Day 4: Waves on the Hurtigruten

Our last day of the trip began at 5 am. We all had gotten up early so that we could eat breakfast and board the Hurtigruten before 6:30 am. When we had checked in to the hostel we had informed the lady that we would be checking out early on Sunday since we were taking the Hurtigruten. At first she was very upset and I didn’t know how to react. We couldn’t change the time that the Hurtigruten was leaving. She soon explained that she was upset because she doesn’t like young people leaving without breakfast in the morning. Therefore, she prepared a small breakfast for all four of us the night before and placed it in the kitchen. We were very grateful that she prepared a breakfast for us. Again, the breakfast was a real treat.

Before leaving the hostel we signed the guest book and left a kind note from all of us. While looking from the book, there were signatures and lovely notes from people all around the world. This lady was a sweetheart and we were very fortunate to meet her.

Once at the port we boarded the ship and said goodbye to Honningsvåg. During our stay in the city we had met wonderful people and I will speak highly of the city in the future.



Watching the sunrise over the Norwegian Sea on Kong Harald

On the Hurtigruten we made camp at the front of the ship by the windows. We each had our own chair that we were basically glued to the entire journey. I watched the sunrise over the sea which was beautiful and then I fell asleep since it was early and outside it was cloudy.

Our designated chairs for the trip: Antonia, Callie, I, and Emely

On the ship I had intended to do homework or read, however, I could not do either because reading while on the waves made me dizzy. I can’t read in cars so it makes since that I can’t read on ships. Therefore, I alternated between playing chess on my nook, sleeping, people watching, and staring out the window. The last one at times made Callie uncomfortable. Staring out the window was a little boring since it was cloudy; however, I did a lot of intuitive thinking and reflecting on my experience here. While looking out the window I had the wonderful opportunity of seeing dolphins swim next to our ship.

In the afternoon Kong Harald stopped at Hammerfest for about an hour. Since we had been trapped on the boat for hours, we took the opportunity to stretch our legs. We walked around the Hammerfest city center for a while. On the walk we came across this cute dog with a red jumpsuit on. The dog reminded me of my dog Jasmine back home so of course I had to secretly snap a photo of the dog to show family back home.

The "Jasmine" twin in a red jump suit

In Hammerfest is the Royal and Ancient Polar Bear Society which was established in 1963. In the city people have the opportunity to become an official member of the Polar Bear Society. Outside the building were two polar bears and an arch. When we approached it we saw a line of older people from the Hurtigruten waiting to take pictures with the bears. Of course we wanted in on the action too so we waited our turn to take pictures with the bears.



Me riding a polar bear in front of the Polar Bear Society



Next we climbed a public hill at the edge of the town. The hill wasn’t too steep, but since the majority of the people on the Hurtigruten are older and retired, we passed a lot of people catching their breath on the path. Some of them were booking it up the hill faster than we were; reminded me of my grandpa John. At the top was a long line of fish drying racks. From January to May cod collected from the ocean are placed on the racks to dry. Once dried, the cod is shipped all across Europe. It was cool to see the racks up close.

The rest of the journey on the Hurtigruten wasn’t too exciting. The weather stayed crummy so it was hard to see the beautiful scenery around us. Finally, after another 17 hours on the ship we had arrived home in Tromsø at midnight. We boarded the last bus in Tromsø and soon arrived home.



The cod drying racks on the top of the mountain in Hammerfest



Although I have only been here for almost two months, arriving back at my flat felt like home. I love this place dearly and I am so grateful for my living accommodations and the people who have made this place feel like home.