Monday, January 5, 2009

Above the Arctic Circle III (12/28-12/29)

Where is the place that I can only visit during winter? THE ICE HOTEL!!!

http://www.icehotel.com/

We drove to Kiruna the next day and then we went to the Icehotel in JukkasjÀrvi, about half an hour away from Kiruna. We spent almost a day at the Icehotel. Built with the crystal clear ice from Torne River, the hotel was amazing. It is such a pity to think about how the hotel will just melt down and the water flow back to Torne River during summer.

Sean and I took a photo before we entered

The entrance

Shien and I outside the Ice Church

A pretty cool design for the church
Sean was trying to make a funny face behind the ice

Would you wanna have your wedding here? Later that night, we saw a couple having their wedding here. The bride was wearing a wedding gown with snow boots...which I thought was kind of funny...

Star and Moon - my favorite art suite at the hotel

Can you feel the heat from the sun (or the cold)?

Room temperature is around 0 degree Celcius

Tired? Time to indulge in a bath...

The Chrystal Hall lighten with 4 chandeliers

The sky- purple tinged grey

Every year, half a million of glasses made from the ice from here (Torne River) are exported to the rest of the icebar around the world

from the window...

The mother of all Absolut Icebar...

Absolut Icebar Jukkasjarvi

Trying to hold this heavy ice hat

Cheers!

My glass of Absolut Winter Mist

The lasting impression that my lips left on the ice glass

I could have kept the glass if I wanted but there's no point keeping it since it will just melt eventually. However, I did bought a very nice set of shot glasses.

7 comments:

Jason Lim said...

that ice hotel is breath taking. i wish to see it in person

Siew Gee said...

ya...you should definitely go there one day...it's totally different experience.

ying said...

so how to sleep in the room since it is so cold? and how to take bath oh?

Siew Gee said...

Ying, the bed is covered with reindeer skin and you'll get thermal sleeping bag to sleep in...and the bathroom is just normal ones...

ying said...

so sleeping is kinda uncomfortable lor, since u cannot move around freely.. haha.. then face oso cold cold and lips might break while sleeping rite?
initially i thought inside the ice is warm, not like the outside

Siew Gee said...

haha...well...I haven't slept there yet...so I can't tell...but I would say that it should be quite comfortable
When outside is about -20, I guess you will still feel warmer going into the ice hotel :)

M&M said...

amazing... it is a good place to visit