The girls left for Leknes at 11am. I decided to paddle there, after inquire the way and distance from a supermarket. Halfway, I regretted the decision. As usual, Norway's pedestrian track ends suddenly and I am left to weave my way through the crazy highway, with no lines. Even in the well-mearsure and clearly defined tracks of Singapore, cyclists die often. I am seriously lucky to escape death a few times. Each time a car comes, I had to stop and throw my bicycle and my body onto the side. Because the roads are so narrow. Once, a tanker came by and I could feel its painful speed past by face. Halfway, I decided to abandone the bicycle, which was a wise decision. I fully understand now why my father refuse to let me ride on the roads. In Norway, the winding roads make it even more dangerous. You have no idea when a car will turn in. Along the way, I took some pictures.
I stopped at this area and rested. Every car the passes, the driver would slow down and stare at me. Then I wondered if they were thinking that I need a ride, since my bicycle was turned upside down. So I decided to show the universal hitch-hike sign, but then when I showed that, no car stopped nor slowed. They all sped past me. Upset, I ride carefully and slowly to the next busstop. I learnt to change from one side of the lane to the other each time I see a turn ahead, to avoid the blind spots. But then each time changing lane was a danger itself. Finally I reached a busstop. And I read the signs. To my horror, I think I covered only 7km and there's 7 more to go. I give up. My right knee was too painful. I sat at the cold busstop cursing. And eating biscuits, bcos I was too tired.
Finally, the bus came, which almost missed me, bcos I was on the wrong side of the road. The other side has no bus shelter, only a stand, and I would have frozen to death had I waited for the bus there. So the bus came. And I ended up at Lenkes.
At Lenkes, I read the bus schedule. It seems like the girls already reached A (Its A with a circle on top - the last letter of norwegian alphabet, which my laptop does not have. Its pronounced as "awe"). The next bus to A comes in almost 2 hours time. I read the distance to A. Its 63km! And the bus ride takes 2 hours. Man, am I glad I abandoned the bicycle. I could not possibly wait outside for 2 hours. I would freeze. So I went into a bakery, bought a huge bun, and waited inside. And I was overlooked the fact that I could have charged my camera's battery there. Thank God, my camera was still able to take some shots of the bus ride. It is, supposed to be, one of the most amazing bus rides in the world.
This is why.
I dont know if you can see this, but the clouds at the bottom formed faint rainbow colours. I saw it better with naked eyes. Zoom in and observe the corner of the clouds. You could see some red/orange. It did form rainbow colour.
After 63km, I was the only person left on the bus.
At A, the place was not as spectacular as I thought, but I like it. It feels cosy, inhabited with people, and it is at the corner of the Lofoten Island. Here, people engage intensively in cod fishing.
As I was walking about, looking at views, my camera died. Thankfully, that was not much pictures left to take. There was only 1 view worthy ok taking, but it was pretty much the same. I called the girls to inquire about which hostel they were staying, they did not know. So I walked, and then I met a guy with his dog.
He "are you looking for a hostel?". Yes
He "you can walk up this one in front of you. Take room 9. And you can come tmr morning to the reception to pay me"
Me "How much?"
He "150kr"
Me "well, im actually waiting for my friends. Im not sure where they are staying"
He "there's only 1 hostel here in winter."
Me (thinking he's trying to bluff me) "ok. I think i'll wait for them. most probably they are staying here. Cya"
So the girls came. Apparently, they are not so street-wise after all. They told me it was a yellow hostel, but it was a white one. However, it turned out to be good, bcos I had not agreed to take that room. So I went into the hostel. But there was no room 9. It ends at 8. Which is am Amazing room to say the least. It was the best room in the whole hostel. The rest was double deck beds. This one has 2 single bed side by side. I wonder if I had to pay for 2 person, since it only has 2 person room. But since that guy said 150, it was really really relaly cheap for a room like this. PLus, it has heating system, and a kitchen inside the room.
The girls ask me how much I had to pay. I said that guy told me 150. They kept quiet for a while, then spoke in german. Later I inquired and they said they had to pay more, for a sucky room which they booked. (Maybe it was bcos they booked it. But hey, its winter. Every hostel is empty! Dont have to book!). So I was utterly glad. That night, I walked about, trying to see if there's any warm hiding place in the streets I could sleep w/o paying. There was not. And since Im so tired and bruised, I decided that 150 was nothing. Besides, I have the luxury of choosing any room I want, and the whole entire hostel to myself.
That night, the girls came to tell me that the ferry to Bodo leaves at 7am. And its 5km away. They, on their fast leg, took 1.5 hours. So they told me I better leave earlier than 5am by myself, cos I was very slow. I inquired about the direction to the ferry. They were so extremely impatient and pissed that I do not know how to get there. Well, they walked there in the afternoon and recceed it. How was I to know? So I got pissed with them. And they got pissed with me. They asked me how I was going to pay for my room. IDK. The man never told me. He dont even know Im sleeping in his hostel. Well, he did tell me to go to reception tmr morning and pay him there. But since now, the girls want me to leave before 5am, the man would not be awake by then. Its winter. No one wakes up so early. So I asked the girls back and they said the man told them to leave the money on the table.
Of cos, I dont plan to pay. Its stupid to leave the money in the hostel table. Anyone can just come in and take. And I figured that since the man did not make an effort to collect money from me, nor did he find out if I ever was going to stay there, I would not pay. You run a business, make sure you run it well. If you are so lazy, that you would not even want to walk from your house to the hostel to check, I dont think you deserve that 35SGD from me.
Nevertheless, I had a good warm meal for the first time since 4 days. And I showered, warm water, since 4 days. And I charged my camera. And I slept, good warm heated room since 4 days. It was such an awesome sleep. And as I did the past few days, I dreamt about Singapore and friends in Singapore. Its been like that for 4 days already. Even on the 3rd day, when I sneaked into the hostel bed to sleep for 2 hours, I dreamt about sg friends. And they make me sooo happy.
Alarm rang at 340am. I planned to leave by 4am, afraid that my leg was too battered, so I might be extremely slow. But eventually, I left at 430am, packing all the clothes, socks, and underwear that I had rinsed and left to dry in the toilet. Before I leave, I realised that the bed beside mine had 2 pillows. Every bed in the hostel has 1. And since I do not have a pillow back in Oslo, I kopped it. Feeling not so bad, bcos it was an extra pillow after all.
The hostel.
That morning, I journey 5km to the harbour alone, at 430am. I took a break at 530am, by the road, and ate breakfast. The morning view was great. Eventually, I reached the ferry at 6am. 1 hour before time. I didnt know, my leg healed so much overnight.
While waiting for the ferry to start, a crew talked to me. He did not know where Singapore was.
He "Singapore? In Japan? Hong Kong? China? I've lived in Thailand for 3 weeks"
Honestly, I felt insulted that he knows thailand but not Singapore. Its not too far away my god.
Seems to be that, people know Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, but not Singapore. How insulting.
I start to be addicted at not paying for my hostels. At the ferry, I observed how things are done, and realised that I could just walk in without paying. Then I realised that the same can be done on the Hutikuten. By then, I had already paid for all the ferries.
Somehow, despite feeling kinda bad and guilty, a part of me reminds me that they are the ones out to cheat stupid tourists of money in the first place. Even if they did not actually cheat, but overpricing it is obvious. Sometimes, its a mixed feeling that could torment me. And I would just revert to God.
End of Lofoten. End of Day 4. Back to Bodo, where I will take a flight to Tromso.
I stopped at this area and rested. Every car the passes, the driver would slow down and stare at me. Then I wondered if they were thinking that I need a ride, since my bicycle was turned upside down. So I decided to show the universal hitch-hike sign, but then when I showed that, no car stopped nor slowed. They all sped past me. Upset, I ride carefully and slowly to the next busstop. I learnt to change from one side of the lane to the other each time I see a turn ahead, to avoid the blind spots. But then each time changing lane was a danger itself. Finally I reached a busstop. And I read the signs. To my horror, I think I covered only 7km and there's 7 more to go. I give up. My right knee was too painful. I sat at the cold busstop cursing. And eating biscuits, bcos I was too tired.
Finally, the bus came, which almost missed me, bcos I was on the wrong side of the road. The other side has no bus shelter, only a stand, and I would have frozen to death had I waited for the bus there. So the bus came. And I ended up at Lenkes.
At Lenkes, I read the bus schedule. It seems like the girls already reached A (Its A with a circle on top - the last letter of norwegian alphabet, which my laptop does not have. Its pronounced as "awe"). The next bus to A comes in almost 2 hours time. I read the distance to A. Its 63km! And the bus ride takes 2 hours. Man, am I glad I abandoned the bicycle. I could not possibly wait outside for 2 hours. I would freeze. So I went into a bakery, bought a huge bun, and waited inside. And I was overlooked the fact that I could have charged my camera's battery there. Thank God, my camera was still able to take some shots of the bus ride. It is, supposed to be, one of the most amazing bus rides in the world.
This is why.
I dont know if you can see this, but the clouds at the bottom formed faint rainbow colours. I saw it better with naked eyes. Zoom in and observe the corner of the clouds. You could see some red/orange. It did form rainbow colour.
After 63km, I was the only person left on the bus.
At A, the place was not as spectacular as I thought, but I like it. It feels cosy, inhabited with people, and it is at the corner of the Lofoten Island. Here, people engage intensively in cod fishing.
As I was walking about, looking at views, my camera died. Thankfully, that was not much pictures left to take. There was only 1 view worthy ok taking, but it was pretty much the same. I called the girls to inquire about which hostel they were staying, they did not know. So I walked, and then I met a guy with his dog.
He "are you looking for a hostel?". Yes
He "you can walk up this one in front of you. Take room 9. And you can come tmr morning to the reception to pay me"
Me "How much?"
He "150kr"
Me "well, im actually waiting for my friends. Im not sure where they are staying"
He "there's only 1 hostel here in winter."
Me (thinking he's trying to bluff me) "ok. I think i'll wait for them. most probably they are staying here. Cya"
So the girls came. Apparently, they are not so street-wise after all. They told me it was a yellow hostel, but it was a white one. However, it turned out to be good, bcos I had not agreed to take that room. So I went into the hostel. But there was no room 9. It ends at 8. Which is am Amazing room to say the least. It was the best room in the whole hostel. The rest was double deck beds. This one has 2 single bed side by side. I wonder if I had to pay for 2 person, since it only has 2 person room. But since that guy said 150, it was really really relaly cheap for a room like this. PLus, it has heating system, and a kitchen inside the room.
The girls ask me how much I had to pay. I said that guy told me 150. They kept quiet for a while, then spoke in german. Later I inquired and they said they had to pay more, for a sucky room which they booked. (Maybe it was bcos they booked it. But hey, its winter. Every hostel is empty! Dont have to book!). So I was utterly glad. That night, I walked about, trying to see if there's any warm hiding place in the streets I could sleep w/o paying. There was not. And since Im so tired and bruised, I decided that 150 was nothing. Besides, I have the luxury of choosing any room I want, and the whole entire hostel to myself.
That night, the girls came to tell me that the ferry to Bodo leaves at 7am. And its 5km away. They, on their fast leg, took 1.5 hours. So they told me I better leave earlier than 5am by myself, cos I was very slow. I inquired about the direction to the ferry. They were so extremely impatient and pissed that I do not know how to get there. Well, they walked there in the afternoon and recceed it. How was I to know? So I got pissed with them. And they got pissed with me. They asked me how I was going to pay for my room. IDK. The man never told me. He dont even know Im sleeping in his hostel. Well, he did tell me to go to reception tmr morning and pay him there. But since now, the girls want me to leave before 5am, the man would not be awake by then. Its winter. No one wakes up so early. So I asked the girls back and they said the man told them to leave the money on the table.
Of cos, I dont plan to pay. Its stupid to leave the money in the hostel table. Anyone can just come in and take. And I figured that since the man did not make an effort to collect money from me, nor did he find out if I ever was going to stay there, I would not pay. You run a business, make sure you run it well. If you are so lazy, that you would not even want to walk from your house to the hostel to check, I dont think you deserve that 35SGD from me.
Nevertheless, I had a good warm meal for the first time since 4 days. And I showered, warm water, since 4 days. And I charged my camera. And I slept, good warm heated room since 4 days. It was such an awesome sleep. And as I did the past few days, I dreamt about Singapore and friends in Singapore. Its been like that for 4 days already. Even on the 3rd day, when I sneaked into the hostel bed to sleep for 2 hours, I dreamt about sg friends. And they make me sooo happy.
Alarm rang at 340am. I planned to leave by 4am, afraid that my leg was too battered, so I might be extremely slow. But eventually, I left at 430am, packing all the clothes, socks, and underwear that I had rinsed and left to dry in the toilet. Before I leave, I realised that the bed beside mine had 2 pillows. Every bed in the hostel has 1. And since I do not have a pillow back in Oslo, I kopped it. Feeling not so bad, bcos it was an extra pillow after all.
The hostel.
That morning, I journey 5km to the harbour alone, at 430am. I took a break at 530am, by the road, and ate breakfast. The morning view was great. Eventually, I reached the ferry at 6am. 1 hour before time. I didnt know, my leg healed so much overnight.
While waiting for the ferry to start, a crew talked to me. He did not know where Singapore was.
He "Singapore? In Japan? Hong Kong? China? I've lived in Thailand for 3 weeks"
Honestly, I felt insulted that he knows thailand but not Singapore. Its not too far away my god.
Seems to be that, people know Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, but not Singapore. How insulting.
I start to be addicted at not paying for my hostels. At the ferry, I observed how things are done, and realised that I could just walk in without paying. Then I realised that the same can be done on the Hutikuten. By then, I had already paid for all the ferries.
Somehow, despite feeling kinda bad and guilty, a part of me reminds me that they are the ones out to cheat stupid tourists of money in the first place. Even if they did not actually cheat, but overpricing it is obvious. Sometimes, its a mixed feeling that could torment me. And I would just revert to God.
End of Lofoten. End of Day 4. Back to Bodo, where I will take a flight to Tromso.
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