Find out what makes Finland is the undisputed king of sauna and why Thailand’s version makes for a poor competitor. Oh, and lots of talk about getting beaten off (on?) with sticks. Because Finland.
Because Evo was chosen as the keynote speaker for the Nordic Bloggers Experience / Matka 2017 conference, he left Sheila home in Bangkok for the last two weeks. During his stay in Finland and Estonia, he collected several stories he’ll share in coming episodes of the podcast. Stories like Russian hockey, why Estonia is the world’s dumping ground, and why Evo is known as the American ice hole. But this one is all about the Finnish sauna, an experience that makes chilly Finland worth a visit even in the wintertime.
Evo experience no less than five different saunas during his trip to Finland in either hotels (Evo highly recommends the Clarion Helsinki for a great hotel with an incredible sauna), camping lodges you find when you book a wilderness trip with Hikes ‘n Trails, or public saunas such as Löyly. Unlike saunas you’ve likely experienced, a Finnish sauna is indeed an experience. And an incredibly social one at that!
Here are a few highlights and teasers from the show as to not spoil anything:
Everyone in Finland has access to at least a half a dozen saunas at any given time. Or something like that. I might not be able to back that up.
Saunas in Finland are segregated by sex.
You will get beaten on (or off) by a bundle of sticks while inside.
Two words: Sauna condoms. Or something like that.
Saunas are a social event.
You can smoke your fish while you sauna. True story.
Surprisingly, we have saunas in Bangkok, too. Not just going outside (because it’s hot and steamy here all the time), but actual wooden saunas. OK, they’re a little (read: a lot) smaller. They don’t have the standard heating elements either. But they do use something uniquely Thai -- or at least Asian -- to produce the steam. Gotta hand it to ‘em for ingenuity.
While in Finland -- and Estonia, for that matter -- Evo procured postcards. They’re in the mail -- all 41 of them -- and should arrive soon. If you want to get on the list, we’d love to send you a postcard from abroad from us!. Cambodia next month? Then Estonia? Maybe. Regardless, get on the list and you’ll join the others who get a handwritten postcard every single month.
Music for our show is graciously provided by the fantastic band Velella Velella. They make killer tunes, and you should buy all of their stuff. It’s fabulous!
To keep up with our travels, like our page on Facebook, follow our Twitter account, keep up with us on Instagram… and probably a few more things. But that’ll do for now.
(Oh, and do we really need to state that Evo didn’t pay for anything above? Part of the perks of being a keynote speaker. He’s for hire, by the way.)
This One Time (The Podcast) features retellings and recreations of the best (or worst depending on perspective) travel stories encountered in a life lived abroad. Stay subscribed on iTunes or whatever else you use to listen to podcasts and you’ll never miss an episode.
