Bodø VS Tromsø

The football match between Bodø and Tromsø held at the yesterday evening in Bodo. I was paticipated in that game as a supported in Bodo with my host and their friend.
To tell the truth, I am not the person who know much about football league and environment in Norway but as I heard from them both Bodo and Tromso has been a rival because only those two cities belongs to a top football league in Norway. What is another interesting thing is that there is one Japanese football player called"Daigo Kobayashi", who is playing one of a foot ball team in Norway and I haven't heard about his name before when I came to here. Almost everyone who like football they know about "Kobayashi", which feels like that people are not get used to Japanese football player in Norway.

Actually, it doesn't matter if either Tromsø or Bodø win the match because I am traveler. But I should say that I am the person who support to Bodø as long as I was sitting on a seat at Bodø side.(I will say standing) 90min. in a whole game, we have been standing to be able to suppot for the Bodø and which feels that I am a person who is supporting to Bodø. To tell the truth, I haven't expected that I have to support whole time of the game with standing off the seat, which remind me of the baseball match at my university. There is a league so-called "baseball match of six university" which has been held in every spring and autum, some students who like baseball game they goes to the studium to support their university. The reason to support is very simple I am the student at Hosei University that's why I am supporting to my university instead of Waseda or Rikkyo university, which are one of the six.
The thing that I have done is here was the same feeling that I have done in that baseball game. I am or my host supporting to Bodø because they are living in the city. Even though the studium itself was very small but most of the supporters are from Bodo and some supporters from Tromsø. Just before the game, we saw a big flags of the Tromsø supporters from the seat and supporters in Bodø started to make sounds to show that we don't like you!, which feels really similar to us. Population in both city has 40,000 in Bodo and 65,000 in Tromso which means both of the city is so small but they make a small society. People who makes a game was only eleven players in both side of the team but I feels like that supporters make and enjoyed to support their team which belongs to the city, which was very at home! We, in Japan also have that kind of professional league and we have a team in Tokyo, but mostly players in the team from the other part of Japan or overseas, which is hard to have a motivation that I want to support for the team just because I am from Tokyo. Normally either baseball or football, people who want to support of the team is because he or she have a player that they want to support not be based on the city.

1-1 was the score of the game. After the game atmosphere at the studium was a little bit depressed because we didn't win the game. I feels like not bad because we could catch to the Tromso after we gave a goal to the Tromsø about 88 min. and we managed to make an goal at the loss time, which was very fine!

Studium is located at a part of the city and the game feels like one of a entertaiment for the weekend.

One studium, one station, one hospital, one library, one university, one or two place where we can see whole city. If I can compare to Tokyo, we have 23 district in the center of Tokyo. My place is located one of the district which similar to Bodo or Tromsø as my experience. Here, I can strongly feel like that I am in a city that is different feeling which I had at my place. Actually, I prefer to this kind of small place where we can feel it to the city and confortable to live!!!

Yuji @ 6th days in Bodø, Nordland, Norway

PS. I will leave for Oslo tomorrow morning hoping for warm tempreture!

Letters from Iwo Jima

Friendship makes a world.

Winter boot from Mr. Hans at Svolvær! 

Yesterday, I had an opportunity to see a movie called "Letters from Iwo Jima", which was produced by Clint Eastwood and had a little impact in Japan few years ago. To tell the truth, it was my first time to watch that movie and was easy to understand because of the language. Though the directer is an American movie star but most of actors are Japanese and they speak Japanese. The movie itself was pretty good. As a student of politics even just to know about the history at the end of WWII, the movie was nice and I can easily understand what have done in there. Actually, I didn't tried to understand what was the movie when people and media trying to say something about movie which was 2-3 years ago. So, I cannot explain it well as they did but I will say something what I felt from the movie.

Firstly, the movie tried to explain how Japanese loyalty to emperor Hirohito was wrong. In the movie, I saw quite a lot of times that Japanese soldiers gave three cheers to emperor and even sometimes they died by their-selves as a name of loyalty to Japan moreover to emperor that I feel. Secondly, as the saw the another movie based on wars that this movie is also tells us how the war makes sad story and we never do the same mistake as we have done, which was the most important point of that kind of movies. On the contrary, if I would say some critical comment on the movie was that it was a little bit grotesque in some part and it was feels like bad. Was it just because the directer is from the States? Of course it is important to telll the rial story what have done in there but not necessary to make it such as strong impact as I saw. Lastly, the title was the "Letters" but I couldn't feels like letters have a lot of influence on whole movie. Was that because I missed in some important part of the movie?

The movie took about 2 hours, feels like a little bit more, but that was the longest time to hear Japanese since I started of my journey, which feels like that I was in Japan. Through this journey, I met some Japanese people but when I tried to talk them I couldn't even speak Japanese well because I haven't been used for a long time to talk with. That's why I speak to Japanese people with in English, which much more better to communicate then.

I saw the movie with my host , he is Norwegian and of course he couldn't understand in Japanese and he had to kept his eyes on subtitles, which he must be tough because the subtitle was English not in Norwegian. The funny thing that the point to laugh was different between us. Well it maybe just we grown up in different continent, wasn't it?    

Since I got a place to stay till 20th of Oct. I can make me comfortable to stay at his place.

Today, I got an interview from the student at Bodø to study about journalism. They wanted to make an interview to know about the story which I made and what I am doing at this moment. Still I have some language problems that why I cannot explain it well than that it should be. Hopefully it was good for their study!

Tomorrow, I will go to stadium to watch a football game between Bodø and Tromsø, which is the first game to see in Europe! I am really looking forward to watching it. 

Yuji @ 4th nights at Bodø, Nordland, Norway

PS. I sometimes feels like that I don't want to move especially if I stay at one place for over 3 days. That is one of the problems of this kind of journey, which I made a lot of time. How will I name? Looks like "winter sleep", isn't it? Too Lazy!!!              

    

   

Where to?

"Do you have a student price?"


"No, we don't have that."


"Well, you mean 150Kr. to Bodo, right? "


"No, exactly it will cost 153Kr."


"OK. Here, you can see a box which has 150Kr. out of half, 1 and 5 Kr, which I was given from the people on the street. Is it OK, if I pay for you of this small momey?"

"OK."

"You can count on it one by one, if you want. But I am sure that there are 153 Kr. exactly! "

"No, it's OK."



When I paid it on the ferry, the crew didn't even count on that small money if it is 153 exactly or not. I have been thinking about the flight which I booked on my birthday to London, if I really want to take. The next day when I booked flight I have started to think about the possibility to get to all the way by bicycle. Almost everybody when I meet on the road from Tromsø to Bodø they said that you should either take a buss or ferry to south so that you can possible by bicycle.


Since I might waste of those money which I paid for the flight, I thought that I have to correct those money which I have paid to manage it somehow. The thing which I figured out was that to make a charity out of the people in society. To tell the truth, I did three times trying to be given some money from the people on the street, actually I was standing in front of the super market. As a result of my charity activity, I took about 900Kr. tortally. It was amazed for me because I didn't thought that I can get quite a lot of momey from the people.


What I felt from the experience what I have done in this week was that making a money from the people as a charity was not bad thing, especially if people really want to support me to be able to help going all the way up to Edinburgh. But in my opinion, most of the people who gave some money to me was they thought I don't have enough money to live. It doesn't matter if I am thought from the people either I am begger or traveler. But, I felt as a begger when I make that activity. That was not good thing and I couldn't find out the way that I am doing charity activity to show to the people that I am the person who want to go bicycle all the way to Edinburgh. In a short term, I am not going to make an activity which I have done before I can do it as a traveler.



Before I took on the ferry I have been thinking about the possibility of the ferry to south. But, after 10 minutes later since I took a ferry I thought that I don't want to take a ferry again. Yesterday, the weather was being bad and ferry is all the time up and down and actually I did several times to thrown up to be empty of my stomach. Teh ferry took for four hours and I didn't do anything except for just lying on the sheet.

In the ferry, what I find out that I booked a flight from Bodø to London but that was not only one flight. The flight starts 10am from Bodø to Oslo and then from Oslo to London in the afternoon. As soon as I get to Bodø I went to check my flight it I can take a flight only from Bodø to Oslo. And a woman at the counter she told me that I can take a part of flight to Oslo without extra fee to take.



I have several reason to do, firstly I don't want to waste of money which I have already paid. Secondly, I might cannot find out the cost performance if I buy a two new tires for winter, which cost about 600Kr. The third reason is about the weather. I got a few sunney days in Lofoten but was not good to travel especially going by bike. In addition to the weather condition the tempreture is very low and it is almost frozen when I try to sleep in a tent, which is not nice! Of course, it is pity that I moght not go all the way by bike but i believe this is one of the best choice what I can do at this moment.

Both ferry and train which I didn't pay but it is not hard to get a ticket from the station. But I have already paid for the flight which I have a reason to take.

When only we see in economic terms it as follows.

Flight which I booked: 1230Kr.(paid)

Winter tire(for two): 1200Kr.

Ferry to Trondheim: 700Kr.

Charity activity supported by people in Norway: 900Kr.

Thinking about of economic is important but it should be a part of the reason of traveling as long as I am traveler.

Yuji @ Bodø, Nordland, Norway



PS. I have to find a place to stay till 20 of Oct, which must be hard!!

Value of This Journey

My new Norwegian Phone Number: (+47)90658542 (send me a message if you need! Normally, I haven't turn it on to save electricity)

I have been thinking about the value of this journey since I booked a flight from Bodo to London on 20th of October. People have different opinion and value.

To tell the truth, I am still wondering if I go by bike all the way to Edinburgh even though I booked a flight.

The option which I have at the moment either take a flight from Bodo or all the way by bicycle.

My first plan of this journey was only three month from Istanbul to UK through Eastern, Middle and Western Europe which is the different route that I have been taken. After I got to UK I was supposed to find a job to live and for the next travel to Africa as well as going back to Japan.

However, though I have been traveling about six month, I am still in Northern Norway. If I go by bike all the way to UK I have to spend another 2 month at least, which means the day when I get to UK will be just before Christmas!

Though my journey has been quite long but I don't want to cut it short the rest of Norway as well as Western Europe. I don't mind if I cannot go Africa of this year even though that is the continent where I want to work in near future. But I feel like regret when I thought back to this journey 10-20 years later.

When I think about of this journey as a project, the value of this journey is that "all the way by bike" isn't it? People has different opinion but I know one person that definetely say when I back to Japan "You are gave up of your journey in Norther Norway! You cannot continue one thing more than 6 month aren't you? " some people say the value of traveling means "Enjoy!" Of course, I have quite a lot of nice experiences what I haven't done in my life. But sometimes it was hard, which I noticed this is either travel or journey but it is much more close to Life.

I have enough reason all the way by bike to UK.

A lot of friend living in southern Norway are waiting for me.

I have a friend in Denmark, Germany as well as Holland.

In addition to those motivation, I have to learn French before going home.

One thing which I care at this moment is that the ticket of the flight, which cannot refund. The price of the ticket cost 123 GBP (123oNOK), which can live for about 3 weeks for my journey.

What I felt from this experience that I have still not found out how money is important.

Of course, I have still some money to keep traveling on the way but I have to get it back that money if I didn't take a flight, which I have been thinking and actually a little bit acting. But, I am going to write about it in detail in next time.

However, it has been snowy since few days ago and I cannot ride on my bike at the monent. If the weather won't be fine I will take a ferry from here to Bodø, which I have nothing to see in Lofoten but I probably have another chance to come to here even if it is not near future.

Making a Life as a Traveler.

Yuji @ Svolvær, Lofoten, Norway

Lofoten

Fine, Fine, Fine, Rain, Snow, Snow, this is the weather for the past six days.

Yesterday, I arrived at Lofoten islands which is very beautiful place in northern Norway as I heard. However, the weather in this region for past three days has been bad that I got some snows on the road.

Cycling on the snow is not easy and not safe especially when cars and trucks come from the behind. I heard from somebody about the tire which is used for winter cycling like cars but I am still can possible to go with normal tires. And actually the price of that tire is 3-5 times more expensive than the normal one.

The thing which I really noticed during these 6 days were that almost all peformance of the travel has decided by the weather. I said the same thimg before! Especially the weather in here means either very good or very bad.

At night, when I try to sleep in a tent which feels like very cold. Fortunately, I got a place to stay inside of the house in yesterday which I asked at a house near the road. Otherwise I have to sleep on the snow.

Funny thing which I experienced few days ago was that night I slept at a resting place for passengers to wait for a ferry(on the way to Harstad). The foor of the place was heeting all the night long, which was too warm to sleep! I couldn't sleep well at that night.

The next night, I had to sleep on the snow because I cannot find any place to stay at that night. When I was riding on my bike in the evening, the road has started to fleeze and slipy and I thought it was dangerous to keep riding on and I stopped and started to find a place to put up my tent. But there was no place uncovered by snow. That's why I had to sleep on the snow. I couldn't sleep well neither.

Yesterday I was really lucky to find a place to sleep at Hans's place who I asked if I stay or not. His family was very kind and I got a bed to sleep which was the third time to succeeded to stay at someones place on the spot. They gave some cloth and new shoes for winter and I really happy to stay with them.

But before that in the afternoon I also got a place to take some rest from a kind woman who I met on the busstop when I was resting. She offered me to stay for a while and even I got a shower and flesh foods!

People say that you are late for a month or two to travel in this part of the region but I don't think so. Even I couldn't see any beautiful place at Lofoten, I really feels like happy to meet those nice people.

From here to Bodø, I have several options to get there which take a ferry from Svalver, Stamsund, and Moskenes. I will decide depends on the weather and condition. Whichever, it took about 130 km from here to Moskenes which is not too far at the end of the Lofoten.

The flight ticket which I booked from Bodø to London is 20th of Oct. that means that I haev still have enough time to wait for a sun in Lofoten. But if the weather going to bad I will take a ferry from here.

I have to find a confortable place to sleep!

Yuji @ Svolver, Lofoten, Norway

The Day - 3rd of October-

Three days have passed since I truned to be 22. I made a short history for three days. Time is always flowting. Just like an ice on a fjord.

Snow has come and the sun is also comes for past three days even though today is a lottle bit rainny.

The day of my birthday, I left from Tromsø which the last three day I stayed with a Polish girl and have a small Polish community at her doom building. One of a person who I met there, he is traveling around all over the world that I haven't met that kind of person in Japan. Not only just him, I met a quite a lot of people who is traveling from one country to another without any plan to do next. The students from Poland and those people who I met there, they normally doesn't have any plan to do next for which are different type of students who I have known in Japn. I didn't ask them why? But I felt that haveing a dream or the thing that I want to do next is the best way to live from my experience not only just in Europe but also in Japan. My dream at the moment to get to Edinburgh!!

The weather on 3rd of Oct. was very vert fine. I left their place about 2 o'clock and kept riding on my bike as far as I could. About 30km from the city, I took a small ferry. After I got to the other side of the land, there was a shop and I thought I should buy a beer to celebrate for my birthday! Beer in Norway is very expensive compared to other countries, actually that was the second time to buy a beer from a shop. When I buy a beer at the shop, I said to the shopkeeper that "Today is my birthday! That is why I buy a beer! " and the woman surprised and sung to me "Happy birthday to you! (The song, you know!)" And she asked me if I want to drink a cup of coffee inside her place and I took a rest in there with some biscket and sausage!, which I feels like really fine! When I left there with appreciation, she gave me some foods and post card in Tromsø which I wanted to buy!

After there when I tried to find a place to sleep, I saw a smog from a grass to make a fire and then I decided that I would ask them if I join in there. They are two couples from Norway and one is from Tromsø to visit his brother who is living there with his wife. They are very kind and I said today is my birthday I am very happy to meet you. Then, a man who can speak English fluently gave a glass of wine and they celebrated to my birth. Since the sky was getting dark, I asked them if I stay there with my tent and they said "OK! you can use with my tent!" To prepare for a dinner, they made a grill of meat of reindeer and sheep to bake it in the land with hot stones, which is traditional way! I haven't seen the way that they did. I don't know how many hours they put that meat in the ground but it was very hot and tasty! Even before I saw the meat on the table, I couldn't believe it if it edible one or not. The meat of reindeer was a second time of this journey and even I got a beer from them instead of my food bank(the name of my food box).

At night, there was a full moon. So beautiful and peaceful.

One thing that I want to mention about me is that I don't know why but somebody in Norway who I don't know told to the radio station about me and some people know about me. One of the person was that the sister of a woman who I met there. When she talked on the phone to her sister, she knows about me! It was really amazed! According to her, sister's information, "one guy who is from Japan traveling by bike without a lot of cloth, when you saw a guy take his warm" or something like that. That's why I got a wool sweather as a birthday present from them. They also asked me if I need a very warm suits which seems like an astronaut to use for cold winter but I refused to take it. It was worm one but it was heavy.

The day was really nice and unforgattable birthday in my life.

One the way to Harstad, there was a lot of snows on both side of the road especially when I cross over a hill and sometimes it is frosen and I have to keep my eyes on the road. Otherwise it may fall in down to the ground.


One thing what I noticed at Tromsø was that people in Japan is rich and actually I met a girl who is from Japan studying at University in Tromsø. I also noticed staying with Polish people.
Rich, what? I am sure that Japan is one of a rich country in the world. And I am pretty sure that Norway is also one of a rich country in the world.
When I meet somebody and they normally asled me "Where are you from? " And I said "I am from Japan!" And most probably they thought that this guy is from rich counry.

Nobody can choose a place where they were born.

I know Japan is a rich country and my journey is also rich for me (not for Japanese people) but I am not coming to here to be able to tell the people how Japan is rich neither I am rich. (I am not rich, actually, but depends on the person who feel like. I will say I am not rich as a Japanese.) I am coming to here to buy a new experience which I haven't done in Japan, an island the other side of the Earth.

Yuji @ Harstad, Norway

The First Decision on 22 years old

I have just booked a flight from Bodø to London.

Time is limited.
I have to go back to Japan on next April.

Money is limited.
I have to work to continue on my travel.

Heart is limited.
When I meet a nice people, as Ula in here, my heart would close to full of gratitude which I cannot explain neither tell them.

Power is limited.
I am not assure that if my right leg starts to pain again.

Planning has been bad, but I have enjoyed traveling on this new continent!!

I have satisfied with my journey for 6 months.

One thing that I want to mention about those people who has expected me to visit your place.

I am sorry!!! I will be back in next few years. Let me know when you come to Tokyo!

The last part of my journey is in Lofoten for which must be suitable as the end of the story.

Last two weeks in Norway would be good weather, hopefully!!

Yuji @ with Ula in Tromsø, Norway