*AN ARCTIC ADVENTURE*
** TEN **
** GETTING SORTED OUT IN SORTLAND **
or
(It's Double Dutch!!)
After a good sleep I was awakened by the inevitable clanking of chains and the like. My
watch said that the time was 1.50 am and, on drawing the blinds aside, I recognised the
unmistakable Ice Cathedral of Tromso across the river. This wasn't the arrival ! This was
our departure !! We were undocking. The lights of Tromso, so unusual in Norway,
reminded me why it acquires its tag of " Paris of the North". The bridge that I had taken
so long finding and crossing on the Northerly leg of our journey, the Cathedral, the
atmosphere of the place - all brought back and rekindled, efficiently in a split second, the marvellous
memories of a few days ago. Unfortunately, I was asleep this time and could not relive these memories
physically - it would have to be a mental and emotional reliving in the short minutes ahead - we are
now on our way South.... Goodbye Tromso !!!
I left the curtains drawn and the venetian blinds angled as we pulled out. I lazily, but happily,
indulged in the beautiful sight of this lovely place as Tromso drifted silently away. I then had a little
nibble and a drink for the post-midnight sustenance. I could not help the emotional, romantic wave
for a fond farewell to this `Paris of the North'. Time for bed - so I got undressed this time and
acknowledged that it really was night-time. I then went to sleep again - this time on purpose!!
However, I awoke between 5.25 and 5.35 a.m. with absolutely NO view from my own port-hole, -
so dozed off again!!
!
On re-awakening at 7.30 (ish!), I washed, got dressed and went for a walk over the decks in
preparation for the arrival at Harstad. We arrived very late there ( I had obviously slept through
Finnsnes this time) but I spoke with a woman whose dog was taking her for a walk as a poop-
scooping assistant!. I later spoke with a guy in his late-20s (probably) who has lived here for twelve
months and he told me about the place. He's moving to Lillehammer with his job (even before the
Winter Olympics people move in!) - but he's really from Trondheim , and proud of it.
!
I walked around Harstad on a different route to that made on the first visit earlier - and all
this before breakfast. The views, pre-dawn, were stunning - but not enough light for photography. At
breakfast , I made conversation with one of a pair of ladies on the next table - they obviously weren't
English but we conversed in English. She said that she, like me, prefers these nice 'little' boats because
there was 'no atmosphere' on the larger ones.
!
When they were talking to each other (after the other one arrived back from 'the Ladies room')
their conversation was not intelligible to me - but , it was, nevertheless , interesting. It didn't appear
to be Norwegian !! The conversation of these two young ladies to each other included such English-
like phrases as "Lieken Shafting?" with the response "Bien shafted!" As I say , I don't know what that
language was or what it meant - but it sure sounded interesting!
!
Also, at breakfast, my waitress delivered the promised photo-disk to the table. After breakfast,
I then resumed photographic exploits in a minor way. I took mountains to the north of the channel in
which we were travelling (west from Harstad). I thanked members of the crew, - Roy, the steward and
the waitress for many different reasons - and inserted my next film. Also, Roy said that he'll ring the
club in Hammerfest about my replacement membership card. It was good of the crewman Karl to
introduce me to Roy earlier.
!
The island of Andoya, ahead, looks like a giant aircraft carrier with a low central section with
a fairly mountainous superstructure fore and aft. We don't head directly for it but perform a slight
curve leftwards in an obviously strictly delineated channel with markers for a Kilometre or so. Even
in the light , this is useful - crucial in the dark I should imagine! The actual navigable channel is quite
narrow. The bottom , and all its detail, are easily seen on either side of the Lofoten. One could
actually see the very shallow waters deepen as the underwater precipices opened up to reveal the
chasm which we must follow. I saw this feature more dramatically from the rear of the boat. My
friend, the Oslo-Geordie, said that it has to be continuously dredged to remain navigable.
I then arrived on the island of Andoya where we stopped at Risoyhamn at the south end of
this island. On walking to the nearby concrete bridge after a quick arrival photo at the jetty, I find
good spots for photos. One was for snowy mountain peaks (on our side of the water ) below the
bridge - whilst the other was a view of the pre-dawn sun reflecting off the fjord separating us from
the mainland. This bridge links the Andoya fishing stocks with the mainland markets.
My 'Oslo-Geordie' friend and I indulged in more conversations. His knowledge of boats and
shipping was wide, deep and interesting. Various markings on the hull were explained including the
important 18' line (very relevant in the context of the recent narrow channel!)
Although the sun, earlier, got to 6 to 7 degrees above the horizon, it still set at 11.20am. - as
it slowly descended behind the mountains. I had the suspicion that the photographs taken at midday
were underexposed! Was I right??
I had a longer chat with the lady that I spoke with this morning. We compared experiences.
She is here as part of her work! Nice work if you can get it, eh ? She works in Northern Holland and
is representing a Travel Company. She and her friend are looking for hotels and they eventually will
disembark at Bodo.
I had a little walk on my own at Risoyhamn - but only about 5-10 minutes. It was lonely
without my Dutch friends - but they were exploring the boat as part of their job!! Back on the boat,
I watched the scenery down to Sortland. There, I joined my two Dutch friends and went for a walk
heading from the harbour towards town. Noticing the time-of-day and also the indication, on leaving
the harbour, of the distance of the town, I planned to walk 7 minutes to town and 7 minutes back
leaving a small contingency before the boat's departure.
We chatted profusely and very friendly in English on the way to town. I looked anxiously at
my watch as the time hovered near 7 minutes, but the `girls' showed no concern for the time. At a
street market, they were engrossed in clothing and other items - and meanwhile, because of my worries
about the time ( I didn't comment to them on it!), I indicated my interest in another stall and then a
return to the boat.
!
Once I hit the road, somewhat behind plan, my legs moved like `greased lightning' -
accompanied by spasms of jogging and running to avoid missing the boat. I wondered whether the
girls had got some other unspoken plans for their stay, but, looking backwards whilst in walking-mode,
I saw NO signs of them at all.
!
At the first sign of the boat, it was still there - thank goodness! I realised that I was late,
compared with their planned departure time - and as I rounded a building on the harbour, I could see
the crew retracting the walk-way (gang-plank) back on board the boat. My heart-rate immediately
trebled from its already semi-panic rate - and I gesticulated and called to them. As I got near the boat,
its engines were just being throttled up in power for take-off. The friendly crew quickly arranged a
de-throttled stage and waved back. We were then communicating ship-to-shore vocally.
As I got up to the boat's carcass, they indicated that I could jump (In retrospect, they must
have been joking, as it's an inherently very dangerous, life-threatening action) but I was reticent and
they re-lowered the gang-plank! All the time, I was thanking them very profusely in an exhausted state
- saying that I'm not the only one left here - " there are two Dutch ladies in town!!" They passed
messages between each other, mainly in Norwegian, and the boat, with me on-board but the `girls' off-
board, took off slowly Southwards, hugging the coast of the island Langoy.
I still kept on looking over the roads to try and see my friends, the town or whatever!!
Eventually we slowed up at an unscheduled quay and there, thank goodness, I could see my friends
arriving in a fast car! As we got closer, they were still as jovial as ever, but half-hiding their faces
(still smiling) partly in embarrassment and partly in shame. "We feel so embarrassed and such fools"
was one of the comments they uttered as the boat slowed down. (So Dutch people, when
communicating with Norwegians, still use English - unless these two ladies wanted me to understand!!)
They got on safely and cheerfully! Even the crew was cheerful - but, there again, they always
were!! We welcomed them back on board and they explained to me and the crew what had happened.
They knew what time they had to return to the boat, but , unfortunately, their new watch was telling
the incorrect time. They had estimated about an hour for the stop, whereas my calculation had earlier
shown that 20 minutes was the correct planned stopping time. No wonder they showed no concern
when I WAS feeling concerned!
They didn't have any unspoken plans on the island - but had indeed been very concerned when
abandoned on a remote offshore Norwegian island with little money, no documentation, -- nothing!!
Later, they told me that if they hadn't re-joined the boat where they did, they would have hired a taxi
to the next scheduled quay at Stokmarkness. Things were happening so quickly really after so
leisurely a walk!
By the meal-time, they had clearly recovered and we chatted more about their feelings and
thoughts at adjacent tables. At Stokmarkness, (obviously not fully recovered) the girls decided (maybe
delayed shock?!) to stay on the boat. I bade them a brief farewell and walked to a nice little town (and
so did some other younger girls), which was receiving a bypass from the end of the shopping centre.
Was it here that I saw a cinema advertising its showing of JURASSIC PARK that week? I managed
to get a little bit of shopping from here before returning to the boat.
There, I continued the temporarily abandoned chat with Reitje and Pascale (Reitje offered the
name Maria as an easier alternative for an English tongue!) We did this in the lounge opposite the
restaurant. The girls went on an "official tour"of the bedrooms (just the job!) in their DUTY capacity,
so I sorted out my own things . Maria (her second name) promised to send me a photograph of the
Northern Lights (which she had taken) if I gave her my address. I made it out straight away on the
next return to my cabin!! Maria was "well pleased" when I gave it to her.
As the Lofoten headed out of the Trollfjord, half an hour short of Svolvaer, it HIT the -open
sea - because, there, the islands are quite a way from the coast of the mainland. I had managed to
adapt to the waves by then ( that's UNUSUAL!) but the two girls were "sitting it out" in the
foyer/lounge outside the restaurant. We chatted for a while before the increased choppiness of the sea
was clearly affecting their stomachs. They then went for a lay-down in their cabin as they wanted to
be fit in time for their research into hotels in Svolvaer.
I explored the craft whilst on its choppy way South. Part of the time, I relaxed in my cabin,
my home in this bobbing ping-pong ball. Eventually, the PA system said that we were just arriving,
half an hour ahead of schedule.We would thus arrive at 5.45pm and depart at 7.15 pm - the board near
the top of the gang-plank reminding us of this fact. I went out onto the quay to see the town whilst
the girls did their research and fact-finding in hotels. I left their company just on the edge of the quay.
My excursion was in two phases, with a return to the cabin for writing notes between them. On the
first phase, the girls headed off to a likely area - and I headed for the Centre of Svolvaer. On the
second excursion, I bought some post-cards - including some with Polar Bears, some with different
views of the Northern Lights.
Pascale told me that they had found two hotels. She is the `writer' for their job, - Reitje being
the photographer. I'm really looking forward to Reitje's photos later in the year - but apprehensive of
what can be achieved - the eye being far more sensitive than an ordinary camera with ordinary film
at low light-levels.
After the evening meal, I said a fond farewell to my new-found friends as they chose to return
to the beds in their cabin - the sea was becoming very `uncomfortable'!! I survived this worst ever sea-
crossing in my life - although not with the worst effects - because I'm getting used to this with my
newly found methods. My developed recipe and techniques for avoiding sea-sickness were put into
practice (see Annex C). Thus, I laid flat on my back and stayed in that position whatever the boat
did, closed my eyes and (something new now) had a sweet to suck within easy range ( because my
hand must find it easily without moving the body or its position).
By use of this technique, I survived this leg of the journey - although we still haven't done
the crossing to the mainland yet!! We arrived at Stamsund half an hour late - so we are de[parting
half an hour late (that makes a change!)
I can't find Pascale and 'Maria' ... but I guess that they are trying to recover . The Hurtigrute
left at 10pm and started a very rough crossing. I used the same technique for preventing sickness
whilst awake, together with putting sweets in my pockets NOW to minimise body movements for their
retrieval later.
I awoke and got dressed (at 2.10am) during the night for the special purpose of saying
farewell to my two Dutch friends. I met them near the gang-plank descent to Bodf and we all kissed
farewell and gave each other good wishes for the future. Once down the gang-plank, Rietje and
Pascale entered the waiting taxi and disappeared into the town. A lonely feeling overtook me with their
departure - so I returned to my cabin and got some more sleep. It is now Saturday, 13th November
and the last 24 hours have certainly been eventful!!
O o ------------------------------- o O
Hey! Come on folks!!
I think that you are attempting a FREE READ of
my book!!
Is it right for a struggling author to go without payment for
very much longer?
I, hopefully, request that you consider
making a purchase of "An Arctic
Adventure".
Unfortunately, my PUBLISHER, having been granted his VOLUNTARY LIQUIDATION,
has left over 1000 of us authors, attached to them - with a number of problems.
Your BEST option NOW, since I am the sole source of the remainder of the books, is to EMail me at the address
below as I have acquired the REMAINING quantity from my ex-publisher's replacement publisher for 'private selling'.
If you contact the "Dillons Group" website, you will see the
price of my book listed, with some details, at 9.50 pounds
sterling,
but if you EMail me perhaps we can talk about a LARGE personal discount
and our snail-mail addresses for conventional posting!
For UK residents, a Sterling cheque to my home address would
suffice - and I'll give my address on an individual request!! I've yet to
decide about handling foreign currencies. [Fortunately, one of the
Dutch Booksellers has a UK account and will pay me in Sterling!]
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This page is dated 26 June 2005.