At the End of the (old) World
As I stood for my obligatory picture at the northern most tip of Europe (so called the end of the world, but that’s just foolish on a globe shaped planet) I realized that about 15 years ago I stood on the southern most tip of Africa meaning I have now been tip to tip in the Old World. I’ve decided, just to be fair about it, I’ll have to do the same thing in the New World. So, I’ll be planning my next trip for Argentina and Patagonia, and then move on up to Alaska or Canada, whoever lays claim to the northern most point of North America. Just to be fair of course.
On our little excursion to the North Cape (as the English translation of the northernmost point is called – so original don’t you think?), I did see my first reindeer. First, at a Sami camp. This Sami camp brought out all my ugly, I hate being a tourist sentiments because it was a Sami family living along the tourist route who dress up and stand there with their token reindeer for some loose change the tourists will give while snapping photos. Truly, it turned my stomach. That didn’t stop me from taking some photos and throwing a few coins (here with the tanked dollar, a few coins meant $20) in the basket. My only excuse is that I’m my mom’s photographer for the trip. But still…
However, it was fun that as we drove along we saw one of the last herds of reindeer left on the coast along the highway. The look like white and brown small and fat deer. These were the last not because they are a disappearing (quite the contrary, there are too many of them), but because all the reindeer in northern Norway are privately owned herds of the Sami. Last week they started herding them up into the mountains for the winter. This herd was a little behind. It is interesting that they take the animals into the cold, snowy mountains for the winter and come down to the barren coast in the summer and not the other way around. Reindeer actually eat almost nothing all winter long, kind of like herring. Reindeer are so plentiful now that there is a moratorium on anyone owning a new herd. Herds now have to be inherited by a single child, usually the eldest son. And the fine for hitting a reindeer with your vehicle, Kr 10,000 – that’s $2,000! Can you imagine that fine if you hit a cow or sheep? Wait, my agricultural co-workers, don’t even think about it. By the way, it’s all open range here and I saw another small herd of reindeer mulling about in a small city park eating the grass! Can you imagine a herd of cows grazing in Alton Baker Park with a $2000 fine if you hit one of them?!
On our little excursion to the North Cape (as the English translation of the northernmost point is called – so original don’t you think?), I did see my first reindeer. First, at a Sami camp. This Sami camp brought out all my ugly, I hate being a tourist sentiments because it was a Sami family living along the tourist route who dress up and stand there with their token reindeer for some loose change the tourists will give while snapping photos. Truly, it turned my stomach. That didn’t stop me from taking some photos and throwing a few coins (here with the tanked dollar, a few coins meant $20) in the basket. My only excuse is that I’m my mom’s photographer for the trip. But still…
However, it was fun that as we drove along we saw one of the last herds of reindeer left on the coast along the highway. The look like white and brown small and fat deer. These were the last not because they are a disappearing (quite the contrary, there are too many of them), but because all the reindeer in northern Norway are privately owned herds of the Sami. Last week they started herding them up into the mountains for the winter. This herd was a little behind. It is interesting that they take the animals into the cold, snowy mountains for the winter and come down to the barren coast in the summer and not the other way around. Reindeer actually eat almost nothing all winter long, kind of like herring. Reindeer are so plentiful now that there is a moratorium on anyone owning a new herd. Herds now have to be inherited by a single child, usually the eldest son. And the fine for hitting a reindeer with your vehicle, Kr 10,000 – that’s $2,000! Can you imagine that fine if you hit a cow or sheep? Wait, my agricultural co-workers, don’t even think about it. By the way, it’s all open range here and I saw another small herd of reindeer mulling about in a small city park eating the grass! Can you imagine a herd of cows grazing in Alton Baker Park with a $2000 fine if you hit one of them?!
posted by Eric at
6:02 AM
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