On our way to Rovaniemi Airport

After we met the husky dogs we went to the airport straight away. It supposed to be 3 and a half hour drive but it turns out to be 6 hours!

Before we left the hotel people already told us there's some heavy snow between Inari and Rovaniemi but it didn't really bother us when we "heard" about it.

An hour later the snow was so bad that we couldn't see the road at all. We don't know where's our lane and where's the edge! Then Satu's words came to our head "it's easier to drive when it's minus 7" and that's absolutely right! Iain was so freaked out at that time coz the car was a bit out of control sometimes! When we were closer to Rovaniemi airport, the temperature is just at zero degree and the road was so slippery! Crazy! Iain kept saying to me we won't make it to the airport on time! I was too scared to say anything!

When we finally got to the airport it was half an hour before departure. We ran for our lives to the check in counter! Thank god we made it! 

It's a crazy day! 6 hours heavy snow drive! Then an hour fly to Helsinki and when we touched down I realized I left my folder, which was full of our travel documets, at the airport check in counter!!

Oh my god!!! We travelled to everywhere around the world from south to east to west to north from flight to car to train to cruise! I never lost anything until today, almost the last stop of our travel, I lost the whole folder!!!! I was going to leave it but it also has our passport and mirage certificate copies in it so we paid 140 Euro to get it same day courier back to us  at Helsinki !!

140 Euro!!! That's much more expensive than our flight tickets TOGETHER! I was so angry with myself ! 

So we spent another hour at the airport dealing with all the shit at the same time I was so worry we are going to be miss out hostel booking! As I didn't put a late check it notes with the booking, it will be cancelled if we turn up later than 6pm! What the hell... The taxi was stuck in traffic for a bit and I was completely stress out! I was so mad with myself for everything! But thank God again we made it just before 6pm!

Green lights

We have a 5 hours northern lights show last night just right outside our window. It's amazing. The actual lights are white. More like a cloud. But under the camera it's green and a bit orange. It's unreal. We are very lucky that the weather condition was good enough for us last night. Coz this is how te town looks like this morning.

We came all the way from Australia to this little town in northern Finland. Hoping we will have a chance to catch the northern lights. This town will always mean something to me and I will always miss it.

The most northern McDonald

We missed this McDonald the first time we drove to the zoo but when there's a will there's a way! When finally find it when we go to Inari! 

Nothing special about this macus to be honest. They sells less food than all the country we have been to. But they have a northern light postcard to give! That's gold! 

Finland - Rovaniemi to Ranua

We finally arrived Rovaniemi, the northern part of Finland. The train trip was very nice but Iain couldn't sleep coz he was overly excited. After two days of travel, I think I have a mixture of sea sick and train sick coz when I m sitting down now, I feel like I m on a boat and a train at the same time!!

Anwway. We picked up our car at the train station and drove ourselves to the hotel. It's a 5 mins drive but it's very nerve breaking. This is the first time we drove in a left hand country. Everything was so confusing! I m glad that I m not the driver coz I would have just walk. 

We then drove south to Ranua where the wildlife park is. The drive is actually easier than driving in the city! It's only one straight road. Iain was driving like an old grandpa but I don't blame him. I will shit my pants if I have to drive on icy tight road!

The zoo was really great! We saw some native animals, polar bear, brown bear, different types of owls an deers. It's really worth going. In Australia you only find snake and kangaroo lying under the sun! 

Anyway, walking on ice/snow is so hard!! We basically walked like a turtle. Or maybe even slowler. The kids were running around us as if they were wearing thongs. I cannot believe something so easy like walking can be so hard for us here. I think I was so stress when walking I have pulled my muscles! Or is it just old age??

What a day!

We came back to Helsinki from Estonia in  the  afternoon then straight away we went to the train station to catch a train to Rovaniemi, northern part of Finland. Everything went well, as we got off the boat there was a tram waiting for us to go to the train station. 

We areived earlier than we thought so we went to get a cup of coffee. As I went to the coffee shop to grab a seat first, Iain fellow me in, there was a psyco stood right in front of him and stop  him coming in. There were a few people in front of Iain stopped by this crazy man and they just walked off. The psyco doesn't look like a psyco. He looked normal but he kept stopping people to come in. So maybe they think he worked there? Anyway, since I m already inside the shop Iain was a bit freaked out and asked him why he can't come in. The psyco kept talking to him in Finnish until Iain yelled "move" and all of the sudden he said "why" in English! So Iain said "my wife is in there" angrily. The psyco said "oh of course you can go in. Are you sure that's your wife?"  OMG....

I was surprised that one one bother to say somethig to this crazy man. If this happened in Australia I m sure someone will say something. I m shocked that 

even people work in the shop said nothing to this crazy man! 

When I went to get the coffee this crazy man started talking to me. I competely ignored him. At that point I was glad that I m Asian coz I can say "me? Me no English" to whoever I don't want to talk to!

 Anyway the crazy man felt like he was wasting his time so he left me alone. Not much later I think someone in the shop called the security so this normal-looking-crazy-man was arrested by the security people.

So after the coffee we went to check in for our train. We tried to find our train on the information screen but there is no train to Rovaniemi. I was a bit worry so we went to the customer service officer. The first thing she said to us was "is the train cancelled? There is a strike today so  it's a bit messy." Later she found out our train is alright but her comments almost gave us heart attack! 

At the same time the security came in with the crazy man from the coffee shop and gave him a train ticket! OMG! Please don't tell me he is on the same train with us! Or maybe they gave him a train ticket to Russia?? So they never have to see him again!

Anyway. The long distance train from Helsinki to Rovaniemi is a double decker train with sleeping room. We had a room on the upper floor with bathroom. 

The train is really quite. We have an owl bed sheet and pillows. Very clean. Next to our bed has reading light. Power point and music channels. There are room for you to put your drinks as well. 

The bathroom is one of a kind coz you can transform the bathroom into shower by opening the wall !!

So when you open the wall where the mirror is that's the shower space! The toilet seat will stay dry only the floor get wet. Honestly this is the way to travel!