I got my own flat after trying to fight with the owner of my hostel about the possibility to use the Hostel's address as my home address and I would've lived in a tent somewhere nearby. Just to try out. He didn't like it and I was forced to go to a flat. Sounds like a marxist nightmare. But after my trip to mountains for 4 days and visit to Viking village I have changed my mind and noticed that it's really nice thing to have a flat. I mean, mostly for the stuff to be kept there in safety and also for the social life and easiness of making food etc. But still... Living with only the very basics for a longer period of time would be a good lesson... maybe in the future. I've started to get to know people from my small town of Voss and also from surroundings.
Interesting meetings: I met on the mountains a norwegian guy who said that he hoped that the living standard and money income in Norway would get lower. He mentioned being worried about the impact of all the money to the Norwegians.
Change in stereotypes: Norwegians aren't as big and tall as I imagined =P
1.7.2008 Lobby of my new workplace, Voss vandrarheim.
Okay, I admit my story about Oslo was quite short but I was there only for a short time. My impression of the city was that the people were quite open and ready to have a conversation with foreigners. The habitance was quite international and style was quite appreciated in the street picture. Style was quite scandinavian. The city is quite nice with it's monuments and gardens in the middle of the city making it an open place. The architecture was quite homogenous which was nice. The style of architecture was again scandinavian with it's decorated quite massive front faces each of which a bit different stony and natural colour.
What has happened in between Oslo and my writing here in Voss? I took train from Oslo towards Bergen. Voss is situated around 1,5 hours from Bergen on the way to Bergen. I was lucky since this train route is quite famous in Norway: the railway goes over a high plateau on the mountains which makes it the highest railroad in Norway. I was definitely surprised by the scenery. The train goes through small villages that look like Pieksänmäki (small vivid coloured wooden houses with a slight melancholic touch). When on the plateau a totally different view opens up. The railway runs through landscapes with steep cliffs covered with snow and melting water with powerful rivers running through them forming waterfalls here and there. The horizont is edged with the rather young mountains of Norway.
A picture from the lake in front of my hostel. The water is as cold as a water coming from the mountains can be.
It seems that sometimes the water just comes from the top of the mountain even though there is no snow on top of it. I've tried to ask how it's possible but I haven't yet had a satisfactory respond. eeeh???
The last week I've been working and learning intensively. It's a shame since there was Extremesportsveko 2008 that week. It's a quite famous gathering of all kinds of extreme sports and adrenaline addicts with tryout possibilities for newbies also. The week consists of more or less serious competitions, tryouts, spectators, shows and parties. bBase jumping, skydiving, paragliding, rafting, kayak, climbing, and mountainbiking are the main areas.
Bir air competition. They did the same with a helicopter in the gap.....
I met some cool people like Line (Nor), Lina (Nor) and Dan (Aus). With Dan we went to run on top of a mountain and ended up crossing one current by swimming and jumping from a bridge =).
Next week I'm planning of attending a rafting guide school..
21.6.2008 I'm writing from the lobby of my new workplace, Voss vandrarheim -hostel
Oslo was nice. After missing the plane by one day and paying 160€ extra... Way to go Joonas!
Kommentit