I managed to squeeze in a run. A tempo run if I wanted it to sound sexy (rather than a normal run), even though I kept being overtaken by all sorts of other runners.
I ran round the lake, about 2+ km per loop. And I did it 7 times. Well, original plan was to do 5 rounds. But then there was still sunlight, and I desperately needed to burn off lots of excess calories. So I ran the 6th. And the time said 1:19h, so I wanted to clock 1:30h, a nice number. So I ran the 7th. There was a short but steep upslope, which meant I ran that 7 times as well. Bummer....
Returned to my hotel and decided to check out the sauna and swimming pool. The pool was unheated, but not terribly cold. It was very short though, maybe 15m. Every few strokes and I would reach the wall. So I tried sprinting to push up my heart rate. After 15min of going back and fro, I gave up and retreated to the sauna - Finnish national past-time.
It was not very hot, only 70degC. I liked the smoke sauna that I tried last week, where it was almost 100degC, full of steam and the pores really opened up. Here, I had to keep splashing water onto the coal. But the design of the sauna door was such that it did not air seal the sauna. Hence cool air from the changing room entered and kept bringing down the sauna temperature and amount of steam. :(
Back to my room to make a sandwich dinner and continue working.....
Monday, April 6, 2009
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Snow Mobile at Night
I got ready for the snow mobile outing. I put on my down jacket in anticipation of the cold. We were dressed as space man (again), with ninja mask and helmet. Then the guide gave instructions on how to ride the machine. I shared a snow mobile with a girl and we were to take turns riding it. We rode into the vast emptiness as the sun was shining its last glimmers. We stopped somewhere in the middle of nowhere and took in the surroundings. I was hoping to see some aurora borealis, but unfortunately the sky was too cloudy.
There was a section of the ride that through snow dunes, which looked really beautiful in the moonlight. We continued the ride to a traditional wooden hut, where we made a fire and roasted sausages and sandwiches and had hot tea. I pulled a reindeer rug onto a wooden chair and made myself comfortable. Oooh…. The reindeer skin was so snug and warm. Soon it was time to go. Surprisingly, it was brighter outside with the moonlight, than it was inside the hut with candlelights. We rode the short distance back to Saariselka. It was time to end the adventure.
There was a section of the ride that through snow dunes, which looked really beautiful in the moonlight. We continued the ride to a traditional wooden hut, where we made a fire and roasted sausages and sandwiches and had hot tea. I pulled a reindeer rug onto a wooden chair and made myself comfortable. Oooh…. The reindeer skin was so snug and warm. Soon it was time to go. Surprisingly, it was brighter outside with the moonlight, than it was inside the hut with candlelights. We rode the short distance back to Saariselka. It was time to end the adventure.
Nordic Ski
I had plenty of time and sunshine, and I wondered what to do next. I left my contact details with the lady at the safari shop, asking her to call if there was any excursion tonight. I wanted to go for a snow mobile outing in the night. I wandered to a ski rental shop and picked up a pair of Nordic (ie. Cross-country) skis. They were very cheap, 12Eur for 24h. I think they were my best investment, finally I had a chance to exercise!
The differences between Nordic ski and the normal Alpine downhill ski was the technique and sticks. The Alpine ski that I tried in Switzerland last month was mostly downhill and involved rigid plastic boots, and the base area of the skis was larger and wider. The Nordic ski was akin to walking, the boots soft and the skis skinnier. Nordic ski was not as fast, but involved a good walkout of the whole body. You needed the arms to work the ski poles, and the legs to move-walk. There was a marked trail, essentially 2 lines of ski tracks in which you placed your skis and glided along.
I chose the easiest and shortest trail. It started with a downslope! I fumbled and skidded. Then an elderly gentleman very kindly held my pole to prevent me from flying and guided me down the slope. He even took some time to teach me the ski basics and we did a couple of exercises along a flat stretch of the trail! I was so thankful.
I explored the trail on my own. Soon I reached the destination point Laanila, 2,8km away. The adventurous side of me decided to explore other longer trails. Some sections were challenging. I fell twice into the soft snow. The down slopes were long and steep. Others had steep upslopes where one had to really trudge your way up. On a few occasions, I removed my skis and just walked the sections up/ down.
A phone call came to inform me that the snow mobile outing tonight was confirmed because there were other people interested. Great! Now I just had to find my way back to Saariselka in time. The stretches of snow were long, and white, and silent, with almost nobody in sight. I was getting a little desperate to get back, although I knew it would still be bright until 9pm. I moved along, starting to feel tired of tackling the slopes.
Finally, the colourful entrance of Saariselka appeared ahead, at the top of a long upslope. I happily made my way up and returned to my hotel. It was a good experience, and I would try it again tomorrow.
The differences between Nordic ski and the normal Alpine downhill ski was the technique and sticks. The Alpine ski that I tried in Switzerland last month was mostly downhill and involved rigid plastic boots, and the base area of the skis was larger and wider. The Nordic ski was akin to walking, the boots soft and the skis skinnier. Nordic ski was not as fast, but involved a good walkout of the whole body. You needed the arms to work the ski poles, and the legs to move-walk. There was a marked trail, essentially 2 lines of ski tracks in which you placed your skis and glided along.
I chose the easiest and shortest trail. It started with a downslope! I fumbled and skidded. Then an elderly gentleman very kindly held my pole to prevent me from flying and guided me down the slope. He even took some time to teach me the ski basics and we did a couple of exercises along a flat stretch of the trail! I was so thankful.
I explored the trail on my own. Soon I reached the destination point Laanila, 2,8km away. The adventurous side of me decided to explore other longer trails. Some sections were challenging. I fell twice into the soft snow. The down slopes were long and steep. Others had steep upslopes where one had to really trudge your way up. On a few occasions, I removed my skis and just walked the sections up/ down.
A phone call came to inform me that the snow mobile outing tonight was confirmed because there were other people interested. Great! Now I just had to find my way back to Saariselka in time. The stretches of snow were long, and white, and silent, with almost nobody in sight. I was getting a little desperate to get back, although I knew it would still be bright until 9pm. I moved along, starting to feel tired of tackling the slopes.
Finally, the colourful entrance of Saariselka appeared ahead, at the top of a long upslope. I happily made my way up and returned to my hotel. It was a good experience, and I would try it again tomorrow.
Husky Sledge Ride
I signed up for a husky ride this morning. The car took us to a husky farm in a town outside Saariselka. When the guide started explaining how to stand behind the sledge and the braking system, it suddenly occurred to me that I was supposed to drive/ ride the sledge(!) instead of sitting inside and being pulled along. Oops! Blunder! I listened attentively.
We went up to our dogs and sledges. They were already yelping very excitedly, eager to run off. I had the sledge to myself while the rest paired up. I mistakenly started off with my foot on the brake all the time, and one of the dogs kept turning round with a puzzled look. Then the guide told me not to step on the brake, and it dwelled upon me that the sledge was suppose to just glide on the snow when the dogs pulled it. I timidly lifted my foot from the brake, and hey! found my balance! I was the first sledge and my dogs could go fast because they only had to pull me along.
At one point on a downhill turn, I lost my balance and flipped on my left. The guide had to chase after the runaway dogs and sledge in his snow mobile. Oops. The ride went on smoothly thereafter, except for the last section. We were nearing home (the husky farm) and the dogs went really fast, down a bumpy section, and I forgot to step on the brake to slow the sledge. I hung on tightly and tried a few times to find the brake. It was really lucky that I did not fly off the sledge! We returned the dogs to their individual ‘houses’, and went for a snack by the fireplace. I really enjoyed the ride with the dogs.
We went up to our dogs and sledges. They were already yelping very excitedly, eager to run off. I had the sledge to myself while the rest paired up. I mistakenly started off with my foot on the brake all the time, and one of the dogs kept turning round with a puzzled look. Then the guide told me not to step on the brake, and it dwelled upon me that the sledge was suppose to just glide on the snow when the dogs pulled it. I timidly lifted my foot from the brake, and hey! found my balance! I was the first sledge and my dogs could go fast because they only had to pull me along.
At one point on a downhill turn, I lost my balance and flipped on my left. The guide had to chase after the runaway dogs and sledge in his snow mobile. Oops. The ride went on smoothly thereafter, except for the last section. We were nearing home (the husky farm) and the dogs went really fast, down a bumpy section, and I forgot to step on the brake to slow the sledge. I hung on tightly and tried a few times to find the brake. It was really lucky that I did not fly off the sledge! We returned the dogs to their individual ‘houses’, and went for a snack by the fireplace. I really enjoyed the ride with the dogs.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Santa Claus & Reindeers!
I arrived at Rovaniemi this morning at 7:53am. Mark was already there. I met him at the conference and he was working at the Rovaniemi University. So he offered to show me around for the morning. The temperature in the morning was -5 degC.
The highlight of the morning was a trip to Santa Claus Village and the post-office. Rovaniemi was located on the Arctic Circle, and the Finns laid claim to Santa. He works everyday, sitting in the photo gallery taking pictures with visitors. There were pictures of Santa with all sorts of celebrities and delegations, including the Beijing Olympics host characters and Mickey and Minnie Mouse! I wonder what Santa had to say to the Disney duo… Yours truly took a shot and succumbed to the touristy thing of buying the picture. Anything sent from the arctic post office would receive a special stamp mark. You could even choose to have the item sent on the next Christmas Day. The tourism angle was very well planned and executed.
I hopped onto the bus for another 4h ride to Saariselka. It was a small village, 15min from one end to the other. Every single shop was featured in the newspaper, targeted at visitors. I was lucky to have missed the earlier winter crowds. The weather in the day was rather nice, with sunshine. My room had a big thermometer right outside the window, and it registered a nice 4 degC. I went around the safari shops asking if there was anything to join in for the evening. I settled for a reindeer safari ride.
Markku, our local Sami guide, brought us to the reindeer farm where he outfitted us in warm space-suits (they were called husky suits), thick snow boots and a Sami pullover. We climbed into the wooden sleighs/ sledges, and off we went. The reindeers obediently trotted along behind Markku’s sleigh. It was still bright, the sun only set around 9pm. I took in the sights. Except for the sleigh, it was total silence. After an hour, we stopped at a tent-hut where Markku started a fire and we roasted sausages and had tea. The smell of the tea reminded me of Nepal, where we always sat around the fire stove warming our hands. All too soon, it was time to return. We got back into the sleighs and before we knew it, we were back at the house where we took off the warm clothing. I started to feel cold in the van. Returning to my hotel room, I realized that the weather had plunged to a blistering -15degC. Oooooh….. I put my carton of fresh milk and pack of ham outside the window to be chilled.
The highlight of the morning was a trip to Santa Claus Village and the post-office. Rovaniemi was located on the Arctic Circle, and the Finns laid claim to Santa. He works everyday, sitting in the photo gallery taking pictures with visitors. There were pictures of Santa with all sorts of celebrities and delegations, including the Beijing Olympics host characters and Mickey and Minnie Mouse! I wonder what Santa had to say to the Disney duo… Yours truly took a shot and succumbed to the touristy thing of buying the picture. Anything sent from the arctic post office would receive a special stamp mark. You could even choose to have the item sent on the next Christmas Day. The tourism angle was very well planned and executed.
I hopped onto the bus for another 4h ride to Saariselka. It was a small village, 15min from one end to the other. Every single shop was featured in the newspaper, targeted at visitors. I was lucky to have missed the earlier winter crowds. The weather in the day was rather nice, with sunshine. My room had a big thermometer right outside the window, and it registered a nice 4 degC. I went around the safari shops asking if there was anything to join in for the evening. I settled for a reindeer safari ride.
Markku, our local Sami guide, brought us to the reindeer farm where he outfitted us in warm space-suits (they were called husky suits), thick snow boots and a Sami pullover. We climbed into the wooden sleighs/ sledges, and off we went. The reindeers obediently trotted along behind Markku’s sleigh. It was still bright, the sun only set around 9pm. I took in the sights. Except for the sleigh, it was total silence. After an hour, we stopped at a tent-hut where Markku started a fire and we roasted sausages and had tea. The smell of the tea reminded me of Nepal, where we always sat around the fire stove warming our hands. All too soon, it was time to return. We got back into the sleighs and before we knew it, we were back at the house where we took off the warm clothing. I started to feel cold in the van. Returning to my hotel room, I realized that the weather had plunged to a blistering -15degC. Oooooh….. I put my carton of fresh milk and pack of ham outside the window to be chilled.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
Overnight Train to Rovaniemi
I took an overnight train to Rovaniemi. It was an express 12hr direct train from Helsinki and I had a sleeper berth in the upper deck. That meant my cabin was upstairs, away from the train wheels and quieter. I shared the cabin with a Finn lady doing bio-tech research at the University of Helsinki. We had a bunk bed that came with a duvet, pillow, and even shower towels. Our cabin had an ensuite shower and toilet which was an invention in itself. You could unlock the wash basin and cabinet shelf and swing it vertically over the toilet seat to reveal the shower head behind with little metal ledges for toiletries. Extremely thoughtful. Every little thing that made your trip more comfortable was prepared for, including a little alarm, power plug, radio and reading light beside every bed. There was also a tiny miniscule chair and table by the window where one could sit and watch the world go by. Very delightful!
I showered and headed to the restaurant cabin. It was a cosy place with amber lights and old fashioned wooden tables. There were many passengers having dinners and drinks. I found a small table, munched my sandwich and read a book as the train trudged past towns and vast empty spaces.
Two hours later, I headed back to my cabin. Sleeping in the berth was a great experience. The gentle rocking of the train as it sped along the tracks soon lulled me to dreamland.
I showered and headed to the restaurant cabin. It was a cosy place with amber lights and old fashioned wooden tables. There were many passengers having dinners and drinks. I found a small table, munched my sandwich and read a book as the train trudged past towns and vast empty spaces.
Two hours later, I headed back to my cabin. Sleeping in the berth was a great experience. The gentle rocking of the train as it sped along the tracks soon lulled me to dreamland.
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Smoke Sauna & Ice Swimming
We had an interesting day of discussions today. One good & exciting, the other was.... let's just say amusing.
In between, Leena brought me to a place called Villa Angelica for lunch. It was a very quaint small villa, with furniture belonging to another era long ago. The menu comprised only a selection of tea, coffee, quiche, and cakes, but served in a hearty portion. We each ordered the mushroom & spinach quiche - generous portion for 10Eur. Mixed rose flower tea was unlimited servings at 4Eur. You could choose to have jam in your tea (apparently that was the Russian way, instead of sugar).
After the meetings ended, we drove to a sauna place that offered different types of sauna and ice swimming. The temperature read: Outside air 4degC, Lake 0degC. We changed into bathing suits and went into the smoke sauna (which was mixed sexes). I did not have slippers and hobbled barefoot in ice-snow for 30m to the sauna. Ouch! Feet went numb. We were the only 2 ladies in a room of 10 oversized men! It was super hot, much hotter than the normal sauna rooms. I was glad I remembered to remove my necklace - the metal would burn my skin. Even my long ponytail heated up so much that it burnt my back!
Now the adventure began. After we felt hot enough, we walked 10m out to the lake. I held on tightly to the railings and lowered myself into the icy cold water. Foot touched water. Yelps! The other foot. Thighs. Waist. Body. Up to neck. Eeeks! Shots of pain through my body. It was the kind of pain that stung if you held an ice box with bare hands for too long. Heartbeat racing. I remembered to regulate my breathing. I heard Leena calling out not to submerge my head. I jumped out of the water. Total submersion time 3sec. I recall reading an article about ice swimming and how the body transited through shock, pain, increased heart rate, before settling into equilibrim. I could totally identify now!
Surprisingly, I was not cold after I left the water. We sat on the open deck while the blood flushed through our skins. You could literally see red blotches on the skin as the increased blood circulation kept us warm. The men were from the ice swimming club (IceBears) and came prepared with crates of beer! When it turned cold, we went back to the smoke sauna to 'cook' ourselves.
Pity I left my camera in the locker. Luckily there was a journalist on shore with a professional camera. He was covering a story about the IceBears. How wonderful! I asked Leena to get his help to take some shots and email to me. Yeah.
In between, Leena brought me to a place called Villa Angelica for lunch. It was a very quaint small villa, with furniture belonging to another era long ago. The menu comprised only a selection of tea, coffee, quiche, and cakes, but served in a hearty portion. We each ordered the mushroom & spinach quiche - generous portion for 10Eur. Mixed rose flower tea was unlimited servings at 4Eur. You could choose to have jam in your tea (apparently that was the Russian way, instead of sugar).
After the meetings ended, we drove to a sauna place that offered different types of sauna and ice swimming. The temperature read: Outside air 4degC, Lake 0degC. We changed into bathing suits and went into the smoke sauna (which was mixed sexes). I did not have slippers and hobbled barefoot in ice-snow for 30m to the sauna. Ouch! Feet went numb. We were the only 2 ladies in a room of 10 oversized men! It was super hot, much hotter than the normal sauna rooms. I was glad I remembered to remove my necklace - the metal would burn my skin. Even my long ponytail heated up so much that it burnt my back!
Now the adventure began. After we felt hot enough, we walked 10m out to the lake. I held on tightly to the railings and lowered myself into the icy cold water. Foot touched water. Yelps! The other foot. Thighs. Waist. Body. Up to neck. Eeeks! Shots of pain through my body. It was the kind of pain that stung if you held an ice box with bare hands for too long. Heartbeat racing. I remembered to regulate my breathing. I heard Leena calling out not to submerge my head. I jumped out of the water. Total submersion time 3sec. I recall reading an article about ice swimming and how the body transited through shock, pain, increased heart rate, before settling into equilibrim. I could totally identify now!
Surprisingly, I was not cold after I left the water. We sat on the open deck while the blood flushed through our skins. You could literally see red blotches on the skin as the increased blood circulation kept us warm. The men were from the ice swimming club (IceBears) and came prepared with crates of beer! When it turned cold, we went back to the smoke sauna to 'cook' ourselves.
Pity I left my camera in the locker. Luckily there was a journalist on shore with a professional camera. He was covering a story about the IceBears. How wonderful! I asked Leena to get his help to take some shots and email to me. Yeah.
In and out we went. I jumped into the lake 5 times, each time lasting longer. 1st: 3 sec in-out. 2nd: 5 sec in + legs threading water. 3rd: breast-stroked (head up) a tiny distance for photo-taking, with Leena shouting anxiously to come back! 4th: swam from one railing to the other. 5th: swam from railing to a further one. It got better with each try. Cool!
Then we went into the normal sauna. That was when I spotted a rectangular lake-pool, about 20m in length. I was intrigued. The challenge called out to me. Could I endure the swim across the length? I warmed up and headed out. I waded in. Ice cold, yes. I breast stroked. The pain came, then my body warmed up a little. 10m across and the pain returned. All imaginable parts, even your most private parts. The strokes slowed in order to sync with the regulated breathing. You want to be careful not to overtax the heart that was already beating very hard. Focused on getting to the opposite ladder. I made it! Awesome... Now my thighs were really red, flushed by the blood.
I went back to the sauna and greedily eyed the pool again. Could I do it again? Hmmm.... The challenge got the better of me. I just had to try it a second time. So I went out. It was colder the second time, minus the adrenalin rush of a first trial. I knew my limits, I would not be able to turn around and swim back another lap. But it was enough. I experienced ice swimming and it was incredible! We went to the cafe for a hot drink to complete the outing. :)
Then we went into the normal sauna. That was when I spotted a rectangular lake-pool, about 20m in length. I was intrigued. The challenge called out to me. Could I endure the swim across the length? I warmed up and headed out. I waded in. Ice cold, yes. I breast stroked. The pain came, then my body warmed up a little. 10m across and the pain returned. All imaginable parts, even your most private parts. The strokes slowed in order to sync with the regulated breathing. You want to be careful not to overtax the heart that was already beating very hard. Focused on getting to the opposite ladder. I made it! Awesome... Now my thighs were really red, flushed by the blood.
I went back to the sauna and greedily eyed the pool again. Could I do it again? Hmmm.... The challenge got the better of me. I just had to try it a second time. So I went out. It was colder the second time, minus the adrenalin rush of a first trial. I knew my limits, I would not be able to turn around and swim back another lap. But it was enough. I experienced ice swimming and it was incredible! We went to the cafe for a hot drink to complete the outing. :)
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