Time, got the time tick-tick-tickin in my head

In Stockholm now, no time yet to write much but yet even more pictures, mostly of Norway (such a lovely wild camping site in Myrdal) and a few of Sweden then. Ok, more than a few.

http://s60.photobucket.com/albums/h38/politemadness/2008_08_27_norway_sweden/

Borstal breakout

The town is alive with the sound of screaming college students. But more on that later. We had to go somewhere and Karlstad is where we went.

It was more of a random choice. Stockholm was where we need to be in a few days (the aforementioned stupid English test) and there wasn't enough time for Copenhagen and Falsterbo, so where to go then? Oland sounded cool, but that might not be possible, how long we have before we need to be to Moscow and how much time are we willing to give up in Finland. So, halfway between Oslo and Stockholm, hmm Karlstad, sounds interesting. There is a big lake there, supposedly some birds and other nice outdoor things, might as well try that. And after 10 days straight of camping (and pouring rain all night last night in Oslo), we totally deserve a nice hotel with a real bed and no tent to set up.

It was a soggy morning, making breakfast in the campsite kitchen instead of over the stove, and trying to pack things up without getting them all wet. Which is why there are tents and all sorts of things laid out all over the hotel room trying to get them dried. Back to the Oslo train station, the office away from home with wireless access so that we could plan the next week or so of the trip and get reservations and tickets and bookings all set up. Oslo was too wet to walk around and we didn't actually have that much time by the time we got to the station.

The train was cute, a sleek two coach train with very few people on it, and we were off to Sweden. We passed lots of pretty lakes and a lot of rural farms and then they made an announcement, oh we just passed into Sweden. Not much fanfare. I was a little worried pulling into town, the outskirts looked typical warehouse industrial ugly small town, but once we got to the center, it got a lot nicer. And it totally feels like a university town, especially since it is the first week of school and there are packs of students roaming the streets doing initiation things. It reminds me of pledge week, lots of singing and shouting and public drunkenness. Still, there is something really nice about university towns. And there are thousands of cycles all around, people happy and cycling about. The town even runs a free bike program, just show up and they let you take a bike for the day for free.

Tomorrow looks hopeful, the lake is just a bit south of here and it looks like a beautiful place to ride and hike and supposedly some nice varieties of birds. It seems worth staying another night before we head on to Stockholm. Now if I could just get the screaming students to go to bed...

Go to the left, go to the right, your mind is going to keep you up all night

It is indecision time. The problem with winging a long trip is that at some point you have to make a decision. That time is now. Because of this idiotic English test I have to take (yes, I have a degree in English from an American university taught in English and I have to take an English test to get a visa for Australia), and since it wasn't actually available in Gothenborg like I was told, I have to go to Stockholm instead to take it. That puts me on the wrong side of the country when I wanted to be going to Denmark and especially Falsterbo (to see lots of birds), and it is completely mad to take the train back and forth Sweden again just go to there. Will probably have to skip all that and just spend more time in eastern Sweden and Finland before we head on to Russia. Bitterly disappointing though and the cause of much angst and consideration for the last few days.

So where was I? Thursday, we went on this really amazing hike through the Aurlandsdalen valley. We took the bus up into the mountains to Osterbo, with a whole huge pack of school kids going on a camping trip for their first week of school. The trail was a bit crowded at times. We started then at about 1000 meters and 20 km on we ended up at 100 meters. It was quite amazing, parts of it were so steep you had to crawl down it, hanging on to a bit of wire railing. It is nice to see the lack of safely consciousness. There was one bridge that was really funny, sort of a proper yet rickity bridge across a waterfall and then a further part with just a log and a cable to hang onto over the rest of it. I did fall on a bit of slippery rock later on and got kind of muddy and was a bit grumpy for a while. The reindeer hunters we met were quite a pair, almost gothic looking faces, black lips and all, carrying rifles and told us they were each carrying half a reindeer in their packs. Wow, Norway. And the raspberries, must had had hundreds of them, even a few wild strawberries too.

Friday, a leisurely start and into Flam to take the famous Flamsbama train. Admittedly I was a little disappointed. But I guess when they build things up that much, well, it has to happen. Not that it wasn't an amazing train and engineering feat, but so much of it was in tunnels, it was frustrating. There would be a glimpse of great cliffs and mountains and then you would be in a tunnel again. And they had to ruin the great waterfall too. The train stops right at the mid point of a huge waterfall and they played cheezy music and had some woman doing a siren dance. Oh my. It was the best when we got off a stop before Myrdal, lugging our heavy packs, and actually got a view of the valley and how the tracks wind up and around this valley. That was where it came through. Then scouting for a place to camp, down by the lake was soggy and lots of houses, so we just walked up towards Myrdal and found this amazing spot on top of a hill looking over the valley on one side and the train station on the other side. It poured a lot of the night but it was the best camping of the trip.

Saturday, up early to catch the train from the station (about 500 meters away) to Oslo. The first 1/3 of the trip was lovely, the map of the area is just totally dotted with blue lakes and mountains, although lots of tunnels to frustrate you. We chatted with an Australian family who had just traveled a lot of the Trans Siberian. The last 2/3 of the trip was pretty but mostly just kind of rural farmland. Into Oslo an onto the camping ground which overlooks the city.

Sunday was a whirlwind of museums, the folk museum, the open air one with hundreds of old houses and buildings from different parts and periods of Norway. Totally cool, one of the best places I've seen. The Kon-Tiki museum was pretty interesting, but probably hard to translate into a museum, lots of pictures and writing. The FRAM one was actually really interesting, a old wooden ship which was used for both north and south pole expeditions.

Today we finished our museum whirlwind with the Viking ship one, nice old Viking ships with loads of really pretty carved wooden things. A last look around Oslo and onto Stockholm tomorrow.

Raspberry beret

Gobs of unsorted pictures
London to Norway
Norway - Part 1
Norway - Part 2

Off today to take the Flåmsbanen, supposed to be the greatest railroad ever (ok, I expect it will be pretty nice), then some free camping by Myrdal and then on to Oslo tomorrow.

Unsilent storms in the north abyss

N 060 54.048, E 007 12.229
Ok, it is quite apparent that there is no way I'll be able to write about everything on the way. Things are too busy and the internet is occasional and there is too much to see and do. Vignettes then. I guess.

Lund Camping now, outside of Aurland, taking a rest day. My legs are nearly recovered as well as my arms from a few days before. So wow, what has there been, just a week now, or thereabouts. Left London on a Tuesday, train to Newcastle and the overnight ferry across to Bergen. It was a dark inside cabin so we missed the first sight of land (and apparently a minke whale the night before). On deck, going through the first few stops and our first sight of land, it was quite exciting. High cliffs over the sea, houses perched at various levels. Not actually a whole lot of birds or anything, which was a little disappointing.

Wednesday in Bergen, damn the backpacks were heavy. Six months of stuff, hard to know what was needed and if we were camping too, especially in Norway where the prices are ungodly otherwise. Our ferry was a bargain deal, three day return ticket (which we skipped actually returning) with a sort of lame walking tour of the city included as part of the price. Sad that people spend 28 hours of the ferry, get about 4 hours of daylight in Bergen, sleep on the ship and take off the next morning for 28 more hours. Seems a bit mad.

Thursday we spend a lot of the morning trying to plan and book things, trains onward, ferries, accommodations and the rest of that. Then we hike up to the top of the hill behind the city, with the radio tower, into the clouds and have a great view of Bergen.

Friday we are up early to catch the ferry up through the northern channels north of Bergen and into the Sognerjorden and down to Flam. It is five hours and the last two is in a pretty spectacular fjord. We felt totally unprepared for this trip. Just tiny little digital cameras and binoculars (nobody else had binoculars, why is that?). The lenses some people had were gigantic. Totally outmatched there. They were funny though, it was like a pack of paparazzi running around trying to get the money shot of Amy Winehouse smoking a crack pipe. Waterfalls, rocks, oh, another waterfall, damn missed the shot. We were on the other side of the boat watching a bunch of porpoise swimming while the rest obsessed about waterfalls. Ok, they were pretty great waterfalls.

Camping in Flam on Friday night, unfortunately next to a busy road. Norway is a bit funny, you could see it much like seeing London by the Tube. There are lots of mountains with tunnels bored through them. Last night we took the bus from Gudvangen to Aurland and the vast majority of the journey was through tunnels. 10 km through one, 1/2 km through a valley, another 6 km through the next one into Flam, a brief trip through that valley and into the next one. But this road from one tunnel to the next was right behind the campsite and the trucks were noisy.

It was nice getting a feel for the place, the rhythm. Watching the cruise ships coming in and out, the Flamsbama train coming in and out of town every hour, seeing where the sheep were at different times of the day in the pasture. Had a rubbish hike on Saturday, just up the road towards Myrdal (where the amazing train goes, which we will take in a few days) and mostly being sad to see so many people enjoying themselves on bikes. Sniff sniff, should have rented bikes and rode instead of walking.

Sunday, much better, but more exhausting. We rented a two person kayak and set out down the fjord. Don't know how far we went, I think it was like 10 km up and back, fantastic the first half, stopped off for lunch on a beach and a hike to a waterfall and then onward. Turned around and had to beach on a very rocky shore, a bit exciting and had a great swim in the fjord. Forgot swimming suits and had to do it naked, damn cold too, but great. Then the way back was tiring. Rowing is hard work and my arms hurt for the next few days. Still, what an amazing way to see a fjord, from the ground level at a slow pace with just the sound of rowing (and occasional ferries that zoom by and give you exciting waves to bump over.)

Monday we get smart and rent bikes and head up towards Aurland, stopping off at Otternes to see old 17th century farmhouses propped up on top of a hill overlooking the fjord. Very cool to see old things like that, how people lived and worked the land. Then a brief look around Aurland and rushed back to catch the ferry around to Gudvangen through the
Naeroyfjoren, the very narrow one with super high cliffs. That was a very spectacular trip. And in Gudvangen, didn't want to walk all the way to to official campground, just ended up wild camping by the river. The ground was a bit bumpy there but it was in the middle of trees overlooking the river with a waterfall coming down the back. Very cool place. Ok, and a bit damp.

Packed up on Tuesday and left our bags with the nice people at a petrol station and headed down the fjord towards Bakka and hiked up about 850 meters, up and up and up, and gave up before the lake at the summit of the pass. But still the views of the fjord were great, the best hiking day yet. Lots of hard work coming down again, taking care to not stumble and fall and twist ankles, or just fall off the edge. A few sections were a bit sheer and rocky, mountain goat territory. Back in town, grabbed our bags from the petrol station and took the bus to Lund, set up the camp and collapsed. Last night, rained a bit overnight, the first real rain shower yet, amazing weather considering a week in Norway so far.

So, a few more days in this area and then the train to Olso and onward after that.

She's so heavy

Our cabin is small and dark. It feels like it is miles underwater but is actually above water and just on the inside of the boat. The consequences of booking at the last minute and taking the special 3 day return deal (with a guided tour of Bergen even), but it was significantly cheaper than normal one way tickets. Just kind of disappear after a while in Bergen and be on our way and nobody will notice, or probably care. I'm sure others do that a lot too.

No windows and almost complete pitch darkness at night makes it a little strange. The PA makes announcements occasionally, it is 8.30 and first breakfast is being served, it is 9.00 and the duty free shop is open. It adds some to the surrealness of it. Both are in English and Norwegiean. There is a slight twisting rocking of the boat. Not just back and forth but with a slight twist too. The room creaks with it. A few times last night it felt a little more bumpy but now is very smooth.

She's got a ticket to ride

London pulled out the stops for our exit. After a late night of last minute packing, checking, panicking, and a last dinner with one last board game with friends, today was finally here. The last week especially had been rather manic. With the passport trauma, it was hard to get a handle on anything. After months of not having it, not knowing exactly when it would come back or if it would come back in time to leave, it showed up in just barely enough time for them to rush the Chinese and Russian visas and we are able to get it into the Vietnese in time too to get that.

Not having a absolutely firm leaving date left a lot of the other things a bit up in the air. Or maybe all the things associated with moving country and going on an epic holiday and journey, how do you really get those organized? I totally should have booked an appointment with my doctor months ago for vaccines. As it was, we had to go to an expensive clinic to get them (well, I could have saved some money by having the less exotic vaccines courtesy of the NHS). And maybe having so many at once left me feverish for a day and a half, sort of lost those days to doing all that much productive.

We were forced by having a new flatmate moving in a week before we left to consolidate our stuff out of two rooms and into one, which helped focus a little bit, figure out what to give away (clothes, books, etc) and what to pack. The shippers dropped off boxes a week or so early and everything had to be packed and taped up the day before we were leaving to be picked up and start on their own long slow journey to Australia. Their trip is supposed to take 10 weeks, so we will be there long after they have established themselves and and acclimitized themselves to life there. The packing is sort of orderly at first and breaks down slightly as the deadline looms and draws closer.

Some steps can't be skimped on though. The bikes take a few hours alone to pack. They have to be carefully scrubbed of all foreign dirt before they are taken apart. I guess to be fair, I did find some seeds wedged in the mudguards, which is probably one of the things the Australian quarantine is particuarly interested in. But my bike shines like it hasn't since is was brand new (poor thing, I have covered it with so much mud and gunk over the years) although the chain was already pretty clean (much easier to ride that way). Slowly I take pieces off, twist the handlebars around, wrap fragile and bits that stick out in bubble wrap and slide it into its box, where it will spend the next six months. Bye Condor, see you soon, in a country where I won't see others like you on every corner. I mean, I know Condor is a local London company and they are nice but did everybody really have to get one?

But I'm getting behind myself here, the shippers had picked everything up and it was on its way and we had spent the next day desperately trying to figure out how to fit all the junk we thought we needed into those backpacks. Just how do you pack for a trip that is going to take 6 months, will involve a lot of camping (heavy items like tents and stoves and pans and sleeping bags.) Ok, let me tell you about the stove first. What agony over that one. I had a little one, lightest thing ever but uses propane cartrages. We might be able to find those through Europe, but what about Russia or the rest of the world. The multifuel one was rather expensive but will basically burn anything you put in it, diesel even. But that is a little heavier and titanium pans are very dear while alumunmnm pans would last a day or two before they are completely destroyed. So, various supplies for camping as well as whatever we need for six months, and covering from nearly the Arctic Circle to Siberia and Mongolia in late fall to the tropics. This is probably why my legs are sore from carrying the beast of a backpack. I've decided to call him George, something like that needs a name.

Back to London though. It wasn't much of a night's sleep by the time our guests left and we got the final pieces packed and organized. The last night in the bed at home. The rain poured most of the early morning hours and kept going as we woke up and quickly cooked breakfast and got ready. H watched us the short way to Brixton station. That was one of the hardest goodbyes, so sad to say good bye to everybody. It was funny walking through Brixton too, knowing we were leaving and who knows when we would be back.

Not very horrible Tube ride to Kings Cross and a sadly expected ticket hassle there. The ticket machine didn't know about the booking, the person at the ticket counter couldn't find it either by reference number or by name. A call to the train company was useful in only that they confirmed everything was right, booking and reference number, but couldn't actually do anything useful to produce the actual tickets. Ok whatever, we just get on the train, after C had a preliminary weepy talk with the train manager. Softened up a bit, we should be able to work it out. Eventually he just gave up on us having tickets and we are on our way to Newcastle and the ferry.

There were some more sad good byes at the station for a few who had come to see us off, as well as a big bag of sweet English things. Enough sugar in there to keep us hyped up for a few days.

So long, farewell, Auf wiedersehen, good night

So sad, a farewell dinner [pictures] at Vesuvios to say goodbye to the Wheelers. A lovely group of people who I'm really going to miss, a fixture of my London life, even when I moved out of Tower Hamlets. Some of the first people I met in London and spent lots of time with, tours, the workshop, rides, the pub, all those nice things. I hope to see you all again sometime in the future, maybe you can attend a meeting of the Australian branch of the Wheelers.

But for now, there is still a lot to organize and get ready. Gotta run and get some more vaccinations. Aack, needles, hate them.

Destination Unknown

Things are rolling. I held the passport, the long awaited passport, for a few minutes yesterday. 9 weeks with the UK Home Office getting my visa renewed, a mere 9 weeks. Of course, it could have been 4 weeks, or even 12 weeks. There are even rumours that some were taking 14 weeks. Last week I majorly panicked and faxed them an urgent treatment request, help, see look, ferry booking to Norway on the 12th, must must have my passport back. Apparently those requests are either considered and taken seriously or used as tissue to blow their noses, depends on the case worker. But this one came through, hurray.

Yesterday was a frantic rush around town. First to get vaccinations, oops, should have done that weeks ago. Could have saved a bit of money too, Lambeth pays for the expensive malaria tablets through the NHS instead of having to pay privately, and I could have gotten some of the normal vaccines free through them. Damn, should have planned better. But when I call my surgery, I get the surly receptionist who laughed at me when I said I wanted to get in in the next week or so.

So, I generally nearly pass out with needles, but the payment at the end was a bigger shocker. For that price, I think I should totally be wallowing in Japanese B encephalitis in order to get my money's worth. A touch of rabies too maybe?

A rush over to the travel agents to finish filling out the visa applications for China and Russia. Thank you America for making your visa applications such a pain so the Russians have to follow suit, bureaucratic pissing matches. Please list every academic institution you have ever attended, please list every country you have ever visited, your last three jobs, blah blah blah.

And then the call. I have been waiting for months. I'm so tired of telling people, no, the passport isn't back yet, not sure when we are leaving, it depends on the passport coming back. But it was there and I could have it back. Rush to another side of town to get it. Aack the Tube. I should have cycled, but I wasn't quite up to like 30 miles around town in the rain. I had to ride the Tube yesterday the most I probably have in about 2 years, 5 trips. How unbearable, how do you people ride that thing every day?

I finally got to meet the solicitor, almost a good friend after my frequent panicked phone calls, when is it coming back, help, make it come back please. I held it for a bit as I was running back to the travel agent. How I didn't appreciate it when I had it, it just sat in a drawer for months. My shiny new UK visa was there too. I checked to see if I had some free pages for new visas, ok, a few blank, I should be fine, then handed it off to send it to the Russians and Chinese. I should have it back in a few days and hopefully can get the Vietnam one in time too, or might have to do that one in China instead.

But so much to do now, packing, shipping things, figuring out what to take for 4-5 months, and saying goodbye to everybody in London.

Next stop, Bergen Norway. Hmm, better see about getting train tickets to Newcastle. Lists, they have overtaken my life.