Lapland

After trying really hard not to fall due to slippery footpath and observing the animal I really enjoyed the surrounding, which was all covered with snow. An amazing experience and a new one to. After that we continued our trip went to a supermarket and we visited Santa in Santa village in Rovaniemi where I got a stamp in my passport and we crossed the arctic circle there. The atmosphere was so cute over there and we enjoyed the trees, lights and of course all the souvenir shops and taking a picture with Santa. Then we went to our hostel located 300km north of the arctic circle, Vasatokka. A nice place to stay and incredibly silent. We enjoyed the sauna and a dip in a frozen lake afterwards or making a snow angles for the diehards. The day after I had a survival course, we made a fire, igloo and had a GPS tour through the lovely with snow covered forest. We were sledging and had a nice walk in the surrounding and of course after playing Who am I we went into the sauna again.

On our third day of the travel we went with the bus to the Arctic ocean, where we also went to the sauna and afterwards dip in the kind a cold arctic ocean. An amazing experience which I will not forget easily. The owner of the sauna warned us not to take a shower for two or three day since all the minerals in the clear water are really good for your skin. It felt nice to be back in Norway again and I recognized the breadcuttingmachines in the supermarkets. The day consisted mostly out of travelling by bus but it was worth it, the views were amazing and the nature in Norway is rougher compared with the landscape in Finland. The next day was all about the Sami. We first went to the Sami museum which showed nature and culture of the Sami people. It was really interesting to read how well those people adopt to and live together with the nature. They are still quite independent and there are quite some native people living in the 'original' way. They have their own art which reminded me of the art I saw in the Aboriginal museum in Utrecht. Next to that they have their own language, cloths and own artist. I really like the songs of Sofia Jannok there is even a rapper who is rapping in his Sami dialect. Children are allowed to be thought in their own dialect when they go to school. It was impressing to see some photographs of the presents nature gives to us.

After visiting the museum we went to a Reindeer farm owned by Sami. We went on a sledge and got a drink and a bite in a traditional Sami house. There we were also amused by a traditional Sami song performed by the mother of the farm owner. It was impressive how much power and energy only one woman can produce, everybody became silent. It resembled a little bit shamansongs. On our way back we accidentally hit a reindeer. The bus driver warned the police who informs the local overseer since most of the reindeers are owned by farmers, who try to catch them again in winter.  So a little late but satisfied about the day which was behind us we had dinner and sauna... The last day appeared and we all went to a sky resort on our we had an astonishing view. That was a view you normally only see on pictures and it was really like living in a fairytale. That feeling did not left me until we went back to Jyväskylä about five hours later. It was amazing to walk in such a peaceful area with a lot of snow and seeing a beautiful sunrise and sunset within about two hours. I asked one of my friends to hit me to check if it was really true, that I was there. My eyes were not able to absorb all the beauty which was around me. We also went for a husky safari which was an experience to, but cold. Then the time came to get in the bus and go home to Jyväskylä. I was not looking forward to that I love the silence and the friendliness which is all around you in Lapland. I definitely want to go back and find that peacefulness again. We arrived home late since the breaks of our bus got broken, that was how we felt to when we arrived at 6 in the morning. Sleepdrunk we went home by bike and Jyväskylä which in first instance looked so peaceful and silent for me when I arrived from Wageningen now was ugly, noisy and crowded.