Train Bars and Rooftops: Tromsø Nightlife

With barely an hour to catch a cab, check-in, put down 3 pieces of luggage that had been as battered and bruised as I, take a shower that my airplane seatmates looked forward to probably more than I did and find something that did not smell like mold to wear, I met my program partner Alex Thorpe and 4 international students researching within the University of Tromsø for a thorough cultural exchange in one of the city's most active social scenes: the bars. With a population of just over 63,000, Tromsø is an accessible town with a lively community that seems to enjoy taking advantage of good pubs and delicious food. The crisp, cool air of late summer in Tromsø provided the perfect opportunity to see this city alive on a Saturday night. The streets are spotless and the people friendly, welcoming us at every establishment with big smiles and warm conversation. Mack Beer, the local brew, was quickly in our hands accompanied by a small bag of Tørrfisk, a popular snack of thin pieces of dried white fish that evidently goes well with beer. We completely ignored the bartender's advice to NOT eat it around friends if you want them to sit next to you, opened the pack and began the 5 minute chewing process... it's an aquired taste... and will make the perfect souvenirs.

And so we moved from the old train boxcar bar to rooftops to patios- soaking in the nightlife and enjoying the extended evening twilight. Set right on the water's edge, the city boasts an attractive blend of land and sea, both urban and open to the natural elements. A tent in the center of town was completely filled with people of all ages, cheersing their drinks (SKÅL!) and dancing to the tunes of an energized band that looked like they could play all night. We later found out that Tromsø also hosts a very popular film festival as well as other large music events that attract crowds from all parts- just a few more reasons to return... as if I needed any!

Difference in Latitude

One overnight bus, three planes over three continents and thirty-one hours took me from 3 degrees North of the equator to 3 degrees North of the Arctic Circle, from the North Rupununi in the heart of Guyana to the azul fjords of Tromsø, Norway. Approximately 9100 kilometers separate the humid, lush expanse of tropical lowland rainforest from the stunning glacial valleys carpeted in birch and pine. A passage between such extremes is spectacularly unsettling- the body moves easily while the mind is caught in an unusual balance difficult to describe- a sensation unlike any other that forcefully reaffirms the immense diversity of this beautiful planet. I grew to love the languid flow of the Essequibo River that cut large and lazy ox bow curves through a forest of a thousand shades of green, the unmistakeable call of scarlet macaws flying two-by-two and the distant rumble of a conversation between orange-haired Howlers.

And yet I was immediately blown away by the sweeping views of stone and sea that shape the landscape of Northwest Norway. My arrival into Tromsø couldn't have been more jaw-dropping, as the airplane glided between steep mountain walls framing the aquamarine waters of arctic fjords. A stunning mix of greys and blues seperated by the dark green leaves of endless trees. The elements found in both locations, though so similar in nature, arrange themselves in such dramatically different ways. Beauty presents itself in such dramatically different ways. And Tromsø, unquestionably, is surrounded by it.