Since qualifiers could not visit all the famous Finnish sites, locales came to them. Experiences Unlimited built a Lapland village and constructed a kota, a Lapland tepee, for the group's dinner in a spruce forest. Sleds with wheels were assembled to provide traditional dogsled transportation minus the snow. A mystical shamanic dance and a multimedia aurora borealis show completed the evening's activities.
Travel to Russia began at the VIP air terminal normally reserved for the President of Finland. A surprise addition to the itinerary allowed the group to visit Moscow as well as St. Petersburg. Unforgettable experiences in Moscow included:
*A visit to Red Square for an exclusive tour of Lenin's Mausoleum and the Kremlin.
*An exclusive performance of the world-famous Moscow Circus for the Elar qualifiers and 1,200 orphans, followed by a circus-themed dinner and midnight visit to St. Basil's Cathedral.
In St. Petersburg, the group enjoyed:
*An exclusive visit to the Hermitage Museum.
*An evening of ballet at the world-renowned Marijinsky Theatre.
*An interactive art class at the Academy of Fine Arts.
*Gourmet dinners at the Czarist Palace and the Ethnographic Museum.
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