HPDBC Chapter 359 Aurora
Chapter 359 Aurora
After leaving the Blue Lake, the bus carried everyone to the Golden Circle.
The Golden Circle offers two distinct landscapes in winter and summer.
Snow covered the cracks in Thingvellir National Park, where Geyser erupted every few minutes, its scalding water bursting open in the cold air and condensing into a thicker white mist.
Golden Falls does not freeze in winter; the enormous volume of water, carrying ice crystals, cascades down the cliff with a deafening roar.
Standing on the viewing platform in front of the waterfall, the group was enveloped in mist, which soaked them all.
No one spoke; anything said would be drowned out by the sound of the waterfall.
After taking the photos, everyone quickly left.
"I'm completely soaked. I'll have to take another shower when I get back."
On the way back to the hotel, the car was well-heated, and a thin layer of fog had formed on the windows.
Tang Yan drew a small smiley face on the glass with her finger. Through the outline of the smiley face, she could see the wasteland and distant mountains rushing past the window.
As dusk fell, the days in Iceland's winter were short. By four o'clock in the afternoon, twilight was slowly spreading out like a deep blue silk.
On January 13th, I went to Hallgrímsica Cathedral in the morning.
The church organ performance had just begun, and Fan Binbin looked up at the towering pipes.
Musical notes poured down from the dome, vibrating in the cold air.
Free time in Reykjavik city in the afternoon.
Liu Yan and Li Dabai managed their budget and bought bread, cheese, ham, and milk at the supermarket, solving their breakfast problem for the next few days.
On the evening of January 14, Liu Yan announced some exciting news during dinner.
"The forecast predicts the aurora borealis tonight."
The restaurant fell silent for a moment.
Tang Yan put down her fork, stood up, and then sat down again.
"Really? What time? Where?"
"The forecast says the KP index will be 4.5 between 9 p.m. and 2 a.m. tonight, and the observation conditions will be very good."
"Then what are we waiting for! Let's go!"
"Let's eat first."
Li Dabai held her down.
"Chasing the aurora requires physical strength."
I ate dinner much faster than usual.
Back in their room, the seven of them put on their thickest clothes, following the guide they had researched beforehand.
Thermal underwear, two sweaters, a windproof jacket, a down jacket, a wool scarf, a woolen hat, gloves, two pairs of socks, and snow boots.
After putting them on, everyone looked like a bloated dumpling.
The bus bumped along the snow-covered gravel road for nearly an hour before finally stopping in a wide-open wilderness.
There were no villages, no streetlights, no artificial light sources around, only black volcanic rocks, white snow, and the pitch-black sky above.
Will we really be able to see the aurora borealis?
Tang Yan looked up at the night sky, her voice filled with piety and anticipation.
One by one, the stars overhead lit up, so densely packed it looked like a handful of scattered diamonds.
The Milky Way's light band faintly stretches across the sky, and in places free from light pollution, even the Milky Way is clearly visible.
"The weather forecast says the chances are very high," Qin Lan said.
Everyone quieted down and looked up at the starry sky above.
After an unknown amount of time, the northern sky began to change.
First came a very faint white band of light, like clouds scattered by the wind, or like someone gently stroking the sky with their finger.
If you're not watching closely, it's easy to miss it.
"Is that the aurora borealis?"
Tang Yan's voice trembled.
The light band became brighter and wider.
The green peeks through the pale white, like silk soaked in water, like paint spilled on rice paper by a deity, slowly spreading, flowing, and diffusing.
The green grew increasingly intense, almost to the point of resembling the texture of jade, and then purple light seeped out from the edges of the green, curving along the arc of the sky to form a bridge of light spanning the heavens.
The aurora has started to dance.
The band of light rolled, twisted, and trembled, stretching from one end of the zenith to the other.
The green light was like a veil fluttering in the wind, with purple edges like tassels adorning it. It burned silently across the night sky, so magnificent that everyone forgot to speak.
The camera was working, and the photographer carried the equipment around the wilderness, capturing images from every angle.
No one spoke, no one moved, everyone was looking at the sky.
Fan Binbin was the first to come to her senses.
She took a deep breath and turned to look at the film crew behind her.
"Director, is that enough of a scene?"
The director looked up from behind the monitor and gave her an OK sign.
"That's enough. The material is excellent, more than enough."
"Could we turn the machines off for a bit? Let everyone take a break."
Fan Binbin's tone was very calm.
The director paused for a moment, then nodded.
"All units will be shut down and rest for half an hour."
The camera's red indicator lights went out one by one.
Chen Xiao pulled Zhang Ruoyun a few hundred meters away, and the two found a sheltered rocky hollow to sit down, facing away from the main photography camp, and quietly drank hot cocoa from their thermos cups.
The crew members also tacitly retreated to a more distant location.
Only the group of women remained at the observation point, along with Fu Yibai and Guo Zhenni, who had just walked over and stood with them.
Everyone took off their microphones and put them away.