Finland!

Hello! Ville here, the prettier part of our two person team flew to Oregon from Bangkok and I flew to Finland. I try to make it back to my old stomping grounds at least once a year, I wish I could come more often but since plane tickets are not as cheap as the train tickets in India, I'll have to settle for once a year. When I come my main concern is to try to spend as much time as possible with my family and friends.

I arrived here 4 days before the infamous May Day ( Vappu in Finnish), had a lay over in Moscow and grabbed a bottle of Vodka of course to replenish myself and my thirsty friends on May Day. My parents picked me up from the airport and even though it was 10pm when we got to their house we still heated the sauna. When in Finland...

I got to spend May Day in Porvoo where we used to live for ten years when I was in my teens, many of my good friends were able to surprise me and join for the crazy festivities. May Day is a massive party/holiday that used to be a big European holiday centered around celebrating the working class, as was the case in Finland as well, but now it resembles more of Saint Patrick's Day with a heavy focus on the booze.

We partied hard with my friends but not too hard, I guess we're getting old. My friend Marko had arranged for a nice lesson about Gin and it's history and we even got to taste some! The next day we were all tired but did manage to get outside and enjoy the beautiful spring day. It's been abnormally nice and sunny here, not quite as hot as Bangkok but still hot for this time of year in Finland.

A couple of days after Vappu, I was able to make it to Helsinki and spend some time with my friends that live there or close by. I stayed with my good friend and a hotel tycoon, Klasu, in his 7 star hotel Casa Kangaspunta where he serves you a coffee when you're sitting on the toilet. Now that's what I call service! The rest of the time I've spent with my parents sightseeing, fishing, yard work and I got to hangout with my Uncle Timo and Aunt Inke for a day. We've gone in the sauna every night. Couldn't ask for more!

I leave on Friday the 13th to Oslo, hoping the airport is less crowded and the superstitious people choose a different day to fly. My brother Antti, and his wife Berit, live in Oslo and they just had a baby boy at the end of January. Uncle Ville is excited to meet this new guy! 

After Oslo I fly on the 17th to Oregon and start helping K.G with the preparations for our bike trip that she has already started. For those of you not in the loop, we are about to cycle from Alaska to Argentina, the entire Americas over about the next 2 years! We've just booked the tickets to Alaska, flying on the 24th of June. It's really happening so you better stay tuned! Peace.