Finnish Lapland: Challenge completed

Travelling to Lapland isn't easy. First of all, this is because it's a far away destination and it's normally very cold; secondly, it's not cheap (if you want to travel from Spain); and thirdly, because you have to go with a good equipment of clothing (there, even the tiniest detail is important).

As a way of introduction, the northern territory of Finland is characterised for being a vast natural area as well as being scarcely populated, with a long and severe climate in Winter.

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In my case, I was in Lapland for three days and truly, expectations from other classmates who has been previously were fulfilled, although in terms of the temperature, it wasn't an extreme cold. The rest was as I expected. The most influencing aspect in these lands is, without a doubt, the lack of sunlight. A maximum of a dim light can be appreciated in those latitudes, not very intense... as if it was a sunset.

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Imagine spending a few months like that, without the sun, with a white cloak of snow in your surroundings and the majority of hours in darkness, etc... Luckily, the houses (called cottages) are well prepared to resist the Finnish Lapland's severe and extreme climate. A distinguishing feature of others are the windows which have double glazing. I forgot to tell you that I was here between the 15th and the 18th of December - For this, I want to also say that we couldn't do many things, since a part of the time to get there was in car (we rented a couple of them in Oulu). In total, 1465km return. The settlement we were in is called Enontekiö, close to Norway and Sweden.

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Activities: Sledging with huskies, €65 per person. It's very entertaining and lasts just over an hour. I recommend doing it at least once... A visit to an ice castle, €8 entry price (reduced to 5 for being exchange students). There is also the option of visiting a museum, for example, the Sami museum...

Besides, if you decide to go there, you have to keep the signs in mind; which warn of the danger of crossing reindeer. Travelling further than Rovaniemi, it's a significant risk (above all for the ice).

Already at the end of our adventure, our ultimate stop was Rovaniemi. We could see the whole commercial hut in person, constructed and aimed especially for the children's public - this means souvenir places and places of attractions for those younger (well also for adults if they so desire).

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The only problem was not being able to see the Aurora Boreal. We saw no more than nothing because the sky was cloudy when we were there. There was only one clear night (one of those where the cold is overwhelming) but no clear and concluding signs of seeing any aurora or northern light (as they are better known) could be seen.

In terms of the travel costs, petrol is an significant expense. There are few petrol stations and they are very spaced apart. The standard price is around €1. 50 - 1. 60 a litre. In other words, it's more expensive.

If anyone or any people want to go, it would be best to depart from Rovaniemi (in Finland). Of course, bringing a lot of food is better than buying it in the supermarkets because the prices are a bit higher than in the south and the centre of the country.

In general, the experience is worth it in spite of the existing conditions.

Best regards.

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