Into the snowy wilderness!

Yesterday we were picked up by a very smiley local man named Stig. He drove us deep into the arctic outback. After stopping to pick up some firewood we arrived at his cabin in the woods.

We wrapped up nice and warm and set off into the woods to his reindeer. 

We entered the pen and helped him feed his small herd of 5 fully grown reindeer, including one albino, who was by far the friendliest. And one baby reindeer who's mother died in childbirth. It was great getting so close to these handsome creatures. They seemed to like mum a lot more than me. They were happy for her to pet them; but ran a mile if I came within a meter of them!

After the reindeer were fed and happy, we had a big lunch of ground moose meat. Stig had shot the moose a few months previously and thawed some for us.

With a full belly I went off x-country skiing, while mum relaxed in the cabin listening to music.

Stig had to come chase me down as normally he said people only go into the first clearing on the skii's 45 minuets and 10km further down the road I found me sliding along having a pretty good time.

I still think skiing is silly but given the choice I much prefer this Nordic skiing over down hill. It was like going for a nice jog.

After my skiing adventure mum and I chilled in the cabin a while before I went off to light the sauna fire for the evening time. 

We then had a beautiful fish supper, and after nightfall set off on the snow mobiles in the search for the northern lights. 

It was astonishingly beautiful flying through the midnight black night with only the stars and headlights for visibility. The snow hung soo thickly off the tree branches like snow monsters or gothic style church grotesque's. We went through open plains, ice covered lakes and thick woodland as we glided along.

I cornered badly early on and sent my snow mobile into very deep virgin snow. With a little encouragement/heckling from Stig I floored the throttle and ran alongside pushing out of the drift. Later on when I was off my snowmobile I played chicken with Stig. I lost and tried to comically jumped aside. I didn't realise how close I was to the edge of the compacted snow mobile route. I tripped on the snowy ledge and fell head first into the very deep snow. I had to front crawl swim my way out, it was that deep!

After the utterly magical ride through the frozen wonderland of Narnia, I mean Lapland! We headed over to the sauna.

Stig and I went to the fresh water spring on the snow mobiles to get some water for the sauna. While we were pailing the water into containers a big fish swam right up to us then buried down into the ground. This excited both of us. Stig probably even more than me. He said he's never seen a fish in there so now he knows where to do his fishing!

It was the best sauna I've ever been in. I think the wood fire and natural coals make a huge difference to what you get in most gyms in the UK. On one of my regular trips out to the -20 degree snow (for a little roll around) I saw the green glow of the electrical storm, which is the northern lights. I even got mum outside in nothing but her swimming costume to see the green glow. It was amazing. Unfortunately by the time I got changed and had the camera ready the best of the vivid light was over.

No matter, we went to bed happy again.

The next day we rose at 9 ish and after giving the reindeer another feed we went out for another brilliant snow mobile adventure!

We then had a little play in Stig's igloo and took some more funny pictures before heading over to the ice hotel.

We stopped off to see the amazing ice hotel on the way back to town. Words cannot describe the superb craftsmanship and unbelievable sculptures in the ice hotel.

Here are some pictures to help show you some of the icy magnificence.

Snow festival

The big event. The reason we came all this way. Four snow sculptures, a handful of stalls in the tourist office and Wall-E in Swedish...

I can't lie, we were a little disappointed with the 'festival' but we still had a good day. We detoured past the completed sculpture park to see the completed statues on the way to the tourist off ice. On the way we passed a children's playground made of ice and snow. Of course we got involved!

We snaked through the frozen maze. Created with giant slabs of ice and snow. Then went around the giant igloo and I even muscled my way onto the ice slide. Skidding down on my back, legs akimbo. I nearly took out the small wall at the bottom!

Unfortunatly we missed the sculpture award ceremony. Our welsh friends won artists choice, which they were very happy with. After we congratulated them we snuck into the back of the cinema and watched the second half of the film Wall -E in Swedish. We also had a little slip on the ice. mum bumped her head and bottom. No harm done.

After a trip around the town halls art gallery we settled in for a night in. Half way through our terrible movie mum spied a little light out the window. 

THE LIGHTS! THE LIGHTS!  Quick as a flash we were dressed and wrapped up warm trudging through the dark woods in a nearby park.

Unfortunatly, by the time we got outside the show was over. So in we went ready to start our real arctic adventure in the morning!

Arctic Kiruna

We went for a nice night time walk when we arrived in Kiruna. It's a lot colder in the arctic with the temperature tonight -25 degrees. Plenty more layers for us!

We were very lucky with our hostel. Due to a school trip sharing the hostel our dorm room had been double booked. This meant we got upgraded to a private twin room. Very nice! Now  I only have to deal with mum's snoring!

After an evening stroll and a good nights sleep we set off to see the snow festivals ice sculptures. There were four huge snow sculptures. We had a little browse round and ended up having a really nice chat with some of the competitors. A welsh couple from near Swansea. They were sculpting two giant puffins with fish hanging from their rounded beaks.

We then went up to the tourist information to enquire about the frisbee golf course in the north of the town. We struck gold. The young guy, Robin, working at the desk actually built the course with his dad. So he phoned up his dad who promptly popped around and picked us up and took us to the course.

We tried playing a hole in four foot of snow. Mum took one step in and got stuck, she couldn't get her leg high enough to take another step! As she retreated Morice and I pressed on. We both, very swiftly, lost our disks in the deep snow. I pressed on with mums and got in in six.

That evening we went on a last minuet aurora borialis trip. We got picked up at six by a very friendly young Swedish guy named Finn. Finn turned out to be quite the fountain of knowledge as the evening progressed. So much so that for days after mum and I caught ourselves saying to any one who would listen "Finn says..." "well Finn was saying..." "Finn said..." Maybe we'll start a fan club!

The tour was great. We drove out into the abyss of the frozen töurne river. Climbed into the sled, lined with reindeer fur, and rode through the frozen woodland pulled by the snow mobile.

We shortly arrived to the frozen expanses of the mighty river. A 'colosseum' or half an igluu had been built with big red candles lighting it with dramatic golden flames, contrasting beautifully with the snowy landscape. 

Finn started a fire to keep us warm in the -35 degree countryside. Then we sat awaiting the green lights of the aurora sipping on delicious hot lindenberry juice. 

I snuck off to make some yellow snow during the evening and some others on the tour thought I'd seen the lights so started coming after me. Mum had to run distraction. 

After a while we hopped back on the snow mobiles up to a beautiful little hut nestled in the woods. Here we had a delicious steaming bowl of reindeer meat and potatoes followed by some hot Swedish pudding. Finn also taught us how to light fires with magnesium.

Although we hadn't seen the lights, we had had a lovely evening. On the way back in the bus we glimpsed a bit of green sky, so we did see the lights, although it was through thick clouds.

We went to bed happy.

Skating on the river

Today mum and I went down to the Luleå coast, the sea around the archipelago is soo cold it freezes around a meter thick.

Mum and I grabbed a couple of kick sleds. Like husky sleds with long ice skates instead of skis and went out on the ice for some fun.

We went pretty well sliding along the ice. Between the city and the heavily wooded islands it was magical.

Mum got pretty tired after about half hour so she sat on the seat of mine and held her sled infront of her. We got a good head of momentum up and were going at a fair pace. Then CRACK! We had some how manage to skate at the perfect angle to hit our right skate into a crack. The skate cut down a couple of inches down and tossed us both hurtling off the sled. Luckily we were both unhurt but having cracked the ice we were pretty worried we would be dunking into the terrifyingly nippy waters. Luckily again nothing happened. We had a giggle and went back to our own sleds.

After the sledding we taught the train up to Kiruna, inside the arctic circle. 

Traveling with mum

After three weeks of work I'm well overdue for a holiday.

This time I'm going north to Swedish Lapland and the frozen landscapes of the arctic circle.

And I'm bringing my mum!

We set off from home at 4am. We had a very smooth transit over to skellefteä half way up swedens east coast. 

Mum looked so funny in her coat and backpack. She looked really cute, like a kid on her first day of school. All wrapped up warm, a massive out of proportioned backpack pulled way to high up her back. She clutched an orange in one hand a book in the other and an excited grin to complete the look.

So padded was she that she struggled to walk smoothly, like a toddler does, as she was all wrapped up warm.

We landed in Skellefteä at the perfect moment to catch a bus to town. From the town we were also just in time for the long bus to Luleå.

Luleå seems like a really nice place, snow covered and friendly with very pretty streets warmly light by subtly elligant street lights.

We arrived at the hostel and rang the bell. Then rang the bell again... Then rang another couple of bells for good measure. 

Eventually a crooked old man hobbled to the door. He wore sandals on his bright blue frost bitten toes and shuffled to open the door. He grunted at us in Swedish and looked over his wonky glasses at us.

"Umm we're looking for the hostel?" 

"You reservation?" He replied

"Yeah, Gary Nichols..."

"Ok, ok, you come in now!"

We went up the lift and out into the hostel. He told us the door code and disappeared suddenly. Leaving us alone to investigate the pleasant enough, but deserted, hostel.

Eventually he returned to give us a key and take our money. SEVEN POUNDS FIFTY FOR BED SHEET RENTAL! I was livid. So was the crooked man though, as he had to half limp, half shuffle back up the long corridor to fetch us the bedding.

Eventually we got settled in and went out for a walk around the city centre and to the supermarket to get some food.

I had been drip feeding mum all day on pointers on how to travel, be subtle, and operate in forgien countries. We sat down on a bench by the checkouts and tucked into some hot chicken and bread. I shuffled backwards and fell clean off the bench. In a fashion that could be described as anything but subtle. I let out a shout and thrust my arms and legs out in the air, like a star fish, groaping out for anything that could save me. Before ultimately landing on my arse. The whole shop came to a stand still staring at me as mum cried with laughter.

We then had another walk and met a 12 foot beaver made of Ice and painted in a park. Hilariously random!

Home sweet home

I boarded my hello kitty flight and jetted home, just in time for Christmas.

I've had such a great time traveling the world in the last twenty months. I've met some amazing people and great new friends. I've seen and done such a wide spectrum of things I can't even begin to summarise my adventures in a conclusive paragraph. All I know is I wouldn't change a moment of it as every minuet of my trip has been a joy and a lesson.

From the top of a snowy mountain the the middle of the Sahara. The Great Wall of China and ancient churches to state of the art toilets in Perth. Sleeping in dirty public toilets to a penthouse suite. Not forgetting running with bulls (and sheep) to cruising along the Mekong river. Variety is the spice of life and I think I've had a good punt at working throughout the spectrum, and I managed not to die doing it (just).

Mum, Dad and Hana came to meet me from the airport. Mum kept hugging me in the bottleneck of arrivals at heathrow so no one else could get past or out of the arrivals lounge!

We had a great Christmas.

Since being home I started my new Job eight hours after landing. I also started my motorbike training and caught up with my good friends. Ollie and BJ came down for New Years and we went to the pub with my college mates before going into town.

It was great to see Matt, Lucy, Abbie and Andy and hear all about there new families.

I saw my college friends a couple of times and went up to watch Norwich Rugby play in North London.

I couldn't help getting stuck in when Wheatar went down, and their new Physio was busy. I managed to slip and slide onto the field after he shouted out in pain. Only to find out there was absoloutley nothing wrong with him, he just wanted to rest.

I then relocated Jays finger and got on the booze bus back to Norwich. I had a great night catching up and playing drinking games.

The next day I met Lyn and played a bit of touch rugby before eating too much and having to stop the bus back to London to vom in a car park somewhere in Essex.

After another week of work and my first gymnastics class I went up to meet Toby in Cambridge for a night out. I met Sarah, Sarah, Sophie, Dave and Toby's mates Josh, Ed, Rob and Fred. We had a cracking night out. Tore up the dance floor. After the pub/club closed we went back to Toby's and stayed up until six chatting and laughing.

The drive back to Sussex was so painful I had to pull over in a service station and have a two hour sleep.

I arrived at Ollie's in Storrington in the late afternoon. We had a good meal, watched some rugby and went off to the pubs for beer, hot cider, pool and good times.

After two and a half weeks of great fun and work I think I definitely deserve a holiday! 

Off to Sweden I think!

Bangkok has me now

Nick and I had a great time in Bangkok. We went out every night for the first few nights to different bars and watched some live music.

We met Joe, my college friend I had traveled with in New Zealand and spent the day shopping before Nick and I went to a night club inside a sky scraper to watch DJ Jazzy Jeff, of Fresh Prince fame.

Every drink in the club was the same price so we lived it up with some fancy cocktails. We knocked through an 'old fashioned', a 'viper' (of James Bond fame) and a few berry coolers.

The following day I we went to a wrap party for a tv show called strike back. Starring that bloke from hotel Babylon, the manager one. with Nicks work mates and bosses. There was Hennessy on tap so we had more than a few.

On another day I went to work with Nick, I watched him doing a hydro session with the Thai Leicester academy.

 

Then off to a polo game he was covering

We also spent one morning at the worlds biggest market then off to see his Thai Leicester team play in the afternoon.

After the game we went for dinner with the team. We went to a place where four people are given a BBQ and a weird humped hot plate surrounded by water. It was a bit of a nightmare really. My meat kept flopping into the water. That was until I built my broccoli buffer. Revolutionary. 

Surprisingly neither of us got ill.

On my last night we went and played touch rugby before ordering and subsequently eating way too much at a really nice outside restraunt. There was even a tone deaf Thai singer singing Hero, by Enrique Englasias. 

It was really good fun, and a perfect end to my big trip.

The plane race

I enjoyed my ferry trip around the Sydney opera house and then train up to the airport. I had plenty of time and everything ran smoothly.

Unfortunately I had miscalculated my flight times. I was expecting a short two hour flight. Eight hours later, I was shitting myself as my next flight, kuala lumper to Bangkok was due to take off twenty minuets after my current flight landed. I was flustered to say the least.

As soon as the planes wheels touched Tarmac I was up and waiting by the door, and woe betide the poor air stewardess' that want to tell me to wait in my seat.

I finally got off the plane and ran to security where I zipped through and off to baggage reclaim. KL is, by the way, the biggest airport in the universe so I was part way through a marathon distance sprint with 35kg of baggage. The bag came through eventually leaving me 8.5 minuets before my next flight left.

I gassed it to check in and ran at the unattended first class check in lady. I begged and pleaded. She agreed to put my bag on the flight although she couldn't promise it would make it. I may have to wait for the next flight for my bag. If I ran I should get my flight though.

I sprinted so hard that not even security had the corage to stop me. I went straight passed bag scans etc as the staff laughed and waved me through. I essentially ran onto the plane, into my seat and we took off. Absoloutle madness. 

I still feel sorry for the guys sitting next to such a stinky sweaty mess.

I arrived at Bangkok airport with baited breath and was very releaved when my bag gloriously emerged through the flaps onto the belt.

I scooped up my bag and went to meet Nick who had bribed airport security the princely sum of £5 to park and wait right by the terminal door. I gave him a very stinky hug and we went back to his, with strict instructions to shower as soon as possible.