Day #167 - Norway - Fjords

The skies were angry early Saturday

Atop the mountain I climbed

More Friday boat-ride pics - I can't help it

Friday boat-ride - blinded by the light

Perfect

Saturday, August 28th

I'm writing this blog from the bottom bunk of a 8 bed hostal room at Anker Hostal in Oslo, Norway. Cost of room - $32/night. That's like a quarter in the US. This place is a BEAUTY. They do have Wi-Fi however.

It's like a covert operation - if I go down - you know where to start looking. The bunk above me is supported by these centimeter think wooden planks. Half of them are broken. Luckily, it's a girl above - so if the bed crashes down - I think I'll make it - it might even be interesting.

I just got in. It's 11:00pm. I've been on a train for the past 7 hours from Bergen. I leave tomorrow morning for Helsinki at 7:30am. I just needed a place to lay my head for a couple hours. Only 2 other bunks are full besides mine right now, but all kinds of gear is thrown on the other bunks. I expect in the next couple hours to have 5 drunken fools walk through the door. All the lights in the room are on - not sure why. I'm fully clothed with all my money in my pockets. All my bags are packed. I could be out of here in 30 seconds. I have my headlamp on - I'm completely mobile. Am I being a little dramatic - Probably - but it's fun that way.

Alright to Saturday. I spent the day in Lavik - along the waters of the Sognefjord. I slept in and then went for a long hike. It was awesome. I went up into the mountains and could overlook the fjord. The scenery was spectacular. I got back to the hotel about mid-day. I took a liitle nap and read. Early evening - I grabbed some food at the local grocery store and walked around the small town.

Saturday was a great, peaceful day. If can hardly get more relaxing than that.

Day #166 - Norway - Fjords

Inside the Sognefjord

Rocks and tree-lined shores of Western Norway

Looking out the back of the boat

Off the deck of the Lavik Fjord Hotel

Off the deck of my hotel - about 9pm

Friday, August 27th

I'm writing this blog aboard a boat headed to Bergen from Lavik, Norway. I just spent the last 2 days in the Sognefjord - the largest fjord on the western coast of Norway - amazing! I apologize about the lack of posts - but I had only a community computer at my disposal.

I headed out on Friday morning from Voss into Bergen. On arrival, I spent the day walking around Bergen - taking in the history and the ambiance of the town. I was awaiting my 4:30pm water shuttle up to Lavik, Norway. It was a 2-1/2 hour boat ride on the western coast of the country leading into the Sognefjord.

I am not exaggerating when I say that this boat ride led to the most impressive pictures I've taken to date. It was unbelievable. I fell under a lucky star. The conditions - 60 degrees, sunny, blue skies, green trees, picturesque mountains, and perfect white clouds. I couldn't stop taking pictures. I stayed outside the entire 2-1/2 hours. This boat was flying. There were only a couple other people outside (over 300 total people on boat) - they only came out for a quick picture and then went back inside. I had my hood up on my rain jacket and could barely stand up. I had to stand behind some supports to keep from going overboard at times.

I'm currently seeing the same sites on my return trip. The sky is pretty good today - but I'm not sure it could get any better than my trip on Friday. I'll post all my pics on my picture site at makeitcount.smugmug.com.

I arrived into Lavic at 7 pm. My hotel was 100 yards from the pier - overlooking the fjord - wow! You could sit out on the balcony and watch the ships come in. I had dinner overlooking the pier and called it a great day. This hotel is owned by a Dutch couple. I had a really nice conversation with them over dinner. I had read comments when I booked this place that the couple who owned it where great - I would concur. The place is called Lavik Fjord Hotel - it comes highly recommended. The rooms are OK - but the location and scenery are perfect.

I now need to just stare out the window - I'm missing the sites. I'll write more later.

Day #165 - Norway - Fjords

Norwegian Fjords

The Norwegian Fjords

Turning the corner

On the shore - before we started

Looking out the back of the boat

The Kjosfossen Waterfall - the Flam Railway

Thursday, August 26th

To my Aunt Emily - thanks for your email. Thinking about you today. Hang in there - sending out some inspriation your way.

I love bounce-back days. It makes me concentrate on what's really important. I know that if I get rest, eat properly, exercise, and just stay focused on the next goal --- everything will fall into place. Wake up thinking - "Be good today". You don't have to be great at anything. But, if you are good every single day -- that will eventually make you great.

Anyway, I'm feeling inspired right now. I'm sitting in the lobby of my hotel and this guy is playing the piano in the room next door. He's playing tons of Beattles songs and old rock. It's really good.

Alright - to my bounce-back. First, I went to bed last night at 10:30pm and woke up this morning at 9am. Next, I went down and ate the buffet breakfast - which included tons of multi-colored fruits and vegetables. (On my 6 hour+ train ride to Bergen yesterday, I sat behind this Sierra Club tour group. It was made up mostly of 60+ year old people. It must have been their first day - you could feel the newness in the conversations. It was fascinating to me just to sit back and watch the dynamics of the group take shape. A couple (both doctors), and a professor from Stanford were most near to me. I couldn't help but listen to them the whole day. I gained immense knowledge and never said a word or read anything. The reason I even bring this up is because the doctors went on and on about eating 'multi-colored' fruits and vegetables. By the way - these people were very educated and extremely well spoken. The docs live in Philly and went to Princeton and the professor said she had Thanksgiving with Sandra Day O'Connor - the first female member of the US Supreme Court)

After breakfast, I signed up for a tour to one of the fjords. I used my location in Voss to my advantage. I was able to reduce the cost of the trip by $75 because I didn't need the Bergen-Voss transfer. Worked out great. All I had to do was walk out the front door of the hotel and I was at the train/bus station. This tour would consist of a bus ride, boat ride, and 2 train segments.

First off - what is a fjord? A fjord is a long, narrow, deep inlet of the sea surrounded by steep cliffs.

My tour started with a 1 hour bus ride. Here we saw an area called Stalheimskleiva. This is a 1.5km section of road that winds through 20 hairpin turns at a gradient around 20 percent. We were able to look down into the valley and get some incredible pictures. We next made our way to the boat. We started out into the Naeroyfjord. This particular fjord was recently added as 1 of 2 fjords in Norway to become part of the World Heritage List as an example of the best fjords in the world. Wow! Your riding in this small boat and towering over you on each side are these amazing cliffs. Very dramatic scenerey. The Naeroyfjord is one of the most narrow fjords in Norway - so the cliffs were close. I truly don't think my pictures can help you fully appreciate the vastness of the journey. Looking at postcards of the area really drives it home - a little bitty boat amongst these giant cliffs.

We next transferred to a train - the famous Flam Railway. This railway is 20 km long, goes through 20 tunnels (18 of which are hand-made) up this steep slope, and is considered one of the marvels of engineering in all of Norway. It only took 1 hour - but was great. We had a stop where we could get out and take pictures of this amazing waterfall - the Kjosfossen Waterfall.

Our final segment of the trip was from Myrdal to Voss on the Bergen Railway. I had actually been on this segment of the trip from yesterday. I hadn't mentioned it before, but the journey from Oslo to Bergen was filled with endless trees, lakes, rivers, mountains -- it reminded me of driving around in Colorado or Montana.

I made it back to Voss around 5:30pm. I went out for a 40 minute run and then stretched some. I went down to the hotel for dinner. I opted for the salad bar versus the full buffet ($80). Although I would have preferred something a little different, I got more multi-colored fruits and vegetables in the system. I've got my quota on these food groups for about a week.

I'm now in the hotel lobby, listening to the music, and finishing up this blog. Tomorrow I'll go north to my next hotel - which is on the largest fjord in Norway - the Sognefjord

Day #164 - Oslo to Bergen, Norway

Bergen, Norway train station -- big time tourist town

Wet streets of Bergen

A view from my hotel window in Voss, Norway

Wednesday, August 25th

Today was challenging. I got off to a bad start when I either didn't hear my wakeup call or they forgot to make it (Hotels in Nordic countries don't have alarm clocks. If I'm super tired, my watch alarm won't due the trick) I had to take a 6:15am shuttle from my hotel over to the airport to catch a 7:08am train to central Oslo. I woke up at 6:04am - not packed at all. No time to wake-up. I went from a dead sleep to supersonic in less than 30 seconds. I made it downstairs at 6:14.

Once I arrived at the central station in Oslo, I then waited for my 8:11am train to Bergen, Norway. It's on the other side of the country - but it sure doesn't seem like that far. However, the train took over 6 hours - arriving in Bergen at 2:52pm.

By this time, I was tired and hungry. I had not booked a hotel. I hit the streets to find that it was raining and cold. Tired, hungry, cold, and wet --- these are not good combinations. I made my way to the tourist info center. It was now 4pm. I needed to figure out what I was going to do the next 3 days - this is why I hadn't booked my hotel.

I talked with some people about options - but just wasn't feeling it. All the tours were hundreds of dollars. They told me that all the hotels in Bergen were booked - except for a few starting at $400/night. They had no Wi-Fi so I walked over to McDonalds. I needed food. I ordered and gave them my credit card to pay for the $15 meal. They didn't take American cards - really? I dug in my pockets until I found enough change to pay. I sat down and turned on my computer. My computer wouldn't power up - I had forgotten to charge it last night. I walked the 3 floors of McDonalds and found 0 outlets. I finished my food and walked back to the tourist center. I powered my computer there. I figured I'd try to get some kind of Wi-Fi signal while I waited for the computer to charge. I found some weird connection. It was slower than molasses - but I was able to find a hotel in a town that was 1 hour away by train - Voss, Norway. I had to pay $189 for 1 night.

I walked back to the train station, found out that the next train to Voss leaves at 6:10pm. I got to the hotel and found my room after completing a maze. I hit the internet looking for hotels to stay the next 3 nights on the west coast. All were hundreds of dollars a night. I bit the bullet and decided to stay here 1 more night. I then found a place a couple hours north to stay Friday and Saturday (only $110/night). I have no idea how I'm going to get there for sure - as there are no trains. I'm either going to taxi, bus, or water shuttle -- hopefully 1 of these options will come through.

I'm now going to sleep and forget about today. I can only hope for a better performance tomorrow. No worries - they can't keep me down.

Day #163 - Oslo, Norway

Viking Ship Museum

Kon-Tiki Museum - outside sculpture

The Fountain in Vigeland Sculpture Park

The Monolith - Vigeland Sculpture Park

Munch Museum

Tuesday, August 24th

I stayed up really late last night working on my finances (I think better late at night generally). Because of this, I awoke about noon. Solid. I needed the sleep.

I had alot I wanted to do in Oslo today, so I headed out pretty quickly. I took the 30 minute train back into the city. I first walked down to the pier and took a boat over to an area with a few museums I wanted to see. The Vikingskiphuset (or Viking Ship Museum) was the first on the agenda. This place was built in 1936 and houses three 9th-century Viking burial ships discovered at the turn of the century in the nearby Oslo Fjord. These boats were found to have the bodies of Viking chieftains along with the many countless artifacts from that time. These ships constitue the largest Viking find ever recorded. I took some pictures of one of the ships and perused the gift shop to learn more.

Next I stopped by the Kon-Tiki Museum. I just went into the gift shop but was able to decipher what this was all about. This museum houses original vessels and artifacts from world famous Norwegian scientist and adventurer Thor Heyerdahl. Kon Tiki was the name of the raft used in his 1947 expedition across the Pacific Ocean from South America to the Polynesian Islands. Basically, the premise of his journey was to show that the South American people could have made this same journey in pre-Columbian times with just the materials they had available to them.

I then got back onto the water shuttle and returned to the pier. I next took a long walk across town to Vigelandsparken (Vigeland Sculpture Park). This is an 80 acre park filled with 212 bronze and granite sculptures created by Gustav Vigeland. Visually impressive, the park's 2 biggest attractions are the 'The Fountain' (water fountain adorned with 60 bronze reliefs) and the 'The Monolith' (towers 46ft high and consists of 121 human figures rising toward the sky. This is meant to represent man's desire to become closer with the spiritual and divine. It portrays a feeling of togetherness as the figures embrace one another as they are carried to salvation). That's some heavy symbolism -- to me, it looked like naked stone sculptures entwined to form a tall column.

I next walked the complete length of the city from the Sculpture Park to the Munch Museum. By this time of the day, the place was closed - but I just wanted to do a fly-by. This museum honors Edvard Munch (1863-1944). He is the only Nordic painter whose influence is recognized on a global level. He is considered the 'father of Expressionism'. The finest hotel in Oslo - Hotel Continental - features a large collection of Munch paintings - which decorate the public areas.

I jumped back on the 30 minute return train to my airport hotel. Tomorrow I'll be heading to the other side of the country - Bergen, Norway. I'm fired up for this journey - I get to spend a few days in the fjords.

Day #162 - Reykjavik, Iceland to Oslo, Norway

Reykjavik - Europe's Best Airport - 2009

Fancy sculptures in the Reykjavik airport

Waiting for the bus pickup at Oslo Airport

Scenery at Oslo Airport

Monday, August 23rd

Extremely early start this morning. Up at 3:45am for a 4:30 transfer to the airport. We arrived at the airport around 5:45. I walked in and took a quick look at the board to see if my flight was still on schedule. Everything was 'On Time' except for 1 particular flight - that would have been mine. Next to the Oslo departure - '2 Hour Delay'. Man - I've been hitting a bad streak recently with flights. It's making me lose faith in the system.

Supposedly, the flight from New York City to Reykjavik was delayed and we had to wait for this plane's arrival. This really wasn't a big deal for me - I had no definitive plans. It sure would have been nice to sleep in until 5:45am however.

I grabbed a cup of coffee and found the most comfortable seat possible. The good thing is - I found out that the Reykjavik airport was voted as the best airport in Europe for 2009. They have a big trophy in the middle of the food court (see pic). Because of this - it was a nice place to be stranded. I pulled out a new book - "The Lost Symbol" by Dan Brown and started to read. I was in and out of consciousness for the next 4 hours. I went down to the gate for the 9:50 departure. We were delayed another hour before boarding. The flight into Oslo was fine. 2-1/2 hour trip. Add 2 hours with time zone change and I arrived at 3;30pm. I found an airport transfer to my hotel - getting to my room around 4:30pm.

Up at 3:45am and arrive at my place at 4:30pm - that's a lengthy travel day for minimal distance gain. All good - it's just part of the journey. Learn to adapt and appreciate.

I chilled in the room for a while and then hit the hotel gym. I ran a couple miles and worked out some kinks by stretching. I felt like a million bucks. I ate at the buffet in the hotel and now I'm in the room catching up on email.

Let me say that my trip to Iceland was very rewarding. What a great place! I would really recommend a visit. I saw they have direct flights from Minneapolis - and it's not as far as other European destinations. I don't think I've mentioned this - but all the Nordic countries speak great English. Everybody. I haven't had 1 bit of trouble anywhere with a language barrier. People are friendly and helpful. I can understand the Nordic people better than I can understand the British or Irish on many accounts.

The short term travel itinerary: Oslo - 2 days, Bergen - 3 days, Finland - 5 days, depart for Russia on Sept 4th from Helsinki. Let's keep it going! Consistently strong!

Day #161 - Reykjavik - The Blue Lagoon

The Blue Lagoon - perfect weather day for it

Little coves everywhere

Awesome

Warm waters - not too hot

A secluded area on the way into the resort

Sunday, August 22nd

I woke up early and scheduled a day trip to the Blue Lagoon. This is a famous geothermal pool about 40 minutes from Reykjavik. This was just what the doctor ordered for the sore muscles.

The bus picked me up at the hotel at 9:30am. I had eaten a nice breakfast earlier. We got to the place - fantastic. It was like a football field-sized hottub. The geothermal waters are supposedly filled with nutrients for healing and re-energizing. They gave you this bracelet to use for your locker and also as a credit card tool for purchasing drinks in the water. I joined a couple hundred of my closest friends in the thermal bath. The waters stretched out along these lava rocks. You could see steam rising up as you looked out across the horizon. They had this silica mud that everyone put on their face. People were walking around with this white covered smile. The water temperature was warm, but not too hot. In some areas it was hotter than others. I stayed in for over 2 hours. This was about as peaceful as you can get. If I closed my eyes - I could almost see Brooke Shields getting out of the water (Have you seen the movie Blue Lagoon)

I jumped out and showered up. I sat in the restaurant overlooking the thermal waters and wrote up by blog from yesterday. Incredible sites. I grabbed the afternoon shuttle back into Reykjavik. I arrived around 4pm.

I have a 7:50am flight tomorrow morning back to Oslo, Norway. I have a 4:35am shuttle from the hotel. This would be an early night.

A great, relaxing day at the Blue Lagoon.