Part 37: Buses and Boats: Take Me Away July 17-18, 2012

Bright and early Tuesday morning, S and I were off to the bus station to catch the bus to Stavanger.  I was a little shocked that our 5 hour bus ticket cost more than our 7 hour train ticket, but it made more sense later on that day.  We boarded the bus, which had Wi-Fi and settled in for our journey. 

I slept quite a bit on this bus ride, which I always feel guilty for.  When I travel I feel like I need to see everything that’s around me, not the inside of my eyelids.  Apparently, I even missed a 20 minute stop where S completely left the bus.  However, I still managed to see a lot of beautiful fjord land.  There were mountains and water and more mountains and then more water.  And then, we drove onto a ferry and were told by the bus driver to be back to the bus 5 minutes before we docked.

I’m sure the fjord we crossed was very beautiful.  However, it was foggy and rainy so I actually have no idea what it looked like.  Back on the bus.  More mountains and water and then… another ferry.  Once again, we needed to be back on the bus 5 minutes before we docked.  The weather had cleared a little, so this journey was more scenic, but we still couldn’t see much.  The two fairly long ferry rides made our expensive bus ticket make a little more sense. 

We arrived in Stavanger around 1:30 that afternoon and headed to the tourist information desk.  We needed a map and a grocery store.  We weren’t staying in Stavanger and we didn’t want to have to eat at the only (expensive) restaurant near our hostel for the next 2 days so we stocked up on supplies before heading to the docks.

Ferry ride #3 of the day was the most scenic.  Most of the clouds had moved off and the sun was sort of shining.  There were islands and mountains all around and very blue water.  We docked in the village of Tau and caught yet another bus up to Preikestolen Mountain Lodge and Hostel.  Our hostel was in a small wooden building with a grass covered roof that was cute as could be and had a great view of a lake. 

I wanted hike to Kjeragbolten, which was nearby, however there is apparently no good public transit between our hostel and the ferry to the trailhead so I had to let go of that dream after talking with the hotel receptionist about it.  That evening I took some pictures around the lake and S and I talked to our roommate from Finland. 

The next day, we set out for Preikestolen, or Pulpit Rock.  The rock formation was formed by a glacier and sits 1,982 feet above Lysefjorden.  We stayed right by the trail head so it was only a 2.4 mile hike but most of it was up, so it still takes 3-4 hours roundtrip.  Also, Norway’s traditional trail style is to dump a bunch of boulders on the ground.  While they do keep your feet out of the mud, they make for tricky climbing, especially on the way down. 

The hike up was gorgeous (see picture collage above).  We left early enough that the trail was not very busy and we made good time.  We hiked up boulder covered stream, across a green, wet valley, and past several mountain lakes that you can apparently swim in but I didn’t think it was nearly warm enough for that.  We finally reached the top and it was a sight. 

First of all, you’re really, really high.  I don’t particularly care for heights, but I don’t mind being high up on a mountain so I was ok.  You’re also overlooking Lysefjord and it is beautiful.  I even found a little boulder wedged into a crack between two cliffs to stand on as a joking replacement for missing Kjeragbolten.  We then took pictures of each of us on the edge of Preikestolen, climbed up above for the view down and after eating some bananas headed back down. 

I always find down to be much harder than up when hiking.  It’s the only time my knees complain (I’ve been lucky in that regard) and I inevitably trip or fall at least once.  However, when I did almost fall on the boulder covered stream going down, I was caught by a guy going up that had really quick reflexes.  My hero, swoon.  Haha.  I managed to make it without incurring any serious injury and when we were close to being back down, we decided to take another trail on a whim to see where it led. 

This trail led through the woods up a mountain.  When you come out you’re at a place that overlooks Stavanger Fjord, which is huge and blue and beautiful.  We were also at a place that has a really great echo if you yell.  Luckily the family that was there just ahead of it demonstrated it very well so I didn’t have to yell myself.  More pictures and then we headed back down. 

By the time we were at back to the original trail, my ankles were done.  I had to work really hard not to roll them over.  At the bottom, I took a picture with the Preikestolen sign and while S went to hike around the lake, I took a shower and rested my feet.  Later that evening I ate a chocolate bar before going to sleep.  It cost about $4, but it was worth it.

The next day, we were taking the ferry back to Stavanger.  However, this was my favorite part of the trip.