Ivana
Preparations for the trip to Namibia
Being someone who does not shy away from the colder regions, and basically thrives in such conditions, I surprised even myself with this one. It was the time to see the african continent. I have been listening for ages about...
From the Arctic to Namibia
This was the thought train which choo-chooed me to Namibia. Ice. I love ice. Greenland. Google: “list countries least population density” Results: Greenland. Mongolia. Iceland. Namibia. (…) :noticing a pattern: (Bonus – Svalbard. Not a country, but still…) (Hoped to...
Impressions?
“Mom, where are we going to?” “Wherever we set our minds to.” Wise people say that in order to have a true confirmation that you lived a fulfilled and successful life you need to impress only two people: your eight-year-old...
Across the mongolian steppe to Elsen tasarkhai sand dunes
Frozen landscapes I am extremely oriented towards “bad weather”. I love it when it’s cold and gloomy, as it makes the scenery even prettier compared to the one glowing under sunlight. That “bad weather” fits particularly with the vast and...
“If you drink their water, respect their customs”
I’ve seen a lot of sights and traveled many miles Shook a thousand hands and seen my share of smiles I’ve caused some great concern and told one too many lies And now I see the world through these sad,...
The eagle flies alone
When I travel alone, I truly try to plan, organize and execute those plans in a way that I am able to do them all by myself, as much as the circumstances allow me. Not needing any external assistance makes...
баярлалаа
Walking it off Despite the jet lag which was beating me up severely and was not allowing me almost any sleep during the night, the list for the second day in Ulaanbaatar was full of action and incredibly up-until-then distant...
Red hero
After a long flight between Oslo and Ulaanbaatar (in total over 15h of planes and almost 24h of transit to/from airports and layovers) the only thing I wanted to do was to walk and I was extremely looking forward to...
Preparations for Mongolia
Booking the flight to Mongolia In order to push myself to train harder after the leg bones fracture I booked a flight to Ulaanbaatar, approx 3 months after the last surgery. The tickets Oslo – UB are not in a...
Why?
Why Mongolia? Gobi. Steppes. Forests. Wilderness. Cities. Extremely rich history and culture. Food exactly like I love it. <- the reasons which brought me to Mongolia. + People. The vibe in the country. Beauty of the locals. The feeling of...
Broken leg, broken spirit – using Mongolia to come back to life
While I was hiking in Greenland a year ago, I broke both leg bones above the ankle of my left leg. Even though I am comfortable with being outside in all possible weather scenarios and have countless kilometers in my...
Mongolia
Every year after I gave birth I was blessed with fair winds and following seas which supported my urge to fulfill some of my lifelong wishes. What made it even better is the fact that the circumstances allowed me to...
Oqaatsut & Rodebay
Oqaatsut (kal. cormorants) is a small settlement located approx 30 min by a boat northwards. Expectedly, a beautiful trip between the icebergs is a cherry on top of this frozen cake. There are ~30 people residing in it. It felt...
Sermeq kujalleq
Due to the current social, political and (oftentimes wannabe) scientific climate, there are many people who are seeing glaciers almost exclusively through the catastrophic global warming glasses. A lot of people, especially those who have any palpable profit from it,...
Random greenlandic facts and interesting tidbits
Color coded houses The houses in Greenland are very colorful and they beautifully decorate the environment which is often considered to be either gray and bleak or just plain white. But, the colors play a role; the houses are traditionally...
Activities in Ilulissat, Greenland
Here is the list of all special places that I had the honor to visit and experience, while spending a few days in Greenland. Yellow trail in Ilulissat Blue trail / the Dream trail / the “I need to come...
Among the icebergs
The most spectacular and visually appealing event of the entire greenlandic experience was the boat trip to Isfjorden. Being someone who is very prone to cold weather and ice, and a lover of everything nature related and magnificent, I am...
Kayaking in Isfjorden
I love kayaking and canoeing. I discovered it after moving to Norway; we started exploring the lakes around Oslo and soon I realized that some places just cannot be reached by foot and a canoe works amazingly when it comes...
Isfjordcentret
At the invisible border between the edge of Ilulissat and the start of hiking trails which guide you along Isfjorden lies a very unusual building. It is an architectural work of Dorthe Mandrup, a Danish architect, and it is the...
Blue trail / the Dream trail / the “I need to come back and walk there again ASAP” trail
It is very difficult to single out the one obvious highlight of my Greenland visit because everything is impossibly gorgeous and comfortable to be at, but the Blue trail would be in top 3. It is not a mistake to...
Sermermiut
I am a very selfish person when it comes to the mountains and certain special places in nature – I would give you my last meal anytime, but I love having some POI’s just for myself. Getting up early in...
Dressing up for the Arctic
My all time favorite question regarding my trips beyond the Arctic circle (and the one I get asked about the most) is – how do I dress for such weather? People assume that venturing to Svalbard and Greenland with intention...
Yellow trail in Ilulissat
Why Ilulissat? For a long time I was trying to decide which city could be my first greenlandic entry destination. It took me a while to pick the city/settlement and it was a struggle, in a way, as: Nuuk, the...
Approaching Greenland
Dreaming of icebergs I have wanted to visit Greenland literally since I was a child. I grew up in a household in which we loved watching animal documentaries; ice bound environments and related wildlife made me stare at the TV...