From Helsinki to Nordkapp-Part 1
All the way to the end
September-2016 What I noticed as I got off the ferry in Helsinki, so many people have dolly’s stacked with alcohol. Others have rolling suitcases clinking with the sound of bottles. Wtf I thought. I asked one guy why and he said because its cheaper in Estonia(we had just come from Tallinn). The alcohol and taxes are very expensive here, as is all things in Scandinavian countries. The next thing I noticed was just how alien the Finnish language sounds. I’m definitely lost with this one. Thankfully most people can speak English because not a soul in the rest of the world is going to understand Finnish. It’s late morning, and the sun is shining.
The center is nice. Really enjoyed walking around here. Some of the streets have a tram on them. I walk through to the other side of the harbor where they have an outdoor central market and old style tall ships moored along the boardwalk. Different foods and souvenirs. Just up the street is the Helsinki Cathedral where they had filmed the original Sandstorm by Darude. I sit on the steps and look out over the square. I'm in dire need of new shoes. My current ones were totally beat. Holes on the sides and top. My socks were exposed to the open. This past year they had gotten me across 12 countries. At a store close to the train station, I discover what becomes my personal favorite brand of “travel” shoes: Lowa. There are different styles, but I love the one that sits just below the ankles, perfect for hiking, and perfect for all types of streets. I’ll be catching up with travel friend Eeva-Maija. We had originally met doing WorkAway in Mongolia several months earlier. What is nice when you travel, you make connections across the world. People are willing to show you around and help along your way. We meet at the park and walk to the train station. There are these statues that flank each side of the entrance to the station. She tells me they are nicknamed “The Stonemen”. There is a ferry that goes to this small island called Suomenlinna. It has a UNESCO World Heritage fortress. It has all you could ever want to see in a fortress. Cannons, tunnels, a dockyard, and a museum. I always enjoyed seeing these aspects of European history. We don’t really have old castles or many fortresses in the US. Stone paved roads, walls protecting the area. It always stirs up the imagination and wonder of how it could have been like to live in those times…
I crash at her apartment and meet her roommates. They tell me how nearly all of Finland is lakes and forest. The people love saunas. Nearly everyone has one. Great for the cold months. Many people like to distill their own alcohol. They also tell me how it can be a challenge for a foreigner to get a Finnish person to open up and talk. They may come off as cold, but have hearts as warm as the sauna.
In the morning, we go to the train station and say “See you later.” The train is clean and the ride smooth. The forest rolls by. I’m going to Lahti today. I’m going to meet up with more travel friends Anmari and Tony. I met them at the hostel during my first days in Auckland, New Zealand back in January 2016. They show me around the lakes and I get my first look at a Ski Jump stadium. There’s a slight hill overlooking Lahti, and I end up trying some reindeer pizza. We then go to visit Tony's family. His Mother was so nervous to have an American guest for the first time, but at the end she was giving me a grand hug. I try not to live up to any stereotypes. We start talking about the military, as most Finnish are required to serve a term usually 1 year. They were shocked I did 5. We share pictures and discover similar annoyances we’ve dealt with. Same crap different pile. They also tell me how in school, everyone has a coverall full of patches accumulated from different parties and events from the years. Mostly alcohol related. I'm taking the night bus to Oulu, then a connection to Rovaniemi.
The night is frosty, and I'm thinking I'll freeze once I get to Nordkapp(the northernmost point in continental Europe). It's late September, so cutting it close for Arctic travel before real cold starts to set in. Anmari and Tony walk with me to the bus stop. Reminiscing about past travels. I remember as we say goodbye, we put out a cigarette trash fire and they help a drunk homeless guy, switching back to the alien sounding Finnish dialect. They, and Lahti are soon swallowed by the night and dense forest as the bus makes its way. We take a midnight stop at Jyväskylä. Only thing open across the street is a Burger King, but I’m not in the mood. I’m the only person on the bus. After some minutes, we trudge off to the company of endless trees. At sunrise, I get dropped at Oulu. I have an hour wait so I take a quick walk around. Nice waterfront with a theatre on an island. Back to the bus and a few more hours we get to Rovaniemi.
Rovaniemi sits on the Arctic Circle and has what is called the Santa Claus Village. I’ve always enjoyed crossing latitudes so I’m eager to stand on the exact spot. I set up my tent at a campground next to the river looking across towards the town center. The Santa Clause Village is a tourist spot or good family hang out. Being this time of year, it was quite empty. I walk past different places of business named “Santa’s Chocolate and Candy Shop”, “Santa’s Pizza and Burger”, “Santa’s Salmon Place”, “Santa’s Husky Rides”, “Santa’s Igloos”, “Santa’s Motor Park”, you get the point. I stand on the Arctic Circle in triumph but excitedly know that there is so much more north to go. It’s my second time at the Circle. My first time I crossed it was participating in a Blue Nose Ceremony with the Navy(a story for another time).
It will be an all day ride to Kilpisjärvi and the Tri-Point with Norway and Sweden. It’s October 1st. The owner of the campground tells me they close this week as well as various accommodations, especially further north. I tell her I’ll figure it out. Its remote up here, the children use the public bus to get home. No yellow school bus up here. They all give me curious looks. Kilpisjärvi is basically a campground and a restaurant. Next to it is Saana, one of the few mountains in Finland. On the horizon is Halti, the tallest mountain at 4,357ft (1,328m). Stories say the Norwegians felt bad for the Finnish for only having forest, so they gave them a mountain. I start hiking right away. There’s a long staircase towards the top. I meet one older gentlemen up there. He looks at my bag and camping gear and asks where I’m going. I tell him I’m going to sleep up here, watch the sunset and sunrise. He says “Oohh crazy man, enjoy". As it gets dark I set up my tent and have the summit all to myself. 360 degree view. No wind, so quiet I can almost hear my heartbeat. Was truly wonderful to be in that solitude.
After sunrise, I fixed my sights on the Tri-Point. It’ll be over 20km walk. From there, several more km’s to the boat ferry back to Kilpisjärvi. Walk up the road and you’ll see the trail start. You weave your way through the forest until you climb around the Mallan mountain with great views. You can see the beginning of Norways fjords in the distance. I smell burning. It looks like there were some controlled fires in the valley below. As I go down back into the forest some of the trail goes right next to large, black, smoldering patches of thick brush. The trail turns into a boardwalk as some parts are swampy. I come up to a long fence and realize this is the border with Norway. The Tri-Point sits in the lake on a boardwalk. A yellow circular block with a small head on top naming the three county’s. I’m alone out here, but its perfect.
The trail finishes on the other side of the lake and the Swedish fence. The fence is low so I hop over. There is a collection of houses but most appear abandoned, unkept, and run down. The winters must be harsh. In time, mother nature always takes over what humans leave behind. In the very end, she wins. It’s getting dark so no ferry back until tomorrow. There is a tiny shack in the valley some distance away from the pier. I go up to it and find the door unlocked. Inside is a small bed, stove, and sauna. It looks like someone hasn’t been here in a long time, but also everything is still set up for living. Some wind and rain have arrived, and seeing no one around, I decide to sleep in here. I place my sleeping bag onto the bed and use my own cooking gear. After a hearty meal of lentils and ramen I pass out. My legs feeling like logs after all the walking.
In the morning, I wait at the pier. I see a boat arriving and when they dock at least 30 people get off, all clamoring and hiking their way to the Tri-Point. The people in the front walking fast to create some distance on the now crowded trail. That many people almost ruins the vibe. I’m glad I hiked there instead of taking the boat in order to be alone to enjoy the moment. The skipper says it’ll be a few hours wait. Its a sunny day so I sit on the bench and enjoy the silence as all the people hike away. I notice however the skipper walks over to that shack down the valley. “Oops!” I thought, I guess that’s his. I left no trace nor mess. I suppose all the way up here there’s not always a need to lock doors. I see steam coming out of the chimney as he must be relaxing in the sauna. After awhile, people trickle back and we wait on the boat. Eventually the skipper leaves his shack as the rest of the people arrive and we sail off across the lake. The ride takes 20-30 mins, while the hike(from Saana to the pier) took me 14hrs haha.
I’m eager to push onto Norway. At the campground they say there is no bus, my best luck is to hitchhike. The road is quiet and the traffic seldom. Let’s see what happens. I walk up the road, stand to the side, and wait. Hours go by until a car passes. I stick my thumb out and they keep driving. Oh well. People wont always pick you up. More time passes and a few cars but no one stops. Eventually 8 hours go by and no one has picked me up. I’m feeling tired still from the hike, so I decided I’ll rest today and go back to the campground. The hot shower was incredible and I sleep like the dead. When I wake up, I can smell some good food. There is a restaurant next to the campground and they offer a buffet breakfast. I’m sold. I eat as much eggs, sausage, and pancakes as I can. After camping food, this meal made me feel rebuilt. I go back to the road and try again. 4 hours and a few cars go by and still no luck. I lose my patience. “I’m not staying here any longer.” I told myself. The decision was final: I’m just going to walk to Norway!
Stay tuned for Part 2! Thank you!
-AbroadwithBrian