I traveled to Norway in 2018, before I visited NYC and Iceland. This article is only about Norway.
Oslo
My friend Daniela and I arrived to Oslo from Reikiavik. From several years ago, the idea of visiting Norway was a dream for me, I wanted to see the blend between beautiful landscapes and a “first world city”. When we just arrived, I had my first lesson: to lose my makeup bag. In the beginning I thought “I’m just arriving to this beautiful place and I will come out ugly in the pictures”. Also, I realized that I could feel pretty without it, I only bought a new lash mascara and that worked, maybe it sounds stupid but it’s important for me.
Getting to know Oslo, we saw emblematic places like Neseblod (the black metal museum), the Folk Museum where they have the amazing viking ships and a recreation of a norwegian village. The houses, buildings, and trees look like black metal.
The trip continued on my own, alone again for the next 13 days, getting to know a new country where every little thing was new for me, the people was so kind and all of them wore neutral color clothes. I loved the nordic interior design stores, thrift shops, the art galleries and contemporary art museums where I saw a Demian Hirst’s exhibition.
One thing that impressed me so much was the job schedules, almost the half of the latin-american schedule (or mexican at least), perhaps they know how to work smarter, not work harder. The schedules in the majority of the stores was 11 to 5, I think that they know that the time with family and friend is very important and we exist not only for working but also to L I V E.
In Oslo I made the time to sit down in the front of the gray sea and just be in calm, I always loved the idea of sitting in the border of the earth and the ocean, I took some beads and stones for me and took my time to listen and observe, this kind of peace is complicated to get in my city.
Those days I was looking for a music bar where I could find a metal band playing…and I found it! a place called “Vaterland” and I had lots of fun taking pictures of 3 rock bands and seeing how the viking people had fun. Musicians are my inspiration and I always looking for them in my trips only for my photograph practice.
In this city I tried one of the best treats in my entire life! I know that nordic places aren’t so distinguished by their food (in contrast with Italy or Mexico) but “Melkesjokolade” Freia’s brand (like the goddess) was the best chocolate for me. I don’t know how many bars I ate, strawberry, coconut, oreo, hazelnut, etc.
I always wanted a white pair of glasses and I found it in Oslo! in a thrift shop just for 30 NOK (maybe 2.5 usd) and it has my lens graduation!!
STAVANGER
I went to Stavanger for a reason: go to Preikestolen. I arrived so early in the morning from Oslo, I traveled all night long in train. My airbnb check-in was at 6 pm, while I was waiting I walked through the little streets in downtown, the houses were so beautiful. I found a nice thrift shop where I bought a “russian hat”, I lost a similar hat in a previous trip and I promised myself to buy another one, and I found it in Norway so cheap! 50 NOK (10 usd)
When I moved to my airbnb the rain started to pour, I took the bus and walked to my place but it was so complicated. I was worried about my hiking at Preikestolen because in my research, I read stories from people who hiked in a rainy and cloudy day and when they arrived to the top the landscape view was affected by the fog, and obviously I wanted to see the fjord completely clearly… but the day continued cloudy, windy, and rainy.
The forecast for next day predicted rain too, but up to 5 pm. It meant that if I’ll woke early I‘d get enough time to go! Next morning was a sunny day and I found out the best way to get to Preikestolen. I had to go to the pier where the ferry left to Tau Island, when I were to arrive to Tau I’d take a bus that gets me to the Preikestolen’s parking lot and there could start the hike…but I didn’t know where to buy the tickets! Fortunately when I arrived to the pier I saw a girl who sold the round trip tickets! What a synchronicity!
It was the first time that I got on a ferry on this trip, the buses and cars were also getting on the ferry. The sun started to come out among the gray and beautiful landscape. I arrived to Tau Island to wait for the bus. While I was waiting I heard a girl talking in Spanish (with accent from Spain)…long time without hearing my language.
On the way, I saw the most beautiful landscapes in my whole life, the sea, the charming houses, such a fantasy living near to the nordic sea.
I got to Preikestolen and I began to hike, my physical condition helped me a lot! I was surprised because I saw some people so older than me hiking too! it gave me encouragement, I kept going and going for 2 hours. As I climbed I saw small lagoons, the most pure blue color that I’ve ever seen.
Getting to the top was sooooooo exiting! tiredness worth it when you can see the fjord. I also saw a lot of people arriving too, but I found a place to stay just with me and landscape. I promised to myself when I reach the top I’ll listen the my favorite A-ha’s song ”Hunting high and low”, because this song means “Norway” for me. I lay down, put my backpack in my feet and I held my head over the edge, I held my glasses and enjoyed it! I couldn’t stop smiling, it was one of the most wonderful feelings of my life.
After a while and before getting down, someone speak to me: “Tu hablas español”, not as a question, as an affirmation! She was Rocio, from Quito Ecuador but she lives in Madrid for 20 years. We started to talk, we took pictures of each other and got down together to the parking, she was an amazing girl! When we got to Stavanger we went for a hot chocolate and we had a stroll. The next day we went to “Sverd I Fjell” or ”The swords” and it was amazing, I found a new friend faraway.
In my itinerary, my plan was to go from Stavanger to Bergen in train, which had a stop in Drammen to change for a train to Bergen, it would be a 13 hours trip. These last day from noon was so windy and rainy, I thought ”I’m at a first world country, what could go wrong?.” I got to the train station but the trip was delayed, we left an hour later, everything worked well until the train stopped. The driver told us that something had blocked the road and they had to cancel the trip, then we got back at the beginning in the train station. I was there, 2 am, alone in Norway, with all my baggage, sleepy, no friends and no idea about what to do.
I asked the driver how could I get to Bergen? He checked in his iPad some schedule and told me that at 7 am a bus would leave to Bergen! I felt lucky because the bus station was next to the train station. I bought the ticket after 6 tries, some food and I waited. Afterwards I sent an e-mail about refunding.
That moment was when all my knowledge and survival instinct helped me. I told my mom the news and told her not to worry about me. The trip would be for 5 hours and my idea was to sleep the whole trip…but it was impossible.
When the bus boarded a ferry I realized that I couldn’t sleep! the weather was rainy and so windy that the sea hit the ship so hard that I felt like I was on a viking adventure! Such a beautiful gray and cold landscape! The bus got on the ferry twice and by land three, there I saw the most beautiful landscapes of my life.
Bergen
I got to Bergen’s bus station so early, I was so tired after not sleeping for 24 hours. I was in a new city. I walked for 1 hour to my airbnb, I slept 3 hours and that day I only went to the supermarket for dinner and chocolates.
I spent my days in Bergen walking along the pier and enjoying to see the nice houses and buildings, I hiked up a small mountain to “Fløyen” through little waterfalls and black metal trees, at the top the view was amazing! I enjoyed it with a hot chocolate and after a while I went down on the funicular.
In my research about Norway, I found Pame Koselig, a Mexican youtuber who lives in Norway with her husband. Her videos helped to plan my trip and to feel familiar a little bit with the nordic place. I sent to her by mail some concert pictures of her favorites nordic bands who played in Monterrey (btw she studied in my city), it was my way to say thank you! Currently I keep in touch with her and I would like to get back to Norway to get to know each other.
When I was close to get back to Mexico, a storm was forecast and I’d had to take a bus at 6:07 am to take me to the train that would take me to the airport. I got to the airport on time but the storm didn’t stop, I watched in the screens that some flights were cancelled inside Norway, only left the flights to other countries and I had a stop in London Gatwick, I saw a flight to Faroe Islands, a place that I would like to visit someday.
My flights to got back were: Bergen / London / NYC / Mexico City / MTY. I arrived at Monterrey completely defeated after more than 30 hours of no sleep. I got sick for 3 days, it surprised me because my body knows when I have time to get sick, along my trip I had a perfect health and always was in alert when it was necessary.
In short, Norway is a viking’s tale fantasy country with a weather so nice and so unpredictable, with very kind people and with the most delicious chocolates that I’ve tried. I’m dreaming with getting back to the arctic in Lofoten, Tromsø and Ålesund to visit my friend Pame and her husband Runar.
Writing this, I valued all the things that traveling gives me, looking at my photos I remember each detail of everything I saw and it makes me so happy. We don’t need another pandemic to understand that traveling is the only thing that you can buy that makes you richer.
— LL (My trip was in October 2018)
