Transcription
In this part of the world, nights do not exist. People live with 24 hours of light per day. Many even forget when they should go to sleep. Look at this, it's three in the morning and I'm the only person walking down this street. It looks like a ghost town. And if that weren't enough, this city is literally on the move, piece by piece, as the ground can no longer support the structures. Wow! Truly, our world will never cease to amaze me.
Friends, how are you? I greet you at exactly 2:33 in the morning. And you may be wondering: Luisillo, why is it, why is it so bright in the middle of the night? What kind of witchcraft is this? Well, because we are in the middle of summer, very close to the North Pole, experiencing the fascinating phenomenon of the White Nights. A period of about two months in which the inhabitants of the northern hemisphere of our planet live with 24 hours of light every day. In fact, look, I want to show you exactly how it was, at 2:34 in the morning. There's no catch here.
I had been wanting to experience this phenomenon for several years, as I had long ago the opportunity to experience it lightly in northern Russia. But the nights weren't entirely white; it wasn't that cold above the territory. And it wasn't until today, in the summer of 2025, that I decided to make this journey so that I could document it in detail and share it with all of you. In this video, we will learn how people live during this period, as well as an explanation of why this happens. This event, and we will surely learn many more interesting facts. So come on, White Nights, the entire northern hemisphere of our summer is waiting for us. Let's go for it. Well, let's get started.
Why is this happening? Wow! How about that flawless acrobatics. Why does the phenomenon of White Nights occur, also known as the "night of a hundred days"? Known as the Midnight Sun? For this, we need to get a little theoretical. We must understand that the planet Earth has a degree of inclination on its own axis, which causes it to tilt. The North Pole is tilted toward the sun, and the South Pole is completely in darkness. This is reversed in winter, when the territories that are higher up live in complete darkness, and the southern territories are bathed in light. In fact, I would like to return to this area in winter to document the other side of the coin: how people live in complete darkness. And this is something that about 5 people experience every day that inhabit the northern hemisphere, that is, something like 0.1% of the world's population. This is something VIP, it's exclusive, not for just anyone.
White Nights can be seen in areas that are located north of the Arctic Circle. This includes cities in Sweden, Finland, Norway, Russia, Alaska, Greenland, and Canada. And I'm surprised that we've only just arrived and we've already seen how people are covering their windows with wood so that not even a ray of light can enter. A ray of light, not just curtains and wooden boards. Because, imagine, your brain would be very confused. You'll forget what time to eat, when to leave work. The day looks exactly the same as it did when you entered. Many people struggle greatly to sleep. Let's see what happens to us, let's see if we don't lose our balance, our entire body clock.
And something that's bugging me a little is that we won't be able to see the midnight sun as such. Phew, there are tons of videos of this on the internet recorded as timelapses, in which you can see how the sun is high in the sky, then begins to set, but it never disappears, it curves slightly and then rises again. And we can't see it because, as we can see, it's extremely cloudy. Every day we're going to be here, it's going to rain and rain. So better luck next time. However, we will be able to appreciate the brightness, the white in the sky, and of course, lifestyles.
I knew Cristina, a girl from Catalonia who has been living in the United States for several years now, living here in Kiruna. She kindly welcomed me into his home and is teaching me several fun facts. She's telling me things about everyday life and, first of all, I want to come over and see what your curtains look like. This has me really curious. I have this one, which is like inside the glass. Close this one, and if that's not enough, we'll close this one. The blackout, let's say. The blackout. Hey, to be honest, I don't think it's very efficient. I think your eyes got used to it. Yes, they did. It really strikes me why people here don't... Will you use the method they use? In many parts of Spain, for example, I have seen that people there simply use the metal curtain outside the houses. That's not used here, is it? No, it's not customary to have one. And besides, when the sun is shining, we take advantage of all the sunshine there is. It's not like in Spain, where there are 12 hours of sunshine in winter. We have very few here, and there are three months of sunshine, but that's just it, it's about taking advantage of what you don't have in winter.
We came to explore the city center and it's pretty surreal. Seeing everything so brightly lit and so empty. All businesses are completely closed. There are very, very few people walking down the street. Suddenly, you see a car or two driving around. But overall, yes, this whole area feels dead. And here we can take a good look at the opening hours of the establishments. That although one would think that if there are many more hours of daylight, in fact, there is no night, the places would change their opening hours, perhaps in case someone gives you hunger at one in the morning, I don't know, they would keep going. The reality is that work schedules do not change at all. We can see that most businesses are open at 6, 7, and 8 in the evening. And being a small town, there really isn't enough demand, like having a little bar, some kebabs, a 24-hour pizzeria. As if that doesn't happen around here. It does seem surreal to me because my mind is very confused right now, like I see it during the day and I say, "Me, right now, I'd like to, I don't know, eat something, have a beer, socialize." But you go out for a walk and find yourself in a ghost town.
This is a children's playground and it looks like it could be the set of a movie. Zombies here, like the end of the world. The entire population left; no one remained here. By the way, what nice games the children have here. Check out this cool little train. Look at this other ball. I can't imagine why they would climb up here. What are they doing? Her nipples, breasts that emanate here, small mounds. But this one was my favorite. Check it out, a trampoline. It's really cool. No, man, the children here live well. He's curious about his very inverted sleep schedule, but he has a good quality of life. Is anyone here? Did anyone survive the zombie apocalypse? No, it's fine, surreal. Film directors looking for a low-budget location to shoot a post-apocalyptic scene. Go get Kiruna, these streets are perfect for you. And behold the power of the first world. Even though you have seen it, there is no one on the street. We are the only audience. The public restroom works great, look at this, it's lit up and everything. It's just that they even have toilet paper and everything, I don't know. Here you can change the baby in peace, the bathroom is clean, it's not full of syringes from people who are injecting themselves here, as is the case in many parts of the world. No, man, these territories really are embarrassing to the rest of the planet. Well done to the territories of Lapland for keeping things so tidy.
The fact that people have to live here in these conditions for months of pure light, months of pure darkness, of course it brings many problems with depression and much more. Alcohol consumption levels in this region of Sweden are much higher than in the rest of the country, as well as the consumption of other substances and the percentage of people who gamble. It is very common to find that small shops have this typical slot machine. And there you see people having a good time, because let's not kid ourselves, these conditions can cause a feeling of emptiness, can cause depression and is treated as such to cope with the situation. Beyond that, similarly, in this part of the territory, there are reports of higher rates of self-harm or suicide attempts. This is something that also happens in cities in northern Finland, Alaska, Greenland, etc., etc., especially in the winter months, when the power goes out. I had a pretty rough time during my first winter here, to the point of feeling like I was going to die, to say: I think I have to go back. The weeks when the sun doesn't shine are tough, and if you have problems with addiction, it's even harder and is accentuated by the lack of light. So, it's important to remind yourself that this too shall pass, these weeks will pass.
Why did you come to live here, Cristina? What motivates you to come to the north of the world? We came to see the northern lights. We arrived in October 2020 and stayed here. So, it was because of the northern lights? What made you fall in love with it afterwards? Nature, we're in the middle of nowhere, you take the car, you go two kilometers from Kiruna and there is only forest and nothing else. It's very difficult for the body to feel sleepy when the sun is shining. The first week when the sun shines 24 hours a day is the hardest for me. At 11:00 the sun is out, at 12:00 the sun is out and it's like the body does not know that it needs to go to sleep. When this week is over, your head isn't so much like, "The sun is out, the sun is out." And it's like, "Well, you've gotten used to it, you can sleep a little better now."
And you may be wondering why there are so many places in this area of the city are under construction. There are many closed streets and cranes everywhere. Clearly, something big is happening here. You see, this is really interesting. Kiruna is a city on the move. They are literally moving it from one place to another, piece by piece. They are moving everything from houses to historic buildings. This is because this region of Sweden is home to one of the largest iron mines in the world, which provides a massive economic benefit for Swedes. So, being constantly engaged in mineral extraction, this has weakened the soil to the point that it has put at risk many of the structures. It has been determined that, in fact, continuing to live in the city in the place where it used to be for a few more decades could have deadly consequences.
There is always construction in Kiruna because we are moving the city forward. Now, on August 19, in no time at all, they are going to move the church three kilometers. It's going to cross the entire old city to the new one, so they're building a special road so that you can pass. So, are they literally going to lift the church and move it entirely? Yes, and they've moved several houses, and people come out to see because they're like houses as emblematic, that people are very fond of them and they are events. But of course, it was a platform with a house on top. Sure. Who will be the four platforms that need to be synchronized so it doesn't fall? Wow! No, really, this is fascinating. A great example of old structures that have been repurposed from the old city of Kiruna to the new center. It's right here behind me, the Clock Tower, which was inaugurated originally in 1963. It was in 2017 that it began to mobilize in parts, and to date, in the year we are visiting, 2025, this work is nowhere near completion. Yes, really, for many years the locals won't see this finished.
These wooden houses here were also moved. I am told that they are historic buildings and that to move them they had to drain part of the lake. So this lake that we are seeing behind me, right there, they had to empty it with pumps and transport it with cranes, with huge trucks. Today, these buildings serve as cultural centers and museums. And yes, it is an extremely costly operation, costing millions, even billions, than having to move a city from one place to another, but it represents much more money to continue exploiting the iron mine. The very streets we are driving through are where I used to be in the old town. All of this, which is now vacant land, used to be houses and banks. And the few old houses that remain, with green roofs, they are telling me that it is because these roofs are made of copper, because that's how people built things back then, because it was the same way a lot of copper is mined here. And what we are seeing may be the last old houses in their original place, which may also be destroyed or moved.
The biggest challenge in this city relocation project will be moving the historic Church of Kiruna, which is behind me, currently completely closed. Security cameras everywhere, signs saying "keep away" or "we called the police." This church is really making this a big issue, a national issue. One, because it is an extremely important church, it carries existing for more than 110 years. And beyond that, because of the operation involved in moving it. What they have been doing for a long time is digging the foundations. They're kind of shaping it, they're devising all the engineering for so that they can eventually lift it and take it away in trucks. They have built a special road, a unique path for this project. The date has already been set for two days in August 2025. This is truly going to be a historic event, not only for Sweden, but for the entire engineering world, because yes, something is indeed going to happen which I believe has not been seen before.
And just as thousands of people have already been relocated to the new city in Kiruna, there is now talk of relocating the dead. Just as you hear them, the graves in the cemetery will also need to be moved. This will be a highly sensitive operation, and one that is sure to be heavily criticized, because under the eyes of many, it will be like desecrating graves. The bodies will have to be dug up, the remains taken to the other side. The deeper we dig, the more my head hurts from thinking how complicated this is.
Just a few miles from the center of the new city, find the iron mine. These trains we are seeing are actually transporting iron to other parts of Europe. We must understand that here in Kiruna there is an underground mine, the largest iron ore mine in the world. Wow, this industry is extremely important for the country, because a large part of Sweden's wealth is due to this activity. Today, there is even talk of relocating more residents from more neighborhoods in order to continue mining minerals. Therefore, these meters are being placed outside homes to indicate whether neighborhoods are sinking or remaining stable, in order to prevent a catastrophe in the event of continued exploitation.
And related to this whole issue of the mine and so on, Cristina is telling me that something that happens is that in the early hours of the morning there are sudden explosions from the mine, and that you don't just hear it, but feel it. But what? Is the earth shaking or what? Sure, around 1:15, 1:30, you feel like the vibration of the mine. They work with 10 galleries simultaneously, so you hear 10 explosions and the house shakes, sometimes more, sometimes less. It depends on how far away they are. We arrived at one in the morning, near the mines, to see if we heard and felt this explosion. Let's see, start recording. Yes, there it is. You can feel the floor vibrating slightly. Honestly, very little. But yes, there it is. And you can hear it clearly in the distance. Let's see, these explosions actually happen a kilometer or so underground. We can't expect it to actually be an earthquake. But yes, the people we talked to and Cristina, what he told us, yes, they did tell us that it tends to be felt and heard more. But, okay, there it is. I was expecting the explosion to be much more epic, to be honest. But yes, it is there. Well, let's go now. It's been really cold lately. It's raining and everything. We really put our hearts into this. We had a little wait. Well, let's warm up. That was it.
Well, after spending several days here, I can confirm that, as a result, your schedule gets turned upside down. It's difficult to fall asleep at night, you lose track of time. It's hard to find motivation to get up early in the morning. It's not like I'm going to get up early today to take advantage of the daylight, because it is always daytime. And now, in many ways, the area does feel much like a small town, but in many other ways it is very similar to... It feels like an extremely modern society. The internet speed is excellent, really, it's very fast. There is cell phone reception practically everywhere. You find electric car chargers on almost every corner and, in general, the presence of e-commerce is very noticeable. For example, when you park your car so you can pay and avoid fines of hundreds of euros, you need to have an app on your phone, otherwise you won't be able to do it. Online shopping is part of everyday life, and not just here, but throughout the whole of Sweden. In fact, Swedes are one of the leaders in e-commerce in Europe. And yes, with each passing day, it becomes more and more important to have a website if you want to succeed in business.
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One of the biggest tourist attractions in this region is the Ice Hotel. Wow! This is really impressive. Rooms literally made of ice and, curiously enough, fully operational throughout the year. Let's see, this season, he's actually inside a dome that keeps it at minus 8 to minus 12 degrees so that it stays frozen, consuming, of course, a lot of electricity. Prices for staying here range from perhaps $500 up to more than $1,000 per night, depending on the type of room. And yes, it is very beautiful, really, very impressive, but sleeping here, if you sleep on a mattress, so it's well cushioned, but it's really cold. In fact, legend has it that my brother here was the last guest of the hotel, here it was frozen. And well, beyond the rooms, it has a bar, sculptures, it's very good, really. And you have to be careful, because, you see, if you suddenly walk crooked and he cuts off this guy's head, no, man, you've already cost someone hours of work. Wow! Honestly, it's delicious. One day I'll come and stay here, but I'll have to prepare myself mentally, because yes, it's freezing cold. Come on!
Check this one out, it's themed like a sauna. In fact, he has his little beds here, he has his little tin house here, supposedly. Even here, they're digging. This towel is not a towel, I mean, this is ice. I'm not going to touch it to check because I don't want to break it. But it is an ice towel. And look, the bed is here. No way, it's really there, it's really impressive. Human beings testing their artistic abilities here. This other one is themed as a train car, and the details are the bench, the clock. I love that even the tables are made of ice. By the way, the reason we can come and visit the rooms and such is because hotel check-in starts at 6:00 p.m. So, at around 10:00 in the morning, I think, at 6:00 p.m., tourists are welcome to come and browse. And from 6:00 in the afternoon, the people start to arrive, the brave ones who dare to sleep here. Here, in this area, look, this is like the bar, this is the VIP table. Here's a slide, you can go down it. This slips right off us. Spit on it a little, won't you? There, look, like that. I expected it to be more epic. I loved it, honestly, it's super cool. Then, I'll come back in tourist mode and stay here. We will make a more detailed video of this site. I liked it. When you're in Swedish Lapland, stop by and visit us.
We've come to feed some reindeer. Here, friend, eat. This is the real Olaf, the good Olaf. Check this out. Like sucking your thumb. That's really interesting. Look, see, go on! No, they're all already together. I feel like when you open a pack of gum in class. Everyone piles on you here. And look, basically what they told me is: flat hand, leave it like that and let him do it. Everything, because they don't really bite, it's more like when they suck, they suck hard. And look at this interesting little animal. I hadn't noticed that their horns are kind of hairy, like they have like a little hair that covers them. And these reindeer here are raised by people from the Sámi ethnic group. I find this very interesting. The Sámi people are, so to speak, the indigenous people of this part of the world. We can find people of Sámi ethnicity in parts of Sweden, in parts of Finland, parts of Norway, Russia. And today, the truth is that it is no longer a very large ethnic group. There are probably around 70,000 or 80,000 scattered throughout this region. Yes, there isn't any left, look. You finished my food, buddy. You left me poor. As a recently divorced man, you took everything, buddy. And look, she left. She left like a newly divorced wife. He left with his horns, but well fed, right? Now they're going for it. Yes? No? Now they're coming for Ale. I don't have any left, my friend. I don't know how to tell you. Your sense of smell is terrible, it's not here anymore.
Well, now that they've finished eating and left, I'll tell you a little bit more about the Sámi ethnic group. I tell you, it is estimated that today there are around 70,000 to 100,000 Sámi living scattered throughout this region of the world. In this place we have come to visit, they show you a little bit of their traditional ways of life. They show you a little bit about what the houses are like, what they look like inside, how they are covered with the same fur as reindeer. They teach you that, for example, to store their food, they keep them in small, tall houses so that their own dogs don't eat them, which usually use border collie dogs or wild animals. And here, too, you can buy handicrafts that they make. With the same horns as reindeer, they do everything. It's very interesting.
Now, where things get a little less pleasant is when we consider that everything what we are seeing and recording of the movement of the mine and the movement of the city and how iron and other minerals continue to be exploited ends up greatly affecting Sámi communities, because they, being the natives here, have a certain some land rights. As happens in many places, the natives are given rights on the ground. What often happens with these mining operations is that they end up displacing to these towns and end up changing their lifestyles. But as I say today, it is an ethnic group, to tell the truth, not very large. No matter how much they protest and raise their voices, it is difficult for them to the authorities easily pay attention to them. Over the years, in modern times, the Sámi have come together as one people. Even as late as the 1990s, the Sámi people, for example, did not have a flag. Today they have a flag, they have a stronger cultural identity. The flag is beautiful. It basically symbolizes in a circle what the sun of the White Nights is, of the Midnight Sun and polar nights, nights in complete darkness. And while a place like this showcases traditional ways of life, they are actually very interesting. I am told that nowadays it is no longer very easy, really, in fact, it's not unusual at all to find Sámi that they continue to live this way. Today, most Sámi, probably 99% of them, they now live in modern houses like the rest of the population, heated, luxurious, with many young people already have modern jobs; it's not like everyone is they are dedicated to reindeer farms and such. As is to be expected, here in this part of Sweden you can get a taste of the culture, and it's nice to come to places like this to learn and support the people who wear the grancas.
Well, we met some really nice and interesting people who brought us to a cabin in the middle of the forest, but really in the middle. We had to cross a little path like this between the trees, a few hundred walks. And we arrived at this super authentic place that has a reindeer head on the wall, the wall, all made of wood. They have a rug made from a real bear, which they tell me was probably over 100 years old, because this cabin was inherited that his great-grandfather acquired the land a long time ago and it is estimated to date from around 1800. No, something truly beautiful, authentic. And inside, they were showing us some pieces of art that are very unique and equally ancient. And they also tell us about the way of life here, really, in the middle of nowhere. But look, I want us to go back and see that in effect, that is, we are here, but in the middle of nowhere. In winter, this place is covered in snow. I'm told that the northern lights are visible here, and they're beautiful, clear. And they're telling me about a project they have that might be able to expand this area and so on. No, man, the truth is that we've been very fortunate to meet people, but very pretty, very talkative. We are experiencing the quality of the Swedish countryside. And yes, they are giving us a glimpse, but a very authentic one, of the lifestyle from Swedish Lapland in the mountains, further away from civilization. No, really, what an interesting way of life. The bathroom, for example, has no drainage system, so they told us it's part of nature. And the paper they keep in bags and then throw away in a village close by so as not to pollute the forest and so on. A lifestyle that is interesting, but quite peculiar.
Well, last sleepless night here, and the sun finally came out. Memé, it was cloudy, but it really rained the whole time. And until now, it seems like he said: Let's give these brothers a proper send-off as they deserve. Here, viewing snow-capped mountains and a lake like few others. I am really enjoying this moment. And we're going to build a bonfire. They tell me that, in fact, we should appreciate this because in few parts of the European continent is that a bonfire is lit in the middle of summer, in the middle of July. So, let's see, we've already put the dry part of the wood here. Let's do a game of Jenga here. Let's see if this works. Okay, here we go. Let's turn this thing on. Perfect. And that's basically it. Look, nothing else, just beauty. The Swedish method is very simple. Take a look at this. And right now, at past 11 p.m., we are waiting for them to midnight to be able to say that we are truly living a midnight sun. No, man, we're seeing a beautiful rainbow here, nature everywhere, a fire that you see, look how quickly it caught, man. Impressive. What a beautiful moment, I am truly appreciating it very much. How beautiful it is here. Let's enjoy and live life to the fullest. Of course, a true midnight sun.
Well, in this beautiful setting, at two in the morning, we've reached the end of this adventure. Wow! I feel extremely grateful to have been able to experience this, to have been able to make new friends, for being able to record all of this and share it with you, and for having been able to be part, at least for a few days, of this 0.1% of the world's population experiences this as their daily life. What did you think? I'll read your comments below. Thank you so much for joining me on yet another adventure. See you soon, as always, in a few days with a new video. Goodbye.