Norway Post 7

I slept in a covered gasoline pungent motor boat. Wind and rain jostled the boat about through the gray light night and jerked the boat at its mooring. I woke repeatedly, scared that the boat's owner was looking in at me through windows and wanted me out. I did not get the best night's sleep. But besides my night light induced paranoia and the fumes, I was comfortable and dry.

Day 5

The morning started off with similar stomach problems to the previous day. And like the previous day I bolted out of my sleeping bag barely managing to aim my but over the side of the dock on time.

Unlike anywhere I'd been since Alesund, there was a market in Hundeid-vika. I walked for about ten minutes, stopped to poop in the thick woods on the side of the road, then walked for another ten minutes and was there. The market wouldn't open until 10:00 and it was 9:34. I meandered around town looking for an unprotected wireless signal.  Amazingly, I found one. There are fewer of them than there used to be. As far as I know, Hundeidvik is not large enough to have a cafe, library, or some other public point of access.

I bought tasty Norweigan bread with lots of seeds on it, cream cheese, and pickled jalapenos. My pea free breakfast was wonderful.

I launched at 12:30 with a spectacular tail wind* that blew me out of the Fjord in no time, then became a headwind and eventually died down altogether.

Continuing east, I crossed the mouth of a smaller fjord. At the far end of the crossing was a ferry dock taking people north across the main fjord's channel. International maritime law gives human powered vessels the right of way over more nimble motorized vessels like ferries.

I passed in front of the ferry. I gave him plenty of room and plenty of time, and if he did need to slow down or stop for me then it was at the entrance to his dock where he needed to slow down and stop anyways. But I don't think he needed too, the sea was big enough for both of us to get where we needed to go at our own pace.

Somebody said something in Norwegian on the radio that might have been addresses to a yellow boat, the color of mine. I don't speak Norwegian. The message was repeated a couple of times before the broadcaster gave up.

I decided I could use a short day since I wanted to take it a little easy the first week. At around 16:00 I found a suitable beach near a sufficiently small stream; I pulled over and set up camp.

With the help of Dr. Bronner's and my sponge I washed myself in the tiny stream and had some peas and rice for dinner. The peas do not agree with me. Since they don't sell dried lentils or American peas in non specialty stores here I'm hoping my body will adapt. In the meantime, tough shit.

The sun came out this afternoon and it's shaping up to be a really warm day. Perhaps I'll be able to work on my tan while I sleep tonight. My camp lacks nothing except for a flat spot to lie down, but I'll make do.

*Not related to the peas.