Finally, I’ve arrived in Arrenjarka, Lapland, Sweden. It’s beautiful as to what I’ve seen so far. I didn’t really expect it to be a tourism lodge and campsite, but that could also be exciting. I’m looking forward to August in Arrenjarka, eating wild moose meat and taking some time away from the big cities -hiking the mountains, walking through pine tree forests and swimming in the vast lakes.
8th August 2020
Today, my first full day here in Årrenjarka, Sweden has been fairly action-packed.
I started my day with my standard wakeup routine.
- Water
- Push-ups
- Cold Shower
- Tea & Journal
- Replying to emails/messages
That was nice because I’ve not really been able to complete the full structure over the last few days due to travelling.
At 10am I went over to my host’s house to learn the dog routine.
It’s pretty simple. Clean their poop and replace their water.
Giving them food can be a little trickier.
As with all animals they try to test the new “leader”. Are you really the alpha?
Well the last three dogs told me “no you little bitch, you’re not our alpha” and two of them were able to push past me and out of the gate. They ran. They ran fast.
Fortunately, the host saw and was able to get them under control.
I’m glad it happened today, as the host’s day was pretty relaxed and it was sunny. I don’t really want to imagine what it would have been like in the mud and pouring rain, slipping and sliding in dog shit as I wrestle dogs to close the enclosure’s door.
It turns out that one of the dogs escaped yesterday and with three of her puppies. They had to go out looking for them and ended up leaving their bike and ATV behind. So the host asked me to join him in retrieving them. It wasn’t too bad, maybe 2km walking.
We had lunch, which was smoked reindeer meat, bread and cheese.
After I had time to chill. I didn’t really know the area so I asked the host for some information on hikes etc.
I sat around for a few hours reading up, speaking with Michaela who works here and finishing my blog post, “Running Away. Again.”
That took me up to 6pm which meant the puppies were due their second feed and we were due our dinner too.
First, though I had to do some childminding. It’s a shame I can’t speak Swedish because the children are real characters. We were playing with their bushcraft bow & arrows.
Dinner was Moose, home-grown potatoes, salad, and garlic sauce with a glass of red wine.
Things seem really busy here for the family. This was the second night in a row that Magda didn’t join for dinner.
I then planned to relax, FaceTime John, have a shower and sleep…buttttt, then Michaela walked past and said she was going swimming in the lake…
Obviously, I couldn’t miss an opportunity to swim in the lake, so I had to say goodbye to John and jump in the lake too.
It was incredible…fresh and also very cold. I think I’m going to swim a lot more often. Maybe most evenings. We’ll see how cold it gets.
So after swimming, Michaela and I were just talking about hikes and shit… when this strange mist or cloud or I don’t even know how to describe it scientifically, but it looked like a tidal wave. It seems like it’d just come from the mountains, swept over the lake and was now engulfing us. Then the rain came.
We both ran to our cabins.
I took a nice warm shower and now I’m here writing this at 23.06
I told you, action-packed.
9th August 2020
Fatigue is a dangerous thing.
I went on a short hike with Michaela earlier. Michaela is from Stockholm, but she’s helping at the lodge as – well it doesn’t matter why really. It all makes sense. Why be locked down in a concrete prison, when you can be “locked down” in the wilderness.
It was really nice to walk, to speculate the mountains, lakes, and forests whilst having a good conversation.
It turns out we agree on a lot of points regarding current affairs in the world.
I’ve made so many spelling mistakes writing this [in my journal] partly due to tiredness and partly because of these damn mosquitoes. No-one ever associates Sweden and mosquitoes – at least in the UK, I’ve never heard the association.
12th August 2020
I’ve been having strange dreams over the last few nights and something has been disturbing me enough to wake me in the middle of the night. As a result I find myself continually tired.
It could just be my brain processing all of the new things I’m doing every day. I’m learning so much at the moment.
We took the puppies out for a short hike yesterday and I went for a swim in the lake again in the evening before dinner. It’s so revitalising.
For dinner we had perch which I had to de-bone myself – also a first for me.
I also have a fair amount of time to work on my blog, currently writing a post about moderation.
16th August 2020
The dreams are less often now; although I still get into a deep sleep which is great. Waking up at 4am night after night becomes tiring.
Michaela and I went on a long 23km hike on Friday. It was not so difficult as it was long, though the trail was versatile.
At first we took a hiking path effectively straight up, which was fairly steep in places. The loose rocks and small streams were more of an issue. Oh and the mosquitoes. Goddamn mosquitoes everywhere!
Once above the forest treeline we continued on the trail through some grass flatlands, which descended slightly into a boggy miserable marshland. Atleast I was miserable about getting my feet wet.
Once through the bog, it’s another ascending path up and between two peaks, before finally seeing our objective – the highest peak – Kassavare.
As we climbed the slope to the peak we saw two male reindeer.
Once at the top we took the ceremonial pictures and had a picnic. Boiled eggs, a cheese sandwich and beer. Skål!
I tried to share an egg with the reindeer, but they ran off. Rude.
It was all downhill through pinewood forest from there.
17th August 2020
Once I become comfortable somewhere, my mind always drifts to the future. It’s important to consider the future and to plan ahead, but I should be enjoying the present more.
19th August 2020
Michaela left early hours this morning. I will miss her. We agreed on so much and really had deep meaningful conversations, and the hosts are busy people with the children, the restaurant, the dogs, and the land.
Still we had a few good games of Katan all together.
An idea has appeared in my imagination about a tourism business in South America. I think it could work, but it needs more thought.
29th August 2020
I haven’t written in here for a while now. I’ve been neglecting the routine too, however I’m going to get things back in order.
I’ve been tired in the mornings as I’ve been staying up late in an attempt to see the northern lights and my routine hasn’t quite become autonomous yet.
I saw them for the first time last night.
They were incredible. I mean, magical. The pictures, videos… forget about it. They don’t come close to the real thing.
I think I’m going to camp on the mountain one evening to see them across the national park.
Today I need to clean my room, as it has become quite dirty over the last few days.
Epilogue
I’m going to split my time in Sweden into two posts, August and September. I feel its the fairest way to talk about my experiences without taking too much of your time, as these were originally intended to be short inspiring stories to accompany you on the toilet!
It feels like I’ve done so much already in August, and I’m only looking forward to more in September.
It’s a strange thought. Often, including here, I feel like I’m looked at and judged as an idiot from the city. I guess in many ways that is apt. I mean, I hiked the snowy Slovakian mountains in my jeans for example – also in the dark with no avalanche or reflective equipment.
On that note, they are always saving or recovering dead idiots just like that from the Sarek national park.
If I did a role reversal, placing them into the centre of London by themselves, I strongly expect them to be robbed blind. It is also a game of survival, just a different game and not one to be misconceived by the multitude of comforts.
I even find myself scared at night in cities and towns. Walking through the dark forests inhabited with bears, wolves, lynx and wolverines, however; no worries.
And actually that is why I am out here in like one of the most northern towns you can go in Sweden – to attain more knowledge in the fields of survival required by our ancestors and these hardy people in the harshest of wintery conditions.
Harshest wintery conditions and the goddamn swarms of mosquitoes in the summer. They are no joke. I’ve never been somewhere with so many mosquitoes.
So I hope to learn more in September and the mosquitoes to die off. The hunting season starts very soon. I don’t think I’ll be allowed to join the hunt, but see a little more of the process involving wild animal to recipe. The mountains in Sarek national park should become whiter every day and the northern lights should appear ever so clearly as the nights get darker and the cold winter draws nearer.
