SampoSauna Helsinki, Finland

When I was taking the ferry from Tallinn back to Helsinki, the rugby guys suggested that I should check out the free public sauna.  I  was too tired to go after the ferry, so I thought that it would be a good thing to do on my last day before I had to fly out to Oslo.   My friend's friend met me in the morning and we biked to the sauna.  The bike ride was really cool because we got to bike through some parks and he explained some of the buildings that we passed by.  When we got to the area, it looked like the set from Mad Max.  It was like a wasteland, but once we got in front of the sauna, the structure was so cheery and cute.  The sauna was made by locals and was actually removed by the city several times, but the locals kept building new saunas until the city finally gave them permission to keep the  sauna  in the area. Since its taken care of by the public, the first ones to arrive for the day need to chop the wood and help make the fire for the sauna.  We were one of the first, so I helped out by chopping some wood.  I wanted to contribute and not have just the guys do the work.  The thing about Finland is that they go into the sauna nude.  Since this was a free public sauna, both men and women would go into the sauna at the same time.  I was the only woman and it felt a bit weird to be totally nude, so I wore my bikini bottoms.   Finnish people like their saunas hot.  There were two saunas the locals built.  The bigger one could fit around 10 people and the smaller one could fit 3.  I went into the smaller one with my friends and the temperature got up to 120 C, when they put water on the rocks the second time I thought I was being cooked alive.  I had to escape the sauna and go into the sea to cool my hands.  I just dont understand how my friends were able to stay in the sauna!  All the locals that were at the sauna were really nice.  It was a great thing to experience on my last day in Finland!  On the bike ride back, my friend showed me where I could pick some wild blueberries and showed me what wild cranberries look like.  It was a great day!  Thanks for everything!

a new sauna being built next to the two already in use

cool structure that got burnt down

rules to the sauna

water people brought to be used in the sauna

so sea water ever!!

inside the sauna

the heating stove

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the main sauna

makeshift fire pit

sompa sauna!

great view from the sauna

apparently what the president looks like?

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fellow sauna"ers"