Norway: Geirangerfjorden

The next couple days are essentially spent in the car. I have planned a couple stops in the middle of the fjords in central Norway and everything is a long drive to get there.

I fly from Stavanger to Oslo then I am suppposed to catch a flight to Alesund. There are two alesund flights at the same time but I don’t realize it and see the gate number for the first one that catches my eye; the gate is across the airport a couple terminals over from where I land. The flight in question starts boarding and I realize it must be the wrong flight because the flight number doesn’t match ; but really what alerts me is the star alliance announcement because I didn’t think I was on a star alliance flight. I am waiting at the wrong flight. I have to run back across the airport and I’m sure I’ve missed my flight. While I am running my metal water bottle crashes on the tile floor and it seems like the loudest thing I’ve ever heard. Luckily the previous flight is still exiting the plane. I feel like in most cases the gate would already be closed and I’d have to book another flight. Sure got my cardio in this morning. Way to elevate that heart rate.

I fly into Alesund. My flight is very empty so I move to the window seat in my row to get the great view.

The airport is small and it takes no time at all to get my bag and get out the door. I pick up my rental car which of course is another brand new vehicle I am going to worry about hurting. It is bigger than I like but hopefully it takes the mountain pass roads well. As far as driving I am finding Norwegian drivers (or tourists here) to be polite and conscientious drivers. Despite the tight roads it seems safe enough. I do see one camper van take out part of another camper van’s mirror in a tight spot.

There are lots of tunnels at the beginning of my drive and one ferry before I reach the ferry I have planned in advance, the Geirangerfjord ferry ride – a must do if you are in the region.

My ticket is for the 3:30 PM Geirangerford ferry in Hellyst which is a good thing because I arrive just as the 12:30 PM ferry is leaving. I want to make sure my ticket is accurate and I can leave my car to get lunch but the one younger man working the car line seems flustered and overwhelmed. It seems there is confusion over tickets and quite a few ended up missing their 12:30 PM ferry so he is bombarded with those people as well as those who have arrived for the next ferry without tickets yet. I patiently wait and finally get his attention to find out my ticket is accurate and where to place my car to wait. I head off to look for food. It seems like there is only one open restaurant in this town and seems to be pizza only. I visit the local supermarket instead and get some berries and ingredients for a do it yourself sandwich. Picnic tables along the water are perfect to watch boats and birds while I eat my lunch. I take a short walk around the town to visit the water fall and a historic bathing house. There is still more time to wait so I go back to my car to read and try to nap.

Eventually the ferry arrives and we drive onboard. This ride is over an hour so after you park below it is essential to go upstairs and get a view of the fjords. It is supposed to be one of the most scenic ferry rides and it is. Some sights are pointed out on the way and one of them is the seven sisters waterfall.

I drive off the ferry in Geiranger and there is a cute tourist town by the water. My only concern at this point is checking into my hotel though so I drive up the hill in that direction. There are many steep switchbacks to get to the hotel and with each one it is becoming more apparent that my plan of heading into town for dinner is not going to happen because I will not have the energy to walk back up tonight. You need to be in fantastic shape to even be a tourist in Norway it seems. Luckily the hotel has a restaurant. The menu is limited but I decide to treat myself to a steak. Before dinner I admire the views of the town from above.

I wish I had planned two nights in Geiranger so I could have had a day to relax in town. I am too tired tonight to make the trip down to town and I have too much driving to do tomorrow to add on a visit to town in the morning, Maybe I will return sometime in the future.

Stavanger Norway

I fly from Budapest (Hungary) to Oslo (Norway) and then Oslo to Stavanger. During my layover I eye some sushi rolls. They are pre-made but taste good all the same. The fish just tastes fresher here.

I also stock up on some snacks at the airport store since I didn’t have any during my last flight. I seem to always forget to bring snacks.

After my short flight there is no wait at all to catch the bus into Stavanger city. I can easily pay on the bus by credit card. The flat I have rented is about a 7 minute walk from where the bus drops me. I am staying in the historic part of town distinct because of its rows of old white wooden houses. As I walk to the flat a group of seagulls scream by me, drop a piece of bread near me and they scream to pick it up again. It scares the crap out of me. They fly away but I should have taken that as an omen. More about that later.

It is 4:30 PM and it seems like all the attractions close for the day at 4:00PM if they are open at all; in fact some attractions only open days cruises are at port. The only thing to do at this point is go out to find something to eat. As I walk by the water a notice a very large cruise ship in port. I stop for a few minutes to see it leave the harbor.

Choices in food seem to be limited due to it being Sunday, in fact the grocery store that is supposed to be open at this time is even closed. I walk by the colorful district of Fargegaten. It is a lively area (relatively since Norway seems to be subdued) but it is filled with mostly coffee shops or bars so not a great choice for dinner. I’ll have to return for a drink another time.

I settle on a pizza place across the street from a very lively Irish pub. A group of football supports are having pre-drinks and chanting supporter songs loudly while they wait for their upcoming local match to start. I order a “pepperoni” pizza and salad and settle on a space outside to enjoy the cool but very sunny weather (Note: pepperoni sausage in the USA is rarely the same thing as you get in other countries. It is sausage but is a different flavor). My pizza and salad eventually come out and I watch a seagull occasionally stop at the the abandoned table next to be and loudly bang his beak on the plate. I am about one piece into my pizza and the bird is back. I fumble with my phone to get a video and within seconds the bird flys over and picks up my entire pizza and drops it to the ground while I scream “NO!”. The people next to me look at me with concern, the guys across the street are laughing and concerned as well. It is comical. I feel kind of stupid for leaving my pizza unprotected. The server at the restaurant is very kind. They make me a new pizza and I decide to move inside for part two. Before I move a guy from across the street approaches me to comment on the bird. We chat for a few minutes on how he regularly works at a bar down the street. He was intrigued on why there are so many more Americans visiting now when it was not common in the past. I didn’t have an answer for him. Maybe Americans in general are just traveling more.

Pizza, thrown on the ground unceremoniously

It’s hard to go to bed at a decent time since the constant sunlight is messing with my circadian rhythm. My flat is cute but black out curtains in the bedroom don’t really black out when it is still light out until 3:00 AM and for some reason the front windows have no curtains. Also I had lots of naps on the airplane on the way here.

You have to pay for public restrooms, by credit. This one cost less than $1 USD. They are always clean.

There are a handful of museums to see in the town but many of them seem to be closed on Mondays so Monday is the day I pick to hike Pulpit Rock(Preikestolen) where I am supposed to get some spectacular views of the fjords. I book a bus to take me to the trailhead which is little over an hour bus ride. I could do a cruise plus hike option but I already have some cruises booked later in my travels plus I really don’t want to rush my hike since I am a slow hiker. The bus ride is scenic with a drive through a long tunnel that has a beautiful blue lighted area about halfway through it.

The trail to the main attraction is about 5 miles roundtrip. It is certainly doable from my fitness level but I am coming into this knowing there will be a good amount of up and down that will make this trail more challenging than I am used to in my flatland. Just as I suspect there are many ups and downs (but most of the downs are on the return trip which may be considered worse depending on your perspective). The trail goes from steep switchback incline, to well formed stone steps, to randomly scattered stone steps which I have to almost do some scrambling to get over due to my short legs. In between there are some beautiful spots of large stone fins and wooden bridges in open areas. It is truly a beautiful hike. It is chilly at about 55 degrees Fahrenheit but between the intense sun and the physical effort in climbing, most are comfortable wearing short sleeved shirts during the trail effort, I know I am.

I finally get to Pulpit Rock and it is busy but the crowds don’t seem to annoy me as they normally do. Maybe all the fresh air and exercise has filled my body with extra serotonin. People are picnicking around. I take out the carton of coffee I purchased this morning and enjoy it along with the view. And speaking of the views, they are very nice. It is worth the effort to see the beauty. I take some pictures, relax and then head back. So far the trail as taken the amount of time it was estimated to take (it is estimated 2 hours each way and it took me just slightly over 2 which is notable in itself since I am generally much slower than the estimates say). I want to make sure I have plenty of time to get back to be bus at 4:00 PM since sometimes going down the rocks is much harder than going up – which I can say this is the case today. I feel the pressure on my joints, my knees and lower back. I will be hurting later. Many have walking sticks and while I usually have them when I travel for hiking trips in the USA, I never take them on international adventures. A guy on the trail tells me I should have rented some at the trailhead ….. I had no idea I could do that.

Because my circadian rhythm has been off I am determined to not sleep on the bus ride back but nature takes over with the soothing of a bus putting me to sleep multiple times. I do wake to admire the long tunnel again.

Thoroughly exhausted I get a quick fast food dinner, get some groceries for the morning and then go back to shower and rest for the night. I lather up with bio-freeze and topical pain cream to prevent whatever might ail me in the night from this day’s hike. Luckily museums open later tomorrow so I can let myself slowly awake into the day.

Norwegian Petroleum Museum (Norsk Oljemuseum)

One of the big museums in town is the Norwegian Petroleum museum. The museum visit starts with a movie called Oil Child. Oil Child is an artsy movie about living in the region with the development of oil rigs shown through the perspective of the son of an oil worker.

The rest of the museum is the history of petroleum in Norway and especially this region. Oil has brought lots of money to this country and the decision of the government to nationalize part of its profits has provided many things to the citizens of its country: infrastructure development, medical care, and pensions. Still the museum is honest about the dangers of the industry and promotes alternative forms of energy that you can learn about through interactive exhibits. A visit to this museum gave me a different perspective of an industry I am indifferent to (at best) or suspicious of (at worst). I also learned that oil is not from the remains of dinosaurs (laughing) but it is from millions of years of time and some algae.

Norwegian Canning Museum plus graphic museum (IDDIS Norsk grafisk museum og Norsk hermetikkmuseum) starts with a printing museum visit that to be honest I didn’t find that interesting until it got to the section of can printing and the special artwork that was made for the canned fish such as sardines. We are told how the fish are caught, smoked and canned (by hand!). We also learn about how child labor was very prominent in the industry during earlier times. Then we learn about the collapse of the industry and then consolidation. I really enjoyed looking at the artwork on all the cans.

I think about visiting the history museum but it closes today at 3 as do all the other museums. To really appreciate this city you need a multiple day visit because the museums have such limited hours.

It is almost time for my dinner reservation anyway at a fish restaurant where i am determined to order some crabs. King crabs is what they have available today and they are served cold with pickled onions and this very delicious creamy chili crab dipping sauce. The sauce reminds me of the chili crab I had in Singapore.

You would never know by the level of sunlight but it is getting late and I have a very early flight tomorrow so early that I’ll have to call a cab instead of taking the affordable bus. Tomorrow I start the road trip part of my Norway adventure.

Howth

I have one more free breakfast at my hotel since I am still enjoying the rate my friend booked. My friend is out the door when I am still half sleeping and I am sad to see her go. I have one more day in Dublin and today I am taking a day trip to the peninsula of Howth. It is supposed to be pretty out there and worthy of a day trip.

I leave at 8:30 and walk 30 minutes to the Dart station (Dublin Pearce). On the way I walk through a park I have yet to walk through. I definitely need to spend more time in Dublin. I will return.

When I get off the train I consult the trail map and admire all the boats in the water.

I pick a trail that walks the coast and go on my way. The trails are color coded and most follow the same path for a long while but mine suddenly disappears. I follow one of the other ones for a while until I get near the lighthouse and then there is a visible exit to a parking lot. I decide to head back that way. I follow the roads back into town. I want to head in to catch some fresh crab and lobster for lunch.

I am disappointed to find that I can find no fresh crab or lobster anywhere today. I am assuming they are not in season. I decide to get lunch at King Sitric Seafood Bar, the place I had picked out for today anyway. I enjoyed a snack of oysters and a cheese crab dish thing (not fresh crab apparently).

I walk around the rest of town. Noticing no crabs available anywhere. I am still a little hungry and intrigued about the half and half fish and chips (half traditional fish and half smoked fish). I wouldn’t say it tastes bad because under normal circumstances I would like it but I am absolutely sick of greasy fish and chips. I have a very hard time eating it. Unfortunately I end up tossing most of it.

After already getting the most out of the town for the day I head back by train to Dublin.

At the start of the day I had planned to come back from Howth and see the Epic museum and go see an evening Celtic show. None of that is happening. The most I can do is walk back through town, get ice cream and get another look at St Patrick cathedral.

The next morning I find my flight already delayed so I switch my itinerary to fly into a different airport in the USA.

I have one more whisky at the airport. I realize I have already gone through customs here in Dublin so I don’t need to do so in the USA. I could have carried on some bottles from duty free all the way back home if I really wanted too. I am not sure why I didn’t pick up some bottles of local whisky.

I going home for a month or so. I have a music festival, a friend coming into town, a grand birthday to celebrate in New Orleans at the French Quarter Fest, and hope to catch up with some friends and family back home before I go out to travel again.

After two months what have I learned?

I am heading home after two months of traveling.

What have I learned from this go around of traveling, because really for me traveling is about learning and growing and not necessarily relaxation.

I can no longer stay in moist climates or moldy/moist lodging for too long or I will have sinus issues.
Some people’s idea of paradise can be hell for others – Bali. There are plenty of good things about Bali but for me the bad outweighed the good.
Even with my broken body and advanced age I can still do many things with time and patience (surfing). Imagine what I could have accomplished if I didn’t get sick during my surf week!
I value my alone time but I also don’t mind much having travel companions. In fact it is quite nice.
I am amazed of how friendly and accepting people can be outside of the USA. At home I feel invisible most of the time outside of my friend group or network. While traveling people see me and are generally interested in me. It is a good feeling and makes me try to come out of my shell to reciprocate.
Many of my “issues” are due to the standard American lifestyle and diet. Over the weeks of traveling I noticed my need for over the counter anti-acid medicine and topical pain cream lessened and almost disappeared. I hope I don’t go home a return to like it was before.

Catch up with you soon when I am back on the road.

Georgia Road Trip: Springer Mountain

It is early in the morning and I hear a drum beat outside my room. We must be expecting a great sunrise this morning. I go to the kitchen to get some coffee and walk down to the sunrise observation area.

The sunrise is amazing this morning. I feel very lucky. The lodge at Hike Inn is mostly quiet but some guests play Here Comes the Sun from their phone and the sunrise group sings along.

After sunrise it is time for breakfast. It is very filling and I am offered extra servings of bacon. I would never pass up extra bacon.

I talk to the front desk staff about how long today’s hike should take. There are two dinner times scheduled this evening and I am assigned to the early one. I know I am a slow hiker so I ask if I can be moved to the later dinner. I never know how long a hike will take me and I want to be safe. Luckily they can move me.

I ordered a trail lunch yesterday and pick it up at the front desk while I get ready for my hike today ($8 three sandwich choices ~meat, veggie, peanut butter; plus trail mix, and a large cookie).

My cookie. I end up eating it later after my hike.

I start my hike today at 9:20 am. I am hoping that gives me enough time for the return trip.

The hike today is to Springer Mountain, the southern terminus of the Appalachian Trail, a 4.4-mile hike (8.8 miles round trip) from the Hike Inn.

The first part of the hike is mostly downhill which is nice but I am warned to save energy for this part on the return trip.

I reach a gap where there is an open area. I cross this area to continue my hike. It is here that I start the hike uphill. Luckily the climb is pretty gradual.

There are a couple springs where I can refill my water bottle with fresh water but my camelback is still 3/4 full and already heavy enough. Good to know that on a hot day there are options for refills.

I finally get to the top. I stop to take some pictures then sit down to enjoy my sandwich. I chat with other hikers.

Sandwich time

There are ladies from the lodge up here who brought their own wine in a water bottle. What a fun idea!

I try not to rest too long because I want to allow enough time to get back in time for my late dinner. While hiking back I meet a barefoot hiker from Florida. It takes a brave person to hike barefoot in the woods.

I love the fall colors and slightly barren trees.

The last couple miles on the way back is hard because there is about a mile of inclines to hike toward the end. I need to stop frequently.

I eventually arrive back at the inn. I am not as late as I anticipated. In fact, I could have made it in time for the early dinner. I decide to take advantage of this extra time and shower so I am cleaned up for dinner. I can go to sleep soon after eating. I am so tired I forget to photograph my dinner.

My body is sore so I proactively take pain relief so I get a good night sleep. I despise being woke up by aching muscles.

Next Morning

I do wake up a few times during the night but I otherwise am well rested. We are woken up for sunrise but it isn’t as lovely as the day before. Fortunately I scheduled two nights at the inn and had at least one full sunrise.

After sunrise I take one last look around the grounds.

Since I burned so many calories yesterday I am excited about breakfast this morning. No bacon today but I enjoy the sausage and biscuits and gravy. After breakfast I get ready to checkout.

After I pay my bill I sit at the front entrance tightening my shoes and such getting ready for hike back. There are a group of ladies getting ready to hike back to the parking lot “the long way” (all the way to Springer mountain and then to the parking lot for a total of about 12 miles). One in the group is not up for the long hike (nor would I be) and asks if she can walk back with me. Its been a long while since I’ve had a hiking companion. We have a nice hike back and talk about lots of different things. We make it back to the parking lot safe!

Never been so happy to see a sign that I have reached the parking lot. I have another smaller hike scheduled for later in the trip but for now I am heading to Helen to relax.

Salento: Valle de Cocora

One of the most popular things to do in Salento is hike in the nearby Cocora Valley (about a 30 minute jeep ride from town). Two options exist: a loop hike which is about 12km and a shorter up and back hike (about an hour or so). Both hikes will give you a view of Cocora Valley’s iconic palm trees. The long hike is rumored to be amazing so I am planning on doing the whole loop today.

I start off early today because I know I am a slow hiker. I inform my hotel I am missing breakfast again and they instead provide me a lovely fruit platter and orange juice to take on my journey. I also stop at the shop on the corner to order a coffee, empanada and some other breads to take with me (one being my new addiction of sausage stuffed rolls – these are amazing when they are fresh). I also carry lots of water.

To arrive at the start I hire a jeep from town square in the morning. They say they leave once an hour but they really leave once they fill up. Mine left 15 minutes early. Luckily I showed up early for the 7:30 am ride.

The jeep drops us off on a dirt road I am assuming is nearby the trail entrance. There is really no instruction of where to start, I just know that I should start “off to the right” for which direction I plan to go. I should have followed the crowd as the jeep emptied but I decide to try to use the nearby restroom before I start my journey. By the time I got out of the restroom there is no one really to ask which way to go.

I wander around for a bit up and back on the dirt road. The entrance I am looking for should be to the right of the road.

Not where I am supposed to start – I think this is the end

I look down at maps.me on my phone and I think I discover the correct way to the start.

I chose doing the loop going counter-clockwise to avoid crowds. Also the journey across the waterway is beautiful early in the day and the inclines are more gradual in this direction.

I head down into the valley and I eventually reach the trail entrance where I pay an admission charge and receive a wrist band.

I pass a small bridge and stop to say hi to some cows.

I start my hike trough a narrow trail in the middle of a meadow. There are cow pastures on the sides of the path. Vibrant green grass blankets the meadow. The weather is slightly cool. It is a beautiful day.

At the edge of the meadow I stop and eat my fruit before I carry onto the next part of my journey.

I start the stream-jumping section of the path. The second part of the trail is basically a series of rocky paths that wind around a stream with frequent bridge crossings. The bridges get progressively more scary: meaning the further you go the less maintained the bridges seem to be (I read where one called them the Indian Jones bridges).

This is another amazingly beautiful part of the trail. I enjoy hearing the stream of water while I hike.

Leaving the waterway behind I start climbing uphill towards a hummingbird sanctuary, a pit stop on the trail. I intended to visit the sanctuary but the climb is making me tired. I recall the advice I was given from other travelers a couple days ago and decide to turn back and forgo the visit. I have much further to go and I want to make sure I have energy to complete the loop. I did read reviews later that were favorable but nonetheless I am glad I skipped it because the trail continues uphill in the intended direction and I need all the energy I can conserve.

While on the trail I encounter signs of the different wildlife I may see along the way.

I hope I don’t run into one of these guys

The terrain is changing again and I end up on a sandy path. It is challenging and uphill. I hear the sounds of doors creaking in the trees. I look up and see no birds so I can only assume what may be making those sounds.

I finally reach what I understand to be the highest point. I take the slow zig zags uphill. I stop on the bright green meadow “walls” to lay down and rest because it looks so comfortable.

At the top there seems to be a café but it looks like they are only serving a specific tour group. It may be private property but they don’t mind that others are hanging around and resting on the nearby benches. I find Finca La Montaña a place to catch my breath and snack on my breads before moving on. I learn later that it is a coffee farm.

I am past the halfway point now I think.

I watch a dog watching people walk downhill (doing the trail loop clockwise)

As I leave Finca La Montaña I walk by quite a few people going in the opposite direction. It appears the Finca La Montaña I have just arrived at is the final spot at top for those doing just the shorter hike. Unfortunately those walking toward the finca look tired since the journey is mostly uphill and it is now the hottest time of day. I chatted with a few hikers caught off guard with the uphill challenge. My hike is challenging as far as inclines go but at least the uphill parts are broken up by horizontal parts. I am excited to learn the rest of my hike will be mostly downhill.

I walk by some lovely tall pine trees.

only 4.2 km to go. mostly downhill from here.

I notice more beautiful views hiking down. Soon I reach another section where someone is collecting admission to the observation area where I can finally view the tall palms – El Bosque de Las Palmas. I receive another wrist band.

This map makes the path look very simple but it didn’t feel very simple while I was hiking.

Downhill path. It is now hot and sunny so I am thankful.

Finally I reach the upper level of the mirador or viewpoint of the lovely palm trees. It is incredibly windy today.

I walk out a down a series of sandy terraces, each giving a distinct viewpoint of the area.

Entrance if you are entering the trail from the opposite direction. Some people just visit this portion of the area and skip the long hike.

Tried to follow my location via maps.me. Not sure really how helpful it was.

I head back down what I believe is the street I arrived at this morning. I see a meadow where jeeps are parked. This must be where I catch my return trip to town. I wait for a jeep to become available and hop in the back. Luckily I am sitting inside (even though it is crowded) and not hanging off the back like other adventurous travelers.

The journey today was long and exhausting but it was highly rewarding. I am adding this hike to my list of memorable hikes.