) and then ask the question: "What can I do without?"
Keep in mind that TQ doesn’t do wilderness treks; we travel
to civilized places where hotels often have laundry facilities.
Washing most of what you bring about half-way through the
trip cuts your clothing needs in half. And remember, you’re
allowed to wear things more than once or twice. Many hotels
have irons and ironing boards available; a few minutes work
takes care of wrinkles and makes your clothes look fresh again.
Think about what you’ll wear during the day when you’re
out and about (in winter, think layers), and what you’ll wear in
evenings in restaurants or perhaps the hotel lounge. If it
sounds like I’m advocating for two basic outfits (day/night)
with a little mix-and-match variety — well, I am. After all,
who hasn’t worn the same outfit day after day on a vacation?
Remember, everyone else on the tour will be doing what
you’re doing; nobody will be “dressed to the nines.”
Regardless, don’t play the “what if” game...don’t keep
asking yourself “what if I need this extra skirt or another pair of
dress pants?” Bringing extra clothes may make you feel ready
for anything, but you’ll step out of the airport looking like the
sculptured gentleman at the start of this column.
If your destination is a cold-weather country, wear some of
your cold-weather gear on your flight: boots, heavy jacket, and
maybe an extra layer. Stuff your jacket pockets with mitts and
a hat. Nothing you wear counts against your baggage allowance (yet!). You can always take some of it off once on the
plane, and you’ll be ready to go as soon as you land.
Once I’m home. I perform a post-trip assessment of the
contents of my bag — what did I wear regularly, infrequently,
or not at all. I leave these notes (which includes where I went
and why) in the bag to guide me when it comes time to pack
again. By now I have a core packing list, supplemented with
content addition/subtraction notes based on where I’m going.
Finally, I’ve mentioned OneBag before, but it’s worth
repeating. The website’s tagline is “The Art and Science of
Traveling Light,” and I still refer to it each time I get ready for a
trip that’ll last longer than a few days.
Upcoming
Adventures
12th Annual Costa Rica Southern Sky Party
A tropical climate and excellent southern-sky views. An
amazing astronomical adventure so close to home.
February 15 - 22, 2015
Flight to Totality
Experience totality above the clouds.
March 20, 2015
Faroe Islands Solar Eclipse & Iceland Aurora
Enjoy a perfect Faroe Islands vantage point for the total
eclipse and try for an aurora sighting in Iceland.
March 17-27, 2015
Svalbard Arctic Eclipse
Join us at the top of the Earth for an eclipse adventure on
the frozen barrens of a remote Norwegian archipelago.
March 17-23, 2015
Norway’s Aurora, Culture & Scenic Wonders
Cruise Norway’s magnificent fjord-laden coastline, discover
the Sami people and their reindeer, and enjoy six dark
nights watching for the aurora borealis.
October 5-15, 2015
Bali New Year and Total Solar Eclipse
Experience Balinese rituals and witness 2 minutes and 45
seconds of totality from a specially selected island.
March 2-11, 2016
Indonesia and Borneo Cruise to Totality
Sail among the islands of the Indonesian archipelago and
witness totality from our ship in the Molucca Sea.
March 4-15, 2016
August 21, 2017, USA Eclipse
Be among the first to know!
To learn more about our other trips, please visit our website:
TravelQuestTours.com
— PD
The contents of Travel Quest are copyright 2015 TravelQuest International. One copy may be printed for personal, noncommercial use.
Otherwise, no part of this publication may be reproduced by any means without the written consent of TravelQuest International.
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