Day 11

Sorry about the complete drought when it comes to entries. Our health has been a little weird the last few days, but we are finally in the haven of the Bergen library.
So, the ferry that we took to Oslo ended up being a giant cruise ship with 6,000 private rooms, a disco, a grocery store, and a spa among the usual bars, decks, and restaurants. The ride went smoothly and we arrived in Oslo and realized we were completely lost and had no way to get to our hostel. We took a taxi, which was outrageously expensive, and found that our hostel was well outside the city. However, there was still a bus that went out to it, so we took it into town after we were settled to find some dinner. We had planned to get some sushi, but because it was ten at night, bars seemed to be the only thing open. After walking around for at least an hour, we found one open sushi place. The fish was fresh and absolutely delicious, but of course again ended up being really expensive. Upon arriving back at the bus terminal, we realized that our bus stopped running around eleven, and that we were stuck once again taking a taxi.
The second and third nights in Oslo we stayed in a beautiful hotel in the middle of the city. Our room looked out at an old church and street cars. However besides seeing Munch's The Scream and eating cooked whale, Oslo was rather uneventful. Despite the seemingly diverse populace, the city itself seemed culturally stagnant. From our tourists' perspective, we didn't get the vibe that there was much to do other than shopping and sightseeing. But, that's not to say our time in Oslo wasn't fun.
Yesterday, after experiencing hell on earth figuring out the bus system, we got on a train that took us to Bergen. The ride certainly lived up to our expectations. It was startling beautiful. After going through rich forests and fjord country, we ascended into higher altitude where the landscape looked like it was coated in lichen and moss. When we got high enough, we saw glaciers and mountain peeks and high lakes and streams. The train ride felt as if we were passing through Middle Earth.
The city of Bergen lies in forested country with equally beautiful architecture. It's definitely the most quaint place we've visited. Our hostel has a friendly, community feel we hadn't experienced yet with people from all over the world, and an American staff. One person even knew about the fire and asked us if it was out yet.
This morning, we slack lined with passersby in front of a fountain that puts Ashley Pond to shame. If we can get in, we're planning on going to a concert tonight in a venue called The Garage. End transmission.