Into Lapland

5:59 AM

Good morning! That was early. I thought I’d take a few nice photos on midsummer night, but I forgot that the sun is at its highest then. I sweated so much in my hammock that at 4:00 AM I opened everything up. When the sun is that bright, you want darkness. You can manage that by pulling the sleeping bag over your head, but then the temperature shoots up. So at 6:00 AM I just went ahead and had breakfast. Dissolve milk powder in water and bring it to a boil. A few handfuls of muesli mix with nuts, ginger, fruit—you name it, it’s in there. Too bad I have almost no appetite and am basically forcing it down. You still need to get to 5,000 calories. I’m nowhere near that. I did some rough calculations and I’m only getting about 1,500 calories. The upside is that I’m losing weight quickly and getting back to a healthy BMI.

Today’s goal is to reach Kautokeino and make good preparations there for the eight-day wilderness stretch.

1:09 PM

Masses of blueberries and birch trees. I’m not sure you can even call these birch trees trees—they all have shoots at the bottom, making them look more like bushes. Spring has started and we’re walking into Lapland. You can easily picture Olle’s ski journey, but without snow. Trees are getting leaves and everything is turning green. And there you are, walking in snowshoes. These will be sent straight back to the Netherlands in Kautokeino.

3:17 PM

The paths are easy to walk. They run straight, with the occasional bend. The ground is dry and sandy. As soon as there’s a puddle nearby, you’re warmly welcomed by millions of mosquitoes. I don’t know how they do it, but they give you a quick sting straight through your clothing. We’re very welcome.

The pack gets heavier as the day goes on. Neck pain and hip pain start to kick in. Breaks can’t be too long, because the longer you rest, the harder it becomes to continue. The body clearly signals: this is as far as you go. I manage to convince my body that there’s a nice hotel waiting in Kautokeino where all you have to do is collapse onto a big, soft bed.

4:29 PM

We’re in the outskirts of town, walking through a somewhat run-down neighborhood. Children playing on scooters, dogs barking and running after you, reindeer behind fences. It looks a bit strange, but also cozy. People in beautiful traditional clothing, driving or walking down the street, look at you with admiration—but I look at them the same way. I recognize a blue dress; I had one like that as a child, and memories come flooding back.

Not much later I already see the hotel flags, but before going inside and letting this body drop onto a bed, I quickly pick up some groceries. Food has really been putting me off, so I go looking for salads.

And then you’re lying there. Aaah, so nice… (my hammock is more comfortable!)

Good night.