Late, as usual, we half jogged to the train station only to find it didn't leave till half hour past what we thought. We got great seats though, right next to the window. When the train pulled out of the city I knew today would be a much better day than yesterday. It was beautiful! But we could only see glimpses at a time. Like a teaser to a movie. Every time we caught a glimpse, a moment later the train would go through a loud, and dark, tunnel. I guess its a lot better to go through the mountain than up and over it :) So... I fell asleep.
I woke up as my dad told us to hurry onto the bus to get a good seat. I, being the good daughter I am, listened and followed instructions. I got a window seat and was happy to stare out the window for the next hour. We saw two rather large waterfalls as we went down some pretty scary switchbacks on a giant bus.
Next was the Boat!
I sat there thinking to myself, "Its at times like this I wish I were more poetic, so I could captivate even a small portion of the mesmerizing view with words." So here is the best I can do. The hills and mountains were a vivid shade of green. The mountains not overbearing but with definite presence. Waterfalls trickling out of hundreds of nooks and crannies in the sides. Some were smaller and looked like silk strings falling in between the trees. Others were larger and looked like someone blew up the side of the mountain and found they hit the water line. Others were so high up, the mountain so steep and the wind so strong that the waterfall looked like it never hit the ground and just got swept back into the air.
We sat in the back of the boat and watched the seagulls do their own version of surfing on our boats "air" wake. The scene trailing behind, a zig-zagged river that disappeared in between the two mountains.
Up in the mountains there were these villages that made you wonder how they built a house that high. How they got supplies up there? My mom read a pamphlet that said they need to lower a ladder to let people up, when the tax man came to collect, they simply wouldn't lower the ladder :)
We also observed how we try to find big flat areas of land to farm, and they were out farming on the side of the mountain. Lush green fields of farmed land. The side of the mountain was so steep, we were amazed their tractors didn't fall over.
As you can see, it was beautiful! The last waterfall pictured had a Norwegian Dancer come out and do a little show next to the waterfall. They actually stop the old train so you can get out and take a picture with it. The day was great. The only downfall is that the trains aren't labeled super well, and after being kicked outsets four times, we tried to find the ones we were reserved for. Dad almost picked a fight with the lady sitting in our seats but we finally got sat and everything ended up okay.
The day, over all, made me appreciate my roots.
That's me with a troll and my "nisse" hat ;)
- Me (Elisha)
Location:Bergen, Flam, Myrdal Norway
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