SWEDEN

                              A Beautiful Part of the World
     Sweden, a little bit larger than California lies on the Scandinavian Peninsula between Norway and Finland. Running 900 miles north to south, it is the third largest country in Western Europe. The southern part of the country lies on the Scandinavian Peninsula between Norway and Finland and is home to 85% of the population.  Its strict neutrality left the country undamaged during two world wars. It is a country of forests, sparkling lakes, unspoiled wilderness, a fascinating folk culture, and  an expensive place to be for travelers. Because of its long, narrow shape and northerly location, the landscape is highly diversified. The ever-varying Swedish coastline stretches 1500 miles from Haparanda on the Finnish border, high up in the Gulf of Bothnia, all the way to Norway and the North Sea to the west. Sweden has majestic mountains and glaciers, 100,000 lakes, as well as wide-open countryside, interspersed by small idyllic villages and vibrant cities. The north enjoys the midnight sun in the summer.

      Sweden has more than 25,000 protected Iron Age graveyards and burial mounds, 1140 prehistoric fortresses, 2500 open air Rune stones and 3000 churches, almost one–third of them medieval. There are thousands of nature reserves, 28 national parks, more than 10,000 kilometers of trekking and bicycle paths, not to mention 10 royal castles in the Stockholm area.

      The country can be divided into three regions with the mountains being in the northern region, the lakes in the hilly central region and the broad plateau in the southern part of the country. Oland and Gotland are the largest and most populated islands.

      The ancient Svea tribe inhabited the country east and west for thousands of years. They were followed by the Swedish Vikings or Russ who traveled east naming that area Russia. They sailed around Europe and then the Mediterranean.  The three crowns represent these three tribes. In the 17^th century Sweden was a major European power with a large naval fleet. The empire included the Baltics, Finland, part of Poland, Russia and Germany. By the 19^th century the war wary empire shrunk and the present borders were drawn in 1809. About one-third of the population emigrated in the 19^th century and many Swedes came to the United States.

       Instead of fighting in WW II Sweden spent those years building its economy. A recession in the 1990s was buoyed by multi-national companies. Think Saab, Volvo, Ericsson, and forest products from IKEA. Sweden joined the European Union.

      Although Sweden has a sex-pot reputation, teen pregnancy and STD infections are very low. Ninety percent of the population is Lutheran, but only five percent attend church. Swedes find religion in nature such as fishing, hiking and relaxing at their summer cabins. Eighty percent of the country is wilderness. At work Swedes are diligent, but relaxed and a bit wild at play. Summer is festival season. Sweden is the most populous Scandinavian country, but a low birth and mortality rate make the population among the oldest in the world. Seventeen percent of the people are over 65 years old.

      Scandinavian design, with its roots in social idealism, natural forms and balance between aesthetic and functionality, is much more than an imposed sense of style. It is a way of life and is apparent in homes, businesses and public spaces.

      Well to do families desired red brick homes. Less fortunate people painted their houses red as a substitute. Immigrants make up eight percent of the country’s five million population. Sweden is a monarchy with a parliamentary government. 

LOVELY MOUNTAIN ACCOMMODATION

                                                Inland Belize

           After our dolphin project on the Belize atoll I decided to stay over  on the mainland to see some Mayan ruins. We traveled about 20 miles on paved road through the rural countryside. Although the road was paved it had no dividing lines, and there was very little traffic after the first five miles.

            Then we turned onto a dirt road for about another 20 miles. Our four wheel van progressed slowly dodging ruts and holes in the road. It was also a gentle climb to about 2000 feet. In the valley we passed huge citrus farms. The pine trees were tall and straight, slightly smaller than a telephone pole.

During the ride the driver told us, “The Mountain Pine Ridge here  in the southwestern part of Belize has some of the most diverse scenery in the country. These stately pines cover 300 square miles of steep hillsides in the foothills of the Mayan Mountains. Along the edges of the pine ridge are limestone caves, white water rivers, hardwood forest, and sharp escarpments with sweeping views. The climate is slightly cooler than the rest of Belize. Birds are plentiful, butterflies are particularly numerous, and there are many varieties of unusual bromeliads and other epiphytes. Much of the wilderness is in virgin condition, just as it probably was 2000 years ago when the Mayans left their footpaths.”

We were headed to Blancanceaux Lodge which happened to be owned by Frank Cuppola. The beautiful tropical landscaping was a surprise. We stayed in a lovely thatched roof cabana with a nice screened veranda that afforded us a spectacular view of a waterfall in the Privassion River beyond. All the electricity for the lodge was generated from a small facility on the river.

I spent the afternoon hiking around the area and enjoying the lovely landscaping. It was a quiet, peaceful afternoon.

The rainy season normally starts the end of May but that year the archaeologists left the area in mid-May, two weeks earlier than usual. This was not a good sign! 

 That night I fell asleep listening to the running water of the river behind our cabana not knowing if we would make it to the ruins in the morning. Would the weather let us attempt the trip? (Yes , we woke to a thumbs up, but more about that later.)