Midnight Light
As I didn't sleep that night, the two days (01/08 and 02/08) are both in this story.
Nordkapp – Honningsvåg ~ 30 (?) km
Inari – Ukonjärvi ~ 30 km
and some additional km by foot
The night ended like it started: Fog, clouds and cold feet... So today no possibility to see the solar eclipse... what a pity as well.
The next fixpoints of our journey were 1 am tonight my bus from Northcape back to Finnland, and the ferry at 6.15 am for Mathieu. So we had plenty of time. For not freezing and for meeting more intensive the Fauna of Magerøya, we started to walk in direction of the real northcape, that is even some decimals of a degree more northern than the wellknown, impressive rock at the touristic north cape.
Beautiful, as I just mentioned in one of my „greetings home while traveling“. We were walking around for some hours (4? 5? 6? I don't remember, time wasn't important). Finally we were not at the real northcape, but from our place we could see both, we had a beautiful view of ... the nothing... Perfect to sit and think about ... nothing...
It's the northernmost place I've ever been, and I guess it will last at least for a very, very long time... ;o)
Back at the tent we had lunch (5 pm...) and today I really managed to cook something. Somehow one gets used to this cold. I obviously should have prepared my trip a little better, just for knowing about temperatures. Would I have done this if I knew it would be cold like that? Thinking... Yes, I just would have bought some more indicated equipment.
Afterwards we made our cycles ready for takeoff for going to Honningsvåg. Maybe we could find out about the bus. I couldn't get onto it on northcape, because I never have been over there. For this time the wind came from the back, and it was easier to go uphill. Some won't believe, but you REALLY can notice a difference.
The biggest problem for me was getting some information. Do I have to pay in norwegian crouns? How much do I have to withdraw from the automatic cash dispenser? As I'm going back to Finnland I don't have any need for more crouns. Is it possible to pay with creditcard? Where does the bus leave? When does the bus leave at Honningsvåg? And still no answers. In a bar there would have been the possibility to use internet. An expensive possibility... But luckily an australian guy had the time table exactly for the routes I needed. Thank you! The bus is going to arrive at 1.30 am at Honningsvåg. And is going to leave at 5.10. ok. I didn't expect that, however, Mathieu and I had the same fate: passing the night.
At the beginning of the trip I wrote on my blog, that at northcape I have to stay awake all the night long, just for seeing how it is, with no sunset and no sunrise. Best possibility was today ;o) Just, it was a little cold, so we sat down in the bar, had some maps for talking about nice places in Finnland, where I could go. Time passed, at 1.30 I went to the bus, just for getting some information. The only information I got from the bus driver was, that he cannot speak english. Fine. He didn't even understand the word „Credit Card“. (Even if in finnish it's kredit kortti). However, one of the passengers told me, that he paid with credit card as well. (just one sentence, my answer: „where are you from?“ „from Austria“ That's what I suspected...) I just gave him my Credit Card, and said something like: „Inari – yksi polkupyörä“ It was good training on my bike counting from one to onehundred in finnish, when I was bored... So finally I managed to get my ticket. Happily that I had one problem less I got back in the bar. some times later we had the next problem: Bar is closing, we had to go out. Sh-sh-shivering cold. Finally we stopped at a bus shelter, because there was absolutley no possibility to stay somewhere else. Hungry as (at least) I was, we had a „midnight“ snack in the strange light of a night, that doesn't seem to be one. for not freezing to much we sat on my Isomat, covered with my Sleepingbag, and just waited for the morning, talking about this and that.
And finally morning came...
I got onto the bus, leaving Mathieu alone in the cold and grey Honningsvåg morning.
In the bus I re-met David, the austrian guy. We were talking about what we were doing here at the northcape, where to go back. He lives at Helsinki for the moment, and prepared a sheet for me: „Helsinke Essentials“ Where to stay, shop, go out, what to look at. Then I HAD to look out of the window... The Tunnel... by car now. it seemed to be much more steeper than going by bike. it seemed also to be much more longer than by bike. The signs each kilometer seemed not and not to arrive, while traveling by bike I didn't await them like now.
David and I were talking for some time. I remember I fell asleep somewhere between where we had lunch two days ago and Olderfjord, and woke up at Lakselv at about 8 am. The bus driver told us, that we would have a break for about 40 minutes, but everything (shops, café's) is closed, because „it is saturday“, as he told us. I couldn't sleep any more afterwards. As I had a backpack filled up with food, and David didn't find anything at the shops (...) we had „breakfast“ in the bus.
The bus arrived at Inari right at midday. I got on my bike for going along lake Inari, some kilometers later I had lunch at the lake. Just sitting there, thinking about what I could do the next days (I didn't have ANY plans for the time after the solar eclipse), thinking about what had happened to me during my trip, thinking about what had changed... Two days ago I said, that I missed the tranquil moments on my trips, just for sitting at the lake site and look at the lake. Now I was sitting there for about one hour before going on.
But sitting on my bike again I realized, that I REALLY was tired. I had trouble to keep my eyes open... so I decided to go to the next camping at Ukonjärvi. So after a distance of only 30 km today my trip finished at a small campsite. My first question at the reception was: „Is there any possibility to wash my clothes?“ How luxury that would be, having all my clothes washed after that trip I did to the northcape. As the answer was „yes“ i decided to stay here. I put up my tent and came back for taking some token for the washing machine. The man of the camping took some token in his hand, put to a pile a few token, while talking to me: „So for washing your clothes“ - two more token - „you have to pay 8 Euro“ - and even more token - „and if you want to dry your clothes as well“ - adding some more token to the pile - „it depends on how much you have to dry“. „Only few, look, I'm here by bike...“ „So then 4 Euro should be enough“ And two more token. I guess I was quite pale... „Äh... I think I'm going to look if I can find some dry clothes for today...“
They wanted me to pay 12 (!) Euro for washing and drying my clothes... What a luxure that WOULD HAVE BEEN washing all my clothes after my trip to the northcape...
But the camping was very antipatic at all: it was a two-class-camping: there were two diffrent kinds of toilet&shower: One (I guess more luxury one) for those who lived in a mökki, and one for us, who lived in the tent... :o(
So I got to bed at about 3 pm. At 6 I woke up, turned around, and slept on. At 9 pm I woke up. And got up... I was hungry! So I went to the kitchen, emptied my backpack, made a good hot soup for 4 persons, and while eating like in trance, a polish guy came in and asked me if he could use just a little piece of the kitchen table for his computer... As usual I spread all my things on the whole table. We started to talk a little, and he was quite amazed of my trip, as nearly everyone was. (I hope you enjoy reading this blog! Sorry, I even didn't ask you for your name...) After having some more tea it was quite late, but I wasn't tired at all. so I had shower at I guess 1 am. And then bed again...
Click: Our tentplace on the northcape
Click: Nature was sparse, but I liked the lakes so much
Click: Once more
Click: It was REAL snow... what else...?
Click: That's the true northcape
Click: Somewhere before Ukonjärvi
Click: I love those combination of water, trees and rocks
Nordkapp – Honningsvåg ~ 30 (?) km
Inari – Ukonjärvi ~ 30 km
and some additional km by foot
The night ended like it started: Fog, clouds and cold feet... So today no possibility to see the solar eclipse... what a pity as well.
The next fixpoints of our journey were 1 am tonight my bus from Northcape back to Finnland, and the ferry at 6.15 am for Mathieu. So we had plenty of time. For not freezing and for meeting more intensive the Fauna of Magerøya, we started to walk in direction of the real northcape, that is even some decimals of a degree more northern than the wellknown, impressive rock at the touristic north cape.
Beautiful, as I just mentioned in one of my „greetings home while traveling“. We were walking around for some hours (4? 5? 6? I don't remember, time wasn't important). Finally we were not at the real northcape, but from our place we could see both, we had a beautiful view of ... the nothing... Perfect to sit and think about ... nothing...
It's the northernmost place I've ever been, and I guess it will last at least for a very, very long time... ;o)
Back at the tent we had lunch (5 pm...) and today I really managed to cook something. Somehow one gets used to this cold. I obviously should have prepared my trip a little better, just for knowing about temperatures. Would I have done this if I knew it would be cold like that? Thinking... Yes, I just would have bought some more indicated equipment.
Afterwards we made our cycles ready for takeoff for going to Honningsvåg. Maybe we could find out about the bus. I couldn't get onto it on northcape, because I never have been over there. For this time the wind came from the back, and it was easier to go uphill. Some won't believe, but you REALLY can notice a difference.
The biggest problem for me was getting some information. Do I have to pay in norwegian crouns? How much do I have to withdraw from the automatic cash dispenser? As I'm going back to Finnland I don't have any need for more crouns. Is it possible to pay with creditcard? Where does the bus leave? When does the bus leave at Honningsvåg? And still no answers. In a bar there would have been the possibility to use internet. An expensive possibility... But luckily an australian guy had the time table exactly for the routes I needed. Thank you! The bus is going to arrive at 1.30 am at Honningsvåg. And is going to leave at 5.10. ok. I didn't expect that, however, Mathieu and I had the same fate: passing the night.
At the beginning of the trip I wrote on my blog, that at northcape I have to stay awake all the night long, just for seeing how it is, with no sunset and no sunrise. Best possibility was today ;o) Just, it was a little cold, so we sat down in the bar, had some maps for talking about nice places in Finnland, where I could go. Time passed, at 1.30 I went to the bus, just for getting some information. The only information I got from the bus driver was, that he cannot speak english. Fine. He didn't even understand the word „Credit Card“. (Even if in finnish it's kredit kortti). However, one of the passengers told me, that he paid with credit card as well. (just one sentence, my answer: „where are you from?“ „from Austria“ That's what I suspected...) I just gave him my Credit Card, and said something like: „Inari – yksi polkupyörä“ It was good training on my bike counting from one to onehundred in finnish, when I was bored... So finally I managed to get my ticket. Happily that I had one problem less I got back in the bar. some times later we had the next problem: Bar is closing, we had to go out. Sh-sh-shivering cold. Finally we stopped at a bus shelter, because there was absolutley no possibility to stay somewhere else. Hungry as (at least) I was, we had a „midnight“ snack in the strange light of a night, that doesn't seem to be one. for not freezing to much we sat on my Isomat, covered with my Sleepingbag, and just waited for the morning, talking about this and that.
And finally morning came...
I got onto the bus, leaving Mathieu alone in the cold and grey Honningsvåg morning.
In the bus I re-met David, the austrian guy. We were talking about what we were doing here at the northcape, where to go back. He lives at Helsinki for the moment, and prepared a sheet for me: „Helsinke Essentials“ Where to stay, shop, go out, what to look at. Then I HAD to look out of the window... The Tunnel... by car now. it seemed to be much more steeper than going by bike. it seemed also to be much more longer than by bike. The signs each kilometer seemed not and not to arrive, while traveling by bike I didn't await them like now.
David and I were talking for some time. I remember I fell asleep somewhere between where we had lunch two days ago and Olderfjord, and woke up at Lakselv at about 8 am. The bus driver told us, that we would have a break for about 40 minutes, but everything (shops, café's) is closed, because „it is saturday“, as he told us. I couldn't sleep any more afterwards. As I had a backpack filled up with food, and David didn't find anything at the shops (...) we had „breakfast“ in the bus.
The bus arrived at Inari right at midday. I got on my bike for going along lake Inari, some kilometers later I had lunch at the lake. Just sitting there, thinking about what I could do the next days (I didn't have ANY plans for the time after the solar eclipse), thinking about what had happened to me during my trip, thinking about what had changed... Two days ago I said, that I missed the tranquil moments on my trips, just for sitting at the lake site and look at the lake. Now I was sitting there for about one hour before going on.
But sitting on my bike again I realized, that I REALLY was tired. I had trouble to keep my eyes open... so I decided to go to the next camping at Ukonjärvi. So after a distance of only 30 km today my trip finished at a small campsite. My first question at the reception was: „Is there any possibility to wash my clothes?“ How luxury that would be, having all my clothes washed after that trip I did to the northcape. As the answer was „yes“ i decided to stay here. I put up my tent and came back for taking some token for the washing machine. The man of the camping took some token in his hand, put to a pile a few token, while talking to me: „So for washing your clothes“ - two more token - „you have to pay 8 Euro“ - and even more token - „and if you want to dry your clothes as well“ - adding some more token to the pile - „it depends on how much you have to dry“. „Only few, look, I'm here by bike...“ „So then 4 Euro should be enough“ And two more token. I guess I was quite pale... „Äh... I think I'm going to look if I can find some dry clothes for today...“
They wanted me to pay 12 (!) Euro for washing and drying my clothes... What a luxure that WOULD HAVE BEEN washing all my clothes after my trip to the northcape...
But the camping was very antipatic at all: it was a two-class-camping: there were two diffrent kinds of toilet&shower: One (I guess more luxury one) for those who lived in a mökki, and one for us, who lived in the tent... :o(
So I got to bed at about 3 pm. At 6 I woke up, turned around, and slept on. At 9 pm I woke up. And got up... I was hungry! So I went to the kitchen, emptied my backpack, made a good hot soup for 4 persons, and while eating like in trance, a polish guy came in and asked me if he could use just a little piece of the kitchen table for his computer... As usual I spread all my things on the whole table. We started to talk a little, and he was quite amazed of my trip, as nearly everyone was. (I hope you enjoy reading this blog! Sorry, I even didn't ask you for your name...) After having some more tea it was quite late, but I wasn't tired at all. so I had shower at I guess 1 am. And then bed again...
Click: Our tentplace on the northcape
Click: Nature was sparse, but I liked the lakes so much
Click: Once more
Click: It was REAL snow... what else...?
Click: That's the true northcape
Click: Somewhere before Ukonjärvi
Click: I love those combination of water, trees and rocks
koerndl - 2. Aug, 00:00
