Do not try to find these names on Google, because these are names in the Samen language. These languages have no official spelling, so everybody spells it differently. That makes it difficult, if you put the guide next to the map. About the pronunciation I break my tongue.
Beautiful weather, cold wind, so most of the day hardly any mosquitoes. But appearances are deceiving. The idyll of our break spot at a babbling brook in the green, was severely disrupted by the blood-sucking rabble. We see many orchids, probably the marsh orchid. Several times a snow grouse tried to lure us away from its nest by fluttering away with lame wings.
Tosca is back to life from yesterday’s dip. In full action. Indomitable, always running ahead, pulling, which I do appreciate uphill. Otherwise I could not keep up with Jan. Like yesterday now extensive rock fields, through which I can’t discover a path, however much I try. But John ‘s gps helps. How will it go tomorrow if he goes North by another route? We’ll see tomorrow. I hope my GPS will help me then again. Uphill he goes faster, being about 40 years younger, but on the flat and downhill I can not be beaten, so on average we still have the same pace. First I walked with 10 y. younger Han, who runs marathons, is 1.95 m. tall, mosquito proof and indestructible, and now I, grandpa, chase behind a tireless young man (hey!). Tirelessly? I was pleased to hear that John’s legs were exhausted after nine hours of hiking He wanted to save energy by now camping, preparing food and going to sleep right after, while I just had recovered a little and wouldn’t mind going on a little. We had been going downhill for quite a while and because then I am at my best, I would have liked to go a little further, to the Tsielekjäkk river. I was told there should be a shelter cabin with two wooden bunks. But from walkers I also had heard that the cabin was the home to a Napoleonic army of mosquitoes. And so it was. Then just tenting next to the cabin. During my rapid leap into the tent I was followed by a cloud of flies and mosquitoes. It took 30 minutes of butcher work to kill them all. Tosca was “ausrangiert” and fell asleep instantly. Tosca wasn’t even interested in the reindeer bone, that I had carried in my pocket half the day for her dessert. So I could eat quietly in the tent and write.
Tomorrow we only have half a day to go to Kvikkjokk, about 12 km.
If this continues I’ll be at Cape North between the end of August and Sept. 7.
N.B. Since yesterday my camera and iPad were empty I have no pictures of those days
Harrie Huijben pony en hond
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