Top Safaris

When there is no sun, there is always stars

2015-01-19T04:17:00.000-08:00

Hello everyone and sorry it's been so long time I wrote here!

I've had amazing time here. I love the people, tourists, nature, everything. If someone had said to me at the beginning of season how much I'm going to learn, I'd just laughed. But really, I've learned so much. And met most amazing people! Finally feeling like I'm living the life I've always wanted.

Season without the sun (we call it kaamos) was long and pretty tough, almost tiring. Luckily I have such a good co-workers who have given me the chance to learn something new every week. And our tourists, they were so nice and friendly. I have just smiled like an idiot many weeks now.

As you can see from the pictures, I have had a possibility to give experiences, laughter and activities to all kind of people. Mainly british, but other cultures too. I have played eisstock and curling, almost learned to lose. I have snowshoed several times with different groups and our national park is really amazing. I've teached how to fall the right way to the powder snow and learned how to not. So many bruises, aching muscles. And tears of joy and amazement.

Boys have been willing to take me even to snowmobile safaris a few time, the beauty there is something you can't even describe or capture with camera. You really have to be there, it's breath taking.

It was really hard to decide which photos I put here, 'cause I have them so much. But all of these are from the moments or from the people who have made my winter better, unforgettable. A loads of first times, new experiences, courage to try something new. I couldn't think the better way to study!

I've even learned how to do ice fishing. I have done it before, but now I made the hole all by myself and put the bait to the hook. We didn't catch any fish, but we were with one french couple, who teached me a lot about their culture. Now I know basically everything about french. But do you know why the ice fishing isn't maybe for me? Our other quide said that fishes get afraid of noise. So, I should just sit quiet and wait. Impossible! Maybe that's why so few finnish woman does the ice fishing. Men are more quiet and patient, I think.

I fell in love with the colours of polar nights. Yellow, purple,pink, blue.. On the left is one of the most amazing blue moments I've seen. When I took the picture, it was all quiet, that quiet, it hurt my ears. I saw only all different shades of blue, snow and wilderness.

BUT almost the best thing in whole winter has happened today. After many, many weeks, I saw the sun here. I hadn't realized how much I missed it. We've had stars and northern lights and everything, but not the sun. Today during snowshoeing we saw it and I think I'm going to smile like an idiot, again, whole week.

Now I just keep the thumbs up, that I can stay here after the winter season, I have already started to search summer job. I really would not like to go back to Oulu, I visited there about a week ago and I didn't felt being at home at all.

And here it is, the sun! Like Freddie Mercury once said, "It's a beautiful day, the sun is shining, I feel good and no one is gonna stop me now"

xo,

Auri

Aurora trip to hideaway cottage

2014-12-21T05:41:00.001-08:00

Hello again,

I just wanted to tell to you about our trip to a hideaway cottage.

I was as excited about it than a little girl from the santa. We went there to prepare the cottage about 6pm. Dani gave me the honor to watch the fire that it won't shut while he is getting our guests to Pitkäjärvi. I decorated the cottage, put candles on and enjoyed the quietness. And waited with thrill if the fire shuts down or needed to put more wood to. But I survived, all my own! First time ever I was responsible from that kind of stuff. Damn I'm going to be a good tourist service producer!

So, our quests arrived about 8pm. There were two groups, one British and one Asian. 9 persons. Everyone were really happy and interested from Finland and our culture, so we had a quite a easy job to do our stuff. We chatted with them about everything, Sami coulture, Finnish food and seasons and occasionally went outside to seek northern lights. It was very cloudy evening, but auroras were so strong that we managed to see them trough clouds. We even saw some red on the sky, it was amazing! It was such a shame it was cloudy.

For food Dani made us charcoal grilled salmon and potatoe salad. I think he is an excellent chef and our quests liked it too. One of the tourists didn't like salmon at all, but he ate happily and liked it! Atmosphere was great, but the safari lasted to 11.30pm, so part of our group became a bit tired. And I'm not amazed, because we had inside really warm and dark, we had no electricy so we used only candle lights. There wasn't running water either, so we had the real wilderness feeling :D

So our quests, if you are reading this, thank you for amazing evening, you made my first time amazing and I'm definitely going to remember it for a long time! Hope to see you again

xo,
Auri

Narnia

2014-12-17T03:25:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone!

So, within last weeks I've learned a lot about customer service and languages, so my school has progressed. Everything has went well even though I've been a little bit home sick every now and then but I think it's a quite normal, because christmas is coming and I love spending it with my family. But I bet it's going to be so busy here during christmas and new year, that I will have a lot of fun.

I've toured a few safaris, we were hunting auroras with Asian tourists and saw the most amazing northern lights. Multi-coloured and fast moving. I definitely looked like a tourist, almost crying because of the beauty of nature! I even managed to take couple of pictures with my phone, but I think I really need a good camera to capture whole beauty of Lapland!

And I'm sorry for the bad quality of
photos, they're taken with my phone :)

Last friday night I was at snowshoe safari with Tommi and two british tourists. We had fun, but it was sooo hard, that my muscles hurt many days after that. Weather was quite warm and that's why the snow was that heavy that we got almost whole weeks exercise, half meter of snow isn't very easy to walk. But we had fun and Urho Kekkonen national park was really beautiful and snowy, other of tourists said it looks like Narnia and I couldn't have agreed more! I felt excited for going, 'cause I knew I had to use english a lot. After the safari I even thought in English and next night my dreams weren't Finnish either.

And on the left is our other british tourist resting his legs. Looks nice, doesn't it?!

This week is very busy. All our guides are working full day and one wilderness guide came to help us with our busiest weeks. Ski schools, snow mobiles, snow shoes, auroras etc. Ilona said I could maybe go with boys to snow mobile safari as a passenger (I don't yet have driving license) and I can't wait! I've never been on a snow mobile.

All in all, I'm still feeling like a tourist on a vacation. Only a bit longer one, which lasts till April.

xo,
Auri

Life in wonderland

2014-11-27T01:33:00.002-08:00

Hello again,

Where do I begin, there is so much to tell!

During last week, I worked at the office. I waxed so much skis that I can't even count! Boys have toured a few snowmobile safaris and I've worked with my English. I'm glad that here is so much people from abroad that I really have to communicate with different languages. It's weird how you can remember words that you didn't even know you know!

Few days ago I courage myself to try our skating skis. After I don't know how many years, it was really fun. But very very exhausting. My muscles still are quite tired, but I think it's all my fault.. I forgot to stretch. Stupid me! Ski tracks were amazingly beautiful, skiers happy and in a good mood. I think I looked kind of stupid, just admired the nature, few times forgot to ski, just stood in the middle of ski track. I definitely looked like a tourist, who has never seen snow before.

Snow. Beautiful, pure, mysterious. We have it here more than anywhere else in Finland. Definitely more than in Oulu last winter. I haven't seen this much snow in many, many years. And what's crazy, it's not even December yet. I'm privileged to live in this winter wonderland.

They say, today begins this season, which in Finnish is called "kaamos". It means, that sun doesn't come up at all. It's all dark. Or so people think. They say, it's depressive. I have to say, that I do not agree. It's not all dark. Snow and northerns lights lightens up whole wonderland. It's much more depressive at southern Finland, where there isn't snow at all! Or auroras. We have it all here, I have it all here. I don't know if I'm ever going back to Oulu. Mom, if you're reading this, I love you, but I love Saariselkä more. ;)

xo,

Auri

Winterseason has begun

2014-11-13T05:23:00.000-08:00

Hello again,

So, yesterday I were at my first safari as a fellow guide. We made minibus aurora trip with two Japanese tourist, which were first time ever at Finland. They had never seen northern lights, so expectations were high.

We drove around Saariselkä chasing auroras. We visited Kiilopää, Kakslauttanen and Laanihovi, but there was nothing there. Our leading guide, Dani, decided to start singing to auroras, and asked them to come to us. It was really silly, but believe it or not, it worked and we saw auroras at Kaunispää. Beautiful green light above us. Tourists excitement was so much that I just smiled the rest of a day.
It's so weird, how someone elses happiness can give you the most amazing feeling, knowing you gave it to them.

Today I came to office feeling great, I knew we were going to have my first snow shoe safari. I couldn't wait, 'cause the weather was great and sun shined. It was a bit heavier than I thought, but definitely worth it all. We had one tourist with us, finnish woman, so it was a bit easier to chat with her and I think she enjoyed too.

So, everything is going great and people are still happy.

Here is some pictures I took. It's beautiful, isn't it!

xo,

Auri

Love at first sight

2014-11-12T06:06:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone,

They say, Lappi is the most beautiful place to be during winter. I came to see if it's true.
I arrived here at Saariselkä 9th of November and started my practice at Top Safaris Oy. I'm going to be a touristservice producer and I couldn't think better place to be a trainee. A bit different than in Oulu, where I've lived half of my life.

I noticed Top Safaris' blog has been quiet for few years, so I'm going to take care of it for now. I've never written in english, so I think it's going to be very interesting. But I'm sure it's worth it!

So, I've been here now three days. I've learned a lot, from lappish nature, weather and winter. This quietness is amazing. Sometimes I feel wrong listening music when I'm outside, 'cos quietness is so loud, if you know what I mean! But I've enjoyed. I feel like never going back to Oulu. Finally I'm here, where I should be. At the winter wonderland. Delightful change to my "previous" life.

So, new life, new environment, new home. Loads of new people. For now, I'm a bit confused from everything, but I'm sure it's going to be awesome.

Our crew seems to be really nice: very friendly and great sense of humor. During the winter we have 10 employee, at tops and I like it that way. I'm the youngest, 21 years old. Everyone has taken me well and been kind to me. We will see how it goes when we get to know each other better!

But in the end, I can't believe, I've had such a good luck to do for living something I would do on a vacation! I love my life here.

xo

Auri

Winter is coming to Saariselkä

2012-10-11T10:26:00.002-07:00

This winter is said to be a really, really good year for watching aurora borealis, the northern lights. I do believe that, already now in October we have had several beautiful auroras. The first ones this year I saw one evening mid September walking the dogs on the back yard of our Hotel Laanihovi. Somehow the first ones always touches my heart in a special way, although I've lived here for 20 years now and seen the heavenly fire fox at work quite often.

The skiing season in Saariselkä was opened yesterday, 10.10 at 10,00. This is now the second year in a row, that we use last winter's snow to make a cross country trail. This year the amount of snow was doubled and we have a good 2,7 km trail starting from the slopes. As soon as the temperature drops below zero, we'll start to make the 6 km artificial snow trail from Saariselkä to Laanila. As soon as the trail is finished, Laanihovi cafe & restaurant will also be open every day from 11 on. Now we are also open daily while we are there working.

But we have quite a lot to do to finish the interior of the new safari office that is still under construction. I am so happy to move into brand new, big and proper facilities. We have proper air condition for ski waxing, location by the main street and huge windows - a dream come true.

kelotähti 16

We have now also private own apartements that we rent out. Some are above our safari club in the new Kelotähti building and some apartements and cottages around Saariselkä village center and Laanila. You'll find more information at http://sivut.saariselka.fi/topsafaris/index.php/fi/majoitus

These kelotähti apartements will be ready end of November

I am looking forward to spend a test night there, admiring the view to Kaunispää and Iisakkipää fells. For northern light watching this could also be a possibility. But I am afraid that the light pollution in the center of Saariselkä will disturb that. For a few years now the northern lights seldom can be seen in the center, there just is too much light around.

11.10.2012 Ilona

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2010-02-18T04:44:00.000-08:00

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