Monday 21/8

The morning started clouded, but I was ready for the challenge. I left a little note to thank Roger and Arnhild again, called Mari to tell her I would be coming over today and of we could go.
Lynn dropped me of on the main road so I could head of straight away. At first I started to walk and ended up at the museum where I could say goodbye to May.
Well I was going to hitchhike and the 'lonely planet' warned me already that it could be a difficult and patient-testing experience. (The government in Oslo makes sure everybody is able to buy a car so if you haven't one, you're a bum)

Indeed, it can be a long time to wait,... But in my head there was a song playing "Hold your head up,... HIGH!" I guess my inner music was seated next to my inner child in my head cheering each other up. So I just chilled, waited, and smiled, because I couldn't really complain, the scenery was just beautiful. (although the weather wasn't to great to stand there)

After a few hours I had my first ride with a very gentle lady; Doris. She didn't go far (for Norwegian standards), but it was already that. She lived in a town a little bit further (which means 36km) named Tarvik. It was a nice cozy little village by the fjord and the worst thing was that my battery was flat. I tried to take pictures and here is the result:








Again a long time waiting,... But if you know me a little bit, you should know by now that patience isn't among my qualities so I just started to walk. Not a bad choice considered the scenery I saw. After a while there was my next ride, and from there on everything went really fast. This ride was good to practice my Norsk, because the driver did speak a very broken English (but he managed well!) so I tried to speak as much Norwegian as I could . Once I got out of the car (He was heading for oksfjord and I had to go to storslett) I only had the time to take a "pit-stop" and holing out my thumb twice. Jihaa next ride all the way up to storslett. It was a lovely German family heading for Narvik. I tried to speak a little bit German and I think they understood me with a little effort :) On our way we saw another to hitchhikers, but the family said it would be to much.

In Storslett they dropped me off, and they even went onto the road I was heading so I hadn't to cross the road. This time I even had the time to put my backpack on! The first car stopped instantly. A very nice (old) fisherman, who didn't speak one word of English. "Moskodal?" I said, and he nodded "ja" but not all the way I think he meant. The plan was to go to the center of Moskodal and grab something to eat there before I would head for Mari. Only one problem,... It has no center :) just a store in the middle of nowhere standing there solitary.

Mari came to pick me up there and offered me something to eat and showed me my room. IOn the evening I went for a little hike aroun her place and I could use her camera with my memory card in it, so maybe I'll be able to show some pictures later on, when I can find a charger for my battery. (and an internet connection offcourse)

OH my, I was so overwhelmed,... To much beauty in a few days time, I almost felt like crying but in a happy way. It was actually an emotion I never have felt before so don't ask me to describe. It was a bit to much for me. Mari was heading to town to buy her some cigarettes, so I went along, because I was,... Well pulled off of my feet of some sort.

In town who do I see standing there,... The two hitchhikers that I passed earlier! Still hitchhiking. I felt a little bit sorry for them, and told the story to Mari. "maybe we should invite them to my place" she said and that's what we did.

So in the end of the evening we had a little international conversation, laughing about the differences and mistakes of languages. They are members of a small hiking-travel organization "wanderfugln" or something in that sense. (if you read this guys, leave the web-address) . At 12 o'clock I went exhausted to bed for a good night sleep...