About the drum, darkness and reinforcing words of tolerance

Something that really spoke to me while visiting Canada, and still returns to my mind almost daily, was the chance to meet some Canadian First Nations people while there. I had not thought about the fact that First Nations are still so strongly represented in Canada, somehow I had associated it more to the U.S. This was a type of reality check to me, when realizing how very Europe-centered my worldview is. North American history is surely mentioned in schools, but often surpassed by European history, especially WW2. We were offered a chance to listen to a First Nations person tell about his life and views of the current situation in Canada. He wore a suit and had a PhD (although he did mention those to be rare within the FN population of almost 700,00 people) and there I was, a naive Finnish girl looking at him and thinking in my mind "he doesn't look any different from any of us". All in all, the trip was filled with such brainfart-thoughts that helped me realize that no matter how tolerant and educated I believe myself to be, I too fall for prejudice and childlish thinking when in a completely new situation. 

When meeting this man had already planted the seed of thought in to my mind, it grew to a young tree when the program continued. We had a sweat lodge scheduled in the program. Back in Finland I had no idea what this meant: by googling it I understood it must be some sort of a sauna - and of course to a Finn who considers sauna to be a almost-holy place and thinks that outside Nordic countries people just don't know how to use a sauna, I had my prejudices ready and set. That afternoon we visited the Manitoba museum and fastforwarded through the regions history. After this, we walked along the snowy Winnipeg streets, shivering in the icy wind, towards the Thunderbird house. We stepped inside the beautiful, circle-shaped house and sat down to wait for our Elder to arrive. I assumed some daily gathering had just ended, since there were plenty of First Nations people outside the building. Some were in better shape, both mentally and physically, some in worse. My initial assumption was that this was a community centre for the First Nations people, and I wasn't far off. We got a message that the lady who was our Elder and hosted the Sweat Lodge Ceremony for us was stuck in traffic and would arrive late. I looked around me and asked a staff member about the four different color flags they attached in the ceiling. When I was going for earth, wind, fire -sort of explanation, I was again surprised as he answered the flags to represent people; all people, with black, white, yellow and red skin. Hearing this made me think, how can a community once hunted and killed to the brink of genocide by westerners be so incredibly tolerant, whereas westerners seem to have learned nothing.

As we still waited, another woman came in, pushing baby strollers. She had an adorable little boy inside them, and she told us she first adopted him 2 weeks ago. As the baby got anxious she asked us if we'd like her to sing for us, as her singing calms the baby. We all nodded, and smiling back to us she disappeared with the baby to one of the rooms. As she came back she had a drum in her hands and a skirt on. I twitched of surprise as she started singing, loud and clear. A language I understood nothing of, song tradition that I recognized only from movies. I watched and listened to her, with the same undisturbed attention her little son gave to her. I wondered what she was singing about, and who had taught her. It was beautiful, new and inspiring.

After a while a beautiful woman with long black hair, Shannon, walked in and greeted us with a calm voice. She explained us about the Sweat Lodge tradition and introduced us to her partner who was one of our firekeepers that evening. We walked outside to a Tipi-type of shelter made of solid wood. The sweat lodge itself was in the middle, and a big fire was burning in front of it. We changed, women were to wear long skirts and shirts, men could go in shorts and shirtless. The basic structure of the sweat was to step inside, one by one, after the Elder had given you a permission. Before crawling inside the dark hut everyone had to throw some tobacco to the fire and think of their own name, this way introducing themselves to the spirits. The sweat lasted altogether about 1,5 hours, with four sessions. There were stones in the fire that were handed inside by the firekeepers for each session, the number of them always representing some specific spirits and given by the Elder.

 After the red, burning hot stones were handed in and placed in the middle of the circle inside the small hut, the door was closed and the only light in the darkness came from the glowing red stones. She talked about different themes with each session, and each session represented a different compass direction, started by east where the sun rises and life begins, ending to west where sun sets and life ends. She sang prayers, drumming; sprinkled herbs  and poured water on the hot stones, we listened in the darkness. None of us quit before the sweat was completed, and everyone seemed to have enjoyed the experience on some level. After the sweat one of the organizers had prepared us a Manitoba-dinner, consisting of local ingredients such as bison meat, wildrise and Saskatoon berry. As Shannon and the firekeepers joined us I thanked her of the experience that had meant a lot to me, and helped me to let go of some things that had been troubling me.

This was an experience I'll remember the rest of my life.

First impressions

To Mark & Nancy, sorry for the wait.

As we arrived in Winnipeg that Friday night I was eager to see how Canada, or even North America  looks like. It sounds stupid, but I really had no expectations or idea what I was about to see. As we drove along multiple highways a relatively short distance from the airport to the hotel, I was staring out of the window hoping to get a grip of what my new surroundings were like. The "highways" themselves were something new to me, and I saw signs with strange company names flashing by me in the dark night. Houses were different, oddly placed right next to the busy streets. Suburbs everywhere; some really nice, some reminded me of tiny white matchbox houses. 

I had been told that as soon as I would get to North America I would notice that people are bigger, on average. The Fast Food Nation of the world surely has given its children some extra baggage, but this wasn't something I noticed in Canada. People weren't that heavy, everyone looked normal to me. Maybe the difference wasn't as striking as it might be when arriving in, say China, where some people would be shorther than myself. And well, it's not like Europeans are all tall, skinny and healthy.

One of the first things that I noticed was that people were very friendly. By this I don't mean that the flight attendant on plane or waitress at a restaurant asked me if I wanted some more coffee extra many times - I mean that people very genuinely friendly, no phoney small talk in Canada. This was something I had never thought about, the nature of Canadian people. Somehow from my European perspective I had assumed Canada to be the northern part of North America, the cool (in both meanings) country straight north from the U.S. In my past I have never really wanted to visit the USA, yet somehow I've created a crush for Canada - this country I apparently knew very little about.

Winnipeg wasn't anything that special as a city (although I did not know this was the city where the famous Winnie the Pooh comes from), but it was a North American city. Everything was just so very different in comparison to all the European cities I've been to. As I walked around downtown I spent my time simply looking at the buildings and the architecture, reading the signs for brands and shops I had never heard of and wondering how can it be possible that I felt more "home" in some Asian city than here. On my way back to the hotel I felt strange joy each time I saw a familiar sign from the bus window, belonging to some big American chain I recognized from a TV show.

Crossing the Atlantic

The journey to Canada was rough. I woke up at 3AM on Friday morning, too anxious to sleep. Hopped into the taxi I shared with two members of the UArctic staff at 5AM, and our flight from Rovaniemi to Helsinki departed at 6AM. In Helsinki we noticed that the connecting flight to Copenhagen had been canceled and hurried to book another one - our transatlantic flight departed from Copenhagen, and we didn't want to miss that one. Fortunately all went well and due to the cancellation we had some time to relax and have breakfast at the Helsinki-Vantaa airport. In Copenhagen the transfer time was shorter, which was a pity: the airport is one of the nicest I've ever seen, and I would've loved to walk around a bit. 

First when boarding the Air Canada flight from Copenhagen to Toronto we started to get excited about the trip, leaving Europe behind. The flight felt really long, and the thought of skipping time zones made me feel tired. I watched some movies (disappointed to the AC movie collection) and stared at the map as we flew over Iceland and Greenland. When approaching Toronto, we filled out the forms for customs and I remembered how nervous these occasions made me on our previous trip to Asia and Australia. Well, that was nothing compared to the North American Customs. The officer asked me all the possible questions and few on top of that, doubting the whole Rectors' Forum even existed. What she seemed to be especially doubtful about was that why on earth would someone from Finland be invited to such event in Canada - and why was it just one student. I got through after showing some additional documents of the existence of the Forum. Our flight had arrived late and there was no way we could've made it to the connecting flight, so we once again needed to wait for a new one. So that things wouldn't get too easy, shortly after we got to our gate there was an announcement saying that our airplane is not coming after all, and a new one will be arranged asap. Of course, this would delay the departure even more. We ended up in a tiny plane filled to the last seat, finally arriving to Winnipeg 3 hours later than originally planned.

After the final flight I was so tired, that I really needed to focus in order to stay awake, walk straight and talk understandable English. One of the staff members who flew with me was born in Winnipeg and knew the town well. He had a rental car ready and waiting for us and he gave me a lift to my hotel. After getting to my room, I turned on the computer to quickly send a message home telling I'm okay. I took a hot shower and waited a while to see if C was still awake in the U.S. and I could tell him too I've arrived. We talked on the phone for a while until I had to give up and go to bed. By this time I had been awake for almost 30 hours in a row, sleep was needed.

Arctic dreams

For some years now I have dreamt of going to Canada. Where this idea came from I have no clue, but now it's about to come true. Ever since I made up my mind with the topic of my Bachelor's thesis I've been an arctic enthusiast. Now when I'm supposed to be writing my Master's thesis the academic flow is somehow missing, but I could still go on and on about what interests me in my topic: the cultural definition of arctic. It is this enthusiasm that gave me the opportunity to travel again. This makes the record of the year: year 2012 I've traveled to 5 new countries and a couple of new continents too.

The University of the Arctic arranges an event called Rectors' Forum each year, this time in Manitoba, Canada. In this forum the heads of the member institutes gather together to discuss about the current issues and the future of the Arctic region. This is the third year when each institute can also name a student representative to participate in a Student Forum organized alongside the main event. I was crazy nervous about this, couldn't sleep at night trying to figure out the best way to present myself in order to get the place. It was an open application round and the Student Union of the University of Lapland made the final choice. When I got the call I played cool, asked how many applications they had received altogether (5) and politely chitchatted with the lady for a while. After this, I jumped, screamed and laughed of joy, called C and my family and started googling info about Winnipeg. The following night I thought I could finally sleep well, but now stayed awake getting increasingly anxious about the trip.

Now the trip is few weeks away. I'll depart for Winnipeg with some UArctic staff from Rovaniemi on the 9th of November, happily skipping timezones and stopping in multiple cities. We leave early on Friday morning and fly first to Helsinki, then Copenhagen, Toronto and finally reach Winnipeg early in the evening, local time. My helpless body will still be in Finnish time, 2AM. We arrive early as the program starts with a dinner on Saturday evening, so I have a day to myself to explore the city of Winnipeg. The Student Forum program includes hiking and riding horses, going to museums and even bedtime stories. We'll start heading back to Finland after the week is done, on the 16th. I can't wait.

About love, life and goals

I met up with a friend of mine yesterday to help her set up her exhibition. While measuring the right distances between the pictures and adjusting the light I mumbled that I have always wanted to study photography and maybe someday have an exhibition of my own. She catched me saying it, told me to repeat myself louder and then simply asked "Well what's holding you back?". This started a series of conversations about life, the choices we make and fears we have. We ended up spending the whole evening talking about the topic, and when I finally got home at 2AM and we parted ways, she made me promise to do something about this thought of mine. What is really holding me back? I can easily come up with excuses such as lack of time and money. I found her example of people magically being able find more time to do things they really want brilliant: "Imagine a person in love. No matter how full the calendar might be, a person in love always seems to find time for the person s/he loves." It's as simple as that. Instead of dreaming of these things I love, I should start doing things I love.

My friend is a musician, who also studies arts. We happened to run into a friend of hers; an actor. We began to discuss about passion and talent, whether people such as musicians or professional dancers are just talented in their field of work or also passionate about what they are doing. They convinced me thinking that it doesn't always go hand in hand, usually the passion of doing something is elsewhere once it becomes work. At some point people just have to wake up to realize that the life they're living is the only one they get. There's no point sitting at home planning a perfect life for yourself, without realizing that this is your life you are living already. If your life consists of doing things you don't like or spending time with  people who don't understand you, why do it? I don't mean that people should get even more lazy or ignorant, but that they should realize they're not getting a second try in life. Do the opposite: try everything that interests you and be open to people, also the ones that are different from yourself. Maybe they don't understand you or you don't understand them, but you can probably still learn something.

I have had things I've been passionate about. I love photography and music means a lot to me. I have always dreamt of studying music and taking singing lessons. C always tells me he would like me to find a profession where I could combine being with children and animals, things that make me happy. But when I think of my biggest dreams, I realize that traveling to New Zealand was one of them. I remember once saying to my sister that after I've managed to do this trip I can settle down. This was years ago, and I now have new dreams and goals that push me to move forward. It was foolish to think that things I do and decisions I make are so final. But it really was a big dream that came true, and somehow I managed to find time and money to do it as well. So why I couldn't I do the things I love, when I don't even have to travel to the other side of the world to do them? What's holding me back? Is it the people around me, is it time or money - or could it just be my own silly self? I think it's time for me to stop dreaming and start living.

Paluu / Returning home

Paluu Suomeen on ollut melkoinen koettelemus. Heti Helsinki-Vantaalla hajosi rinkan etuvetskari, C piti hyvästellä hänen jatkaessa matkaansa Rovaniemelle ja illemmalla siskon luona havaitsin sairastuneeni. Tautia paranneltiin niin Vantaalla kuin Oulunsalossakin asuvien siskojen luona, samalla reissusta kertoen ja kotosuomen parhaasta annista nauttien. Ratsastusta Klaukkalan heinäpelloilla siskon suomenhevon selässä, aurinkoisia kesäpäiviä ja vaellusta Hossan maisemissa. Koko ajan mielessä kummitteli kuitenkin Ahdistus, kaikki oli niin mahdottoman tutun näköistä. Palatessa pitemmältä reissulta tai oleskelulta ulkomailla, jonkinmoinen paluuahdistus kuuluneekin asiaan. Nyt matkan sisältö kuitenkin oli niin hurjan kattava, yllättävä ja ajoittain uskomatonkin, että Suomen tutut peltomaisemat, yöttömän yön viimeiset rippeet ja ympärillä puhuttava kieli tuntuivat kestämättömiltä - olen nähnyt, kokenut ja kuullut kaiken tämän ennenkin.

Sukulaisissa kiertely huipentui Vaalassa isoäitini luona vietettyyn viikonloppuun. Tämä oli elokuuni kohokohta, jota olin oikeasti odottanutkin. Perhettä yhteen tuonut vanhan saunan ja pirtin remontointi saatettiin loppuun, poimittiin viinimarjoja pensaista ja rentouduttiin. C tuntui nauttivan yhtä lailla kuin minäkin, 2 viikon työputken jälkeen oli mukava vaihtaa maisemaa ja tehdä vaihteeksi fyysistä työtä näyttöpäätteen ääressä istumisen sijaan. 

Marjojen poiminta ja ulkoilu ovat olleet henkireikäni, kun ahdistusta ja stressiä kasaantui joka suunnalta: ei ollut asuntoa, ei töitä, ja opinnotkin vähän mietityttivät. Nyt kun elokuu alkaa lähestyä loppuaan, olen opintoihin jo saanut alkusysäyksen kesäkoulun muodossa, asunnon avaimet sain käteen tänään, ja työhakemuksia on lähetetty sillä tahdilla, ettei kahden käden sormet riitä kaikkia laskemaankaan. Kaikki tuntuu järjestyvän, vaikka näin kauhean väsyneeksi koko prosessi minut tekeekin.

- - - 

Return to Finland has been quite a struggle. As soon as we arrived to Helsinki-Vantaa, the zipper of my backpack broke. Then I had to say goodbye to C who continued his trip straight to Rovaniemi and work. Later that evening at my sister's place I also noticed that I'm getting ill. Recovery took some time, spent both in Vantaa and Oulunsalo, visiting my bigsisters. I showed pictures and told stories of the trip, trying to enjoy what was left of the Finnish summer. I was riding my sisters Finnhorse on vast hayfields, tried to enjoy the few sunny days and went hiking with my other sister and her 8 month old baby. However, all that time my mind was haunted by anxiety, everything was so awfully familiar. When returning from a holiday or longer stay abroad, some sort of return shock or anxiety is probably part of the process: I experienced it when moving back from Berlin too. This time the trip was just so special, surprising and included so many incredible things, that the familiar sceneries; lakes, hayfields and forests, what was left of the nightless summer nights and the all too familiar language people talk around me - it feels unbearable. I've seen, experienced and heard this all before.

Circling around Finland visiting relatives culminated to Vaala last weekend, when we drove down to visit my grandma's house. This was something I actually had waited for, my highlight of August. Dad's project fixing the old sauna building has brought the family together, and finally finishing it called for celebration. We spent the weekend swimming, picking berries, eating well and simply relaxing. I think C enjoyed the visit too, after 2 weeks of work he seemed to prefer some physical work done outside instead of sitting in front of the computer.

Picking berries and spending time outside has been my comfort ever since coming back. Reasons to stress seemed to be gathering from every direction, when I had so flat to return to, no job and I didn't feel too sure about my studies either. Now, when August is soon at its end, I've kickstarted the last year of my studies with an intense summerschool course, received the keys to my flat today and been sending out so many job applications that I've lost track of the amount. I know everything will work out eventually, it just takes some time - and too much of my energy.

Elama pikakelauksella // Fast forward

Kun matkustaa tavoitteenaan nahda mahdollisimman paljon rajoitetussa ajassa, on elama vahan kuin katsoisi elokuvaa pikakelauksella. Aika Uudessa-Seelannissa meni todella nopeaa, mutta voi pojat miten paljon me ehdittiin nahda tuossa kuukaudessa! Ajoittain hektinen tahti aiheutti turhautumista, kun patikointireiteista piti valita aina se lyhimmainen ja paivat piti suunnitella valoisan ajan puitteissa: talvisin aurinko laski jo puoli kuuden maissa, jonka jalkeen koittikin totaalinen pimeys. Mina kyllastyin myos pikaruokaan, kaipasin perunoita ja kotiruokaa. Aina silloin talloin keitettiin perunat ja porkkanat voin kanssa paivalliseksi, hostellin keittiossa tai oman mokin kaasuliedella. Olen koko matkan ajan koettanut kirjata paivien tapahtumat ylos, mutta C:lta faktoja tarkistaessani olen huomannut unohtaneeni joitain kaupunkeja joissa ollaan pysahdytty tai sekoittaneeni tapahtumat ja paikat. Huomasin olevani taysin sekaisin viikonpaivissa, tarkisteltiin paivamaaria toisiltamme aamuisin, samalla kun mietittiin minne asti ehdittaisiin sina paivana.

Yovyttiin monenlaisissa paikoissa: mukaan mahtui keskiluokkaa, todellisia pettymyksia ja ihania yllatyksia. Uuden-Seelannin reissun loppurutistus, Northland, sai aisteja hivelevan paatoksen kun ajettiin Kohukohun pikkukaupunkiin, jossa sijaitsi aivan erityinen hostelli. Tree House on paikka, jossa C vietti jonkin aikaa viimeksi kun oli Uudessa-Seelannissa, 9 vuotta sitten. Paikka oli jaanyt hanelle mieleen aivan erityisena muistona, taloa ymparoiva luonto oli taynna elamaa. Saavuttiin iltapaivasta, oli satanut viimeiset kolme paivaa. Heti kun astuin autosta ulos, olin rakastunut paikkaan. Kaupungin aanet ja ihmiset olivat jossain kaukana muualla, meidat ymparoivat luonnon aanet ja tuoksut. Linnut, solisevat purot ja sadepisarat hedelmapuiden lehdilla. Ilmassa leijui taydellisen raikas, sateen jalkeisen luonnon ja kukkien tuoksu. Olin lumoutunut. Tehtiin ruokaa, syotiin rauhassa ja nauttien. Oltiin ainoat asukkaat, talvisin matkaajia saapuu vahemman. C naytti minulle paikan, missa oli pitanyt telttaansa viime kerralla, ja kuvaili milta kaikki naytti silloin: kesalla. Illalla jutusteltiin kauan aikaa paikan omistajan Paulinen kanssa, joka oli hakeltynyt kuullessaan C:n palanneen, 9 vuoden jalkeen. Kaytiin lapi vieraskirjoja ja loydettiin C:n kirjoitus tuolta visiitilta. Paikan omisti jo iakkaampi pariskunta, joka oli aikanaan tullut Australiasta Uuteen-Seelantiin vain lomalle, mutta paikan nahdessaan paattanyt ostaa sen ja jaada. Nyt toinen heidan jo aikuisista lapsistaan, seka upouusi lapsenlapsi, asuttavat paikkaa myos - ja ymmarran kylla hyvin heidan halunsa jaada. Paikka oli unohtumaton, tuntui kuin olisimme astuneet hetkeksi ulos muun maailman tahdista, rentoutumaan luonnon keskelle.

Kun oli aika jatkaa matkaa Aucklandiin, olimme molemmat hieman alakuloisia. Auckland on taynna elamaa toki sekin: ihmisia, autoja, ostoskeskuksia ja halinaa. Kaipasin takaisin luontoon. Muutaman paivan Aucklandissa vietettyamme kiirehdimme lennolle, joka merkitsi Uuden-Seelannin ajan loppua. Lennon paamaarana oli Singapore, mutta vietimme miltei vuorokauden Melbournessa, Australiassa. Lentokentalla huonosti nukutun yon jalkeen suunnattiin Melbournen keskustaan, jossa pilvenpiirtajat hallitsivat horisonttia ja taide kaikissa muodoissa tuntui olevan olennainen osa kaupunkia. C oli asunut taallakin aikansa, ja tunsi kaupungin hyvin. C naytti minulle lempipaikkojaan ja kaytiin lapi hanen arkipaivansa Melbournessa: ihania smoothieita aamupalaksi, ranskalaisia mango chutneylla isompaan nalkaan ja lounaaksi sushia. Ajeltiin raitiovaunulla ympari kaupunkia ja hypattiin pois Queen Victoria Marketin luona. Pyorittiin markkinoilla jokunen tunti, syotiin herkkuja ruokahalleissa ja ostettiin jokunen Australian tuliainenkin. Bussissa matkalla takaisin lentokentalle olin vasynyt, mutta iloinen, etta tallainenkin kokemus mahtui matkalle mukaan.

Lento Australiasta Singaporeen oli pitka. C sai nukuttua muutaman tunnin, mina taas katsoin kolme elokuvaa ja odotin laskeutumista. Otettiin kentalta taksi jo tutulta tuntuvaan Chinatowniin, ilma oli hiostavan kuuma keskella yotakin. Aikaero Uuteen-Seelantiin ei ole valtaisa, mutta riittava imemaan mehut matkalaisista, kun yot viettaa milloin lentokentan penkilla, milloin koneessa. Vasta tana aamuna herattyani tiesin mika paiva on kyseessa ja olo alkaa olla jotenkuten normaali. Singaporen helle hivelee vartaloa, ihanaa kun ei tarvitse palella, mutta aiheuttaa nain yllattaen myos hieman heikkopaisyytta. Viela muutama laiska paiva lammossa, sitten lennetaan takaisin Suomeen. Kaksi unohtumatonta kuukautta on kulunut.

- - -

When you travel with an aim to see as much as possible in limited time, it almost feels like watching a movie on fast forward. Our time in New Zealand went very fast, but oh the things we saw, in just one month! Sometimes the hectic pace was a bit frustrating, when we always had to pick the shortest hike and plan our days so, that we could see as much as possible while there was some sunlight left: unlike the Finnish summer nights with midnight sun, in NZ winter the sun went down around 5:30PM. I got sick of fast food as well, and missed potatoes and home cooked food. Every now and then we would boil potatoes and carrots and eat them with butter, in the hostel kitchen or on the gas stove of our own little cabin. Throughout the trip I've tried to write down the everyday happenings, but when double-checking some facts from C I noticed that I have forgotten about some entire towns, or mixed happenings and places. I also noticed that I've lost track of weekdays, we would check the dates from each other every morning, while thinking where to head that day.

We stayed in all sorts of places in NZ: some were ok, some truly disappointing and some very pleasant surprises. The final part of our journey in New Zealand, Northland, got a refreshing ending when we headed to the small town of Kohukohu. C had stayed here before, 9 years ago, and knew a very special place offering accommodation. We arrived to The Tree House in the afternoon, it had rained for the past 3 days. I think I fell in love with the place as soon as I stepped out of the car: the sounds of people and traffic were somewhere far away, we were surrounded by the sounds and smells of nature. Birds, the sound of the running water of the streams, raindrops on the leaves of the fruit trees. There was a perfectly fresh scent of pure nature flowing in the air, the intoxicating smell of flowers and green grass just after rain. I was astonished. We cooked food, ate slowly and enjoyed. Since it was the off-season, we were the only visitors that night. C showed me the spot where he had had his tent when he was here last time, 9 years ago, and described how had it all looked back then, in the summertime. In the evening we chatted with the owner of the place, Pauline, who was amazed to hear C had come back after such a long time. We flipped through several guest book pages and managed to find the message C had written back then. The place was owned by an elderly couple, who had come from Australia to New Zealand just for a holiday about 30 years ago, but when they saw the property they decided to buy it and stay. Now their home is shared by one of their son, and also a brand new grandson - and I can understand why. The place was unforgettable, staying there felt like stepping out of the rest of the world for a while, to relax in the nature.

When it was time to continue our journey to Auckland, last stop of NZ, we were both a bit sad. Auckland surely is filled with life too, it's just the other type of it: people, cars, shopping malls and noise. I missed the real nature. After spending few days in Auckland, we rushed to catch a flight that would mark the end of our time in New Zealand. Although our final destination was Singapore, we had a 24-hour layover in Australia, Melbourne. After spending the night (with not much sleep) in the airport, we hopped into a bus and headed to Melbourne city centre. C had lived here too and knew the city fairly well. He showed me his favorite places and I got to experience some of his everyday routines from the time he lived here: super smoothies for breakfast, take-away fries with tasty mango chutney sauce for a bigger hunger and giant sushi for lunch. We drove around town with the free tram and hopped off at the Queen Victoria Market. We walked around the market for some hours, ate yummy foods and bought some Australia souvenirs too. In the bus on our way back to the airport I was extremely tired, but happy to have gained this experience too.

The flight from Australia to Singapore was long. C got some much needed sleep, I again watched 3 movies and anxiously waited for the landing. We took a taxi to already familiar Chinatown, the air was hot and humid even in the middle of the night. The time difference to New Zealand isn't too big, but big enough to suck the juice out of us, especially after the night spent at the airport. It was first this morning that we woke up knowing which day of the week it is, and feeling somewhat normal again. The heat of Singapore feels good in my body, how I love not having to feel cold anymore, but causes some lightheadedness too. Few more lazy days in the warmth, and then we fly back to Finland. It's been two unforgettable months.

Hetkiä // Moments

Sataa sataa ropisee // When it rains

Terveisia Uuden-Seelannin itarannikolta, Fox Glacier jaatikkokaupungista. Itarannikko on tunnettu yhtena maailman sateisimmista paikoista, ja sita se totta tosiaan on. Vetta on tullut viimeiset kolme paivaa, joka on onneksemme sulattanut jaiset vuoristotiet, mutta myos lannistanut matkaajat kun patikointi sateessa ei innosta. Suunnitelmat muuttuivat auton suhteen kun tarkistettiin etelan lampotilat, ja matkailupakun sijaan otettiinkin alle henkiloauto. Jatketaan itarannikkoa ylospain kunhan ollaan kayty ihmettelemassa jaatikoita, seka Fox etta Franz Josef ovat nahtavissa pienen patikoinnin paatteeksi. Keskiviikoksi suunnataan takaisin Christchurchiin Old Countryhouse hostelliin, nautitaan saunasta ja kuumasta kylvysta, ja torstaina jatetaan etela taaksemme kun lennetaan Aucklandiin.


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Greetings from the East Coast of New Zealand, one of the wettest places in the world. And it sure has been wet, it's been raining for the past 3 days. Fortunately the rain has melted the icy mountain roads we've had to drive, but it's a wee bit depressing too, who wants to hike in the pouring rain. We changed our minds about the campervan too, after checking the weather forecast for south, and decided to go with a regular car. We'll continue to go up the East Coast after we have checked the glaciers: we're now in the small township of Fox Glacier, and Franz Josef isn't far away from here. On Wednesday we'll be back in Christchurch to enjoy the sauna and spa pool of Old Countryhouse once more before we leave the south and fly back to Auckland.

Varistyksia // Trembles

Pohjoinen osa Uutta-Seelantia kaytiin lapi varsin tehokkaasti, vajaassa viikossa. Aucklandissa otettiin auto alle ja katsastettiin Coromandelin alue, sitten Rotoruan kautta ajettiin kohti etelaa ja Wellingtonia itarannikkoa pitkin. Sateisen Napierin, mustan merenrannan ja maanjaristyksen jalkeen edessa oli pitempi ajomatka aina Wellingtoniin asti, jossa paiva kului Uuden-Seelannin kansallismuseossa, Te Papassa. Kun torstaina aamuvarhain ajettiin autolautalle koetettiin kuumeisesti miettia mita tehtaisiin etelassa. Lautalla yritettiin nukkua jonkin verran, Chris heratti minut katsomaan kun lahestyttiin Uuden-Seelannin etelaista osaa: maisemat olivat varsin jylhat noilla yksinaisilla saarilla ennen mannerta. Nahtiin muutama delfiinikin lautan rinnalla uimassa!

Lautta saapui Pictoniin, josta jatkettiin matkaa suorinta tieta kohti Kaikouraa, valaiden bongauksesta kuuluisaa kaupunkia. Yovyttiin vain yksi yo hostellissa, illalla katseltiin tahtitaivasta takapihan kuumasta paljusta. Paatettiin jattaa valaat valiin, veneretkia jarjestaa yksi ja ainoa yritys, ja hinnat ovat sen mukaiset. Kaytiin kuitenkin ihmettelemassa Uuden-Seelannin hylkeita niemekkeessa, jossa ne lepaavat paivat, kun ovat ensin uineet yot. Seuraavaksi vuorossa oli Christchurch. En tiennyt mita odottaa talta kaupungilta, jota helmikuussa 2011 koetteli voimakas maanjaristys - sama, joka pian taman jalkeen nostatti tsunamin Japanin rannikolle. Eika kaupunki tosiaan ole viela paassyt aivan jaloilleen. Hostellin loytaminen tuntui toivottomalta, kun joka toinen katu oli suljettu purkutoiden vuoksi. Hostellin saksalaisen omistajan mukaan tuhoutuneita rakennuksia puretaan yha, eika valmiiden rakennusten toimistotiloille ole juurikaan ottajia. Iso maara jaristyksessa kotinsa menettaneista ihmisista on muuttanut muualle. Uudistustoiden pitaisi talla vauhdilla valmistua noin 14 vuoden kuluttua. Kun eilen hostellin keittiossa istuessani kattilat ja pannut alkoivat taas heilua, en ihmettele miksi koko elamansa menettaneet ihmiset muuttivat pois. Kuka tietaa kuinka saannollisiksi isot jaristykset tulevaisuudessa tulevat, kun pienet ovat arkipaivaa? Minua lahinna ihmetyttaa se, miten ihmiset uskaltavat asua taalla. Tottakai kaikkeen tottuu, kaikesta tulee arkipaivaista ajan kanssa, mutta tassa tapauksessa riski on hieman normaalia suurempi. 

Tanaan tehtiin perusteellinen kavelykierros ympari Christchurchia. Nahtiin kokonaisia katuja, joissa jokainen talo oli pimeana ja ulkopuolella oli ilmoitus talon purkamisesta. Keskustan ostoskatu oli taysin tuhoutunut, kokonaisia tontteja aivan tyhjillaan, aivan kaupungin ydinkeskustassa. Illat ovat taalla jo totisesti kylmia, mutta paivat kauniita ja aurinkoisia. Hostellimme puutarhasta loytyy talven kylmaan jotain luksusta, kuuma 'spa pool' palju ja sauna. Koetetaan paasta loylyihin jos joka ilta lammosta ja oluesta nauttivat irlantilaiset jossain vaiheessa kyllastyvat.

Huomenna olisi tarkoitus ottaa alle seuraava vuokra-auto, tanaan luovuttiin farmaristamme. Aluksi ajateltiin etelan talven olevan niin kylma, ettei autossa nukkuminen tulisi kyseeseen, mutta saatiin hyva tarjous matkailukayttoon muutetusta pakusta ja paatettiin ottaa se. Makuupussit, auton mukana tulevat peitot ja tyynyt ja kenties viela lisapeitto pitavat meidat varmasti tarpeeksi lampimina. Liikutaan kohti etelaa lumitilanteen mukaan, suuntana etelan Fiordland eli vuonot ja kenties niiden ylapuolella olevat jaatikotkin. Aikaa talle seikkailulle on 10 paivaa, aina 18. paivaan asti jolloin tullaan takaisin Christchurchiin. Taalta lennetaan taas pohjoiseen, Aucklandiin, 19. paiva, jolloin meille jaa viela muutama paiva aikaa katsella paikkoja aivan Uuden-Seelannin pohjoisimmassa karjessa - ennen paluulentoa Singaporeen.

- - - 

We went through the northern part of New Zealand pretty efficiently, in less than a week. In Auckland we got the car, drove through Coromandel peninsula, made a flu-stop in Rotorua and headed down towards Wellington along the east coast. After Napier, its black stone beaches and the earthquake, we had a longer drive ahead of us, all the way to Wellington where we spent the day in Te Papa, New Zealand's national museum. Early on Thursday morning we drove to the ferry that would take us to South Island. Chris took me out on the observation deck to see the amazing views right when we entered the sound. We even saw some Hector dolphins swimming alongside the ferry!

Our ferry arrived in Picton, where we continued straight towards Kaikoura, city famous of its whale watching possibilities. We stayed just for one night, enjoying the hot pool spa on the backyard of our hostel. We decided not to invest on the whale cruise, there’s only one company doing the tours - and the prices are rather high. Next stop was in Christchurch. I didn't quite know what to expect of this city, that in February 2011 went through a major earthquake - the same one, that later on created the tsunami reaching the coast of Japan. And the city truly is still recovering from the quake. Finding the hostel seemed like a desperate call when every other road was closed due to demolishing works. According to the owner of the hostel, most of the buildings are still demolished and only few rebuilt, and there aren't too many eager people to take the office spaces from the renovated buildings. Continuing this way, the rebuilding should be finished in just about 14 years. When yesterday the pots and pans started shaking again while I was sitting in the hostel kitchen, I understood very well why the people who lost their homes left the city, maybe even the country for good. Who knows what the future brings, how soon the big quakes become everyday life, like the smaller ones are now.

Today we did a walking tour through the city, saw whole blocks with empty houses, "to be demolished" signs outside. What used to be the shopping street in the city centre was now just ruins surrounded by fences. Nights are getting seriously cold down here, although the days are still nice and sunny. Our hostel garden offers a relief for the cold evenings: a hot spa pool and a sauna. We'll try to get in to the steamy heaven, if the warmth and beer loving Irishmen get bored of it at some point.

Tomorrow we're planning to get our next rental car, since today we said farewell to the one that got us here. At first we assumed the southern winter to be too cold for car camping, but since people seem to be doing it down south too and we got a good offer, we decided to go for it. Instead of a regular car, we're taking a camper van with double bed, gas cooker and solar shower. I'm sure we'll stay warm enough with our sleeping bags, the pillows and blankets that come with the car and maybe one more  extra blanket. We'll move towards south, to the Fiordland and maybe the glacier too. We have 10 days reserved for this adventure, on the 18th we'll be back in Christchurch for one night, and on the 19th we fly back north, to Auckland, again. That gives us couple more days to explore the northernmost parts of New Zealand before our flight to Singapore.

Maa tarisee // Earth shaking

Koettiin jannityksen hetkia kun maa alkoi jarista hostellissa. Tarkistettiin netista maanjaristyksen voimakkuus, kartan mukaan oltiin asteikolla 5-6. Jaristys meni ohi kuitenkin melko pian ja oli huomattavasti 6-tasoa lievempi: jaristyksen tunsi, lasit helisivat hyllyssa ja vaihdettiin huolestuneita katseita asukkaiden kanssa. Jaristyskeskuksen nettisivujen mukaan tilanne lieventyi kuitenkin saman tien, nyt ollaan jo takaisin 0-3 tasolla.


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We had some exciting moments when the earth started shaking some time ago here in Napier. We checked the quake information online and it showed to range from 5 to 6, although felt much milder. We could still feel it, glasses were clinking and we exchanged some worried looks with the fellow residents. According to the earthquake center website the activity settled already, and now we're back to the normal, 0-3 level.

North Island in pictures

Our sweet ride, Fast n' Funky Harriet

Hello New Zealand! Coromandel peninsula drive views

Waterfall

Cathedral Cove

Cathedral Cove

Rotorua, nearby public park - looked like the only
thing missing were dinosaurs

Thermal pools 

Not much down there

Shots from the thermal park

Lake Rotorua

Natural Mud Pools

Lake Taupo & the mountains

Me & black beach of Napier

Lovely cafe & photo gallery we found by chance, Napier

I like the operating hours

They delivered orders counting on their porcelain friends,
instead of table numbers

Delicious lamb soup & chocolate brioche

Uusi-Seelanti // New Zealand

Lyhyt paivitys Napierista, itarannikon viinialueelta. Kaikki on hyvin, minulle heti tanne paastyamme iskenyt flunssa alkaa jo lieventya. Uuden-Seelannin talvi on kylma mutta kaunis. Chris on osoittautunut erinomaiseksi kuskiksi naidenkin nurinkurisessa liikenteessa. Huomenna matka jatkuu Wellingtoniin ja torstaina lautalla etelaiselle saarelle.


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Short update from Napier, the coastal city of east coast wine area. All is well, my NZ flu is getting better. Winter down here is surely cold, but beautiful. Chris has shown he is a rather good driver in this backwards land where they drive on the wrong side of the road. Tomorrow the trip continues to Wellington, on Thursday we take a ferry to the probably frozen South Island.

Matka jatkuu // The journey continues

Tanaan, noin kolmen tunnin kuluttua, noustaan jalleen koneeseen, pitkalle lennolle. Ensimmainen pysahdys on keskiyolla Australiassa, Brisbanessa: 7 tunnin valipysahdys ja epatoivoista unen tavoittelua lentokentalla. Australian aamunkoitteessa matka jatkuu, ja perilla Uudessa-Seelannissa ollaan iltapaivasta paikallista aikaa. Yovytaan lentokentan laheisyydessa ensimmainen yo ja aamulla hypataan vuokra-auton rattiin. Ei olla viela aivan varmoja suunnataanko suorilta etelaan vai pyoritaanko hetki pohjois-saarella ensin. Saaoloista sen verran, etta Uuden-Seelannin talvi nayttaisi olevan pohjois-saarella sellaista maksimissaan +15 astetta, etelassa taas hytistaan alle kymmenen asteen lukemissa. Shortsit ja kesahepeneet on pakattu laukun pohjalle, villasukat ja kuorivaatteet on nostettu paallimmaiseksi. Tervetuloa keskikesan talvi!

- - - 

Today, in about three hours, we hop on another airplane, for a long flight. Our first stop is around midnight in Brisbane, Australia: 7hr layover and desperate search for sleep. At dawn the journey continues and we'll reach New Zealand in the afternoon. We're gonna spend the first night in a hostel nearby the airport, and in the morning pick up our rental car. The destination after that is still unknown, we're not yet sure whether we'll head straight to South Island or spend some time in North first. The weather conditions of the New Zealand winter are quite chilly: in the northern part it's the maximum of 15 degrees Celsius, in south it's just few degrees above zero. Shorts and other summer clothes are packed to the very bottom of our backpacks, woollen socks and waterproof clothing are now on the top. Welcome, midsummer winter!

Terveisia paratiisista // Greetings from paradise

Vietetaan toiseksi viimeista iltaa Tiomanilla, Tekekin pikkukaupungissa. Tanaan saa on ollut hieman myrskyisa, muina paivina aurinko on hellinyt meita. Tultiin juuri snorklaamasta, harjoittelua huomista snorkalusreissua varten. Eilen patikoitiin lapi viidakon saaren toiselle puolelle, Juaraan. Siella etelainen kiinanmeri oli myrskyisampi, vilvoittava tuuli puhalsi koko ajan. Kaytiin uimassa ja hengahdettiin hetki, viidakkopatikointi ei ole mitaan kovin kevytta hommaa. Syotiin hetki evaita, ennen kuin jatkettiin matkaa kohti Juaran rannikon toisessa paassa sijaitsevaa merikilpikonnien suojeluyhdistyksen paamajaa. Paikka oli hieno, taysin vapaaehtoisvoimin pyoriva keskus. Katseltuamme hetken ymparillemme paastiin tapaamaan keskuksessa asuva vihrea merikilpikonna Jo, joka syntyi sokeana eika olisi parjannyt luonnossa. 

Ollaan nahty valtavia liskoja ja kamalaa metelia pitavia lepakoita, viidakossa vastaan tuli pienempia liitoliskoja, lintuja, oravia ja apinoita, sammakoita, kaloja ja hyonteisia. Asuinpaikkamme, Samudra Swiss Cottage on upea paikka, henkilokunta on ystavallista ja meininki varsin rento. Jokapuolella on kissoja, minulla on jo oma lellikkini kissanpoikasista. Chaletit ovat upeita, sveitsilais-malesialaisen omistajan maalausten koristamia. Minulla on aika haikea mieli lahdon suhteen, miksi ihmeessa haluaisin lahtea tallaisesta paratiisista koleaan Uuteen-Seelantiin? C puolestaan vain totesi tietavansa jo nyt, etta tulee palaamaan tanne uudestaan.

- - - 

We're spending our second to last evening in paradise called Tioman island, in the small town of Tekek. Today the weather got a bit stormy, but otherwise we've been enjoying the sun and sea. We just got back from snorkeling, practice for our snorkeling trip tomorrow morning. Yesterday we hiked through the jungle to the other side of the island, Juara. There the South China Sea greeted us with big waves and a cooling wind blew all the time. We took a swim after the long hike and ate the snacks we brought with us, jungle trekking isn't the lightest activity one can come up with. We continued towards the other end of Juara beach line, to the Juara Turtle Project head courters. It was a nice place, volunteer-based centre for sea turtle conservation here in Tioman. After we looked around a bit we got to meet Jo, a green sea turtle who was born completely blind. She couldn't have survived in the ocean with no sight whatsoever and therefore lives in the conservation centre.  

We've seen other creatures too. Massive monitor lizards and fruit bats making horrible noise, smaller lizards, birds, jungle squirrels and monkeys, frogs, fish, and lots of exotic insects. The place we're staying, Samudra Swiss Cottage is amazing, staff is nice and atmosphere real mellow. There's also cats everywhere, I've already found my favorite one of the kittens. The chalets are great, decorated with paintings done by the swiss-malaysian owner. I feel sad already having to leave this paradise for winter in New Zealand. C again says that he knows he'll be back one day.

Malesia kuvina // Malaysia through my eyes

Kiireista lomailua // All the things we've done!

KESKIVIIKKO // WEDNESDAY

Tiistaina tehdyn elefanttisafarin jalkeen elama muuttui varsin hektiseksi. Matkatoimiston pomo tykastyi C:iin niin kovin, etta yhtakkia meilla olikin kalenteri buukattu tayteen erilaisia reissuja. Keskiviikkona lahdettiin aamuvarhain kohti Malesian hallinnollista keskusta, Putrajayaa. Ajatus siita, etta pitaisi herata ennen auringonnousua ihan vaan hallinnollisia rakennuksia katselemaan ei herattanyt suurta suosiota, mutta niin sita vaan reippaasti noustiin ylos ja hypattiin pakuun. Ja onneksi hypattiin; paikka nimittain oli jotain aivan uskomatonta. Tavalliset hallintorakennukset kalpenevat Malesian vastaavien rinnalla, taalla maan hallinto kun on rakentanut valtaelimille oman taydellisen kaupunkinsa. Rakennukset olivat hammastyttavia, jotkut maamerkit muistuttivat erehdyttavan paljon kaltaisiaan muissa maissa: ja oppaamme kertoikin Malesian hallituksen haikailematta kopioineen muun muassa Taj Mahalin kupolin, Lontoon kuuluisan London Bridgen, seka Sydney Harbourin ja Golden Gaten sillat. Kaupunki oli todella siisti, eika kaduilla juuri nakynyt ihmisia. Hallinto koostui paaosin islaminuskon kannattajista, ja hallituksen moskeijassa vieraillessamme, kaapuun verhoutuneena mietin millainen tulevaisuus Malesialla on, jos sen hallinnollinen paakaupunki on tallainen, todella epatodellinen paikka. Malesiassa politiikka hyppii muutenkin silmille, kun vaalit ovat taas lahestymassa. Ollaan retkillamme opittu jo kahden suurimman puolueen, demokraattien ja islamislaisoikeiston liput ja puolueen historia, kiitos loistavan oppaamme.

Keskiviikon ohjelma ei paattynyt Putrajayaan (jonka vieresta muuten loytyy Malesian oma teknologiakeskus tai Silicon Valley, nimeltaan Cyberjaya), vaan jatkettiin saman tien kohti illan tulikarpas-safaria. Ensin kaarrettiin suosittuun puistoalueeseen, jolla asui varsin ystavallinen apinalauma. Ruokittiin ahneita apionoita jonkin aikaa ja jatkettiin matkaa kohti jokea ja tulikarpasia. Koska saatiin erityiskohtelua firman pomolta, myos oppaamme piti huolen, etta saimme nahda ja kokea kaiken mita vain halusimme. Kun mainitsin haluavani kokeilla paikallisia ruokia, perui oppaamme ravintolavarauksemme, ja kaarsi paikallisen pikkukylan ravintolaan. Kokeilimme makeaa, mustaa teeta maidolla jota paikalliset juovat koko ajan, vuorokaudenajasta huolimatta. Soimme useammanlaisia paikallisia ruokia, joiden malajinkielisia nimia en muista, mutta herkuksi osoittautui leipa, jota kastettiin eri currykastikkeisiin. Kun vihdoin paastiin satamaan, josta venekyytimme tulikarpasten luo lahti, olin onnellinen tasta ruokalistan vaihdoksesta: ravintola oli kovan luokan seafood-paikka, taynna akvaarioita, joiden sisalla ui, kellui ja ryomi jos minkalaisia vedenelavia.

Veneajelu kesti noin puoli tuntia, mina, C ja meluisa kiinalaisryhma pimealla joella, vielakin hiostavan lampimana iltana. Katselin taivaalla kirkkaasti loistavia tahtia, ja mietin kuinka kaikki meidan yhteiset tutut katsovat tuota samaa taivasta - ja olin onnellinen, etta olen paassyt lahtemaan tallaiseen seikkailuun. Tulikarpaset loytyivat melko helposti, tuli aivan joulu mieleen kun ne valaisivat joen pengerta reunustavat puut ja pensaat. Ajeltiin veneella takaisin satamaan ja hypattiin jalleen pakuun. Nukahdettiin kotimatkalla, ja kun herattiin juuri ennen Kuala Lumpuria ilmoitti oppaamme, etta nyt lahdetaan etsimaan meille Laksaa, herkullista kookospohjaista currya. Mahat taynna ja vasyneina palattiin hostellille puolenyon aikaan.


- - -


After the elephant tour we did on Tuesday life got a bit hectic. The tour company owner grew to like C so much, that all of a sudden we had our calendar full with different tours and places to go. Early Wednesday morning we headed to the governmental centre of Malaysia, Putrajaya. The thought that I should wake up before sunrise just to see some government buildings didn't sound too intriguing, but somehow I found myself in the van anyway. And it actually turned out to be a very good call: that place was just unbelievable. "Normal" government buildings are nothing compared to the Malaysian

ones. Instead of having the buildings in Kuala Lumpur, they have built their own dream city outside the capital. Everything is brand new, clean and polished. There's not too many people to be seen on the streets, since only the government employees live there (and get housing + a nice car with the job). It's also strictly islamic area, which was interesting to hear. According to our guide the government of Malaysia has changed throughout the past years to less liberal and more islamic direction. It's quite interesting to see what kind of changes will follow in future years, if this is the direction the country is going. Some of the fancy buildings of Putrajaya also looked kinda familiar, and no wonder: they have copied some famous landmarks around the world, e.g. the Taj Mahal dome, Golden Gate bridge, London Bridge and Sydney Harbour bridge. "Yes, Malaysian government copyright", our guide ironically commented.

Wednesday's programme didn't end to Putrajaya (right next to it you can also find the Silicon Valley of Malaysia, Cyberjaya) since we continued to our next tour straight away. We had a firefly tour booked for the night and on our way there we stopped to feed some greedy yet friendly silver monkeys. Since we were treated as special guests our amazing Indian guide Balan really did his best to get us all we wanted. When I mentioned that I'd like to try some local food, he immediately canceled our seafood restaurant booking that normally comes with the tour, and took us to a local restaurant to introduce us some specialities like stretch tea and different local curries. When we finally reached the dock where our boat to the fireflies departed, I was happy about the change of menu: the restaurant where we were supposed to have dinner was a hardcore seafood place, with all sorts of creepy crawlies in massive fishtanks. Since neither of us really likes seafood we set off rather relieved.

The boat ride lasted about half an hour. It was me, C and a noisy group of Chinese people in the dark night. I was looking at the stars twinkling real bright in the sky and thought about all the people we know, in different parts of the world, maybe looking at that exact same sky - and felt happy to be on this amazing adventure. We found the fireflies pretty soon, it almost felt like Christmas watching the bushes and trees all lightened up. It was all new to me, we don't have such things in the cold north. After the boat trip we drove back to KL. We both fell asleep and woke up to our guide happily announcing that now we're off to find some Curry Laksa (another food I had mentioned earlier) for us. Stomachs full with yummy food and tired we returned to our hostel around midnight.

TORSTAI // THURSDAY

Torstaina oli taas aikainen heratys, talla kertaa retkelle josta oltiin jo valmiiksi innoissamme. Cameron Highlands on pohjoisemmassa ja vuoristoisemmassa osassa Malesiaa, ja alueen laaksoissa viljellaan kaikkea mahdollista. Paanahtavyys on BOH (Best of Highlands, tietenkin) teeplantaasi, hehtaaritolkulla kukkulaa ja laaksoa taynna ihanan tuoksuisia teeviljelmia. Plantaasin perusti aikanaan brittilainen miekkonen,  tuo kansa kun on tunnettu fanaattisuudestaan teehen. Vierailtiin sisalla tee-tehtaassa ja nahtiin kaikki teenvalmistuksen eri vaiheet. Kun kierros oli ohi, naispuolinen, intialaistaustainen oppaamme kysyi minulta mista olen kotoisin, kuinka vanha olen ja olenko naimisissa. Hammentyneena vastasin kysymyksiin, nainen vastasi tahan hymyillen ja nyokaten. C:n mukaan oppaalla oli varmasti naimaikainen veli, jolle etsittiin rikasta valkoista vaimoa. Lisaksi kavuttiin yhden kukkulan huipulle, ihailtiin maisemia ja nautittiin vilpoisesta tuulesta, Kuala Lumpurin hiostavan helteen jalkeen. Talla reissulla kaytiin myos mehilais- ja mansikkafarmilla, kaktusmyymalassa ja pikkukaupungin markkinoilla. Matkan varrella oli myos Malesian alkuperaisasukkaiden kylapahanen, jossa pysahdyttiin ja tavattiin paikalliset. Eras heimon miehista opetti meita ampumaan bambusta valmistetulla puhallusaseella, osuin heti ensi yrityksella maalitauluna roikkuvaan nallekarhuun. Mies naytti meille viidakosta pelastamaansa viikon ikaista apinanpoikasta, jonka emo oli kuollut ja jota mies nyt ruokki ja hoiti. Naiden ihmisten koteihin mennessa olo oli epamukava ja tunkeileva, yritettiin jaada ulos, mutta meidat tultiin kadesta pitaen hakemaan. Onneksi oppaamme kuitenkin kertoi heimolle maksettavan tasta hyvasta.


- - -


On Thursday we had another early wake, this time to go on a trip we were already excited about. Cameron Highlands is a place north from KL with hills and cooler climate, allowing the locals to plant just about anything there. The main attraction of Cameron Highlands is also known by name BOH (Best of Highlands, of course), extensive tea plantations. The smell of fresh tea was stunning when we hopped out of the van! The plantations and company was founded by an Englishman some good years ago, the British are sure well known for their fanaticism to tea. We visited the tea factory and saw all the stages of quality tea producing. After the tour was over, the Indian female BOH guide of ours asked me where I'm from, how old am I and whether I'm married or not. A little confused I answered the questions, she nodded and smiled. According to C the woman without a doubt has a brother in search for a nice little wife, if rich, white or European, even better.

The Cameron Highlands trip took us also to a strawberry farm, bee farm, cactus shop and the afternoon market of a local hill village. Along the way we stopped in a Orang Asli village too, where some of the aboriginals of Malaysia live. One of the tribe men taught us to use the bamboo blowpipe they use for hunting - I hit the goal, a rugged teddybear, on my first try. The man also showed us a tiny monkey baby he rescued from the jungle after its mother had died. That little thing was only one week old, and so adorable we just wished to take it with us. Visiting the homes of these people felt quite uncomfortable and intruding, we even tried to stay outside but our guide insisted us to come and see. Fortunately they at least pay the tribe some money for this.

PERJANTAI // FRIDAY

Kun torstaista oltiin selvitty ja iltamyohalla paastiin takaisin hostellille, piti alkaa pakkaamaan laukkuja seuraavaa safaria varten. Kevytta ja hyttysenkestavaa, patikointivermeet ja uimapuvut. Viikon kruunasi kolmen paivan ja kahden yon reissu Taman Negaran viidakkoon, Malesian kansallispuistoon. Kolme tuntia bussissa, jonka hurjassa vuoristorata-kyydissa pelkasin menettavani henkeni; ja kolme tuntia viidakkojoella kalastusveneessa, jonka kyyti oli ihanan tasaista ja maisemat huikeita. Perilla meita kohdeltiin kuin parempaakin vakea, firman pomo oli informoinut henkilokuntaansa hanen erityisvieraansa (C) saapumisesta. Saatiin kyyti jeepin perassa hotellille, levattiin hetki ja lahdettiin joen rantaan illallistamaan. Viidakkokaupungiksi Taman Negaran alueella oli aika paljon majotustilaa ja kelluvia ravintoloita, mutta meininki oli viidakon mukainen.

Ensimmaisena iltana kaytiin oisella viidakkokavelylla oppaan ja taskulamppujen kera. Rapsuttelin kesyyntynytta, jattimaista tapiiria toimiston pihassa, ja itse kavelylla nahtiin monenmoisia hyonteisia, kaarme, tarantella, skorpioni ja sambapeuroja. Lauantai oli viela kiireisempi: aamulla mentiin ensin Canopy Walkwaylle, koysiratasillalle viidakon siimekseen. Onnekseni osa radasta oli suljettu korjaustoiden vuoksi, minulle 35metrin korkeus heiluvalla koysiradalla oli tarpeeksi jo sekin. Radan jalkeen patikoimme ryhman kanssa sen metsaalueen korkeimmille huipuille. Nakoalapaikat itsessaan eivat olleet kovin korkealla ja saakin oli vahan sumuinen, joten maisemat eivat olleet niin upeat kuin kirkkaalla taivaalla. Mutta itse patikointi oli palkitsevaa, joskin todella raskasta. Koko matka oli jyrkkaa ja juurakkoista nousua, joistain kohdista selvisi vain liaaneista kiinni pitamalla. Huipulle asti patikoi myos kaksi pienta intilalaista lasta, ihmeteltiin koko ryhman voimin heidan sisukkuuttaan. Kun viidakosta oltiin palattu, oli seuraavaksi vuorossa kosteampaa menoa, eraanlaista koskenlaskua pitkalla puisella kalastusveneella. Tassa aktiviteetissa kastuminen oli varmaa, kun vene keikkui ja heilui koskien aalloissa. Jokivesi oli kuitenkin niin lamminta, etta roiskeet olivat tervetulleita ja jokiajelu todella hauska. Vierailtiin viidakon oman heimon leirissa, joka oli samaa alkuperaa Cameron Highlandsin alkuperaiskansan kanssa, vaikka kieli ja metsastysvalineet olivatkin hieman erilaiset. 

Illaksi meille suositeltiin viela yhta erityisen jannittavaa aktiviteettia, yollista viidakkosafaria nelivetoisen maasturin kyydissa. Tartuttiin tarjoukseen, ja puoli yhdeksalta illalla hypattiin auton lavalle. Koska safarille oli halukkaita tulijoita riittamiin, eivat kaikki mahtuneet lavalle. Katolla istui toinen oppaista, jonka tehtava oli valaista lampulla puita ja maastoa, elaimia etsien. Mina, C ja eras hollantilaismies hypattiin pyydettaessa mekin sinne auton katolle, siella oli patjat ja kaikki optimaalista viidakkosafaria varten. Ja mita kaikkea me nahtiin? Kun aiemmin tekemamme viidakkokavely oli lahinna hyonteisten nakemista, oli tama safari pikemminkin elainten etsimista. En ollut uskoa silmiani, kun pian asutusalueen ulkopuolelle paastyamme vieressani istuva opas osoitti valon eraan harjanteen paalle, ja pikaisesti koputti auton kattoa ilmoittaakseen kuskille, etta pysahtyy. Valokeilassa nakyi kiiluva silmapari ja iso musta paa. Kohta elain nousi, ja tajusimme tuijottavamme mustaa pantteria. Kuski nousi auton ratista konepellille ihmettelemaan nakya, molemmat oppaatkin kertoivat tapaavansa pantterin ensimmaista kertaa - niin visusti puiston kissaelaimet yleensa pysyttelevat piilossa. Kun kissa aikansa meita ihmeteltyaan vetaytyi pensaiden suojiin, lahdettiin hakeltyneina jatkamaan matkaa. Ajeltiin pitkin metsia ja palmuplantaaseja, nahtiin vesipuhveleita, lehmia, kaarme, lepakoita, kotkia, jonkin pienemman trooppisen kissaelaimen poikanen ja epailematta taustalla emokin, slow lorris eli hidas lori seka aivan safarin lopuksi viela toinen vilaus pantterista. Kuski kaarsi taytta vauhtia samaan paikkaan missa naimme pantterin ensimmaisen kerran, ja sielta sen silmat kiiluivat jalleen. Uskomatonta. Nukkumaan mentiin hieman hamillaan kaikesta nakemastamme ja kokemastamme.


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After we survived the tour on Thursday and got back to our hostel, late at night, we had to start packing for the next trip. Something light and mosquito proof, hiking gear and swimsuits. Our busy week culminated to 3 day 2 night trip to the jungle of Taman Negara, the national park of Malaysia. Three hours in a bus, the ride was like in a horrible roller coaster and I was honestly afraid to lose my life. Quick stop, lunch, another 3hrs this time on a boat, smoothly cruising along the jungle river - this part was very enjoyable. For a jungle village Taman Negara was rather well established, about a dozen places offering accommodation and plenty of tiny restaurants.

The first night we took a night jungle walk to the depths of Taman Negara, with a guide & flashlights. We got to scratch tamed tapirs who had wandered from the jungle to get some food and affection from people. In the dark jungle we saw heaps of different insects, mostly walking sticks and crickets, a snake, tarantula, scorpion and samba deers. Saturday was even busier. In the morning we headed to Canopy Walkway, a treetop ropebridge. Fortunately some  higher parts of the aerial ropeway were under maintenance, to me the height of 35 meters on a swinging ropebridge was enough. After this we hiked to the hilltop of this particular area. The lookout spots weren't actually that high, some hundred meters, but the hike itself was tough. Jungle hiking is some serious business, steep hike uphill with tree roots everywhere, occasionally having to hold on to the lianas to get forward. There were two young Indian kids who hiked all the way to the top them too, I admired that persistence. When we got back from the jungle we were advised to prepare to get wet. We went off shooting the rapids with a long wooden fishing boat: in this activity getting wet was inevitable. The river water was so warm that the splashes were gladly welcomed, this ride was a lot of fun. We again visited a Orang Asli village, this time just located in the Taman Negara area.

For our last evening in the jungle our guide recommended something special for us, a nighttime 4WD jungle safari. When the night jungle walk we did before was mostly focused on spotting insects, this safari was for the bigger game. Tour was fully booked, and since we couldn't all fit to the back of the car, me, C and a Dutch guy hopped to the roof.  And what did we see? I couldn't believe my eyes when shortly after we left the residential district the guy sitting next to me, holding the searchlight, spotted something and knocked the roof of the car for the driver to stop. When he found the spot with the searchlight again the whole van gasped. There was a black panther looking back at us from the hilltop right next to the road. Even the driver climbed out amazed, both of the guides told that it was a first time for them too to see this wild animal. When the giant black cat had enough of us it retrieved to the bushes and we continued the safari. We drove through woods and palm plantations, saw cows, water buffalos, a snake, bats, eagles, some smaller wild cats, a slow lorris (!) and just before heading back home, another glimpse of the black panther. What an amazing experience! We fell asleep astonished by all we had seen and experienced.