Cycling day three

Around mid day, I reached the ferry port. Faro island is only a kilometer away from Gotland. Just few minutes ride and I was on Faro island. I followed the main road to find somewhere to stay for the night. I also wanted to ask a good place to visit. About ten kilometers from the port, there was an hostel. Luckily it was open and I got a bed. I also got an information for a good road to ride.
From the hostel, the popular coastline was only seven kilometers or so and was an easy ride. The major sight is a natural curved rocks. But I was more happy to see the golden eagle. It was a bit too far but I could see it's yellow beak and the big body. It was gliding smoothly in the clear blue sky.
I rode along the coastline and went to supermarket. Got back to the hostel around five. The hostel was even worth than the campsite! Nobody…I felt more alone than I did at the campsite. The lights were all gone and the buzzing sound of fridge and the rustling sound of the pine trees were the only noise I could hear. As it got dark, I noticed. I picked the wrong place to stay. To avoid the eerieness, I went to bed around nine.picture: above, stacked stone. below, golden eagle in the distance

Cycling day two

I woke up around seven. I wouldn't say I slept good. At night, the campsite had an eerie atmosphere. I woke up sometimes hearing a weird animal scream or a galloping sound just outside my tent. It was a quite big campsite with many cottage and fields, but I think I was the only one there. I don't know but the humanness was gone. It was like a movie set or something, I never felt so alone.
So glad to see the sun, I got up, had breakfast, packed my tent and started to repair the puncture. Since it was making a mysterious bump, I decided to change the tube. Took the wheel off and taking off the tire, I found the cause of the bump. The tube was bundled up and making a ball. I took out the tube and realized that tube was far too big for the wheel. I don't ride a bike usually so I don't know too much about bicycle, but it was unmistakably big. There was a spare tube in the kit so I changed it. The spare one was 35 inch and a bit big, the one it was in before was 40 inch… I think that ain't right. I changed the tube, and the bike was set for another ride. Since the bike was now in a good condition, I tried to load my backpack on the back again. I used the rope for my tent and it worked. It wasn't super steady but at least it's on and no need for me to carry it on my back. Feeling mighty and confident, I started cycling. Fine weather again.
Riding along a beautiful coastline, I reached a town called Larbro. Stayed at a hostel for a night.
picture: ruin in Visby

Gotland

The ferry arrived at Visby, the main city of Gotland. City with ruins and beautiful sea. Walking up a hill, I could look down the town with orange roofed houses and Baltic sea. Nice.
When I asked where is the most popular sight to visit in Gotland at the tourist office, the guide said Faro island. So I decided to go there, simple. There are bus going between Visby and ferry port to Faro, but I thought why not rent a bicycle. Since there are many cycle roads and it's quite common for visitors to do so. I rented a standard three geared bike. They also gave me a pump and other tools for tire repair. Around mid day, off I went. In my opinion, the weather in Gotland is the best in Sweden!
Although it was a rough one, I had a map of Gotland and it showed the recommended cycle roads. Mainly around the coastline. I tried loading my backpack on the back, but since it's heavy and big, I gave up. I carried it on my back instead. After riding along for a few hours, the bike suddenly felt heavy. Moving forward became difficult, the rear tire was punctured. I thought it would happen sometime, but it came earlier than I thought. Although I felt irritated, there was a repair seal in the kit so it didn't take long. Just find the puncture and glue, seal, done. But, ten minutes later, I felt the same dullness again. Even worth, it felt like there was something in the tire. Every time the wheel span, there was a bump. It was around four so I decided to camp at the next campsite I find and do the repair next morning. I wasn't in the mood to do the repair again. Ten minutes was a bit of shock for me.
picture: Visby

Stockholm

As a capital city, I imagined a city with skyscrapers. But as the bus approached the city center, I noticed that there aren't any. Another thing about Stockholm is that the city is surrounded by water.
Major sights I visited in Stockholm were Gamla Stan(old town), Nobel museum, Skansen and Vasa museum. To the hostel, I had to walk through Gamla Stan so I walked around the area every day. Walking through an old town with colorful houses and walking by the water to Skansen was very nice. Skansen is a big park with everything such as zoo, farm, historical buildings and restaurants. I didn't look all the parts but the zoo was definitely worth a visit. So many creatures that I've never seen before. Vasa museum is a museum about a ship. The ship sank during the war and was salvaged in the sixties. The whole ship is in the museum! It's in a good condition and the details are still there.
I also walked around the city center which was filled with tourist. On Saturday, so many people shopping and sightseeing in the city center.
The shopping areas were like other cities but the old towns and other surrounding parts were very unique. Again with okay weather, I had a great time in Stockholm. I'm moving to Gotland next. Three hours ferry trip from main land.picture: above, the old town on the left and city center on the far side. below, ring-tailed lemur

Höga Kusten

On the last day in Kiruna, I joined a tour to go down a mine. To be precise, the biggest undermine in the world. The tour departed from the city center at one o'clock. Only five minutes or so on the bus, we arrived at the gate of the mine. As the bus driver held his card to the machine, the gate swung open and the bus entered the mouth of the mine. Soon it got dark and I felt the slope. The road was sloping 10%, I drove a 9% road in Norway and it was quite steep. We got deeper and deeper by the second. There are no lights in the tunnel so that the truck drivers can tell the oncoming vehicles by it's headlight. After a few minutes, the bus stopped at a gate. Inside was unbelievably spacious room for the visitors. There were cinema to show how the mine was made, long corridor where the monstrous machines awaits the visitors, and cafe for a small break. The machines they use for mining were just like the ones I saw on the Discovery channel, big and vicious. It was very interesting tour. The tour group was small and the guide spoke English. I've gone up near the highest of the country and the deepest in the world. Kiruna, sure has it's ups and downs. In a good way of course.
After Kiruna, I took a train. I stopped at Lulea, Umea and took a bus to Docksta, where the world heritage site, High Coast is in a walking distance.
I didn't have enough information about High Coast, but I figured if I go there I would find something. So, after walking for three hours through a forest full of spider webs, I reached Skuleskogen National Park, one of the well known parts of High Coast. (Also known as Hoga Kusten) At the gate of Skuleskogen, there was an information board which read that the hike up to the top is quite demanding, trained man would walk up to the top in 1to1.5 hours and some might take 2to3 hours. Worrying and looking forward how tough it is at the same time, I started the hike. At the start the trail was very well paved with planks but soon it got rocky. It was unusually hot day. After walking for an hour or so, the trees were sparser and the ground were covered with red rocks. I thought I've come quite high and stopped to look around. There was a beautiful view behind me! The top of Skulesberget is 294m above sea level and the highest coastline is 286m above sea level. I wasn't at the highest point and I knew this wasn't the highest coastline, but still it was amazing. Sunlit small islands in the high coast was beautiful. BUT! On my right, I found a huge raincloud. As soon as I found it, I felt a drop on my face. I though it won't come just yet, but I decided to put on my rain gears on. Wise decision it was, soon the weather changed into a typhoon. Strong wind and heavy rain. I thought the summit wasn't too far, so I decided to continue my hike. Soon I came to a place where small rocks were stacked up into a pile. Often seen in the mountains. It wasn't the summit yet, but I put a stone on the pile and decided to descend. The wind was too strong and the wet rocks were slippery and dangerous. Rain didn't bother me since I had a fine gear with me and I waxed my boots the day before. When I got near to the entrance, I got a lift. Very kind old man who drove a Japanese car drove me back to Docksta. Too bad I couldn't take good pictures because of the heavy rain, but the beautiful views will stay in my mind.
I left Docksta and took a bus to Sundsvall today. I'm moving to Stockholm tomorrow. It'll be only a few hours trip from here.picture: above, three towed woodpecker(not sure). below, the beast in the mine

back to Kiruna

Woke up around seven again. Had breakfast and started descending. The way back to Nikkaloukta was easier than the other way. Maybe because I knew the distance and the trail. Reached Nikkaloukata and caught a bus to go back to Kiruna. The hostel I stayed at before was full so I stayed in another hostel called Yellow house. Guess what, it's yellow.
I walked 70kilometers or so in three days. For me, it's quite amazing. Like I said before, there are people who does this for much longer term in a harsher condition.
It was definitely unforgettable three days in my trip.

picture: reindeer, snow. taken yesterday

Kebnekaise

Woke up around seven. The night wasn't unbearably cold, but it was cold enough to wake me up a few times. Had breakfast at the hostel and started the hike to climb Kebnekaise. It was snowing since I got out of the tent…it's August… I checked the route on the map at the hostel. It showed some trails and what I had to do was to go west. There were a few hikers at the start but soon I was alone. Snow, reindeer and massive mountains. After walking for couple of hours, two guys were walking toward me. I said "hi" as usual, and he first said something in Swedish. I said "Sorry, I don't understand". Then he said something very very strange. A bit philosophical, he said "where, tomorrow". hmm… what did he mean. It was really tough for me to guess what he wanted to ask. I said I'm staying at the hostel, it doesn't make sense but I thought I have to say something. Anyway, I think it was the wrong answer, he started walking again. Maybe I should have said "be patient my friend, tomorrow will come, be patient". Communication breakdown.
After walking for three hours, I started to wonder whether I was going the right way or not. Still, I believed that there would be a sign which showed the way to the mountain. Four hours past, a sign! It said Kebnekaise 14kilometers… it meant the hostel. I knew it, I walked around the mountain I wanted to climb. BUT, I wasn't disappointed at all. The nature surrounded me was magnificent. Snowcapped mountains, reindeers staring at me as I walked around them, cold wind, lakes, snow. It was so WILD. And that was what I wanted to see. Superb.
I walked for 30to35 kilometers. I admire the people who does this everyday for a week or sometimes a month. Must be super fit.
Checked in at the hostel and slept in a warm and comfortable bed where there are no wind or sound of rain.

picture: taken near the sign said 14km to kebnekaise