Jukkasjaervi / Sweden

I had heard that an "ice hotel," made of ice and snow, opens only during winter in the Arctic Circle, only to disappear without a trace in spring. Lured by the mystique, I have long wanted to visit the establishment. I had an opportunity to visit a dealer in Kiruna, known for its iron ore mine, in the Arctic Circle, so I decided to go on an excursion up to the ice hotel. 

A guest to the ice hotel must ride a snowmobile on the some 15-km trek from Kiruna to Jukkasjaervi, the village where the ice hotel is located. On the day of my journey, the weather is fair and the temperature -10Åé. The locals cheer me up, telling me that this is great traveling weather for the area, where blizzards and -30Åé.temperature are the norm. I start the engine. I find the pastures of rich greenery and the limpid lakes and rivers have been replaced with white, frozen field. The invigorating crisscross ride at speeds of about 70 km across this field is an outdoor sport at its best, and makes me forget the freezing cold.

I arrive at the ice hotel. As I had anticipated, it is an entirely different world. The construction of the hotel begins at the end of October every year. Crystal ice blocks cut from nearby Torune River are shaped and stacked. By mid-December, a single-story hotel with 60 rooms and 4,000 square meters of floor space is created. Ice sculptors form Japan and the rest of the world are invited to take part in an ice art competition, in which they decorate the reception room, hall, bar, chapel, gallery, and guestrooms. The temperature in my guestroom is -6Åé. The air is crisp and refreshing. Everywhere I look is ice, including the floor, ceiling, walls, windows, pillars, table, and chairs. Sitting in the bluish, transparent room adorned with fabulous sculptures, I fall into an illusion that I have wondered into a different world. 

In the Ice Bar, where everything is made of ice, I nurse a glass (made of ice) of Absolute Vodka, the famous liquor of this country. As I look outside, I see an aurora with faint colors of white, green, and red to complement the illusionary night in the Arctic Circle. To sleep, guests place a wooden pallet on the ice bed, lay reindeer fur, and then a sleeping bag. I lay to sleep, hoping that they will not find me frozen the next morning. Next morning, perhaps due to the pure air, I wake up extremely refreshed. 

I felt that the ice hotel gave a glimpse of Swedes' simplicity, practicality, intellect, patience, and creativity. On my way out, I saw a copy on the hotel's pamphlet that impressed me as summing up the entire experience. Translated into English, it reads:

From the river the ice came, and to the river it shall return. All that remains are memories.

Marubeni Group magazine "M-SPIRIT" VOL.7 (January,2002)

Ice Gallery where ice sculptures are on exhibit No prior experience required to ride snowmobiles