3 nights at Uto

For these four days I have stayed at Uto, a small island which is located about 80km away from Turku.

Uto is a quite small island and only 46 people are living in. The first day at 8 in the morning, I left for Uto from Parnus, which is also island and the end of Nagu island. Three and half hours later, I finally got to Uto after stooped some of islands between them. About half of the inhabitants in the island gathered to the port to celebrate the arrival of the ferry. And 30 minutes later, everybody has gone from the port to their home...

During the Second World War, the island was used to fort to German and Russia. In fact that is the last Finnish island to Germany. Nowadays, 20-30% of the whole island are still those place which uses for military and we cannot get inside those area. I couldn't got any information from the island except for the people who lives in. But during the summer season, people who visit there are much more than the people who living in there. Instead of cars, there were a lot of ferries from Sweden, Germany as well as Finland.

There is only one shop in the island and which is used for everybody who lives in there. Because of the land condition, it might be hard to grow some crops and actually there was no livestock. They need to buy everything what they want to eat from the shop. Those goods in the store are from the Nagu or Turku as the same ferry which I came. Ferry itself is only once a day connected from Nagu and Uto and onther ferry is 2 or 3 times a week connected between Uto and Turku. Even if that separated condition people in there, they are used to meeting with the people who are from mainland as well as overseas.

People in Finland have a lot in common in Japan. They are very careful to communicate with the people who are out side of the society, in particular, if you are foreigner. That is why I couldn't make a good freindship with a lot of people who lives in there. But, in the evening of the second night I asked a man from outside of the tent whether I will join his meal or not. I was glad to join his meal and he gave me a great dishes which was full of meat and egg! In addition to the meal he recommended me to drink a lot of Vodka.(I was drunk too much) His personality was similar to the people in the State, open-minded and cheerful. Actually, he is Finnish but he is from mainland by his own ferry with his friend. After the meal, we went a bar in the ferry parked at the port. At there we met some of the peole who are from Germany also by ferry, I enjoyed a lot by the midnight. Even in the midnight, we can walk without any outdoor light.

In conclusion, I enjoyed staying at Uto even if there was not a lot of place to visit, that is the best place to take a rest. Actually, I have nothing to do with in the island except for fishing! But recent years, those areas have polluted and because of too much hunting quite a few fish can catch from the sea. Actually, I couldn't get anything from there.
And finally, I decided to going up to Roveniemi at least and then I decide whether I am going up to the Nordkapp or not, that is I won't go directly to Stockholm. I will revenge for the fishing that I will catch a salmon in one of the lake at Lapland.

Yuji @Korpo, FIN

PS. to satsuki
I cannot get to Edinburgh on the first of September as well as England. I will get on Octobor if I don't choose any shortcut!! I am still thinking about it...