Norway

It is Norwegians who are good, it is Norwegians who are best– Prima Vera with ”It is Norway which is good”.

Capital: Oslo
Population: 4,8 millions
Population density: 12 Norwegians per km2
HDI: 0.968 (no. 2)

Norway, our home and the place of departure, is an awfully long country. From the southern tip to the northern tip there is 20 000 km of coast line and up to several Norwegians. Most of their time is spent inside their cottages eating bears and drinking milk, but when they first pass the door sill; they do it properly. Leiv Eriksson sailed to America, Nansen crossed Greenland on skis and Mensen Ernst ran from Istanbul to Calcutta – and back.

Norwegians are quite proud of their country. This might not be too bizarre when the UN have selected the country as the world’s second best, only after Iceland who might have lost some points lately, they are always best at cross-country skiing and have tons of black gold. The Norwegians therefore spend a good proportion of their life complaining about the weather, the scandalous high petrol prices and youths at shopping malls.

We will, however, just bike through a small proportion of the country, namely the county of Finmark, home of the Sami people, reindeers and mosquitoes. An area rich on resources, culture and breathtaking nature will surely make the distance a memorable one for us.

Goal for the stretch: Achieve mosquito bite immunity.

Finland

Wings on my back, I got horns on my head, my fangs are sharp and my eyes are red- Lordi with “Hard Rock Hallelujah.” The Finnish winner of the Eurovision Song Contest 2006.

Capital: Helsinki
Population: 5,25 millions
Population density: 15,5 Finns per km2
HDI: 0.954 (no. 12)

Finland can decorate itself with the title home of the thousand lakes, being one of the least corrupt nations in the world (according to Transparency International) and more disputed: Santa Clause’s place of residence. They might have the best education system in the world and are good at sports. Still, the only relationship many have with the Finns is through the Vodka producers Finlandia and Koskenkorva, something we hope to change.

The Finns are in many ways a mysterious people. They speak a incomprehensible language, and some people say they like to sit in really warm, small rooms for longer periods of time before they jump into icy waters. However, they did give the world the Mumi-troll and the Nokia phone so they can’t be complete morons.

We are looking forward to see the Finns, their habitat and how they behave, maybe we even will attain some contact with one or two. The stretch we are planning to leave behind in Finland is about 1000 km which will be covered with a smile on our faces and Boomfunk MC in our ears. It will be a joy.

Goal for the stretch: Dismiss the myth that Santa Clause is Finnish.

Russia

You cannot pull a fish out of a pond without labour - Russian proverb.

Capital: Moscow
Population: 142 million
Population density: 8,3 Russians per km2
HDI: 0.806 (no. 73)

The world’s biggest country is also a large power in today’s political world. Visible from several kitchen windows, this is a country where the contrasts are many and the variety in nature and peoples is enormous. From the desolate Siberia to the metropolis of Moscow, from Fjodor Dostojevskij to Anna Kournikova and from Lenin to market liberalism. When this nation doesn’t drink vodka or play balalaika, they export a ton of industrial goods like textiles, air planes, gas and IT-products, or they write books like Crime & Punishment and ballets like the Nutcracker. Something for every taste.

A country where you can be fined for driving a dirty car and the micro wave used to be illegal must be exciting to explore. The former communist country is today facing problems with inequality, and a melting tundra which is not good news for the ozone layer. There are plenty of opportunities for us to soak up some Russian impressions on our way.

After biking through Finland we will start off from St. Petersburg with eyes set Kazakhstan.

Goal for the stretch: Learn to dance Cossack.

Egypt

The whole world is in revolt. Soon there will be only five Kings left - the King of England, the King of Spades, the King of Clubs, the King of Hearts, and the King of Diamonds – King Farouk

Capital: Cairo
Population: 76 million
Population density: 76 per km2
HDI: 0.716 (no.116)

The country in Africa’s right corner has besides being haunted by ten plagues three thousand years ago also lived through several colonisations, a civil war and persisting poverty. Lately they have, however, experienced a relatively stable economic growth.

The home of the plough consists of 90% desert, but has nevertheless enjoyed the fertility of the Nile basin which has resulted in, among other things, the Giza pyramid. Another wonder is the Aswan dam, an interesting project in many ways that we hope to learn more about.

It brings bad luck to enter a room in Egypt with anything other than the left foot first; we therefore have to step carefully. Still, there is little doubt Egypt will be fun.

Goal for the stretch: See the pyramids.