Cee’S B&W Photo Challenge

3 mars, 20173 mars, 2017 / Leya / 25 kommentarer

B for Balloons – for Cee this week! Click here for more

Jokkmokk – The Reindeer Race

19 februari, 201719 februari, 2017 / Leya / 18 kommentarer

Every year there is this race on the lake – and it is great fun to watch it. The reindeer are indeed not very tame, and they have to be handled rather like the wild creatures they are… But they seem to like this game – and the running!

The horns often got tangled in the ropes…

…but finally time for a new race!

…and the reindeer eager!

Almost unstoppable…

Well…the last guy was really funny – and he most certainly enjoyed this game even more than the reindeer….No sledge, just his boots!

The reindeer are quite unstoppable as well, as you can see from the pictures. When they have finished the race…they will go on running!

And walking them home can be rather tricky too – even more if they are two…

Thursday Thoughts – Jokkmokks Marknad -412 Years Old

16 februari, 201717 februari, 2017 / Leya / 10 kommentarer

”Jokkmokk’s Market has a long history and is considered to have a four hundred-year unbroken tradition. Permanent marketplaces near the Sámi’s winter settlements were established by the Swedish crown at the beginning of the 17th century in all the Sámi Lappish territories on both sides of the Gulf of Bothnia. The purpose was to strengthen the state’s control of the population in the north as well as to collect taxes, hold legal court and spread the Word of God. Planning a market in the Lappish territories during the coldest time of the year had several advantages. The Sámi were gathered in their winter settlements in the forest area with winter grazing for their reindeer and the frozen waterways constituted magnificent roads for the merchants, state officials and men of the church.”

http://www.jokkmokksmarknad.se/visitors/history/

”Renrajden” is every year led by Per Kuhmunen and his family. It takes at least a year to tame the reindeer as much as needed to follow their leaders through the market place and let people touch them. At the Snow Scene in the middle of the market place, they sometimes let themselves be interviewed and photographed in the traditional Gákti. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G%C3%A1kti

His wife makes all the beautiful clothes for the family…

…but now the older children make their own Sámi clothes

Once in a while Per might say a word or two…but must be coaxed into it…

Not many words from his wife either. I guess that is the way of northeners.

The Sámi people have always led a harsh life, and today they also have problems with the global warming that hits hard up north. As the weather wavers between warm and cold, the ground will get icy and the reindeer cannot find food enough. Last year some 30000 reindeer starved to death in northern Russia.

Per Kuhmunen and his family comes back every year to Jokkmokk’s Market. Today they are met by film cameras and ordinary cameras, radio and TV. But they seem to enjoy it.

Between Old and New.

Travel Theme: Game

30 januari, 2017 / Leya / 6 kommentarer

Travel theme: Game

Galashiels long bowling club with old gentlemen

Thursday Thoughts – The Importance of Festivities

26 januari, 201726 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Travelling means learning new things every day. I guess that is one of the best parts of life – learning new things. In this 2 million people capital, Quito, Ecuador, I enjoyed every second. Almost 3000 metres up in the Andes – you had to take it a bit easy the first day.

Do you, for instance, know which mountain is the world´s highest? I learned from the Ecuadorian businessman sitting next to me in the plane between Guayaquil and Baltra, that it is…..Chimborazo, a big volcano in Ecuador. It is higher than Mount Everest – if you count from the middle of our planet Earth.

Colourful Old Town Quito, together with Krakow, Poland, 1978 became the first UNESCO World Heritage sites. And they keep it colourful, clean and tidy.

There were grand festivities this week – December 6 was celebrated everywhere. So, what did they celebrate? Their freedom? No, they celebrated the Spaniards conquering them in the 16th century…I asked them how this could be something to celebrate – and they all answered that they had put all this behind them – this day was just a good day for festivities and having fun. That sounded just great to me!

Ecuador Ama la Vida

Music and Dancing in the street

Miss Quito and Gentleman

Lovely festive ladies

These musicians were absolutely professional – we did not leave even if we had finished our meal…

Beautiful city and beautiful people – and wonderful food! We enjoyed Quito despite some rain. Old and young, everybody in a good mood.

A young man came up to me with a rose. You know, the thing they do everywhere down in Europe, expecting you to give some money…This young guy was in a group of students, and he was the only one to have a single rose in his hand. I shook my head and told him I had no money, but his eyes were shining when he smiled, saying that he did not want any money…just to give me the rose.

CFFC: Good and Bad

24 januari, 2017 / Leya / 5 kommentarer

Cee’s Fun Foto Challenge: Good and Bad

This is a game played by men and bulls in Terceira, Azores. The bad thing is that it seems to be man versus beast – but the good thing is, that the bull is running through the streets on a rope, pulled to a stop when he gets to wild. Mostly young men try to run as close as possible, but never hurt the bull. They let loose about five bulls – one at a time – and take them in to rest when they are tired. Nobody gets hurt. It is a matter of showing courage, impressing ladies and other young guys – bull and man trying to outsmart each other.