I did complete the crucial tour of Lapland successfully in the time I had. And what a tour it was. The first evening I drove to Pyhä-Nattanen and climbed the hill in the midnight sun. The following evening I drove via the northernmost tip of Finland all the way through the western ‘arm’ of Finland and climbed the hill Saana. And that night I ran into problems.
Every June is a living hell in Lapland because of the mosquitos. They all hatch at once and the air is so thick of them, you can’t be outside. When I was driving back from Norway, it was raining a lot. I knew that the mosquito season called ‘räkkä’ was coming.
Unfortunately for me the mechanism lowering the driver’s window was damaged somehow and the window no longer closed tightly. The mosquitos found a way inside through the gap and I spent an awful night being eaten alive.
I decided not to sleep in my car until I was out of Lapland. Luckily I have a lot of friends around the country. I spent one night at my friend’s Airbnb cottage in a skiing center, another one on the couch of the father of my childhood friend, who retired to Lapland to live self-sufficiently.
I made it out alive and was invited to visit a family I met while drinking at a burger bar in my former home town. I just eavesdropped their discussion, joined it and made friends with their adult child. The child was visiting their childhood home and they invited me to their guest room.
And of course took me out for an adventure.
The doors to the small cottage near their home didn’t open, but I had something else in mind. It was time to lift a curse.