Where there is no day or night

The KLR did its 103 000th km today. What made it so special is that the KLR and I crossed the Arctic Circle twice and are now more than 300 km north of the Circle. Even more special is that we rode into permanent daylight.  I am in Inari tonight and we have a 24 hour day now. That means the sun does not set and does not rise. It is 24 hours light …

I confirmed the information of the GPS on this website.

After crossing the Arctic Circle I rode into a heavy cold headwind. The sun was shining for a while but there was no heat. I stopped at a roadside shop and bought me a Lapland poncho for heat. I am wearing it now and it is cozy warm!

Before I share some photographs I have to compliment the old KLR. It is without end. With its big fuel tank it is covering huge distances here in the north of Finland where fuel stations are quite far apart. Between the Arctic Circle and Inari I had to keep a constant speed due to the headwind. The first fuel pumps were at 200 km. They didn’t take any money, only credit cards, and my credit card was packed deep away. I left with a smile, still not worried because I knew there was still a lot of petrol in its tank.

Speaking of fuel, yesterday and today I had to pay R 18,67 per liter! Ouch!!

I try to avoid cities and stay over where there are not many people. I came to a village yesterday where there are only 15 permanent residents. I rented a room from Tuija and Sarmo and fell in love with the place. I paged through a photo album of their place during winter. Stunning!

And there a new dream was born. I want to see the Polar Lights (aurora). The photographs taken of  those greenish lights were just amazing. It can be seen only during the winter, and there is no guarantee that one will see it at all.

Spending two weeks there when there is practically no daylight. That should be an experience.

Tuija and Sarmo spoilt me with a big lunch (they didn’t charge me for it), coffee and cake (for free), and then late afternoon a trip on the lake with their ferry-boat (no charge again!!). And she did my washing for free!

These two were wonderful people who proved once again there are many good people out there.

My route on Monday.

Start:  N64 33.489 E26 50.230 (Finland)

Finish: N66 35.160 E24 36.875 (Finland)

Distance: 324 km

My route on Tuesday.

Start:  N66 35.160 E24 36.875 (Finland)

Finish:  N68 54.369 E27 00.405 (Finland)

Distance:  395 km

It was quite strange to find a road sign warning against skiers. Realities of winter.

The ferry of Tuija and Sarmo, on which we spent a lovely afternoon on the lake.

Kalle Kerstholt, a friend of the Finish couple, and Tuija make a fire to make crepes on the deck of the ferry.

Monika and Kalle Kerstholt, the German friends of Tuija and Sarmo. I enjoyed the interesting German company.

Sarmo busy baking a crepe. What made us tick? He is a biker himself!

Tuija and her son. I think it is a privilege to raise your children there in northern Finland.

Tuija put my dirty clothes in the washing machine, and that was all I had to wear, so I couldn’t join them swimming in the lake.

Lodie the cook, baking crepes!

Crossing the Arctic Circle the first time.

Crossing the Arctic Circle for the second time today.

At this shop as stopped as I was getting really cold. Have a look at the flags. The wind came from the north, the direction in which I was heading.

And this is how my Lapland poncho looks like.

I saw quite often reindeer on or next the road.

Have a look at the times for sunset and sunrise on my GPS. They indicated that the day is going to be a full 24 hours.

Here are two panorama pictures of the beautiful Finish lakes:

At the moment I am struggling to start eating again after having something to eat only once a day for the last week and a half. It wasn’t that there wasn’t any food available but my body revolted against any fatty or oily food. So I stopped eating. Yesterday for lunch I had a massive lunch and my body revolted again, now against so much food. Last night I had cold ever and couldn’t keep the food in.

I am going to eat something small now. I hope it will go better than yesterday.

Tomorrow the route is going further north towards Norwegian.

Regards from daylight Inari!