Tuesday August 11th 2015. Still in Kuonovuoppi

Diner in Bongo's peetee width=

Diner in Mikkel’s TeePee.

In the back ground Bongo's house and at the left my yellow cabin

In the back ground Bongo’s house and at the left my yellow cabin

Bongo in Sami-dress preparing rendeer soup, awaiting the Germans

Bongo in Sami-dress preparing rendeer soup, awaiting the Germans

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 Sitting on a bottom of birch twigs, covered with rendeer skinswidth=

Sitting on a bottom of birch twigs, covered with rendeer skins

Finally also the German guest arrived. I already finished 2 cups of soup. Time for a 3rd one!

Finally also the German guest arrived. I already finished 2 cups of soup. Time for a 3rd one!

Germany, Sappi-Norway, Netherlands

Germany, Sappi-Norway, Netherlands

After a great night in my bunk bed of 2×4 m, I look out of the window. Un raya de sol? All the skies are blue (bis). I slept in the (stack) bed, in which slept about 40 years ago former surgeon C.V. from Middelburg (nl), now far into his 80th, every autumn, when he came hunting here again. Especially snowy hawk is very popular, mostly because of its dark meat, Mikkel says.
Mr. Mikkel Bongo drives me to Kautokeino, where I can get new money, I visit the supermarket, look for the opening hours of the Sami museum, pass one of the famous silversmiths, and I finally dropp in at a cafetaria where I settle the rest of the day to update my blog, especially the photos. Tosca is tied at a shadowy site outside and has to spend the day as a chain dog. Sad? I am also sitting on the same chair all day long. We both need rest. After a couple of hours, the cafeteria lady tells me that someone called her on the telephone about that dog outside. Whether it did not need water and attention? Good that people care about her. But the cafetaria keeper had appointed me that place for Tosca herself. It’s clear that now we are back in the inhabited world. Everyone gets involved with everyone and everything. I just went for a walk with her, Tosca, and brought her a drink for the show, which, as I knew before, didn’t interest Tosca at all. People, mind your own business. Looks like the Netherlands. What about the huskies sleeping in the snow at about 30 degrees C. below zero? With proper training one gets used to everything.
Anyway. Mikkel, tonight I want to experience your cooking art. What time do you pick me up in Kautokeino? Between 5 and 6. O.k. As I update the blog in the village, with an occasional coffee, my phone rings at 3.30 pm. Here, Mikkel. I expect two Germans for dinner at 17:00. I will pick you up at 4.30 pm. All right? O.k. with me.
After being driven back by Mikkel to my cabin I wait until Mikkel has finished dinner. At 5 o’clock I will be called. Approximately 100 m. away from the house (picture), Mikkel has made the fire. The smoke disappears through a hole in the peetee. The floor is covered with traditional carpet flooring of birch twigs, covered with many reindeer skins. Photos.
The two Germans don’t show up yet. They are staying at a hotel in Kautokeino and are making a 10 km trip to Cuonovuoppi here to eat traditional Sami food. Above the fire a kettle with the magic ingredients, herring soup. I look at the ingredients: lots of potatoes, carrots and reindeer meat. From the front legs, Mikkel points out. Reindeer are compared with sheep, moose with cows. From a culinary point of view pork is a different kind of food, he continues. He sits on one side of the fire, in traditional dress, and talks about the Sami-language culture and his family tradition. Where Mikkel sits is the place of the head of the family. In the tent the woman usually sits next to the head of the family and controls the kitchen. On the other side of the fire are the guests. Sleeping is in hammocks, with masses of layers of clothing, according to the principle of the onion peel. Women’s and men’s department separated by curtains.
Finally, the German couple arrived. He is a fired 50-plus chemist, who has his own company in Dortmund. She is an original Croatian, 54 years old, who has been living in Germany since her 8th. She is a translator, including Spanish. On tour from Helsinki in Finland, with a rental car, through Lapland and later on the popular Lofoten route back home. We are talking about everything. Among others the Samen-culture, Neanderthals, DNA evidence about the descent of human populations. Mikkel Bongo is asked for the meaning of his name. Unclear. Possible relationship with the king of the Congo, he suggests. Mikkel is still talking about a large group of Sami, who emigrated to Alaska in the 1800s, with thousands of (?) reindeer on board. First through Scotland, to arrive with a highly reduced group of reindeer in Alaska. The intention would be to teach the Inuit (Eskimos) the reindeer cultivation. The Sami group there still exists, but meanwhile, they speak only English. Never heard of it. He showed a book with a report about it, with photos. Mikkel pointed out to the German couple that the Nazis in Kautokeino caused a lot of trouble, but that he did not blame the younger generation. No reactions!
Interesting evening. The two Germans left. Later I went to offer Mikkel a beer in his house. Come in, he says. He asked me ifit would have been better not to comment about the Second World War and the misdeeds of the Nazis in Kautokeino. Well. Mikkel once again explained to me about booby traps, bombs, attached to a children’s doll, to a piece of chocolate, to a potato handmill, which caused children to die. About the wooden houses that were burned by the Nazis, here in that icy cold, which destroyed a piece of sami history. I call it Nazis, but as is well known, the generalizing word Germans is usually used. I did not want to go into it. Just thought of the Dutch “colonial actions” in Indonesia and the colonial past of the Netherlands, of Belgium in the Congo, and of England everywhere etc. etc. I left Mikkel’s house, in the pouring rain, along the still hanging sami suit and returned in my shack, not after having smothered a number of mosquito’s, who wanted to be admitted into my shag as friends. I taught THE BUGS that anyone who does not jump in here as a friend is quickly clubbed out again.

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