I was in Levi, a pretty little ski town in the Finnish
Lapland, trying to get a first-hand account of an Arctic
winter. Twenty minutes earlier, I had eagerly gotten into
my overalls, winter boots and gloves, and a sorry woollen
cap I had carried from Delhi. My guide, Charlie and I, had
taken a gondola from Levi’s base to the top of its tallest
ski slope for a view of the valley below. It was early March.
The wind and the snow were doing the disco at 530 metres
that cloudy morning, and you can well imagine the view.
Beyond the snow-white mumbo jumbo, skiers in dazzling
fluorescent overalls were whooshing down the long ski
lines in different directions to disappear at 30 metres,
while new groups arrived in gondolas to take their spot.
Minutes in, my face froze at about the same time that
I caught the sight of a wooden compartment marked WC,
its roof covered in fresh snow. “A washroom up here?
Who would dare?” Charlie caught me mid-thought, and
moved over to the signage for an explanation, “Was it the
view you came for? The water closet is the real adventure,
the signature experience in Levi. Go ahead and try it!”
He had to shout to make himself heard, even though we
were barely standing a few feet apart. We laughed, and I
declined the offer, but instinctively took out my phone to
document what will hereafter be referred to as the Arctic
Toilet. One photo down, my battery went numb in the
sub-zero temperature; two seconds later, my naked fingers
followed. We struggled to keep still as we looked around,
nodding at each other in agreement that it was too darn“I bet there are better ways to experience -25
O
Celsiusthan this blizzard,” I said in a rather low voice through
gritted teeth. Only, there weren’t.
The centre of Levi is busy
with tourists in the peak season.
Numerous bars, karaoke joints,
and Lappish restaurants line
the main street.
JUHALAINE.OPPOSITE,CLOCKWISE:COURTESYOFBUSINESS FINLAND; JUHO KUVA; COURTESY OF AURORA SKY RESTAURANTtravelandleisureindia.in