Our first was very traditional. Reindeer! The sami people breed them and the number you have is a sign of wealth. However it is rude to ask how many they have.
The White reindeer are very sacred. The sami believe they are the reincarnation of ancestors and treated with respect.
Our trip was slightly uncomfortable affair as our sledge which was at least a century old creaked it's way across a lake and through the forest. Reindeer are unpredictable. They can be very fast or very slow! The three on our trip were happy to plod, occasionally attempting to over take each other but never succeeding. The lead reindeer had a small passenger so the owner purposely chose a slow reindeer which was slow.
The only time we had speed was near the end when the reindeer saw the farm and their reward.... Food.
Time for speed! Snowmobiling! A very popular way of transportation. Sadly I was unable to drive one as I didn't have a driving license. I therefore put my life and trust into the hands of Katie. These snowmobile's are fast and we really wanted to go top speeds. My job as passenger was to relay signals from our guide to everyone behind. Slow down, stop, etc. A 60km round trip through the forest, across lakes and again stopping at a Kota for lunch.
However it wasn't all fun. There was a scary moment coming down a steep hill. Katie and I battled to keep the mobile upright. We were probably going a little too fast up the hill not realising the steep drop the other side. We were very lucky, the mobile behind wasn't. Another couple behind us and in front of Andy and Bernice crashed into a tree and were thrown from the mobile. For a few minutes it looked serious, but thankfully they were able to walk away but visibly shaken. Amazingly they wanted to continue. A trailer was called for so we could carry on our journey.
Lunch was soup, a sandwich (which needed to be defrosted in the fire) and a cup of tea or berry juice. Our entertainment was a French Canadian who was studying tourism in Helsinki and was working for the snowmobile company. When asked why he chose Finland he simply answered 'a girl, there is always a girl involved'. By this time the couple who had crashed had recovered and started to enjoy themselves as well as being able to joke about the cost they had to pay. The wife even made her husband travel back in the trailer whilst she rode on the back of our tour guide's mobile saying 'well I wasn't the one who crashed'. And costly it was. It cost them 500 euros!
Feeling a little husky? Husky dogs aren't native to Finland but the terrain is ideal for racing them. The huskies at the centre weren't pure bred either. Too slow apparently plus there is the risk of degenerative diseases. So the owner has bred them with other breeds to create a faster husky. From the start these are cute dogs which love their job. They become very excited at the sound of the coach as they know it could mean a chance for a run around the block.
There was no skill needed to steer the sledge as the dogs could do the trek blind folded. They have also been taught to stop if you shout 'mush' at them! They will only race for their masters and understand that this is just exercise time.
Ours seemed to go fast at the start but soon slowed to a jogging pace. Funny moment came when one of the eight dogs took a mouthful of snow for a drink only to trip up. The others just looked at him with 'what an idiot' expression. He was ok and was soon back in his stride, I even thought I saw him blush!
Tips for when visiting a husky farm. Don't stick your gloves through the cage as they love a good game of tug of war especially if you have any dangling bits. Just ask Katie! More importantly... avoid yellow icicles!
No comments:
Post a Comment