When they came to the house for the first time, Inha and Karjalainen were mystified when their host disappeared in mid evening. In the morning they learned that he had rowed the 15 km to Voknavolok by night to get tea and sugar for his guests. The entire village was so poor that not a single person had such luxuries on hand.
Ilmari Kianto also stayed with Iivana in Hökkälä when travelling in Viena.