|
Wednesday
19-8-09
We had crossed the Russian border into Finland. Suddenly Harun
smiled and it looked as if a heavy load fell
from his broad shoulders.
The border offices are new, almost elegant, one could chat with the
women officers and make jokes.
No more these officials with soviet stone masks we had to endure
for weeks.
The passport check took 2 minutes. Two Custom men went to JAMBO,
just to look at our roadmap and that was it.
We purchased an
insurance for whole Europe for Euro 435.- valid a half year. And
out we were on clean, wide roads, no
littering whatsoever. The Fins
truly respect their environment. They are taught from small to
persevere their heritage. On every stop
there are litterbins. Cleanness is
paramount. It was such a difference.
Finland
bus stop
He had soil and grass on the roof, that
insulates
Finland, the eight largest country in Europe
is sparsely populated. only 5.3 million
Fin's share this nation, mostly living in
the south.
The landscape is covered by coniferous taiga forest. Finland was
historically part of Sweden and Swedish is
the second mother tongue
of every 20th resident. Finland is ranked as the second most stable
country in the world. It is large. From the
southernmost point to
Hanko the northernmost it is about 1500 km.
That is Gods own
country
The reindeer has the right of way
Roads are superb, traffic is little. Rolling along with 80 km/h, on
both sides either forest and lakes. Once a
while a reindeer or caribou.
You stop and allow the animal to pass. No rubbish. Nowhere! No
police. In 3 days we did not see one police
car. What a pleasure for
eyes and soul it is, to be here.
 .
The air cold but
the water still warm, this combination
creates the mist you see here rising
One clear cold morning standing on a nameless lake, one of
thousands in Finland, We were reluctant to
talk. Just looking and listening
the sound of the forest, I felt like an intruder, but with
immense feeling of peace within me.
the white, dominate male and leader of the
herd
Native Sami peoples dwelling
our overnight
stay
We camped here. When we left we went twice around to make sure we
did not leave one piece of paper behind. The
environment
forces you to respect it. It was the first night freezing.
Our bonnet show the ice formed there.
The grass was
covered with ice crystals
JAMBO's bonnet, ice from the night
DST beyond the
Arctic circle
and our Islamic bank too
Thursday 20-8-09
We covered more ground towards North.
Somewhere we crossed the Arctic circle,
marked on the pavement.
Thursday 20-8-09
The landscape is slowly changing. Before flat, it was hilly now.
bus stop shelter
three Thai picking blueberries
When driving along a secondary road, with little or almost no
traffic, we saw a car with hanger at the
roadside, and three guys. They
looked Asian. So we stopped and reversed. "From where are you?"
"Thailand" . "And what are you doing here in
the middle of the
forest?" "Pick blueberry" he said. It is true, one can find these
berries here, they are used to make Jam. But
how does three Thai
come to Finland's innermost forests to pick berries and make a
living out of it, is surely another wondrous
story.
We are further up now and coming to the
border of Norway, which we crossed
unhindered. The road spread into two lanes.
One had a
green traffic light and a signboard. NOTHING TO DECLARE.
The other lane a red light, SOMETHING TO DECLARE. In the building
next by was no officer. They went already
home.
We drove through as all travelers do and were in Norway. Our story
here into Norway continues, as we intend to
travel in and out of
both Nations
Somewhere on the riverside we had another fine sleep. No worry
about being robbed. How relaxing it was.
Friday 21-8-09
Passing Karasjok town, we went further
up north, passed Lakselv and got the
first view of the Persanger fjorden.
Then on, along the fjord towards Honningvaeg the last town before
the Nord Cape. We had to go under the sea in
a 6 km tunnel, before
we reached the town.
6 km under the
sea. a hole in the rock and we drown
Honningsvaeg
Here we met Troll. This fellow, a dwarf
loves the dark. He leaves the sun to others.
Some say, he is a mythical figure, others
insist
he is real and they had seen him while hiking in the loneliness of
the rocky northern tundra. Especially close
to midnight, which
in summer has still some daylight. Sitting next to caves and in
rocky vertical cliffs, watching earthly
folks, that is his pleasure.
Not
the prettiest of comrades though, but a
jolly good fellow. People must have seen
him. Otherwise how would one know how he
looks like. Notice his four toes and fingers. Harun had no respect
stretched his back hanging himself on
the long organ used to smell
and occasionally sneeze.
The following night, we slept in a
motel, Troll came to our room. He looked
upset. Maybe because of Harun, who pulled
his nose
down. I know you would not believe it. but please explain, why do I
wake up by 3 am with the feeling that
someone was in the room?
Looking down my bed there was this little fellow smiling and
looking at me. He had ugly teeth. It
was already the first morning light
coming through the window, and there he was, I'm sure. This shade
next to the cupboard. When I turned my head
to wake Harun and
looked again, he was gone.
A kind of strange situation it was indeed.
Saturday 22-8-09
This troll visit still in mind, we proceeded to North Cape, only
21 km away. Dear Brunei reader, theses
pictures coming are unique.
Everyone is history. A Bruneians reach with a Brunei car the North
Cape.
Our countries name I laid
out in stones, it will remain 100 years
This is the Northern most point of Europe
Remember? From
the South Cape of Africa
to the North Cape of Europe
Dear reader out of Brunei, these two
pictures tell a story! In-between are ten of
thousands of kilometers, we travelled alone.
In-between lies hardship and endurance, fighting with the elements
and with corrupt officials. In-between are
39 countries,
We have travelled. In-between lies Siberia the worst of all
lands traversed. Ask yourself, how many
people did this in recent times?
You do not know? You can count them on your hands. Are you
concerned or -regrettable- disinterested?
Are you proud to be Bruneian as I'm? Bringing Brunei to the world,
raising our flag for our beloved Brunei, for
that I spend my own
money too. But sponsors helped. No, not the very big guns of
Brunei, I begged but they refused so far.
But others jumped in where the heavy weights failed.
Travelers we meet all the time; they bow their head in respect,
hearing of our achievements. They know what
it takes to go that far.
Do you know it too? Can you value it? Or are you foolishly thinking
this is a holiday trip?
Please value what I said. We will need your financial help too, if
we proceed Trans-Africa west in February
2010.
From the North Cape I drop these word like a lead weight into your
conscience. it will stay there, will bother
you until such time you
realize, I have to give too. It is for the sake of our beloved
Brunei, and heir history.
We shot these pictures on the North Cape, it
was cold and very windy. The land is barren,
no bush, no tree.
Historical
moments. JAMBO on the North Cape
always curiosity
and respect
my hubby and driver (most of the time)
Two Italians came, attracted by our logos, to enquire about our
journey and Brunei. They are here on heavy
motorcycles.
"Next time we come to Brunei" one said.
The later afternoon we took free, meaning we did something for
ourselves and went to a bird safari. There
were Puffin birds, nesting in
the slopes of some small islands. We hoped to see them.
Distinguished by their colorful peak they live 20 over years, live
in monogamy (more faithful than many of us)
made their burrow
up to two meters deep to nest, to which they always return.
The drive down to Gjevaer fishing village, a 21 km, took only a
half hour. It nestled itself in a protected
cove, fishing boats and a one
trawlers. That was all.
Gjesvaer village
Luck- as always- was with us, we had to wait only 30 minutes,
then the bird safari would sail out to the
islands.
You are lucky said the captain.
The weather is fine and only one busload is coming and no Italians
among them. "Why you say that" I asked. "
They are very
loud" he said smiling, looking at our Video camera. "You cannot
film without their noise."
our ship docked at Gjesavaer
the pier and peaceful the sea
the bird island.
On the green slopes the Puffin birds nests
a cormorant taking off
sailing in
protected waters
a cormorant colony
the only Puffin we got into our lens
here were supposed to be thousands
"Mr. Capitano" Harun said. You have 26
passengers on the ship everyone paying euro
50.- that is 1300 euro. Can you not feed the
Puffin some of your fish drying on the dock? Instead of eating all
yourself? That they stay here around and
your "No bird safari"
becomes valuable? He said nothing. Not his fault either. But
they made allot of propaganda for a few
diving birds.
dry fish protected by fishing nets. "better
feed the Puffin" Harun thinks
Also this day is coming to an end and we close today with a picture
you have never seen anywhere.
The reindeer on the football field, waiting for the game to begin.
Where is the
football?
Sunday 23-8-09
Before we finally turn our
steering wheel toward south and Berlin,
which is to be our next destination we
went along the rugged coast
with fjords cutting deep into the land. Like ,fingers stretches the
peninsulas towards north into the sea.
Halvoya are they called by the
Norwegian. We went eastwards from Porsangerhalvoa with the North
cape to Nordkinnhalvoya and the last fishing
village of Gamvik.
Although Norway it is called Finn mark The road all in all about
280 km was fine. Where there is shelter from
gusty winds and harsh
weather, some smaller trees and even grass flourish, like in
protected areas of bays. Some flowers around
the houses indicate the
love of its owners, and even few cows we had seen too. But as
soon as one climbs the road up to the
hilltops, the land changes
dramatically. Bare rock and stones prevail and only in small
sheltered niches moss and lichen grows.
There the reindeer feed.
Although we had seen a flock of 5 in the townhouse garden of
Kvalsund, grazing in haste the juicy green
grass, which the sunny,
southerly exposure produced. A kind of lawnmower each of them and
fertilizing the garden at the same time.
They did not bother that
the owner was hacking in his mini garden next by. But where the
land changes to tundra like vegetation with
mosses, where ice wind
blows, plants duck from the forces. Small bushes still grow, but no
more upright. Because of storm and weather,
they dare not to raise
their branches from the ground. They grow , but along the surface
only and spread their branches and small
leaves (big ones would
torn off by the wind) like a spider web.
It is truly a harsh climate for any type of vegetation to live.
Reindeer need minerals too. Sea
salt which contains a lot of them, like
odium. Therefore they come to the shore,
licking salty stones
and nibble at low tide on exposed seaweed. All by instinct. They
know what the body needs.
a bush
growing along the ground
reindeer at the shore for minerals
Stopping a the Silfar canyon,
where the river had cut into the rocks
through time not remembered, the greenish
clear water rushing
down, squeezing itself though, creating whirl pools on rock edges
and still deep ponds. We could see the
bottom fish a 3 meter below.
It was ice-cold, yet Harun took a dip (for about 3 seconds.)
The Silvar canyon with clear greenish
rushing waters
After
a few hours driving northwards, we
reached Gamvik and the northern most
lighthouse of Europe. The weather was till
fine,
remarkable up here, where it is
usually foggy and has not more than 8 degree
in summer. This lighthouse is made of cast
iron.
 
The only cast iron
lighthouse we know off
high up we are only a few "minutes' below
North Cape
the swivel of a cannon still remains
A bunker entrance
The Germans were here in the second world war for several years.
Fortifications along the shore of Gamvik
testify of it.
These soldiers had the task to defend the coast against the
advancing Russians. Unfortunately, before
retreat, they blow up many
buildings.
Sitting now in our JAMBO on the rocky shore of the
Northern ocean, it is shortly after 8 pm and
the sun is still over the horizon.
Waves pounder unhindered the rocky shoreline, a small island off
shore a half mile away is literally covered
with seagulls, their cry his
heard over, quarreling among themselves.
The grayish sea stretches belong the North pole, there is
nothing but chill and ice further up; and
UFO's?.
A story flashes my mind, which I share with you now.
William Cooper an American Naval officer with top clearance wrote a book
"Behold a pale horse" before he was killed
by an low level
sheriff in the States, which he predicted will happen. His book make interesting
reading, As he had access to top secret
files, he
exposes some secret activities of the US governments. But what has it to do with
us here on North Norway shores? Well, after
the
Vietnam war, he was for a time commanded to an submarine, which patrolled on
routine in the pacific ocean. I not sure
anymore
where but when one day he was up in the tower on the surface with a few other
officers, observing the horizon as usually,
a big disc
rose only a few hundred meters from the submarine out of he water, and
accelerated into the clouds. All three men
had seen it. They
reported the event to the captain. Several day later returning to their base he
was interrogated by some high ranking Navy
officials.
"What did you see out there?" Well, an UFO sir" "You saw nothing, Cooper you
understand? "Nothing!"
The foggy,
grayish Arctic sea. Are there UFO
stations beneath?
Was this true or made he
the story up? .Likely it is the truth. as
said he was killed, but before several
attempts on his live were
made, as he knew too much and he went public with it.
Looking and scanning the grayish sea now here, I had hoped,
that something similar may happen and I
would finally get the
confirmation that we are visited by aliens. (But
nothing).
Monday 24 8-09
The fishing
village of Gamvik
Early morning we started JAMBO our fine
machine checked and serviced so well back in
Brunei by NBT. We drove all day
southbound. The landscape remains the same s as we had seen before,
only slowly changing, becoming more greener,
first
occasionally small trees in wind shelters, then more often until
forests spread again lavishly on both
sides of the road.
In a town we met Sergei, he is with his
motorcycle on the road since the year 2000.
Mute and deaf. Unbelievable. Just look, he
had
his whole cupboard content with him. On both sides of the machine
large suitcases mounted. And he still drives
balanced for
thousands of kilometer. Compared with him, what a comfort we enjoy,
having our
sleeping room, the kitchen, the bath with
us.
His two wheel donkey, and him, the lonely
traveler, Sergei from Minsk
Tuesday 25-8-09
For the night rest we went to a riverside
and slept a fine undisturbed sleep.
By 630 am we were up, the sun was jus luring over the horizon, it
was close to freezing. The warmer water
created some fog and these
picturesque scenes.
a cold, beautiful Finland morning
even our three sponsors seem to freeze
But not these two fellows. although we assume only a lunatic would
have a dip in the ice waters. Harun even
washes his hair and
survived." Go for a pee first, never after" he said. Everything
shrinks. It is hard to find the "comrade"
afterwards.
Only a lunatic
(or hardened adventurers out of Brunei) will
survive these chilled waters
The day will be long again, we turned finally into Sweden. the
roads are fine. Only a signboard indicted
where Finland ends and
Sweden begins. No check whatsoever. It will be a long drive until
Berlin.
Honorable reader click SWEDEN now where our
journey continues
|