Hello Steemit Community,
my name is Daniel and I am studying in Trondheim (Norway) as an exchange student.
This will be my first steemit post after my norwegian friend @oyvindsabo kinda of exerted pressure on me with statements like this "If you write your first post I will publish more as well".
I want to tell you about my first travel with the Hurtigruten which are a "Norwegian cruise, ferry and cargo operator"(source: wikipedia). The trip with the Hurtigruten has been described as the "World's Most Beautiful Sea Voyage".
My original plan was to take the southbound ship but after checking the weather forecast I decided quite spontaneously to take the northbound ship instead. After some hectic packing I arrived at the harbour in Trondheim 15 minutes before departure. Luckily, I caught one of the newest ships of the Hurtigruten which means that there will be two whirlpools on the upper deck. The weather on this day was more like you would expect in the Carribean or Mediterranean Sea. It was almost 30 degrees and sunny.
At this picture we can see a typical Hurtigruten traveller. Maybe around 70 % of the passengers are pensioners.
After 5 hours of observing the beautiful Norwegian coast line and sunbathing, I finally decided to go into one of the whirlpools. It would not be a cooling with a water temperature around 38 degrees but as the seawind became stronger it was quite nice. So the remaining 2 hours I enjoyed the time in the whirlpool.
Then I had to prepare myself to leave the ship. I was a bit sad because I already started to make friends on the ship (not only old ones of course :)).
My goal was a small fishing village called Rørvik with only 3,700 inhabitans lying on the island commune Vikna. Vikna consists of 6000 islets and reefs, so I just thought "You will easily find a place to sleep there".
Ah, I forgot to mention that I was travelling with my bike and a big backpack. So my plan was to sleep in a tent at a nice place somewhere outside the village. Most of you non-norwegian maybe did not know that Norway is the perfect country when you want to go on a tent tour. It is almost allowed to tent everywhere outside in the beautiful nature.
The fishing village Rørvik
After cycling about 10-15 km, I found a really nice to sleep. The temperature was still little over 20 degrees around 11 PM which made me think "Why should I need my tent. This is a great opportunity to sleep under the open sky for the first time in my life".
My sleeping place close to the sea
The first 2 hours were quite ok. Nevertheless it was quite hard to fall asleep because it wasnt cozy and soft like my own bed. Also a mosquito visited me from time to time.
After I felt half-asleep I suddenly noticed some bitings around my face. I woke up directly and determined that there is no wind anymore. The wind was gone but therefor dozen of mosquito and very small biting flies (which crawl in your ears and nose) besieged me. It was awful.
So I panically build up the inner part of the tent which protects you from these little small bastards. Luckily, it wasnt 100 % dark in the night, so I only needed about 3 minutes.
Then I continued my half-sleep for two or three hours. Around 5 AM I was awake again. After looking outside my tent I saw the next disaster coming towards me. Dark clouds and the humming noise of a thunderstorm (never trust the weather forecast).
So I fled outside my not rainproofed tent looking for a dry shelter. Luckily, there was some building on a pier only about 200 meters away.
I was very tired and cold and spent the next hours under some door of some building which was rainproofed.
As the pier looked quite interesting as a fishing spot, I decided to try some fishing. This was a really good idea and I caught four makrells.
One nice makrell
After waiting for better weather which was also predicted, I packed all my stuff and left the place. My aim was to cycle more around the island, waiting for sunshine and to find another good fishing spot.
Finally, I found probably the best fishing spot from shore where I have ever been. Without any expectations I got 3 big fish after spending 5 times at this place. Of course I wasnt fishing all the 5 hours, I made some sunbathing, sleeping and eating breaks between.
A really nice pollack
My fishing spot
My last minute codfish-caught before I had to leave the place :)
After filleting all the fish, it was time to cycle back to Rørvik since the southbound Hurtigruten ship left back to Trondheim around 9 PM.
Back at Rørvik, I bought something to drink and eat in the supermarket. So I was waiting at the harbour for the ship.
The return trip back to Trondheim was overnight. The guy on the reception was supercool and really friendly, so I could cool my 4 kilogram fishfilet in some fridge overnight.
I hadnt booked a cabin because it would have been to expensive for the average student. So I tried to sleep somewhere on the ship.
Back in Trondheim at 6:30 AM
Finally, it was a great Hurtigruten experience and a really exciting tent-bike-fishing trip. I will defintely travel with the Hurtigruten again. At the latest when I am pensioner as well! :)
But I was also happy to be back in Trondheim since I was really tired and hungry. A cozy bed is worth a lot...
I hope you all like my first post. I am glad for some upvotes :)