London + Finland 06-150919! [Part 1] ...

This trip has been very eventful even before the trip!! At first we signed up through Hong Thai Agency and paid a deposit, at first were told trip is confirmed to go or not 2 weeks before the date, prices will increase only the no. X participants onward. Ended up, the “Uncle” was a liar, not only he cannot give us the told tour rate, said to only confirmed with 12 pax instead of 10. Never mind, this “uncle” called in July trying to psycho us to change tour as he felt it’s not going to happen when only had 8 so far. We stood firm and said we wait longer. Guess what, ended up 4 left the tour, that’s when my colleague started to wake up and searching for possible option to get it going. We did all checking before we decided to make our own plan. When we thought it was time to ask for refund, the person told us unlikely cause another 4 signed up!!!! But anyway, really thankful to my colleague who took tons of efforts to get it sorted out. *heaved* I writing this about 2.5 weeks before this trip, and I received this screenshot. My heart jumped!!!!!! We are flying in on the 6th and flying in again on the 9th but luckily we taking different airlines! It’s really making me very nervous........ 

Thankfully we made it safely!!

Guess what, current date I'm continuing from the above is 27 Sep 2019, 11.25pm (my eyes are staring at my clock). I finally chipped in some time... I felt kind of scared, I missed 3 consecutive weeks for my practice and immediately, I'm having my performance coming Sun!!! I really loved to blog all the bits & pieces of my trips (cause I have serious memories issue) asap! But time doesnt allows~ I can only share half of my FINLAND + LONDON first! (By the way, we were super fortunate throughout this entire trip! There's just so many news going on which can cause direct impact to us, but no. Xie xie!) 

First stop: FINLAND (KITTILA) 

Our main lobby, also our slacking area!!

I love this place!

My first super long and with the most transfers trip!!! From London -- Helsinki -- Kittila! I totally lost count of the numbers of plane take off we had... Because in between the flights there were stopover.. Have to take off and land and take off and land... So torturing!! Had to take a local transfer to the accommodation which took about 30mins? 

Our first 2 nights' accommodation: Wood cabin! Not too sure if there's heater, but it's just a very simple room. This place was so safe that there no staff stayover, we were all alone at night onward. They simply left the roomkey on the door knob, awaiting for us to retrieve it when we arrange close to their midnight!

So this is how it looks like when we were out of our cabin, nice sunlight shining down but not feeling hot at all~ Love this kind of weather! It's almost the same scenery when we looked out from our bed through the window! 

By the time we reached the accommodation, it was already close midnight. Was glad when we were told there were food waiting for us in our room.. turned out to be vegan sandwich for dinner! Sobs! That’s when I was truly regretful for not listening to my dr’s advice to bring some cup noodles over! Lol! Thankfully I can somehow sleep on my very first night at Finland!!! 

Their language~

On our way to the reindeer meeting point!

Totally NO ONE came out to look at us despite the noise we made, like a ghost town, just that it's not so intimidating~

We just hijacked one of the benches outside someone's house?

The lady in green invading into someone's property!!

So nice to be staying here!! Their water is really, really clear!

We did reindeer farm in the morning on our first day as our next activity will only be in the night, for horse riding! We thought there will be a group of reindeer welcoming us from the farm!!! But no... the local release the reindeer for foods and this month onward they are bringing them back for winter. So unfortunately we could only see like 2 from far. The guide also share the history and more about reindeer. 

Trying out new thing!

After lunch, we signed up for an ad-hoc tour for National park... the scenery was great!!! And it said to be the world freshest air! Ya, we were so tired after that... 

Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park! It has a really nice view when you go even higher! Interestingly we readily agreed to go on hiking!

Clearly you could see the clouds, mountain, trees and more trees!

Conquered the slightly pokey branches on the ground to take a picture of this lone tree!

last activity of the day is the night horse riding, I didn’t expect to be riding for a good 2hrs... there was 5 of us, I was placed the last by the guide, kind of scary riding in the centre of the 2 rows of tall pine looking trees, and my horse got scared when the wind started blowing it started to run! Even if I tried the tricks on the horse, it doesn’t run when I wanted him to, she just did whatever she wants and I gave up trying to get her go faster lol! I was too focused in leading the horse than looking out for the aurora, ended up couldn’t catch any. Kind of disappointing.. 

It looked like I'm taking dust in the sky....

Very afraid that I’m going to miss the aurora for this trip, went out of our cabin in my pajamas with only winter coat and a slipper, I believe the weather maybe colder than 8 degree. Half way looking up the sky for possible trail of lights, I got toes cramp! Hahaha! I bet is the weather too cold for them! Holding up my camera and start snapping randomly while massaging my toes at the same time!! And a few minutes something caught my eyes! I found it!! AURORA!!! It was super faint! It looked like white light from our naked eyes, but through camera it’s really green! 

When at night, it seems like my camera became my eyes. I couldnt see any light until I randomly start snapping a few pictures in the sky.

I wonder if you can see the lights slightly forming up~

You could see the "dust" looking even clearly too.... Actually it was my camera which wasnt in the right setting, it should not show the "dust".

It gets more obvious later on, as if you are making your first painting with your brush across the paper!

It started to fill up the sky!

It started to form even brighter and more obvious, I got SUPER excited!!! I quickly went next cabin knocking on the 2 ladies’ door and they came out with both of us in surprise! Not only they are surprised that I found the light, but I was surprised facing 2 white faces! Hahaha! I disrupted their facial time! Hahaha!!! But they still ran out with me despite the coldness and masks on their faces! On the other hand, I have a very calm room mate who entertained me by going out and peek at the sky for a few minutes and head back to sleep... oh well~ 

I finally managed to get the right setting to take the light!!! Unfortunately I couldnt take video, not too sure why it was pitch black.

It was really beautiful when it filled with light & stars!!

Brightly lit up!!

Dont think you can see such bright stars back at home!

I like this picture! Looks quite pro, I guess the only one that looked decent.

I camped outside for nearly 2hrs, didn’t wish to end it like that cause it really lasted for a few minutes! And I didn’t get to see it “dancing”, so I really hoping to see it again!! When I checked on my app for the next wave, it seems the previous one was the last... what are the chances of doing this!!! I couldn’t believe I was walking right into another excitement! This time, there was so much going on!! We see it coming out from the left and it seems like it trying to surround us!! And next moment it started dancing!!! It’s not so green, but it was so much brighter than the first! That’s not the end, next, when the background light was fading away, we saw another patch of light formed, it was a huge patch as if it was the spacecraft from the movie, Transformer!! We were so fascinated and enjoying the grand opening with our own eyes that I just left my camera aside!! That so much to see and so little time to record them down!!!!!! We went back to our cabin near 3am! Hahaha! It was so fulfilling!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I’m so delighted I made the right choice to brave the coldness and my fear of darkness!! 

Next morning, we went for Husky hiking! I truly don’t know what we were going to do, I keep thinking we could sit on a cart and the husky going to bring us for hiking... fat hope. The guide prepared us, warned us his pack of husky are not “tamed”so likely not going to be endearing.. lol!! 

We started to realise the situation turned serious when the guide took out harnesses, not just a simple leash we usually see. Hmm.. we put them on and await for the guide to choose the dogs for us! Very considerate of him, he chose all females for 5 of them! I was super amazed when they were released from their cages, we became invisible, totally being ignored by them! HAHAHAHA! I thought they will charge at us! False impression! There’s one who loves to being cuddled and patted at, such a dear right.... it turned out that one became a uncontrolled playful animal!! (cyndy’s husky) 

This is the husky loves attention from us!! Yes, it was with Cyndy later on!

Finally!! Break time! Supposed to have lunch here, vegan sandwich.. Yes, apparently the same as the first night we had for our dinner. Quite sad...

Cyndy photo-bomb! LOL!

Frankly speaking I was kind of scared if I could handle this batch of strong animals, I chose one of the huskies which was raised by the guide, hoping it will be more “well tamed” than the rest? *finger crossed. the moment we put them on leash and closing in to the gate, they knew they gonna to be free... and... ZOOOOOM!! we were literally being “dragged” and not within control too, they ran and we ran too!! Actually, it was as if I was holding onto looney’s Tunes - Road Runner, I was forced to run with my 180 degree pose to balance myself from toppling forward. It took a few km for the huskies to calm down and we were beginning to feel tired, we slowed down and improved by just fast walking and slow jogging. I didn’t know my husky was quite dominating, always trying to be the first! Unlike Rachel’s husky who will slow down and look back to check if my husky is on track... 

When we thought it’s going to be smooth sailing from then on, the guide told us ahead there will be small canals at the side whereby we can stop for the huskies to drench their thirst. Sounds good right, but we didn’t expect almost 90 degree steep slope down the canals -.- this time we really dragged down by the huskies, poor Evelyn had to sit on the ground to help herself from having a bath in the canal, the guide managed to give her a hand too! Phew.. our hands were tight with our own huskies too!!! Sobs! I managed to carefully made my way down!! The funniest part is cyndy’s, the first to rush down, the last to come up, got himself so wet, the wettest ones! Lol! This is the real deal of “husky hiking”! Hahaha! 

Huskies drinking water~~

huskies goes drinking~!

Truly tired~~

After the hiking, we signed up for water rafting in the afternoon! It was a leisure kind of rafting!! Hahaha! Not that kind of super exciting with adrenaline, we basically in e lake not river, only a few “woah” moments! Hahaha! 

We didnt take picture during the rafting session, this was after when the van is going to transport the raft back to the store.

This was where our end point was after the rafting, it looks so old school! Everything seems to make of wood and nothing else~

We PASSED!

And we have cert presented to us! After we returned back to the cabin, we went to nua in the eating area again lol! Waiting for dinner to be served! Our long awaiting, REINDEER MEAT! So niceeeeeee!! The best meal! 

It was sooooooooo delicious~!

Tonight we moved out of our wood cabin to PVC plastic dome! Hahaha! No toilet, has to use the public toilet with no cubicles.. erm. Cause it’s linked to the sauna room. Very garun people like Peizhi and cyndy went ahead to bathe after dinner! We went for a northern light workshop to understand about the myths of the light, followed by camp fire with pancakes cooked over the camp fire! Hahaha! Because it was close to midnight, didn’t want to miss the light, decided to go bathe too with Evelyn! Ended up we took turn to bathe, my fastest bathe time! Hahaha! The people there went for skinny dipping at such a cold weather!!! Brr*   

The view from the dome!

I was quite happy they provided us with lots of pillows!

We broke up early for the campfire as the light wasn’t showing~ The resort staff even prepared us a small bottle of champagne! Hahaha!! Since the dome was small with only a bed, not well insulated which was why there’s a fireplace at the side. I got to set up my very first fireplace! Hahaha! It’s not so easy as we saw how the staff did it in the restaurant! First attempt failed, gets better at the 3rd attempt! Peizhi was afraid of being hot, ended up she keep replenish the woods till the whole dome was like an oven!! 

As the dome was facing the lake and about 100m away, it’s kind of scary to get outside alone as compared to our cabin... I gave it a try still! The moment I stepped out with the headlight, a “pro” photographer told to turn off the light, so idiot. I have to find my way in the dark, taking baby steps afraid that I may end up in the lake. 

You could see the purple light right??? We really could see it with our own eyes!

Many stars!!! SO NICE!

The purple light is spreading out and fading away~

Happy that I snapped a few pictures before I was attacked by a monitor lizard as I felt a tail slap on my foot, I fled back to the dome. Decided to go back to our cabin place, took me some time to find my way there in the dark. Don’t know why, that night was extremely frightening to me, I kept hearing the shuffling sounds, didn’t stayed for long and headed back. It took me even longer to go back -.- 

I think outside the cabin has better view~~~ The surrounding of the dome is not as safe, with higher bushes and no proper path... Couldnt dare to stay longer than here!

Daybreak~!

Finally, we kissed goodbye to the resort and flying back to London! Bringing aching self, we felt like half paralysed, every single step we made was just painful. First time get such a severe body ache, some more had it during overseas!!