Alright,

I'm still alive!!!! Only didn't have the chance to access the internet over the past six days.

Last I wrote I was in the train to Stockholm and that's where I will continue ...

16.06.2013

Arriving in Stockholm at 22:10, I just had to sprint across the platform to get the 22:12 night-train to Boden C. All my journey so far has been full of delays, just hope I arrive at the Husky Farm tonight with no further surprises.

I met Jasper on the night train with whom I was going to share the 3-bed cabin. As soon as the train started its engine, we hit the food wagon and got ourselves a beer. Really felt good, after such a stressful day…

Slept really well on the train - it is my favourite way of travel, from now on - better than the plain, ferry, car or others. I think I have never covered so many kilometres while asleep, as on that night-train.

10:30                Arrived in Boden C, and when leaving the train I saw Nadia, getting out of the Cabin right in front of me. Some good incident.

We got on the next train to Kiruna C and should arrive there for about 14:35… should have some time then for some food and have a look at Kiruna. Then we will have to find the Bus to Karesuando and hopefully, when we arrive there at 21:30, somebody from the Husky Farm will be waiting for us.

Can’t wait to start working with the dogs; looking outside of the trains during my journey, the landscape as continuously been changing and we are now driving through very remote forests and over lakes, it’s nice and warm outside and the sun has been shining since about 4 a.m.. I have been surrounded by several different languages since I left Hamburg and the people around me have changed noticeable, too.

Also, bag-packing people seem to be a very helpful and extroverted community. So far, I have noticed that bag-packers look out for each other and quite often get together in groups without knowing each other, and simply accompany each other for shared parts of their journey.

Tervetuloa Suomi!!!!

17.06.2013

First day of work over and I really enjoyed it.

I was introduced to all the volunteers yesterday evening and got to see the Valima Farm, the more remote and smaller Farm of the two. Work today was primary on the Hetta Farm; I was introduced to the different list of tasks and details on the dogs and how to work with them. These lovely animals are soooo strong. We did some pooping, watering and feeding and I got to train a potential lead dog in obedience training which work pretty well. A more unpleasant sight was the six dogs that were being neutered. That really was something that was not on my bucket list. The weather was alright and the mosquitos weren’t so bad – it’s really just about 5 stings in the face and about 3 or 4 on the hands. We had some good food and are now relaxing, reading and taking care of the male, nut-less dogs. 

23.06.2013

My day off, today! Working on the Farm is still awesome and I have finished my first week of training on the Hetta Farm (the bigger one) and will go to the other Farm (referred to as Darwin or Valimaa Farm), to learn the different processes there! It is an even more remote place and the dogs need more training....going down to catch some feed on video and hopefully will post it soon...

Stay tuned and be patient !!!