Day 14 - Heading South

The tent was baking and very smelly this morning and for once, the stench had nothing to do with me. You have to skip a shower here and there on a trip like this but I am still relatively clean. Nope, I am afraid the only piece of ground on Nordkapp suitable for pitching a tent is green and lush for a very good reason....and I didn't smell it last night because the wind was blowing. Seems like they haven't done a very good job with the drainage for the main visitor centre and it is now producing a very lush green poo field.


Time to head south to Finland today and the weather broke about an hour into the trip. Not before I popped round the the local 'big town' to take a look. The spanish barman told me that he loves working at the Nordkapp centre because 1) the money is good 2) there is nowhere to spend it during the week. He said he heads to this place to let his hair down. It is also the dropping off point for cruise ships to let their punters stretch their legs.


People have been asking for pictures of Reindeer, so here is the last one. They are a bloody nuisance on the roads and should stick to pulling sleds and delivering Xmas presents.


Seen a few forlorn Sleds & Snowmobiles rusting in the fields, waiting for colder weather. Had a soggy ride over the Finnmark plain today. Luckily, I had purchased new waterproof trousers to wear after losing the old ones coming into Trondheim. Unfortunately, they were pretty flimsy and repeated mounting & dismounting has ripped the arse out of them so I am pretty familiar with how a baby with a wet nappy feels and why they cry.


I wasn't intending to rough camp tonight but necessity made it so. No Youth Hostels near, Huts all full and cant find a campsite within 50 miles so decided to brave the mozzies and camp next to a small road in the woods. They are right feasome little buggers but this net thing over a hat works pretty well. It was a bit of a military operation trying to get the tent up, put my gear in and not let any the biting bastards in with me.