4th of August, 2022.
Hitchhiking in Finland.
When I am ready, I leave The Hulk by the hut and with my small pack go to the canyon. It says is 650 metres from here. I was hoping it was less but what to do, I have to see it. The weather is suspicious. There is a strong wind and I can see big clouds around. I can also hear some thunders fading away. I am going slightly fast.
The canyon is nice and it worth coming, of course, but I was expecting something more. I certainly could stay around a bit longer but I am worried about raining again, so after a few minutes I leave.
By the parking lot there are quite a few cars and I notice one of them is about to leave. It belongs to an elderly man who I saw in the park twice this morning. But he is still packing, so when I stop to rest, some hundred metres after the parking, I take the chance to pick some blueberries.
When the man passes me, I hold my sign. Was that a mistake? Because he doesn’t stop and kind of make a sign that he is not going there. And I mostly need a lift to the main road, from there I know I can easily get a lift to the Arctic Circle, or to the Santa Claus Village, all towards Rovaniemi.
I start walking again. A car is coming in my direction, but towards the park, and it is coming fast. I make a sign for the car to slow down, it is not a highway! Slowly, the driver slows down until stopping in front of me. It is the same elderly man. He seems confused so I just tell him to slow down. When he is coming back, I feel like I cannot ask him now, to be drop off by the main road, just because I have told him to slow down. Anyway, he shows me that he had forgotten his wallet in the park.
Two or three more cars pass but nobody stop. I keep walking.
A campervan stops. What? Yeah, I know! Miracles do happen! There is a lady driving! What? I know! She is travelling by herself for some time, like a small vacation. Her husband is at home looking after their pets. That’s cool! Today is his birthday! She doesn’t know for how long she will be away. She says that, when she feels like going back home, she will.
I have asked her just to drop me off by the main road, but since she is going towards Käylä, we make a plan where she can drop me off. But I am so silly! I tell her it is better if I take an alternative road, not the highway which is only 6 Km more driving, because otherwise it could be not so good to be in the highway. But that’s stupid because I just came from that highway to Oulanka and it is a totally fine and safe to hitchhike on it, with those bus stops everywhere. Meanwhile, this alternative road it sucks! No cars coming this way.
I just cross the street and start to hitchhiking towards the highway.
A very cute reindeer slowly comes in my direction. This time I manage to take some good shots!
A man with long blond hair passes by but he comes back. I tell him I just need a lift to the highway. When I am taking my pack out of his trunk, I notice that one of my socks, which are hanging outside my backpack drying, it is gone! We look all around and it is not in his trunk either! No! No! He tells me he saw only one sock when we put the backpack on the trunk. Damn it! At first, I think that is it, what a shame! But then a think a bit more and say no way! It is only 6 KM, I have time, so I will just drop The Hulk by the forest and walking back, I try to get a lift to the spot I was and also back. I have to! I have only two pair of socks!
A few cars pass by me but nobody stops. Finally, an elderly man does it. He is so cute! But he doesn’t speak English. I try to explain to him what happened but I don’t think he got it.
I find my sock across the street. Yay!
Walking back towards the highway, a man who was unloading his boat on the river tells me he just need to by some food by the shop and then he is going that way. I also go to the shop to get some water. After that, he drops me off in the highway again, where I rescue The Hulk from the forest and start hitchhiking again.
Here is where the time got all messed up. It might be late afternoon already. And I am starving!
A red van stops. There are three people in front and a lovely huge black dog in the back, as I used to call them back in Brazil: silver back gorillas. Laugh. They are from Germany and are moving to Finland in the next few weeks. They are going to their future house right now and they offer to take me some 15 Km further. I take it!
The back of the van is empty, only me and the sweet and huge doggy will be there. The mum joins us so we chat all the way. She is lovely and smiles all the time. She and her husband are pilots. They have built a home in the wheels in an old firefighter truck, and their first plan was to move to Alaska. They have prepared the whole truck for that. But apparently, trying to move to U.S.A. was such a nightmare, and with lots of bureaucracy (and they are from Germany!), that they have changed their mind and found themselves a new home here, in Northern Finland. Their daughter is just visiting them from Germany. They invite me for a meal in their home. How sweet!
Their house is at the lake and it is gorgeous! Absolutely amazing! There are a few buildings, like a barbecue place, a sauna, a covered area just to seat and eat, and the main house. They are all a beautiful dark blue, and they look brand new but still with an air of old wooden cabin. Inside it is also magnificent! It is so beautiful that I don’t understand why someone would make this a summer cottage instead of just leaving on it! Everything looks great! And they tell me they got with almost everything inside! It is unbelievable!
The dad shows me their firefighter truck which they built themselves and it is just lovely! Everything looks perfect! But it is a lot of work! They have even a small living room and space for the lovely dog!
After that we go to barbecue some sweet-corn, veggies, cheese and sausages. Their daughter is also vegetarian!
We have an amazing delicious meal! Oh, Loki! We have salad, the grilled veggies, the lovely grilled cheese, many different sauces, delicious bread, and even had tzatziki! After this wonderful meal, they even offer me coffee and cake! Coffee and cake! I am in heaven!
It is getting late, almost 8 o’clock, so I better go back to the road. I think I will not make to the Arctic Circle today but it worth it! I am happy to have met this wonderful family.
A lady with red hair passes by me but I can see she slows down and it is looking a lot, so I assume she will come back. And she does! Jonna is going near to Kejijarvi. She is lovely and very beautiful! She works with art and music. Now she is going to a festival.
By the time we arrive, there is a small annoying rain. We stop at a gas station, in a busy crossroad, where I can try for some lift inside the shop. And Jonna needs some gas.
I decide to check my emails and send one to my host in Sweden, updating her. After that, I even try with some people to get a lift but it is too late now and I will be better off finding a place to camp, getting some rest and start again tomorrow.
The shitty rain is still going, so I try to ask to the ladies of the shop (it is closing time) if they know about some place around where I could camp. But they speak very little English plus they say they don’t know. I decide to walk.
The rain has stopped. I walk towards a gorgeous park across the road. Super green grass and all very tide up. I even consider to camp around here if I don’t find anything else. It is so late, by the highway, I don’t think anyone would come to disturb me.
But right at the corner, there is a sign showing a camping place a few hundred metres. What? Really? I go there. I wonder how the ladies from the shop missed that.
But the people at the reception are not very friendly and they say I cannot put my tent for free. So much for a piece of grass.
A bit further it supposed to be a hostel. At least that is what says in the sign. But it doesn’t look like that at all. And there are many cabins for rent around. Go figure. I try to find someone anyway but unsuccessfully. I keep walking.
I am just worried about starting to rain again. This area is beautiful though, alongside the lake. Apart from the railway. Berries are everywhere and that is my only problem now: I cannot find a place without berries. But finally, I manage to find a small area, not super flat or near good for camping but it is better than nothing and it is enough for my tent.
10 Years Around the World 