The next leg of our trip we parted ways with Kathy and Louis so they could explore Stockholm (which we’d done already with the young squad), and we were heading way up north to the Arctic Circle – to Sweden’s Lapland. Andrew and I decided that since we were headed to a 15-hour overnight train ride, we’d get some exercise in the morning and went for a 5k run in the Alstop forest that our host, Richard, had mentioned. We actually high-fived each other as this was the first time in a while we bulled through that distance without stopping – glad we can still do it!
I abandoned any thoughts of playing the “princess” as we arrived at the train station for the train headed up north. We were pretty much the only people with actual suitcases…everyone else toted HUGE backpacks and were obviously ready for a major hiking and camping experience. While waiting for the train we chatted with Ana and Anders who were obviously experienced hikers – and this time they had their four-year old daughter, Hilders, along. Anders had to be the tallest guy in the station with the largest pack I’d ever seen…it towered over his head and down to around his knees. Ana’s was not much smaller, but they seemed quite comfortable and ready to tackle anything. We were very impressed by many families that had young children along for the hiking – and the kids were so well behaved even as the train was more than an hour late. Somehow I envisioned complete pandemonium if this happened in the US.
We had booked a private berth that could supposedly house three people – three people sleeping on twin-sized bunks. I suppose you could call these digs “cozy” and I braved the top bunk so we could use the ground level one for storage. It was a bit comedic getting up and down…I was glad to have a cloth guard rail at night!
Both Andrew and I did get some sleep on train ride but I wouldn’t say it was super restful. An experience – but one I will take a pass on next go around.
When we arrived in Kiruna we headed straight for the tourist information center as we’d booked a morning tour of the iron mine that only happens once or twice a day. The first – and lasting impression of Kiruna is that it is purely a “company” town. Nothing there to attract tourists except the incredible mine – the largest and most modern underground iron ore mine in the world. Equally interesting is that the city of Kiruna currently a reconstruction project, as the Kirunavaara mine, run by LKAB, undermines the current town center. Several buildings are being moved or demolished. The town center is in the process of being moved 3 kilometers to the east. Essentially, due to the expanding needs of the mine and where ripe new iron deposits are, the city is being split in two.
The tour of the mine was mind-blowing. There is literally a city underground – people work a 24/7 mining operation – fewer underground as much of the process underground is mechanized, most in control centers above ground. We drove into the mine in a bus with at least fifty people and a guide, on excavated and paved roads. We were guided on a walking tour inside a cavernous and modern display area and learned details of how the mining is actually done. It was a two hour lesson in engineering! Fresh air is circulated and temperature underground is kept very comfortably cool, and there is even a café were we got coffee and snacks. The LKAB company has done an impressive PR job and obviously works hard to keep its employees and the town of Kiruna happy as it spreads its operations. The company is actually now owned by the Swedish government so it is well-resourced and highly attentive to environmental impacts. In other places we visited in the northern part of Sweden we saw some of the plants where the iron ore “pellets” are shipped for conversion to various steel products, and where some of the by-products of the extraction process are used for other things.
After the tour of the mine we had lunch at the Scandic hotel in the center of town. This is one of the structures slated for demolition and their new location is already under construction, complete with a much coveted sky bar. By the meager lunch buffet it was clear that little effort was still being put in to impress or attract visitors…the only meal we have had that was totally underwhelming.
We then headed to our digs for the night – a very unusual combination cabin-style rooming (where we stayed), an RV/camper site, and tent camping area. Camp Ripan has a central restaurant (quite good actually) and small gym and spa service all comers. Our cabin was just fine and we got a good night’s sleep despite the fact that it never got dark. At all. We were so far north that had it been a clear night (it was cloudy and rainy unfortunately) we’d have been able to climb up to a high vista and see the midnight sun. But we got the idea.
On to Luleå tomorrow…
Esther
Living La Vida Loca 