Olli and I were among many other volunteers who are present at the rally to maintain the safety of the spectators... mostly the drunk ones. Although there were police cars scattered around the area, as well as firemen, there were no incidents in our area and we ended up just watching the rally for 7 hours.
There were no high-profile drivers and the cars travelled a little slow on the dirty, snowy road, but I couldn't believe how many Finns, mostly men and some families, came out to the middle of nowhere to watch this event!
Here's a great photo of Olli and me at the rally:
You can see how many people were just in our area. The track stretched for kilometres, and there were 241 cars in the rally, each starting one minute after the last (which is why it took so long!)
Most cars looked similar to this one: small, light and not exactly new.
Despite the cold and constant car noise, it was a great day. I got to spend time with Olli and watch an event that rarely, if ever, happens in Canada. I also ate lots of sausage, which were offered to the volunteers after the rally. I think I ate 5! Sausage is a traditional Finnish food.
Next: Thursday and Friday are the "vanhojen tanssit" or "old dances" days, when I'll be dancing traditional Finnish dances in full formal attire with my partner, Tiina Lehti. Check on the weekend for a sure-to-be great post!
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