Weekend Jaunt to One of Europe's Largest Rapids

July 29, Friday, is another one of those days when we have this spur-of-the-moment decision to hit the road again. Another wanderlust attack. Our main target was Happaranda, the last city in the last county of northern Sweden, Norrbotten. And then we had to cross over to a city in Finland.

Storforsen, the rapid that lies in the municipality of Älvsbyn, was not a part of our itinerary, but some force prodded us to go and take a look at that place. Being lovers of the wild outdoors, we gave in to that force and veered to that direction in the northwest instead of burning the coastal highway straight to our urban destinations.

We checked in to the Storforsen Camping, a well-frequented camping site by nature-trippers. This area has a big hotel, a number of "stugor" or cabins, a little church and a good view of the Pite River and its rapids.

Since we would only stay here for a night,  we just hired a little cabin instead of setting up our tent. Like all the other popular camping sites in this country, this one was also full of vacationers, many of whom came from other countries.

Being more north than where we live, this place had brighter nights that time. And so we took advantage of the evening brightness to wend our way through the nature trail leading to the rapids. The trail along the rapids consists mainly of boardwalks with some sections serving as bridges.

Along the way, I kept taking lots of photos from every angle.

Once we got to the heart of the rapids, I was stunned by its immensity and the force of the churning waters whose thunderous sounds palpitated in my chest. 

 

The rapids stretch out over a distance of 5 km in which the riverbed is lowered by 82 meters. The flow of the river is on average 162 cubic meters of water per second, and the highest flow measured in the lower reaches of the river is 1,040 cubic meters per second.

The rocks surrounding the rapids are barred in order to prevent accidents. Visitors can view the whole rapids from the ramps that have been mounted. 

Previously, the rapids were used to transport logs, but now, its surroundings have become a part of a nature park visited by about 150,000 people each year. Strolling along the two-kilometer walkway is pleasurable, adventurous and educational.

There's so much to see and learn here, like information about the river, about human existence by the river and about plants and animals, which can be read at twelve spots along the trail.

Since there's plenty of water and nourishment in this area, vegetation is rich and lush.

When the river was developed into a floatway, part of the river channel was drained, but the dead ponds are still teeming with life. This part was named "Döda Fallet" or The Dead Falls.

Here, visitors can find fantastic bathing spots with warm water among the rocks on sunny summer days.

Several potholes can also be found at the drained area of the Dead Falls, some of which are so deep that one can creep right into them. This heart-shaped one caught my eyes.

Wow, there's just so much to see and admire in this nature trail but alas!, the night wore on and our body told us to take a rest after the day's long journey. So we started back to our little cabin through the same boardwalks that we took, the rumble of the rapids slowly fading behind us. The night was still bright and I glanced back one more time before turning in for the night.

This wonderful day concluded with this beautiful sunset wishing us all to have a restful sleep. Once again, my heart brimmed with gratitude to our Creator who beautified our home planet with such marvelous things that speak volumes about his love and power. 

And the distant murmur of the rapids lulled me to a sweet sleep. 


The following day awaited us with a promise of a new journey filled with exciting adventures.

Summer Idylls

Midsummer has long gone (June 26), but summer is still definitely here, though it's flying away so swiftly. Before it completely fades out, I must pause for a while and take a few moments to extoll some of its glory that is yet "unsung". So let me sing about this summer in lyrics without music, and in photographs.

Summer is not summer without the brilliant sun spreading out its warmth and radiance all over.

The tiny ripples dancing on the surface of the waters catch the sunlight and glitter like stars.

The sky is mostly clear blue with shades that range from light to deep.

Whenever there are clouds, their varied forms make for a picturesque skyscape that is worth photographing.

The sparklingly clear waters of the rivers, waterfalls and rapids keep rolling and splashing blithely in their meandering course  toward the sea or lakes.

  

The spacious sun-drenched beaches with soft white sand teem with people who either pray to the sun for a tanned complexion or have a refreshing dip in the beach's cool waters.

The air is saturated with the sweet fragrance of flowers, which tickles one's senses as he walks by.

Lovely flowers in a wealth of colors thrive everywhere - the parks, gardens of private houses, windows, individual units' patios, apartment buildings' entrances, open fields, etc. 

The berries are out to exude their shiny, colorful, mouth-watering fruits.

A profusion of multi-colored blossoms embellishes the city esplanades, cheering up the heavy-hearted strollers and adding more sunshine to the light-hearted ones.

The birds are having their fill of foods from this summer's bounty.

They float and glide across the cool ponds while basking  in the warmth of the sun.

The countryside scintillates with the glinting waters of the lakes that lie therein and the lush vegetation that surrounds them.

The roadsides are lined with lively sprays of colorful wildflowers that keep on waving to travelers who pass by them and wishing them a wonderful trip.

The nights are bright, affording everyone longer hours to carry on their yearning for outdoor activities. (Recently, though, darkness has been gradually claiming back the night.)

The fishers frequent the lakes, rivers and seashores to feed their passion for fishing and at the same time, savor the moments of silence and the embrace of the natural beauty that surrounds them.

Patios are often occupied by their owners who love to grill and eat their meals outdoor.

Thickly blooming bushes adorn almost every corner of the city, villages and countryside.

Animals and insects also indulge in the delectation of summer treats.

The trees and other vegetation are aglow with  luxuriant verdure that nourishes the weary soul.

These are just some of the endless blessings that summer brings. Should I recount them all, this blog will go on for miles. Here's one short poem I found that describes summer in a nutshell:

Laughter of Lilacs
Rainbows of roses
Songs of the robins
Lily of the valley borders
Sunshine to warm the heart
Oh what joy this season does impart!

by Anne Morrow Lindberg

Let us wallow in the pleasantness of summer while it lasts!

Across the Galaxies

This is the third sequel to my narrative To Hold a Sunlight, which tells about the life story of my bosom friend. In this part, I write in a language best understood by "alien beings" like the two of us. 

In a parallel universe that lies within the bounds of my imagination, I have been roaming the space in quest of my dear fellow alien who I thought had been sucked by a black hole. She is nowhere to be found, not even in her own galaxy where I tried to scout around. I don't know how many eons more should I travel across the galaxies to find her. I won't give up. Even if it would take an eternity to locate her, I would do it.

Sometimes, I feel like I'm drowning in an ocean of cosmic loneliness as I wander alone in my spaceship, searching every corner of the intergalactic space. Is it worth all my undaunted efforts to find her and bring her back again to the comfort of the galaxy that we'd chosen as our home? Does she still exist? Or am I merely chasing after an insubstantial stardust that would only lead me to the farthest void of the universe? Has she found an entirely new galactic home where she is happier and more comfortable? Has she met any kindred spirits there and has completely forgotten about her loyal fellow alien who has never given up on her even though everyone else had abandoned her?

I've been missing my fellow space voyager, my alien buddy, for a long time now. I can't find anyone like her in this corner of the galaxy where I landed. All I'm dealing with here are creatures whose nature is that of an ice with impenetrable hardness. Okay, they're also good, but being with them suppresses my true self. I can't speak with them the way I did with her;  can't let out my inner child to play; can't act and talk in a comical way; can't exchange views on subjects we so loved to explore; can't  open up my heart to them; can't hang out at all with them. Well, there's one I met actually, but of the opposite gender. I believe he's also a kindred spirit, from the "race of Joseph". And he appears to have an alien blood too. But then, I can't spend time with him and do our alien stuffs because he doesn't live nearby, nor does he live permanently in one place. I call him a "space-trotter", who lives a life of sacrifice to see about the spiritual needs of other beings and gives of himself to them. So this sends me back to my solitary self, constantly wandering solitarily in the wilderness of space.

Now, I can't help wondering whether my alien buddy still cares about me.  Does she miss me too? Does she still remember how I used to be? Do all the beautiful and dramatic moments we have had still flash in her mind even once in a while? Does she still recall our dreams to spend eternity exploring the universe and discover more cosmic elements yet unknown to earthlings? How I wish I knew the answers. But I need to find her first. But where in cosmos could she be? I don't know where else to look for her. Wherever she is, I hope that somehow, she will hear about her old buddy scouring the universe in search of her. Perhaps she will do everything she can to get out of the black hole that has trapped her, or she would come out of whatever galaxy she has landed on, and meet me in one rugged stellar path somewhere in Messier 31, NGC 224.


Until then, I will keep sailing across the galaxies to find her, while praying for her safety wherever she is. If no one cares at all to rescue her, I'm here to do the best I can to snatch her from the invisible tentacles of infinite darkness that may threaten her very existence. And I keep hoping that we will see each other again soon, and will forever frolic among the stars as we journey through the galaxies.