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Sea Kayaking
The sea kayaking was the day after the glacier hike on a different fjord northeast of Bergen, a branch of the Sognefjord known as Naeroyfjord. This is probably one of the most visited because it is on the route between Oslo & Bergen. I took the train to Voss and met the guide and the rest of the group there - about 10 of us in all, a Swedish couple, a Norwegian couple, a couple from Pennsylvania, 3 guys from California and me. We had a 1-hour drive through the countryside to get to the hut where the boats and gear was kept, during which the guide gave us a bit of random facts about the area (e.g. the farm on your right is where they make the best boiled sheep's head, a regional delicacy!).
I opted for a double kayak because I was willing to do the work but didn't want to do all of it. Kevin from California joins me and we set off on the trip with the others (a mix of doubles & singles) down the fjord. It was a very peaceful way to see the fjord and, like all the other days in Norway thus far, not a cloud in the sky! We stopped along the way to look at waterfalls and viking burial mounds (well we paddled by that one but it was pointed out to us) and then stopped for lunch on a beach. By that point it was just so warm from the weather and the exercise that all of us jumped into the 11 degree C / 48-50 ish degree F (?) water for a swim. It was cold but not THAT cold and quite refreshing really. Shame about the sandflies that were ferocious as they spoiled an otherwise restful picnic on the beach with a beautiful view.
After lunch we paddled back, spotting a few sea lions along the way (just popping their heads up, much to the disbelief of my fellow paddler who thought I was seeing things. I wasn't.). Kevin decided to give up on the paddling by then and whined most of the way back to the finish - I had to provide incentives for him like "paddling 100 strokes then we can rest" and also questioned his manhood (which didn't seem to work). So my arms & upper back were a bit stiff the next day!
Waiting for the train in Voss we all had a beer in the nearby cafe (KR 75 = $15...refer section on How F**king Expensive is Norway!) and then I crashed after 2 long days of exercise & fresh air.
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