6 June 2018, Wednesday

After spending three nights in Stavanger, it was time to move on to Odda, a small town located about 200km away. The journey would require two bus transfers and take some five hours altogether. The total fare for the entire three-leg bus journey was 492 Kr (S$85.22) and I had booked my tickets from NOR-WAY Bussekspress (click here) beforehand. In spite of the long journey, I was really excited because Odda was the launch pad for tomorrow’s trek to Trolltunga, another big destination on my bucket list.

I checked out of my hostel bright and early and made my way to Byterminalen bus stop 4 to catch the NW400 Kystbussen bus. The driver issued me a ticket upon boarding. The bus was not full and we departed Stavanger promptly at 7:15am.

We reached the port of Mortavika at 7:55am and the entire bus went up the catamaran ferry for the sea crossing to Arsvågen. As the ferry ride took around 20 minutes, all the passengers disembarked from the bus and went up to the café for a mini coffee break.

At 8:22am, we reached the opposite shore and continued our journey, arriving Aksdal at 8:54am. Here, I transferred to my second bus, the NW180 Haukeliekspressen. Once again, I produced my booking confirmation slip and the driver issued me a ticket for this leg of the journey. We departed Aksdal at 9:52am.

The ride from Aksdal was incredibly scenic and we passed by several beautiful lakes and waterfalls along the way, giving me a taste of the jawdropping landscapes and scenery that Norway had to offer. The bus was also equipped with a USB charging port and free wi-fi, which was most appreciated.

In what seemed to be no time at all, we arrived at Seljestad Vektstasjon at 11:40am. Here, I alighted for my final bus transfer. The bus station at Seljestad was just a tiny carpark and there were no benches or proper seating areas. I wondered if I was at the correct place. Thankfully, I didn’t have to wonder for too long because my 862 Skyss bus arrived shortly after and we departed Seljestad at 11:57am.

The bus ride to Odda was a short one and we passed by the incredible Låtefoss waterfall along the way. During the earlier bus ride to Seljestad, we had passed by another amazing waterfall called Langfoss but I was too slow to whip out my mobile phone to capture it. This time, I was prepared and I had my mobile phone at the ready. As the bus drove past Låtefossen, I had a good view of the twin waterfalls that fell tantalisingly close to the bridge that our bus was travelling on. It was awe-inspiring to see the waterfall so up close in its natural state.

At 12:20pm, I alighted from the bus and walked to my accommodation at Trolltunga Hotel. Right in front of the hotel was the fast-flowing Opo river surrounded by mountains. The air was so fresh and the view was simply amazing. I felt incredibly nourished and inspired by the nature surrounding me.

Trolltunga Hotel
Address: Vasstun 1, 5750 Odda, Norway
Room: 4-bed mixed dorm room
Price: 900 Kr (S$153.93) for 2 nights
Website: http://trolltunga.bookvisitweb.com/en

Trolltunga Hotel was basically a hotel but they had some rooms set aside as dorm rooms, which was great for single backpackers like me. I liked the colours of the walls and the furniture in the common room. It was a very cosy and welcoming place. The official check-in timing was 4pm so I was too early but the staff allowed me to drop my bag at the lobby.

At 12:50pm, I headed out to explore Odda town. The town centre was located about 2km away, downhill. I gladly took a stroll as it was a very fine day, about 19 degrees Celsius. The water in the Opo river was so fast flowing it would have been perfect for white water rafting.

Odda was the very definition of a small town. If I thought Stavanger was small, it was nothing compared to Odda. The main shopping street here was called Røldalsvegen and it only had about 20 shops. It was very compact and very cute, in a way.

After a quick walk up and down the street, I decided to have lunch at a restaurant called Asian Wok as I craved for some rice and Asian food. I tried to keep my meals to 100 Kr (S$17.09) but it was hard to find anything below 100 Kr in Norway. I ordered a plate of beef fried rice and it was the most expensive beef fried rice I have ever had in my life! It cost a whopping 155 Kr (S$26.50), which was five times as much as in Singapore. I also had a cup of coffee (29 Kr / S$4.96) to go with it, so it was a pretty expensive lunch, but no choice…I’m Asian so I need to eat rice every now and then.

After the somewhat satisfying lunch, I explored the other areas of Odda town. The huge body of water in front of Odda looked like a giant lake but it was actually a fjord called Sørfjorden, the longest arm that branches off Hardangerfjord. Odda is at the southernmost end of Sørfjorden.

I’ve mentioned fjords several times, so what exactly is a fjord? A fjord is a deep, narrow and elongated inlet with steep sides or cliffs. It is carved by glacial ice over millions of years, creating a U-shaped valley that is deeper than it is wide. Norway is blessed with over 1,000 fjords and the deepest is Sognefjord, dropping 1,308m below sea level. Because of the steep cliffs, the scenery surrounding the fjords is often very dramatic and stunning.

Overlooking the calm waters of Sørfjorden was Odda Church, a humble, white wooden church built in 1870. Right next to the church was the Odda Busstasjon. Everything here was small and compact. It was a refreshing change from all the big cities I had been so far.

At about 4:30pm, after buying some groceries at the Rema 1000 supermarket, I decided to make my way back to the hotel. I passed by the Odda Vitensenter, a tiny science museum with an oversized chess board and pieces outside the building.

Right next to the science museum were two historical buildings that were constructed between 1906 and 1907. They were dubbed the “design office” and “main office” buildings of the Odda Smeltverk company. Odda used to be an industrial town before becoming an adventure town today, due to its proximity to Tyssedal, the starting point for the trek to Trolltunga, which is now one of Norway’s most popular tourist attractions.

In the past, the smelting plants produced two main products – calcium carbide and calcium cyanamide. Carbide was used as fuel in carbide lamps, and it was also used for making cyanamide, which was commonly used as fertiliser. In 1914, the carbide plant in Odda was the world’s largest. After a series of bankruptcies and upheavals, the smelting plants finally ceased operation in 2002, leaving behind its indelible legacy on this small town. Located right across the office buildings is a monument called “Smeltaren”, dedicated to the workers of the smelter plant.

The walk back to the hotel was slightly tiring as it was uphill, but the beautiful scenery made it enjoyable. I really loved the river, the mountains and the greenery.

I reached Trolltunga Hotel at 5:15pm and the room was ready for me to check in. The dorm room wasn’t very big but it was clean and functional.

Besides the reasonable price, the main reason why I chose Trolltunga Hotel was because it was the partner hotel of the company Trolltunga Active (click here). I had signed up for the Classic Trolltunga tour with Trolltunga Active and they would be holding an information meeting at the hotel at 9pm tonight for all the participants. There was also a free, two-way shuttle service from Trolltunga Hotel to Skjeggedal, the starting point for the trek. All things considered, it was the most convenient option to stay at Trolltunga Hotel.

The Classic Trolltunga tour cost 1,100 Kr (S$192.73), which was quite pricey but it was necessary because the trek to Trolltunga wasn’t as straightforward as the one to Preikestolen. The total distance for the Trolltunga trek was about 22km and it would take 10 to 12 hours, so it definitely wasn’t going to be a leisurely stroll.

At 9pm, we gathered at the common room and a guide from Trolltunga Active briefed us on the weather forecast for tomorrow, the required clothing and equipment, and told us what to pack. We also signed a safety declaration. After the short briefing, I retreated to my room and did a final round of packing for tomorrow’s trek. I could hardly sleep that night as I was so excited about Trolltunga. A wonderful adventure awaits!