Well then! I got back home a little while ago and thought I would write a little summery
It's taken a while to finish it because I've been bit of a 9 til' 5 robot lately- covering for the boss at work- got to save up for another trip!
So I arrived in Norway, got off the plane and sat in arrivals and repacked as well as sort my hand luggage out which was full of loose porridge oats after the box broke! I then just thought... which ways up, which ways down, where am I, how on earth do I go about hitching and feeling a bit out of my depth! But I got a bus to just out of the airport to a petrol station where I bought the Rodsprit... and also had a lesson in how to say it, that was funny with all the customers helping me as well!
Basically, hitch hiking is a fantastic way to travel and great fun. I got stuck twice, first was when I started because I didn't really know where to stand or what to do, but as soon as I was in the right place and wrote a sign I got a hitch within 2mins! The second time was on my way back to the airport when a lorry driver dropped me in a small place where no one was going my way/had never seen a hitch hiker so didn't want me! After a few hours though, two very attractive blond Norwegian girls picked me up and drove me right to the airport door!
When I arrived at my friends, after hitching from Oslo Torp to Evje in less than a day! I met his farther who was planning on driving up north a little and exploring in a land rover. So I tagged along with him and his son for the first week of my trip. This was great because I got to learn a few things from him (he just happened to be bushcrafty too!) and also got to see the more touristy places as well as get a general idea of what Norway is like. I tried some limpets when we were by the coast, they're like bits of wet rubber when raw- I just scoped them out and ate them, not all that good so I lightly fried some and then they're actually not bad at all. Added a drop of tobassco sauce onto each one and they're even better!
I then hung around my friends for a bit less than a week, where I went and explored the surrounding mountains, need much longer there though! A couple of days after arriving at his he had a house warming party- you get very drunk, very quickly in a sauna! (Not quite living it rough partying in a sauna I know!). I went for two climbing sessions while I was there the first was a fun trad route on rock that had never been climbed before- we just made the route up as we went- very exciting! For the second session we went sport climbing at a crag called Udviki and I think one of the routes there classes as the best route I have ever climbed! Such amazing climbing and a good quality of routes in general, lots slopers but good friction on the granite, great fun! I don't think there is that many climbers on bushcraftuk so excuse me for how excited I get over pieces of rock!
When my friends farther (who I went round in the land rover with) left, he very kindly did a fantastic BBQ for us on a small beach. He bought some reindeer and elk, which both tasted absolutely awesome. I tried drinking some of the reindeers blood- not so good though!
A few days before the end of my trip I hitched south to Kristiansand to meet up with Jontok! I slept near the airport with a wicked view of the water and the sunset, then met up in the morning. We went fishing and caught a few trout (my first ones!)- tasted really good! Am very grateful for your generosity and thanks for the fishing lesson!, cheers Jon!
What I have learnt + some tips:
How to get in and out of a lorry with a large rucksack
Hitch hicking is easier with a sign and taking a thick marker pen makes writing them quicker
Store you sleeping bag in a dry bag
Foot powder is great stuff- I'll be taking it walking from now on
Wearing a watch when travelling makes things easier. The sun rose early compared to what I'm used to, so I would wake up at 4 in the morning and think it was midday, wearing a watch ment I didn't mess my body clock up too much!
A road map making hitching much more easy, so you always know where you are if someone drives you to the wrong place and also mean you can communicate with the occasional person that doesn't speak english as well check your talking about the same place by pointing at it as some places may have similar names
Watch out for the use of nautical miles and confussing them with miles
...So, basically there's lots of trees, water and by hitch hiking you get to meet so many more nice or crazy people. Fantastic.
Many Thanks for all the advice everyone and thanks a lot Jontok
James