July 16, 2001 - Monday - Oslo to Bergen
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| Clock tower by the train station in Oslo. |
Gunvald woke me up early today at 7 and I got out of there within 15 minutes, trying to catch my train. I loitered a little bit and by the time I got to the train station, I was told that the train was full as well as the next one at 10:45 so I would have to wait until the 4:30 train.
I hate it when things don't work out like it's supposed to. I managed to get myself an Interrail ticket which is only available to people living in Europe for 6 months or more, but I kinda lied and said I've been living in England for the past 6 months. I'm claiming Bermuda as part of England.
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| Fjordland sights from the Oslo to Bergen train. |
Well, I got on the 10:45 train anyway because there were plenty of seats I saw, and the conductor allowed me to stay. The scenery from Oslo to Bergen was absolutely beautiful. It's a nice change of scenery from Southeast Asia. The train wound through snow-covered mountains, moss-covered weathered stones, and crystal clear streams meandering through prairies of bright green fields of grass dotted with bright mountain flowers.
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| Fjordland sights from the Oslo to Bergen train. |
There were old solitary farms sitting quietly in the green prairies, looking very isolated but also inviting at the same time. We also went through some fiords and there were some small solitary fishing houses sitting on a lone dock with brightly painted doors and weathered looking wooden panels. It makes me wonder what kind of people live there and how they manage to survive such a solitary life. I think this is one of the cases where ignorant is bliss.
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| Fjordland sights from the Oslo to Bergen train. |
Some of the houses have their roof covered with a lawn of green grass, which I thought was quiet weird looking, but charming at the same time. Words and pictures cannot adequately describe the fiords and the train rides. Like the Grand Canyon, it's something that needs to be experienced in person. The smell, temperature, sound, are all crucial ingredients that's missing from pitiful travelogues and photos such as this web site.
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| Fish Market by the wharf in Bergen. |
We arrived in Bergen and it was time to hunt for a place to stay again, on my own. I walked through the cobbled stone streets of Bergen to the harbour where the fishermen's market is and all the shops and stores. I managed to find a YMCA to stay in for KR100, but it was horribly cramped.
There were at least 28 people in a large dorm that I stayed in, with me sleeping on a mattress on the floor because they ran out of beds. It was only a place to sleep so I didn't mind it that much. I went around and walked around town a little bit, took some pictures and ate some fast food.
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