From Knivskjelodden, Norway to Hobart, Tasmania
Ok, I know what you're thinking. Let me tell you haha.
October-2016 In the morning after I finish packing my bags, I watch the sunrise from the Northernmost Point in Continental Europe. To stand alone amongst these cliffs, was hard to walk away. One of those moments that would have been nice to stay in for just a bit longer. A few more days before the first snow fall but until then its a relatively warm 45F. I usually travel within warmer seasons as it makes minimalism more feasible. I’ve always maintained everything I travel with capable of coming with me as carry-on to the plane. I never check. I need to hike back to the road with enough time to either make the bus or get lucky hitching. I have a flight in Alta to catch 2 days from now.
I push my legs and make it back to the road in 6 hours rather than the average 8. It seems however my rush was not necessary, as 2 hours have past and the few cars that have gone did not pick me up. Perhaps my smile is too charming. No need to worry, as I’ve made it in time to wave down the bus and get back to Honningsvåg. It’s late afternoon when we arrive, and already the sun is low. I hike back to my camping spot on the mountain above town. Even though things were getting dark, it was still too early to lay in the tent and sleep. I hike along the trail and come to a lake called Prestvatnet. Tranquil, it sits up on the mountain with a good view of Nordvågen. I stay for awhile as the street lights turn on below and the sea becomes invisible in the darkness. I can hear echoes of people below. Children laughing. I find it fascinating that life is thriving in this far, tucked away corner of the world.
Feeling sore from the past days, I lay in my tent and drift away. Hours later, I wake up suddenly as if prodded by the Universe itself. I notice the tent is illuminated by a soft green. “This is it!”, I call out to myself and instantly feel awake with renewed vigor. I get dressed and step outside to the glory of The Northern Lights. My first time seeing them! Like a shimmering river, they dance across the night sky. The ground and outline of the mountains reflect back a greenish haze. From one horizon to the next, the lights seem to stretch across the whole Arctic Hemisphere. If you’ve never seen them before, truly I’m telling you it feels like something out of fantasy. It’s monumental plasticity instantly invokes deep reflections. Is this really happening on our world? In this life? What are we even doing here? We’re so individually small in this grand place. The beauty of the lights has a power to temporarily make you forget about human doings. The moment is so pure, I don’t remember about annoyances such as paying taxes or chasing a higher credit score. None of that matters when the Aurora shows itself. I gaze for what seems like hours before they slowly fade away, my neck strained from looking up. They appear to be so close I could have reached out and touched them. I take a few pictures but they don’t do it justice. I don’t travel with fancy cameras, just the phone and at the time a GoPro. You do need some good exposure to get a great shot.
If you recall from my previous article, the bus driver never gave me a clear answer as to when and where I can get a ride back to Alta. Thankfully at the tourism office(which was now closed for the season) they have a timetable for the bus. I jump on, alone, and head south. Back in Alta, I had set up a Couchsurfing with a host at the University. If you’ve never heard of Couchsurfing, its a site that allows you to meet people wherever you are traveling and sleep at their place for a night for free. Its a cultural exchange and also a unique way to glean new insight from those who make their lives in the places you pass through. It will take an open mind and a step out of your comfort zone. Similar to WorkAway that I had previously mentioned. You make a profile. The host has a profile. You message the one of interest and they will let you know if they can accept your plan. Many hosts have reviews which I recommend you read if you are worried about safety. I believe it also takes an open mind and good heart to be willing to invite complete strangers into your home. This willingness is the recipe for a wonderful travel memory.
I walk onto the campus and meet the host. She’s from Spain and studying here for environmental science. When we go to the dorm, there are two other Couchsurfers, a guy from the UK, and a guy from Norway. It’s been 4 days now since I’ve had a shower and laundry. I’m able to wash a few things and together we jump in the sauna. Felt so good to soak. She has been a host for a few years, and there are hundreds of signatures, comments, pictures, and notes covering her wall from all the past travelers. She hasn’t done too much traveling at the moment, but dreams of visiting many countries. She said she feels a calling towards South America. I hope she has made the dream come true by now.
In the lounge, a half dozen students come in and we get chatting about life. I hadn't made a plan for dinner yet, and ask them what do they like to eat, as well as what do they do to offset the prices around here. “Well actually, we mostly dumpster dive for our meals.”, our Host said. They explain to me here in Norway that at grocery stores as soon as the food hits the sell by date, they bag everything up and toss it. She tells me the food is still good if they grab it quick. Everything, across all aisles, you can find. They say they get lucky with the frozen goods all the time. “We have to wait until late tonight, but lets go and we’ll make a buffet!” Some drinks get passed around, we all end up in the sauna again, and then everyone goes for a power nap before its time to do some shopping. Me and the other guys are packed in the spare room and lay on mattresses on the floor. We laugh together at the situation we’re in and set the alarm for a few hours later.
The time has come. People don head lamps and gloves. Put on an extra sweater. Mission has a green light. We pile into two cars and head out into the chilly night. The roads are empty. I ask them if this is illegal. They say “Its Norway nobody cares. You won’t be shot like in America.”….Good one. We pull up to the first dumpster. It's the long rectangular type. We climb in and begin opening different bags. Mostly bread, pastries, and a few vegetables. No mold, they look good. After a few minutes we bag up our goodies and load it into the trunk. A few blocks down the road, we park behind a store and open the smaller type of dumpster. Here looks pretty bad and the smell uninviting so we move on. We cruise down the highway for awhile and go behind another big store with two of the rectangular types. As we shift through these bags, bingo! Frozen food. Seafood and meat. There’s one bag loaded with salmon. Our Host proclaims we will feast tonight. As we load up and search for more, all of a sudden the Aurora appears brightly. Shining out the darkness of the parking lot. The students tell me they see it all the time and it’s no longer a big deal for them, and quickly get back to work. I can't help but look up in awe at the magnificence of the lights as they slither their way across the sky, its elegance punctuated by sounds of ruffling plastic and tossing bags. I’m waist deep in a dumpster in Norway looking at the Aurora Borealis. What a moment.
We finish loading up and haul our catch back to the University. Everybody is happy, the fridge is full. We cook up the fish with a side of bread and eat until we can’t eat no more. I avoid drinking too much as I know very well what flying with a hangover feels like. Too many goodbye party’s. We then pass out until early afternoon. Before I leave, I write on her wall “Thank you for the best dumpster salmon I’ve ever had!” The other guys were going off in their own directions. I tell them all “See you later.”, and step out the door.
It’s a long walk to the airport, and the first flakes of snow are coming. There is a side path next to the road that follows along the bay. It’s a really nice walk through the town and forest leading right up to the airport. At the check-in counter, next to me is a direct flight to Svalbard. Damn I thought. SO close, but it just wasn’t on the cards today. I’ll get there in due time. Instead I have a layover in Oslo and then to Stockholm. I will spend a day there before taking the ferry back to Finland and fly out from Helsinki. Full circle.
Flying south towards Oslo, looking out of the window it seems like summer is alive in some of these valleys. There was still a lot of green. Around the fjords, I can see roads leading to various villages on their own islands or in their own bays. I only have an hour here, so not enough time to go look around the capital. Instead I enjoy watching the people around me. After spending the past many days mostly alone in bushes, mountains, and cliffs, it was a nice contrast to be back in civilization again. We take off and in no time the plane points it’s way down and gets ready to land in Stockholm.
Stockholm is the capital of Sweden. I heard good things about this city, so I was eager for some more walking. From the airport the bus takes about an hour to reach the center. Its a pretty big city but doesn't feel congested. Nice wide streets, great public transport. Easy to get around. I get dropped off near the center and end up walking through a main shopping pedestrian street. There are many shawarma and kebab restaurants. I grin at the jokes my German friends have told me about how German traditional food is donor kebabs. Will Sweden be the same?
I walk by the Kungliga Slottet or Royal Palace and watch the changing of the Guard. Outside the doors there is also a guard at attention, similar to the ones you would see in the UK. His area is roped off to prevent any shenanigans. No pictures allowed inside but its really beautiful. The old, historic part of town is on a small island called Gamla Stan. Narrow streets and many buildings have this yellow-orange paint to them. I meet up with a cousin from one of my high school friends family. He shows me around, mostly a drinking tour haha. But it was nice to meet that connection. I take the ferry tomorrow. Sometimes I enjoy traveling slow and spending more time in certain places. Other times I quite enjoy being on the move.
I have to take the early morning ferry. I leave my hostel at 5am and as I walk to the port, I observe the closing aftermath of a Friday night. Still drunk people sloshing around. Piles of cigarette butts outside the bar. I’ve tried that life and now know I won’t find any fulfillment. Once in a blue moon is ok, but otherwise it no longer adds any value to me. The ferry leaves with a nice view of the city and neighborhoods spreading out past the bay. After I get on, I notice many people are drinking, taking shots. The bar is busy and its only 8:00AM! I’m still waking up with my coffee. Holy cow. We sail by hundreds of islands and inlets before heading out into the Baltic Sea. We stop at Mariehamn and the Aland Islands, which is actually an autonomous territory under Finnish sovereignty.
It is dark when we get to Turku. In the port, there is this Hostel and Museum Ship called s/s Bore. It used to be a cruise ship in the 60’s. Now sits moored to the pier close to the center. There’s a full on party raging when I check in. I enjoy for a bit but decide to leave before it gets late. The room is a small but clunky cabin….In the morning across the street I visit the 13-century Turku Castle with a rounded tower, inner courtyard, and some fancy interior rooms. After that I walk through the main street to the bus station, as tonight I have my flight out of Helsinki. Somewhere around Salo I have to make a transfer, and it is then when I realize that Finland is in a different time zone to Sweden and I miss my connection. Miraculously, the driver seemed to have guessed that I was on my way to the airport because he looks at me with a curious frown and says “You missed the bus, didn’t you? Well don’t worry I’ll call the connection and you’ll be alright.” I still have time to make my flight. We stop on the shoulder of the highway and the next bus comes for me. I didn’t have to buy another ticket. That was really nice of the guy. I thanked him and was on my way.
Now you might be wondering, why Tasmania Brian? Well good question. It was one of my many travel dreams! I also wanted to make my way back to New Zealand to finish my Working Holiday Visa. I spent 7 months in NZ and soon I will begin the series talking about my time there. Anyways my plan was to see Tassie, then a trip through Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney. To get there, I fly out from Helsinki and have an overnight layover in Istanbul. They have a new airport but when I was there I remember it being dirty. The food court was trash. Next is a long haul flight all the way to Bangkok. First views of Thailand. I can see many temples. Bangkok airport was pretty nice, but you can tell here there was many party people, backpacker types, nomads..its the vibe. I’ll get to Thailand later. Next is another lengthy flight to Melbourne through the night and land early morning. A few hours after that we come over the island and land in Hobart. It took almost 48 hours to get here from the combined time of flights and layovers. I’m feeling a bit dazed on the bus ride into the city, my eyelids heavy from the journey. I just received an email from my credit card issuer stating that the card is temporarily on hold because in the last 5 days I’ve charged my card in 6 different currencies! 6 countries, 3 continents in 5 days. I was laughing for awhile with that one. We cross the Tasman Bridge and can see a grand view of downtown with the backdrop of Mt. Wellington. When I check into the hostel:
“Welcome to Tassie, mate. Where did you come from?”
“Helsinki.”
“Finland what the fuck?! You’re fuckin crazy mate!”
“Cheers.”
I hope you enjoy my stories. It’s my goal as I write more to expand the scope of what I write about and explain the experience from various topics and points of view. Stick around for the future Tassie adventure!
-AbroadwithBrian