Kautokeino, Norway - Literally in the Middle of Nowhere!
April 20th 2010 17:19
Time: 6:15pm Date: 20/04/2010 Location: My Bedroom, Kautokeino
Firstly, I would just like everyone to know that since most of you knew I went to England during the Easter break, I should be blogging about that first. However, I must inform all of you of the wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience I had today. But first I will blog, giving you a brief introduction into Kautokeino and the Sámi people in the very north of Norway. Also commonly known as: 'the very top of the world' or 'the middle of nowhere'!
Six Australians and one French arrived in Kautokeino by train and then mini-bus on the 13th of April. The end of a chapter was closing (Helsinki) and a new one was just beginning. Sadly, I waved my Helsinki friends goodbye (I had met so many nice people and will definitely miss all of them) and left the sunny capital pretty well for good. Yes, by the time I left, it was actually everything you wouldn't imagine Helsinki to be: hot, sunny and 11 degrees =)! Now we were headed back to the Arctic...
The train arrived in the morning and we crossed the border by mini-bus. This was such a milestone for me as I have always wanted to go to Norway (since it is my favourite country in the world) and now I was actually here. For the Australians, this was the second part of our exchange to study the culture and environment up in the north. Before we left, most of us were a bit skeptical of the thought that we would be living in a town of only 3,000 people and 100,000 reindeer in the middle of literally nowhere for almost two months where everything is ridiculously expensive. However, we arrived with news that we would only be here for the best part of six weeks and we would be doing more than just staying put in Kautokeino. There will be a lot of time to travel even further north as well as south, east and west and we would get to experience the life of the Sámi people first hand - but more about this down the track. Oh lastly, anyone for a midnight sun? =) Can't wait!
So who are these Sámi people? They are the indigenous people of the Scandics who are usually inclined to reindeer husbandry. They wear traditional clothing and have their own Sámi language. They traditionally occupy the area of Sápmi across northern Europe and also have their own parliament.
This was going to be one incredible journey...
Kautokeino, Norway. See, literally in the middle of nowhere!
Firstly, I would just like everyone to know that since most of you knew I went to England during the Easter break, I should be blogging about that first. However, I must inform all of you of the wonderful, once-in-a-lifetime experience I had today. But first I will blog, giving you a brief introduction into Kautokeino and the Sámi people in the very north of Norway. Also commonly known as: 'the very top of the world' or 'the middle of nowhere'!
Six Australians and one French arrived in Kautokeino by train and then mini-bus on the 13th of April. The end of a chapter was closing (Helsinki) and a new one was just beginning. Sadly, I waved my Helsinki friends goodbye (I had met so many nice people and will definitely miss all of them) and left the sunny capital pretty well for good. Yes, by the time I left, it was actually everything you wouldn't imagine Helsinki to be: hot, sunny and 11 degrees =)! Now we were headed back to the Arctic...
The train arrived in the morning and we crossed the border by mini-bus. This was such a milestone for me as I have always wanted to go to Norway (since it is my favourite country in the world) and now I was actually here. For the Australians, this was the second part of our exchange to study the culture and environment up in the north. Before we left, most of us were a bit skeptical of the thought that we would be living in a town of only 3,000 people and 100,000 reindeer in the middle of literally nowhere for almost two months where everything is ridiculously expensive. However, we arrived with news that we would only be here for the best part of six weeks and we would be doing more than just staying put in Kautokeino. There will be a lot of time to travel even further north as well as south, east and west and we would get to experience the life of the Sámi people first hand - but more about this down the track. Oh lastly, anyone for a midnight sun? =) Can't wait!
So who are these Sámi people? They are the indigenous people of the Scandics who are usually inclined to reindeer husbandry. They wear traditional clothing and have their own Sámi language. They traditionally occupy the area of Sápmi across northern Europe and also have their own parliament.
This was going to be one incredible journey...
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