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Published: April 3rd 2015
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Picking up where I left off, my shuttle ride to the airport consisted of sleep, and more sleep. This time I got to see the building in the morning light, and it's some pretty cool architecture. I checked in on my phone on the bus (loving the free wifi on like all modes of transportation, it's dope!) so I was able to skip the self checkin madness inside the main entrance. After I dropped my bag I headed to duty free and bought some Icelandic chocolate with my remaining Kronas (except for enough for another chocolate bar on my way home, don't worry, I didn't forget about you mum 😉). An easy wait and I was on the plane to Bergen, my first stop in Norway.
I grabbed the flybussen airport express and the driver said he'd take me right to the hostel. Now in any other circumstance I would expect him to drive the bus to the hostel, but no, what happened next was Norwegian hospitality at its finest, and I had only been in the country a mere thirty minutes! We pull over to what I assume is a stop along the route to the city centre, and
What?
Try and pronounce that! he comes and finds me and says "Bergen Montana? Come with me!" So I grab my bag and follow him out of the bus to fetch my other, bigger bag. Turns out, his shift is over and another driver is on the sidewalk ready to take over. The original driver points to a Mitsubishi iMiEV (the all electric car I JUST did a project on back in Canada, and says put your bag in the back. He personally drives me in his car to the front door of the hostel, all along the way telling me about the city, the country, and of course, answering my questions about the car and the infrastructure for electric vehicles in Norway. What a legend, I love this country already!
I get to the hostel, check in, wash up and head down the steep steep mountain to the city centre where I stroll around getting my bearings (is that how you spell that, I know not). Pretty awesome looking city! (Unfortunately only pictures of funny signs on my phone to show you, lol). Eventually I'm walking by a park and the single coolest thing happens again!
This guy is sitting on the
Tesla!
1 of 3 that I saw yesterday! park bench watching his wife and children play around and he sees me...
This is how the conversation goes:
Seeing my hat he inquires:
"Hey, are you from Canada?"
"Yes I am."
"Oh nice, me too!"
"Really? That's awesome... Are you here with your family?" (I ask gesturing towards the kids and woman)
"Ya, I live here actually. Whereabouts in Canada are you from?"
"Near Toronto."
"Me too."
"Peterborough actually, if you know where that is."
"Me too."
"You're kidding me right?!"
"No, no, was born in Peterborough and grew up in Tweed."
*he says this all very casually, meanwhile I'm losing my mind inside*
So Ya, another guy from Peterborough in Bergen... The true definition of a small world right there!
According to my health app, 20,000 steps and 15km later I'm back at the hostel for a nap before dinner. I wake up to another guy unpacking in my room and what do you know, he's wearing the exact same hat as me! Shawn from Calgary, he is, and we go downstairs to meet some other people he had been talking to earlier!
Christies Gate
Kyle, this one's for you! After not long, we have a solid friend group, talking about everything and anything, consisting of Timo from Germany who is on a walking trip from his job at a hostel in Spain, "John" from Russia, Kiera from Russia, who is a volunteer at this hostel but a super cool girl in general, and then 2 guys and a girl going to physiotherapy school at Aberdeen University in Scotland, originally from California, Florida and Ajax! One thing leads to another and we're all going on a fjord cruise together tomorrow, and possibly all traveling to Oslo together as well!
Bed time ensues as an early morning, with included breakfast ?, is in the future.
- NB
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