waterfall | Go Go Chlo

After years of wanting to visit the Scandinavian nation of Norway, but my plans always being scrapped last minute, last year, I finally made it to this luscious land. As I expected this country was a green heaven of rolling grasses and waterfalls, that I would be happy to get lost in.

My journey took me along the coastline to some key port towns and inland to some beautiful scenic locations, which wasn’t hard as it seemed everywhere I turned, there was heavenly landscapes to see. I felt like I had walked into a movie with little wooden houses, and waterfalls everywhere you turned, it just needed a viking or two and the dream would be complete!

Waterfalls

I really am not exaggerating when I say I was seeing waterfalls everywhere, this was really the scenario. From little trickles, to huge falls, there was simply one waterfall after another. Norway is actually nicknamed the ‘land of a thousand waterfalls’ and has some of the tallest waterfalls in the world.

Whilst I didn’t actually have to go any distance to see a waterfall, I did make the effort to visit a few big ones. I visited Kjosfossen, Tvindefossen, Manafossen, and Langfossen. So here is a clue I worked out… anytime you see ‘foss’ in the name, it means waterfall. Before you start thinking that is where we get the word ‘faucet’ tap from; I already thought of that and the evidence is not there to support it I am afraid, but it would make a lot of sense…

All the waterfalls had their own charm but Langfossen was particularly impressive. A road bridge has been built over half the fall and so you can get pretty close for photos from there, but even closer by boat! After viewing it from the road, I jumped on a tour boat that literally mounted the waterfall as it entered the fjord, (so much so that I was concerned), and the tour guide picked up a bucket and scooped up some falling water for me to taste. The guide said that there was a legend that if you drink from the falls you would become more fertile, particularly the men, so of course, the men on the boat were taking extra servings.

Reflections

I know that ‘reflections’ is a strange subheading but I feel that it is something special about Norway that I can not describe another way. I have never been to a destination that has provided me with so many mirror or kaleidoscope like views. I saw these trippy images whilst sailing on the fjords, which are Norway’s famous sea inlets, that are characterised as long,narrow and deep, and formed from glaciers, that left behind beautiful valleys.

At multiple times during the trip, I would get up early to look out at the water, and it just messed with my head to see the crystal clear reflections that these fjords created. The water is so still and glimmered and it is really hard to tell where land and water meet as everything is just mirrored endlessly. It’s really magical and I loved it, next time I go, I want to do some kayaking so that I can get closer to the water and get even more amazing photos.

Wide spaces

Of course, not only are the waters spectacular, but the huge green landscapes are a great match to them. I was struck by how much of the area was perfectly trimmed rolling grasses, miles of picture perfect lawns, and its no suprise that there is a big tradition of insulating houses with turf covered roofs.

Beyond the grass, there are many smallholdings, vast pine forests, and brilliant ridges and mountains to hike. Some of the most popular are Pulpit Rock, a huge mountain plateau for the perfect Instagram shot, or another similar one is Trolltunga (troll’s tongue)! I would love the opportunity to return to Norway and spend more time exploring the big landscapes here, on foot.

Scenic Railway

In the beautiful little town of Flam, I had the opportunity to travel on one of the world’s most beautiful railway journeys. I boarded the Flam railway train from Flam and took a round trip via Myrdal, with a stop to see a huge ‘foss’ with classical music in the air, and a dancing actor jumping out to welcome me and the other passengers. There to portray another waterfall legend of a lady of the falls, the guide later told me that the ‘lady’ dancing around was actually two different local men dressed up as the same lady, to fool the tourists by quickly jumping out in different locations.

The journey was pretty pleasant and the views were great, but it was crowded, which makes it hard to enjoy when everyone has their cameras pressed against the windows!

Overall, I just loved Norway. As a nature lover, and someone that is keen to go for long walks in the fresh air, I could almost see myself relocating to Norway. The only thing keeping me away is the cold winters, but there is no question that I will be visiting again. Next time for longer, and hopefully with my someone special to enjoy it with.

After re-entering Argentina, I took a twelve hour bus South, to find myself in the most Southern city on the planet, Ushuaia, on the island of Tierra del Fuego.

Crossing to Tierra del Fuego

After returning to Argentina, I travelled from Rio Gallegos, back down the motorway, and across the Magellan Strait by ferry, to arrive on the island of Tierra del Fuego. This island is split between Chile and Argentina, and sits within the islands of Antarctica. Therefore, whilst I visited in Summer, it was still snowing frequently. It is also home to Ushuaia, the most southern city in the world.

Ushuaia

Ushuaia is a small city that is surrounded by snowy mountains and ocean. It is popular with tourists from all around the world, and my hostel was full of french and israeli people especially. This was great fun, as I never expected to share a jewish feast with a group of new friends teaching me hebrew in the bottom of South America.

This land once inhabited native people that lived on shellfish, seals or guanaco (like alpacas), several tribes survived here, but after discovery and studies of the island by famous adventurers like Darwin, the Europeans slowly wiped the natives out. Learning about how they survived in the climate here was fascinating.

Later, the town was used to imprison Argentina’s most significant political and criminal prisoners. The prisoners built their own prison by hand from local materials, and were also made to work, building structures for the town. Much of the city’s most important amenities today, exist thanks to the inmates of Ushuaia.

Today, the city is full of restaurants, shops and also some museums that invite you to learn about the history of the city at the bottom of the world. I visited the former prison building that is now a collection of museums, especially featuring the local maritime history. It was very interesting to visit this building and there was more information than I could read! It is a great way to spend a few hours in the town.

I also visited the thematic gallery museum, which is a museum of figures that is quite interactive and provides information about the native people, and the discovery and development of the island. They provided an audio guide, a movie and lots of photo opportunities with the exhibits. I really had fun at this museum!

Tierra del Fuego National Park

Twenty minutes away from Ushuaia is the Tierra del Fuego National Park. You can get a bus from the town to the park and visit for either a day at a time or camp overnight at the park for multi day trekking. Not only does the park have multiple treks that you can enjoy, but it also has kayaking activities, a train attraction and the world’s most southern post office.

I decided to do an easy three hour trek along the coast which had beautiful views of the mountains, and forest, and the beaches were covered in mussels and beautiful clusters of shells. I also visited the post office so I could send a postcard from the end of the world, and got my passport stamped with the extra special ink stamp!

Other activities around the area

There are also other treks that you can carry out around the area, as well as excursions to see wildlife such as penguins that are only found in this remote area. I had already done a penguin excursion in Punta Arenas, so I decided not to do this in Tierra del Fuego. I did do a six hour trek to a beautiful glacier though. I climbed a steep ascent through forests, streams and over a waterfall. I grappled over ice and snow to the Glacier Vinciguerra.

At the glacier, there is a huge lagoon, and a snowy trail to the glacier’s overhang to see ice caves! This was a little nerve wracking as there were many frozen pools of water, and snow covered voids, that would be very dangerous if you stepped in the wrong place. The ice cave was astonishing though. It was an amazing feeling to be underneath a thick clear ice ceiling, with small sediment deposits scattered amongst it. The only downside to the walk was my very cold and wet feet after walking on such thick snow and ice!

Overall, Tierra del Fuego was a unique location and certainly the place to be for hiking and winter activities. The atmosphere was very friendly here, and It was interesting to think that all that visit and live here, have a sense of adventure, that has led them to the end of the earth.

From South to North. Now, I have reached Antarctica, I will be turning around, and attempting the several days of bus journeys to the North of Argentina, and hopefully will arrive in Mendoza in about a week.