For ice
lovers
In the ice palace you forget who you are
Milda Manomaityte
While some are sunburning...
Where to? An ice hotel? Where is it? Is it very cold there?
I was overwhelmed by such mood when I learned that I would have to go to an ice hotel
somewhere in the north to make a report for the new supplement of the magazine. My first
task was to locate the hotel on the map and find out how to get there.
"Imagine a hotel built from thousands of tons of snow and ice and re-built every
winter - that is Icehotel in the little village of Jukkasjarvi in northern Lapland,
Sweden", - this is how the hotel is presented in its home page at the internet
address www.icehotel.com. Well, it sounds not too bad, I imagine a realm of ice covered
with snow. Cool! I am going!
I call the hotel and decisively declare that I would like to make a reservation, already
imagining myself tossing and turning on soft reindeer skins. But that is not so simple!
"We are booked full. Our guests make reservations a year ahead and you want it a week
in advance", - this is the answer I get. "You can stay in Kiruna town in the
neighbourhood, it's only fifteen minutes by car."
Of course, I am a bit disappointed, but not loosing my enthusiasm.
The tickets are bought, all the necessary insurances obtained, warm clothes and the camera
packed in the suitcase together with some strong drinks - I am ready to go!
I decided to go from Stockholm to Kiruna by train and to have a look at the cold
Scandinavia. It is also possible to reach that distant town by plain, everyday flights
take almost an hour and a half.
I board the train and pull out a book - I have a sixteen-hour trip ahead of me.
… others are looking for tranquillity in a
snow-drift
When I wake up in the morning, everything around is white.
For some reason the train is standing. "We will be delayed due to technical
reasons", - the passengers are informed. What technical reasons? Maybe we are
attacked by wild Eskimos? (I remembered films about cowboys). "The rails are covered
with snow", - a complaisant neighbour explains.
"The same problem every year", - sighs another passenger.
Finally we arrive in Kiruna. I get off the train, take a taxi and go to the hotel. No, not
to the Icehotel, to a simple one where I leave my luggage. In the tourist bureau I find
out that no more buses go to Icehotel today (Saturday), so I will have to take a taxi to
the ice palace of my dreams.
Having paid almost a hundred litas for the trip, I finally reach my destination. The first
impression? - Cold, really cold, 24 degrees below zero.
"That's nothing, sometimes we have minus forty!", - the taxi man tells me.
Getting my press certificate I am told to keep it on hand everywhere I go, "so that
nobody asks any questions". I have nothing against. Looking at my watch, I see that I
am just on time for the planned Saami culture trip on a reindeer sleigh. I will explore
the Icehotel upon return.
Holding on reindeer antlers
I register for the trip, get warm overalls, shoes, mittens
and a hat and - into the sleigh. In the beginning it is pulled by a snowmobile that takes
us to the "spot". Flying along the frozen river, the icy wind makes all my body
stiff. My cheeks get pale and frozen and I have to take my mittens off and rub them until
my fingers get frozen as well. Afterwards a Saami tells me that it happens to everybody
not accustomed to such weather conditions.
We arrive in the depth of the forest and finally make a stop. I can hardly move my
fingers, already starting to think about the warm bed at home, the hot mother's soup and
why on earth I have come here. But a Saami interrupts my sad thoughts and starts telling
me about the advantages of deer skin against our synthetic "warm" clothes. And
he really looks comfy - the shoes, the coat, the mittens, the hat - all is made from
reindeer skin, I can literally feel that the slight cold of thirty degrees does not bother
him at all. While speaking, he brings forth the reindeer. "How small they are",
- I think, for the animals are only up to my waist, but their antlers are really
impressive. The Saami warns me to watch out so that they would not hurt my eyes. Thanks
for the warning. In a few minutes I already understand what we are going to do with the
reindeer. One by one we will have to kneel down in the single sleigh, take the reigns and
go to the forest. And so everybody will go alone. Having explained this, the Saami warns
us that if we pull the reigns too tightly, the deer may loose its way and run to the wild
forest. "No problem, they know the way home, but may return only after a few days,
then we will have to look for your frozen bodies with dogs", - soothes us the man in
the fur coat. While the reindeer dig the snow with their hoofs and can't wait to rush
forward. With my heart trembling, I agree to get on the sleigh thinking to myself that now
I am really going to die. But I must give it a try.
Before setting out I get final instructions - to urge the animal by loud cries all the
time, not to pull the reign and not to fall out of the sleigh. I can already see myself
flying through the forest like a wind. I firmly kneel down in the sleigh, flop the reigns
and dart forward. But the clever animal must have sensed a scared and frozen reporter in
the sleigh. At the first turn it stops and decides to refresh itself with the snow.
""What's the matter?" - I think. "Yak, yak, go, reindeer, go!" -
I am urging the animal, but it would not budge. After a few moments it makes me a favour
and moves on, but only a few steps. My voice is getting coarse, my hands are numb and I
already see my trip extending over three days an my dead body will be eaten by wolves and
white bear. And the deer hardly moves.
But finally we are all luckily back, I get off the sleigh so happy to see live people
again. After such exciting encounter with the northern nature, we are granted the honour
to feed the animals and visit a real Saami hut. A fire is already
burning in the middle of it, everything around is covered with fur. Together with other
travellers from Hungary, Great Britain, Australia and Lithuania we are sitting around the
fire, roasting soft deer meat, drinking coffee and talking. Somebody nearly burns his
shoes.
"Can you imagine a Saami vegetarian?", - ask somebody hearing that two girls do
not eat meat.
It's so cosy here, but our time is gone and we have to go back.
Fires not advisable
After the severe cold outside, five degrees below zero in the
Icehotel is a nice change. I drop my mittens and already can imagine myself sleeping here
- probably it is not so bad after all. I look around me, the snow and ice give me a
strange feeling. It is all so quiet, nobody around, only a blue light burning in the end
of the corridor. The building is reinforced with ice columns. Going towards the light, I
notice curtained entrances on both sides with the posters saying: "entrance strictly
to those having reservations". The wonderful lamp above my heads is also made of ice.
In the end of the corridor I find the entrance to the Absloute Icebar. Everything around
is of bright blue colour. Several people are drinking coloured cocktails from ice glasses.
The bartender allows me to take a picture of him and proudly demonstrates his skills. I
still cannot believe I am here. It feels like time has stopped, everything is torpid.
Unwillingly I recall all the stories about realms of ice, congealed mammoths and bones of
witches scattered in the snow.
After a look around in the bar, I proceed to find the rooms. I step into the first
entrance with the warning and finally understand why I needed the press certificate.
Pulling the curtain aside I find myself in another corridor with rooms on every side. I
look into the first of them and stop: there is a real bed made of ice spreading a mystical
light. It is covered with soft fur, and the room is decorated with ice sculptures. I
cannot help lying down - the bed is soft, I notice a mattress under the fur. Once again I
regret I would not experience the pleasure of sleeping in this realm of ice.
I step into another room which is blood-read colour. It makes me forget the cold - the
room looks like the devil's residence. Peeing into one more room, I shudder wit fear: I
can see naked people frozen in the ice! "Shall I call the police?" - a thought
rushes into my head. But after a better look I realize those are only photos. Still, the
sight of a naked body in ice gives a strange feeling. The following room looks like a
torpid zoo: a bear is ominously looking upon me, an old deer is stepping into the room
from the wall, reindeer are galloping in the ice window above the bed-head. By the way, I
have already seen the hind part of the same deer outside! Somebody really has a keen sense
of humour.
I say goodbye to the animals and proceed wit my explorations. In one of the following
rooms I find a huge eye looking directly at the bed, another is decorated with a frozen
bar and enormous guitars, still another is guarded by an ice giant. I also come across a
room for at least eight persons and imagine what fun it would be to spend time here with a
good company.
All the entrances are covered only with curtains, so every time I go in, I am afraid that
I can come upon somebody living there. But that is hardly possible, for as I am told by
Helena Sjoholm, Icehotel presswoman, the guests go to sleep after supper only at 23:00 or
1:00 in the morning. The sleep is not long, for at 7:30 in the morning they are already
awakened with a cup of a hot berry drink at their bedside. I also find out that the room
price includes a warm sleeping bag, a cap (if you do not want the frost to bite your ears,
you will have to sleep in it), breakfast and morning sauna. They say it is not so cold to
sleep on ice beds, only at five or six in the morning it becomes a bit chilly.
Macbeth was an Eskimo?
Finishing my excursion through the ice rooms, I notice that
it is time for the performance already.
The Ice Globe Theatre stands adjacent to Icehotel. It offers theatre performances, operas
and even films.
It is already dark and starting to snow. The theatre is without a roof and I can hardly
imagine how I can sit on the snow almost for an hour. But the hosts had thought about that
as well. All the guests are provided with warm coats with hoods and attached mittens.
Sitting there among people wearing silvery hoods, I feel like in a sectarian meeting. All
these people have come from various corners of the world to watch a performance in the
Saami language none of them can understand. But making such a long trip is really worth
it. The stage decorations, the theatre boxes are made of ice, the illuminations, the
colours, the music, the strange language, the outlandish actors' clothes, the snowflakes
falling into the hall - all that creates such a mystic atmosphere that for a moment I
think I am dreaming.
During the break we are offered to refresh ourselves in the Absolute Icebar that serves
cocktails in ice glasses and snacks on ice plates.
After the performance I have to leave this realm of ice and return to reality. In Kiruna I
fall down into a warm wooden bed and, full of impressions, fall asleep.
When the ice palace melts down
Everything started in 1989 when several Japanese artists
visited the Jukkasjarvi township and organised an exhibition of ice there. Next year a
French artist's exhibition was opened in an igloo (an Eskimo hut made of ice) built on the
frozen Torne river. Several visitors stayed in it for the night and were fascinated with
the new sensations. After a year an ice hotel was erected in that place and it has existed
for fourteen years already.
Icehotel built from 30 000 tons of snow and 4000 tons of ice occupies an area of 5000 sq.m
and has 60 rooms.
In the end of October about thirteen local artists and constructors start working and
continue until the middle of December when the first visitors arrive.
Snow walls are formed around arch-shaped steel structures. After two days the steel
reinforcement is pulled out and ice columns are inserted to make the walls stronger.
In the beginning of December construction works are almost completed and interior
outfitting starts. It lasts until the end of January. Swedish and international artists
are invited to decorate the rooms.
In March tractors sweep away the snow from the frozen Torne river and blocks of
crystal-clear ice weighing up to 2 tons are cut out with the help of special ice saws. The
ice is stored in special freezers, most of it is used for hotel construction next year.
Only a few of the best sculptures are preserved in a special freezer -museum, the rest are
left to melt down.
How much does it cost?
ICEHOTEL
Double room
*Off-season
SEK 1960 per room (about 734 Lt.)
Peek season
SEK 1760 per person (about 666 Lt.)
Family room
*Off-season
SEK 989 per person (about 367 Lt.)
minimum 4 persons
Peek season SEK 1245 per
person (about 466 Lt.)
minimum 4 persons
Icehotel suite
Off-season
SEK 2960 per room (about
SEK 2680 per person (about 1004 Lt.)
Peak season
SEK 3750 per room (about 1405 Lt.)
SEK 3320 per person (about 1244 Lt.)
Deluxe suite
Peak season SEK
5750 per room (about 2154 Lt.)
ENTERTAINMENT
Theatre
SEK 450 - 750 per person (about 168-283 Lt.)
Snowmobile tour SEK 895 (about
335 Lt.)
Northern lights tour SEK 1295 (about 485 Lt.)
Dogsled tour
SEK 1020 (about 382 Lt.)
Saami culture park SEK 450 (about 168 Lt.)
Guided tour
SEK 100 per person (about 37 Lt.)
Ice sculpting
SEK 450per
day (about 168 Lt.)
Massage
SEK 350 - 650 per person (about 131-243Lt.)
Sauna
SEK 750 for 5 persons (about 281 Lt.)
RENT
Skis, sticks and shoes
SEK 295 per day (about 110 Lt.)
Snow boots, sticks SEK
245 per day (about 91 Lt.)
Rucksack
SEK 45 per day (about 17 Lt.)
Head lamp
SEK 65 per day (about 24 Lt.)
Ice-fishing rod, lure, ice-bore, fishing licence for 1 day: SEK 275 (about 103 Lt.)
PRACTICAL ADVICE
It is useful to have some cash on hand for it is not always possible to pay the bills
electronically.
In The Icehotel you can pay with a credit card, but, as mentioned before…
A dash of a stronger drink might come useful for reviving numb limbs.
All the people I met spoke English fluently, so there should be no communication problems
My digital camera froze and could not focus the view properly, so if you want good quality
photos, better have a stanchion with you.
If it is too cold for you in Icehotel, you can stay in the nearby cabins that cost SEK 535
to 2245 (about 200 - 8401 Lt.).
In summer the temperature may reach +7 - +26 of Celsius.
*Off-season period: December 12-30 and from April 14
Peak season: from December 31 to April 13 |
