This is why I can't have nice things

...for the next year at least. I think I’ve left my iPod on the train to Sweden, since I can’t find it anymore. I specifically didn’t want to bring anything very expensive or irreplaceable with me because I knew I would run the risk of losing/leaving/breaking pretty much everything I am bringing, but I think it’s interesting that first in line to be lost was the 2nd-most expensive (behind the phone), and probably the least useful. When I’m constantly packing and unpacking, it’s not surprising that something is going to go missing, but I had hoped to go a little longer than 3 weeks before it happened.

My favorite lunch place in Stockholm, the fried herring stand. Only $6 for a herring burger,yum!!

Oh well, on to thoughts on Sweden so far; it’s pretty cool. I think I preferred Gothenberg to Stockholm because Gothenberg is smaller and more manageable, but both seem to be cool cities, and I’m having a good time exploring. I’ve been looking forward to seeing the differences between Norway and Sweden, since I knew very little about either culture before arriving, and there are a couple I’m picking up on, some of which are differences, some are similarities, and some are just unexpected.

Viking rune stone from the Swedish History Museum.
Biggest complaint about Norway and Sweden: not enough Viking stuff!

• The Swedes seem to be a little less reserved than their neighbors; I’ve heard a lot more boisterous laughter and seen more hugging between friends. But they also seem to be a little more conservative in their dress - a little more. I’m talking about the difference between very short shorts and just short shorts here. 
• Sweden also seems to be about 10-15% less expensive than Norway, which isn’t cultural, but it is welcome. 
• I don’t know why this is, but I also seem to be having more trouble deciphering Swedish, which is being exacerbated by the fact that Sweden is slightly less English-friendly than Norway is, in terms of signage and announcements. Don’t get me wrong, everyone still seamless switches to English when I start talking to them, but I definitely detect an undercurrent of “we’ve got a perfectly good language of our own, so don’t expect us to cater to you just because you want to come and hang around” (i.e., what I think of as the “French attitude”). Which is perfectly reasonable, of course, it’s just noticeable after being in Norway. 
• Both countries feel exceedingly safe and comfortable. There are signs everywhere about being on guard about pickpocketing, but there is a vibe you get in cities that are familiar with violent crime, and that feeling is almost completely absent in Norway and Sweden. In fact, the only country I’ve felt safer was Japan. 
• In the same way, one of the most obvious signs of a highly-evolved society has to be clean, free, public bathrooms; I’m not saying Scandinavia has reached this point, but they’re closer than most anywhere else I’ve been. 

And then here are a couple of things that have surprised me.

Stumbled across the "Sweeny Todd Hair Salon" in Stockholm, complete with fake foot-in-a-meat-grinder prop.
This owner has to be an insane theater fan, and not a great businessman.

• I’ve heard as much Bob Marley in Scandinavia as I expect in the Caribbean. The hostels have been playing his music, as was the farmer’s market, and a couple of stores. It’s amazing how a musician whose music is almost all about struggle, religion, and poverty has translated into an international symbol of laid back good times. 
• And speaking of cultural imports, I passed a tabloid with Kim Kardashian on the cover yesterday, and it may me wonder how she can be famous here too. I don’t even know why she’s famous in the States, how can she be a celebrity here? 
• Finally, both Swedes and Weegies seem to be really into tattoos. Hmmm, lots of tattoos, bike-friendly, green, rainy most of the time... In a lot of ways, being in Scandinavia is like being in a very clean-cut, polite version of Portland, Oregon, if such a thing were possible.

Riding the rails to Abisko

As the clock sweeps into hour 22 on the train, I’ve had a fair amount of time to thing about this trip up to Abisko National Park. First and foremost, this is my first time journeying above the Arctic Circle, something I’m quite excited about. Last year I went farther south than I ever had before, this year it’s north, and next year the plans are to swing ever further south than the Cape of Good Hope. After that, if I want to break either of these personal bests, I might as well just head for the poles. More than that, this train ride has been the longest continuous single transportation leg I’ve ever taken (in hours). Apparently, the Swedish rail system is not quite as modern and reliable as other European countries, a fact I began to realize after we had a 4-hour breakdown on the tracks last night, and after a bunkmate in my compartment referred to SJ, the rail company, as “Sweden’s shame.” Best case scenario, I will arrive at my destination almost exactly 24 hours after I left Stockholm; worst case, I’ve given up and relocated somewhere between Kiruna and Abisko stations - send warm blankets and brandy. Still, I had a bed compartment (shared by two recently relocated Somalians, 3 native Swedes, and me), and riding the train, even for a whole day, is so much more pleasant than flying because I can get up to walk around, get a drink in the cafe, and open the windows. Also, the train conductors here are much less diligent than in Norway, and they’ve now failed to stamp my rail pass three times, meaning I’m going to get several trips for free before I leave (shhhh, don’t report me).

Let me also take a moment to relate part of the trip today in a little more detail. I had a reservation from Stockholm to Boden, a point about ⅔ of the way to my destination, where I was told when making the reservation, I would have to disembark and grab the next train to Abisko. Now, because of the delay, I knew I had missed the next scheduled to train to Abisko, so I was planning to have a long wait in the train station at Boden. However, just before we got to Boden, there was an announcement that anyone going north to Narvik (the end of the line) should stay on the train, because they were going to backtrack, pick up more passengers, and then proceed to Narvik. So, knowing that Abisko is on the way to Narvik, I decided to stay on the train and see what happened. Naturally, I started to get a little nervous since I wasn’t certain the train was going to stop in Abisko, only half the announcement were repeated in English, I didn’t have a reserved seat, etc. But then I realized that there was absolutely nothing to worry about; I’m on my own schedule, all my plans are subject to change, I have a rail pass, I know I’m heading in the right direction, I have a bed reserved in Abisko, and I can find somewhere else to sleep if I can’t make it there from some reason. It was such a liberating moment to know that it didn’t matter if I was on the right train or if I got there on the right day, because my primary goal is just to travel for the sake of experiencing the journey, that I hope everyone can travel this way at least once in their life (and enjoy it, because I know a lot of people who wouldn’t). And I hope I can keep that mentality in place at other, more stressful, times that are sure to come.

The reason I’m taking this marathon rail journey is to get to one of Sweden’s favorite parks, Abisko, and the Kungsleden trail, which passes through it. That also means this is my first train trip where 95% of the people on the train are carrying backpacks, wearing convertible shorts/pants, and noticeably overdue for a shower (I told you it was a good thing I can open the windows). What’s funny is seeing all these hardcore backpackers and backcountry campers makes me feel a little bit like we’re all part of a community, even though I’m staying in the lodge and my tolerance for camping maxes out at about 4 days, and the community smells more than a bit like feet. I guess it’s because almost everyone on this train decided to leave mid-week and ride for a full day -- or more, since some of them are coming direct from Germany -- just to get out to where there’s nothing but hiking and fishing and camping and nearly 22 hours of daylight. My trip up until now has been pretty urban-centric, and I’m itching to get off the train and just walk in the woods and see what’s up here. Short, scrawny trees, from the looks of it.

The river draining to Abikso Lake

One other thing I’ve been becoming more and more aware of over the last 3 weeks is the quality of high-latitude light. In short, it is terrible for photography, and spectacular for pasty white boys such as myself. Most of the day, the light is very high, very sharp, and makes everything look flat, which is part of the reason I haven’t taken as many photos as I usually do. However, I can sit out in this sun for hours at a time and not get burned! It’s my own personal catnap heaven; I just better not get used to it or I’m going to be a briquette after my first day in Greece. But meanwhile, in an exceptional bit of luck (aka, thanks global climate change!), the weather is predicted to be sunny and warmer than usual for the duration I’m in Abisko. I was planning on this being the coldest portion of my entire round-the-world, excepting Antarctica, and instead I may have to break out the shorts during the day.