COZY AS MOTHER’S LAP(LAND)

My mind is so obsessed with the Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort so much so that my blog on North pole would be incomplete without dwelling into the pleasantness I experienced at the Resort.

Little did I know to visualize right at the time of booking what a Log House or an Igloo House really meant. All I was sure was that I would be getting into a new dimension of stay at the Polar region.

After a two-hour gliding road drive from the Santa Claus village in Rovaniemi, we reached the Resort late afternoon.  With chill breeze stroking the face, I entered the unassuming Resort Reception behind a closed rustic wooden door in a massive wooden structure- The grandeur of the place could be immediately felt. The Reception, a multipurpose store, souvenir kiosk, a coffee shop and a sprawling restaurant-the whole area decked up with the ubiquitous logs.

I slowly could sense that, if a common area could be so amazing, what all surprises were in store for me in a log house. After some swift formalities in the Reception, we moved to the designated Log House situated in a vast area facing a beautiful pond.

The faint smell of pinewood was all around us. A big living room, a fully equipped kitchenette, two well-kept cozy bedrooms, neat bathrooms, a private Sauna greeted us. The whole log house tastefully decorated in the Lappish style-a wonderful craftsmanship of chandelier made with Reindeer horns, the upholstery in groovy Scandinavian floral design, a rugged rocking chair, a lazy fireplace-an insight of typical Finnish Lapland village house, I presumed. This is one part of the stay. We experienced staying in the Kelo-Igloo house as well. It is a combination of a log house and a thermal glass fitted hood opening to the sky. Lying down on the adjustable hydraulic cots, in the night, one could have the feel of wading through the Milky way and on lucky nights, “Aurora Borealis” –a festivity of light in the galaxy, will be visible from the comfort of the room.

Much has now been said about the feast for the eyes-how about for the Palate? Being a strict vegetarian, we were very apprehensive about the availability of vegetarian dishes in the thick wilderness of the Arctic. Know what our hostess Ms.Pum of Thailand and the chief chef from Ghana had in store for us? wonderful vegetarian delicacies specially made for us-creamy thick hot soup, fresh juicy fruits and green salads, pita breads, cheesy mashed potatoes,stuffed mushroom, hash browns, steaming hot rice, hot curries, slurpy custards and what not?

All these things served with a loving beaming smile even without us asking them. We were moved by the hospitality showered on us. Their spontaneous love and care will ever linger in our minds. The old adage about winning   a man over through his stomach is absolutely true!!

Till I lace up for the next…..

J.Ram