Monday 3 februari: a day of extremes

Kaamanen - Honningvåg: 377 km

Today we took the touristic route to Honningsvåg near the Nordcape. First we had to fill up the petrol so we drove to Inari. From there we took the smaller roads to Norway. It was beautiful! The sun started shining and then the reindeer appeared before the cars. The landscape was like a ferrytail, so beautiful.

We drove with five teams today. The pictures will tell more than words.

First reindeer

I have lot more pictures but it would be to much to insert them all.

After this great road along the border we entered Norway. We did some shopping their because of the motor engine cooking competition. So we had to buy the ingredients for the exhaust pipe chicken wings.

The border

The local version of a bike

A bit of oil leakage, where does it come from?

In Karasjok we also visited the Sami museum but is was closed. The shop was open though, so we bought a Sami flag and stickers. We also cleaned the snow from the back wheelarch. If it gets full and icy it will destroy al the wires when it starts melting. 

Not to much snow in it today

After this stop we continued towards the northcape. By this time the weather was still okay and the scenery beautiful.

We stopped at a petrol station to fill up the car and to prepare the chickenwings. They had to be on the engine for 150 km.

Preparing diner

Where should we put it

There it is

After everybody prepared their diner and installed it somewhere in there engine we continued our trip. Weather turned and snow started to fall. Also the wind got harder. It was pretty chalaging, but what do you want....... it’s the extreme. At some parts the wind was blowing so hard it blew our car almost of the road. Luckily Tanguy is a very good driver and he got us to the hostel safely. It’s hard to capture wind on a picture, but it was pretty hard.

There where four tunnels on the trip, it was a moment of rest, but getting up, out of the tunnel was hard.

At one moment the Christmas reindeer we have in the back off the car turned on 😳

We arrived save in Honningvåg and we had a look at our chickenwings right away. Unfortunately our’s were burned badly, but Jeff and Sien’s were cooked perfectly. So we still had something to eat. After we got installed in our room I had a nice warm shower to relax after the excitement of the last 110 km. 

Our chicken

Jeff and Sien’s chicken

At eight o clock it was time for the drivers meeting. We started with the traditional save drive drink and then we had to tell the bad news. Because of the weather conditions there is a big chance that we can not go to the norhtcape tomorrow. Heavy snow is predicted, so maybe we can’t even leave Honningsvåg tomorrow. Before today the road was closed for three days.

So we have four plans:

A: we visit the northcape at 11 and drive the 430 km to the next hotel after the visit.

B: we can’t visit thenorthcape and drive the 430 km to the next hotel right after breakfast.

C: we can’t visit the northcape and can’t leave Honningsvåg because of bad weather so we have to stay here longer.

D: we can’t visit the northcape and can’t take the road cause it’s closed, but take the Hurtigruten boat to Alta instead and go to the next hotel from there.

Tomorrow at breakfast we hope to know more.

After the meeting we shared stories until the aurora alarm went off. Some went outside to try to see the northern lights but there was to much city light here. The weather was nice and the wind was gone. Hard to imagine that there will be problems tomorrow.

Honningsvåg by night

Sien going to sleep in the car

The cars in front of the hotel

Now i am going to sleep, tomorrow will be an exciting day anyhow.

Goodnight and sleep wel 

Sunday 2 February: snowy roads

Naruska- Kaamanen 438km

We took the long road

This morning after a good breakfast we left to Inari, for our next stop on the way to the Nordcape.

We decided to take the longer but more adventures route, the belgium team joint us.

In the morning we stopped along the road, Sien en Jeff from the Belgium team made us some fresh delicious coffee. 

After the stop we drove further toward Kittilä to take a right turn just before we reached Kittilä onto the 9558 I think, towards the 955 to Inari. We once drove a very beautiful small road and we still try to find out were it was, this wasn’t it, but still a very nice smaller road. 

Soon the snow got deeper and the road way not cleaned. As we were in the frond we had the honor to make the track. Draakje was up till his belly in the snow and struggling to clear the way. But Draakje an Tanguy did a great job and got us save to the end of the road. At one point the front window got al condensed at once, it was because of all the snow that Draakje was eating. But we turned up the heating and opened the windows, that solved the problem.

Condensed window

Belly in the snow

Snow under the hood 

The track we made

At the end of this road we turned up the “bigger” 955, but it was not much better. By that time we also needed to fill the car up, but no tankstation in site. We stopped to ask someone and she told us we just passed one. We turned around and yes there was

This coffee bar witch three pumps out of our sight.

We stopt for gasoline for the cars and coffee for ourselves.

We found out that the place was also famous for being the coldest place in Europe ever measured.

After the stopt we started the last part of todays trip. We passed reindeer, with I didn’t see, but Gert-jan and  Sien did. I did see some nice bird though and got a nice picture of it.

Spot the bird

We got to the hotel tired and satisfied. At the hotel we found out the some of us were staying in cabins 3,5 km away so we skipped the drivers meeting. We had the save drive drink for those who wanted to come over though.

Then we had something to eat and made cooking instructions for the next day. A receipt how to cook chicken wigs on the exhaust of your car. So thar will be tomorrow’s challenge.

Translating the receipt.

Now it’s time for bed. Tomorrow we go to Honningsvåg, near  the Nordcape.  almost there.

So sleep well and till next time.

Saturday 1th February: minus 16 on the polar circle

Taivalkoski - Naruska 222 km

Today we drove from our hostel in Taivalkoski to this former borderpost in Naruska. 

But first the was the crank-start competition, it was won by our german team Tim and Nils 👍🏻. 

After that we took off. In Taivalkoski we first visited the oldest shop in Finland to have a look. 

It is a nice shop with traditional things, but we didn’t buy anything this time.

After the old shop we visited a modern shop to buy the things for the Polarcircle ritual and then drove off to be at the polar circle at three. We hit the coldest temperature until now, -16,3.

On our way to the pole circle we had a little d-tour past a restaurant with a dutch owner Gert-jan knows. He wan’t there but we had a coffee brake.

Then it was time te get to the polar circle, and because we didn’t seem any reindeer yet Tanguy and me dressed up in our reindeer suites just before the polarcircle.

On the circle every we had the ritual with the Sürströming, great group, almost everybody eat it and nobody vomited 🤮.

Gertjan was in his garbagedag outfit for this.

And offcours there were the traditional pictures with the polar circle sign. We have a Christmas card ready for next year now.

After this we were on our way to Naruska, an old bordercrossing with russia. On the way there we wanted to change the oil in the car, but al the garages were closed, and as temperatures are getting warmer we decided that maybe there is no need to do it. So we drove further north.

It was a nice road with lots of snow. The hostel for tonight was a former school in the border crossing village. We slept in the former library and classroom. Well actually the others did, Tanguy and me slept in the former teachers room, finally some privacy, except for the lack of curtains.

That night first it was sauna time, fiest the ladies and afterwards the men. And we had to cook our own diners. We had some salad and pasta from the other teams and our own sausages.

Diner

The dragon duck was a gift of the raid teams as thank you for our work and effort.

After diner there was the save arrival drink and the award ceremony of the crack-start competition, followed by a very nice evening in the former gym. 
There was a pooltable so we ended up shooting some balls and having some drinks. 

Winner of the crank-start competition 

The price

A bit later as normal we turned to our beds after a full but pleasant day.