Day 16 update
For the past few days we have been riding high on a wave of optimism, covering huge distances, and with a tuk tuk capable of doing so. Having a working, and by and large functional mode of transport, was starting to feel like the norm. You can probab-
ly see the direction this update is going in; building things up, only to bring them crashing back down. And you're right.
It started the previous evening driving to our stop for the night, an Olympic training facility. A huge behemoth of a place, multiple floors catering every sport imaginable. It also included a fully functional and rather good hotel, where we were staying for the night. As we pulled up to the hotel, and shortly after my little incident putting the tuk on 2 wheels, we'd notice the engine starting to play up, wheezing and coughing. We decided to look at it in the morning, hoping that it was just the tuk being its usual temperamental self, something not too uncommon. Unfortunately, it was not, and the following morning, minutes after we left, we had our first breakdown, and then another as we continued trying to diagnose the issue. Breaking down, fixing, driving, assessing the changes, breaking down and then repeating the process. Normally, this type of cowboy mechanics eventually pays dividends, but not today. Everything we did only seemed to make things worse.
We struggled on for the remainder of the day, until we could go on no further, finally pulling into a random service station. Over the duration of this trip I've often thought that this is it - this is where it ends. But each time, Clarky is defiant about finding a solution, and we always somehow do. Not this time. His face said it all - we had run out of ideas, out of solutions. It was time to call it a day and bring an end to this challenge. He got on the phone to make arrangements to ship the tuk back to the UK. It really was the end. We had taken the tuk tuk to the Arctic circle, against all odds, raised £18,000 for charity and met some incredible people on the way. We had come a long way and failed, but hopefully we could still hold our heads up high.
And then, a friendly Finnish man by the name of Petteri took interest in the tuk tuk and asked if we needed some help. We asked, half joking, if he knew any mechanics available on a Friday night. He got out his phone and said he'd see what he could do. A few moments later, he casually announced that his friend, Heikki, was going to pop by - a local motorbike shop/garage owner and mechanic. We were over the moon; a glimmer of hope from the cusp of failure. Heikki, when he arrived, was like so many Finnish people, unassuming in appearance and deadpan in nature. He assessed the tuk tuk and quickly started to identify potential problems, even popping over to his garage 5 minutes down the road for parts. Petteri also helped get us checked into a local hotel and made sure we were set for the evening. Eventually, it was clear that we weren't going to be able to fix the tuk tuk, and so he offered to take it to his garage to be worked on the following day. What's more, he phoned his best mechanic to ask if he could come in an hour earlier especially, so he could fit us into their busy schedule. This was generosity on another level and music to our ears.
We limped the tuk tuk over to Heikki's garage and our mouths dropped as we saw the building. It was vast. Then we were told that was just for spare parts, and that the workshop and showroom were on the other side, two even bigger goliaths. If ever there was a Disney world for motorbikes, it would be this. It transpired, Heikki was the owner of Euro Motor Center Oy, the largest motorbike supplier in the whole of northern Finland. Of all the places we could have terminally broke down, it was down the road from here, and on top of that his friend just so happened to see us passing by and offered help. I just can't even begin to fathom the chances of this set of events; it just didn't seem real. Like excited school kids we were shown around his collection of bikes; a total feast for the eyes. In a haze we were then driven to the motel we were staying at, leaving the tuk tuk behind, and not quite sure of what just happened, and what tomorrow will bring