In the heat of the late afternoon, I pedal across the bridge spanning the Ounasjoki and enter Rovaniemi, capital of Lapland. You would think after crossing the Arctic Circle that it would get colder, but oh no, it's really warm here. The 55 mile ride from Kemijärvi to Rovaniemi was miserable. The traffic is intense and there was little margin for error on the miniscule shoulder. Fortunately, the drivers slow for the many reindeer wandering around. During quiet stretches I can the sound of tinkling bells in the forest. Many of the reindeer here, in addition to their bright blue or orange collars, sport bells. When I hear the bells I think to myself, "Ah, another Rudoph!" I see a lot of young reindeer trotting alongside either mother or father. In the afternoon I pass what appears to be a mine shaft with "Lordi Park" scrawled in white paint across the top. Lordi is a popular Finnish rock group whose members dress up in outrageous costumes. I wonder if this is their secret club house.
As I walk my bike across the city square, filled with Laplanders enjoying beer and other refreshments at the sidewalk cafes, a man come sprinting up to me. He asks if I needed help with directions. When I tell him where I have come from, he is astounded. He grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously. He directs me to the Hotel Santa Claus, which also administers the Rudoph Hostel, where I am currently staying. It's not Ruka, but it's good enough. I am here for another full day. This will give me a chance to rest and plang the route north for the final push. I now expect to reach the Arctic Ocean by August 20th. It's good that I'm getting there earlier than planned because the days are getting shorter rapidly. It seems the sun is setting a good 10 minutes earlier each day.
My physical condition is still pretty good though I'm currently one giant festering bug target. I got broiled by the sun yesterday and today. I see that some of my skin is falling off. I've I had few small accidents with the bike, with some components now being held together with duct tape (like the rear view mirrow). I had mended the rearview mirror by using duct tape to fasten it back onto the handle bars. This didn't work that well, as it lacked rigidity. My new plan was to lash it back on with dental floss, brace it with a popsicle stick I found by the road, then tape the whole thing over. The wagon axel remains in good shape, so I think I can make it without the whole apparatus falling apart. There is no room for error. Timo told me that last bike mechanic in Ivalo, about 200 miles north of here, closed shop for the season already. So from here on up I'm on my own.
Due to numerous technical problems and the lack of internet facilities further north, I regret this may be the last transmission for awhile. I've had trouble accessing the blog on Internet Explorer and can only use an alternative browser which must be negotiated in Finnish, a language in which I'm not exactly fluent in. Although I've learned many words, I can't seem to get my mouth around the longer words.
As I walk my bike across the city square, filled with Laplanders enjoying beer and other refreshments at the sidewalk cafes, a man come sprinting up to me. He asks if I needed help with directions. When I tell him where I have come from, he is astounded. He grabs my hand and shakes it vigorously. He directs me to the Hotel Santa Claus, which also administers the Rudoph Hostel, where I am currently staying. It's not Ruka, but it's good enough. I am here for another full day. This will give me a chance to rest and plang the route north for the final push. I now expect to reach the Arctic Ocean by August 20th. It's good that I'm getting there earlier than planned because the days are getting shorter rapidly. It seems the sun is setting a good 10 minutes earlier each day.
My physical condition is still pretty good though I'm currently one giant festering bug target. I got broiled by the sun yesterday and today. I see that some of my skin is falling off. I've I had few small accidents with the bike, with some components now being held together with duct tape (like the rear view mirrow). I had mended the rearview mirror by using duct tape to fasten it back onto the handle bars. This didn't work that well, as it lacked rigidity. My new plan was to lash it back on with dental floss, brace it with a popsicle stick I found by the road, then tape the whole thing over. The wagon axel remains in good shape, so I think I can make it without the whole apparatus falling apart. There is no room for error. Timo told me that last bike mechanic in Ivalo, about 200 miles north of here, closed shop for the season already. So from here on up I'm on my own.
Due to numerous technical problems and the lack of internet facilities further north, I regret this may be the last transmission for awhile. I've had trouble accessing the blog on Internet Explorer and can only use an alternative browser which must be negotiated in Finnish, a language in which I'm not exactly fluent in. Although I've learned many words, I can't seem to get my mouth around the longer words.
1 comment:
Good luck, my friend.
M
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