.......As white as snow......

Sleep was so sweet and the night seemed shorter. The previous night (saturday) we had what is referred here as Julebord ( Christmas Table) with the students. That was fun with the traditional christmas food-Pinnekjott and an opportunity to offer some entertainment before the party ended at around 1.00 am. I don't want to say much about julebord now, my focus will go to sunday.The prevoius night we agreed with some students that were to have a mountain trip to the highest mountain in Bergen (Ulriken).

 Now as you can see from this picture, this is part of Bergen city from the top of Ulriken. I would have loved to give a panoramic view of the city but my Camera couldn't survive the cold up there and my battery froze, but you can admire this other picture as well.
Well, ladies and genlemen, I must say that Bergen is a very beautiful city. These photos don't capture what i mean but i will describe the beauty of bergen in another Blog




I must admit that sunday afternoons have become my favorite times to go hiking on the mountains.Thats when most students have time to spare .
Unlike at home where Sunday is occupied with lots of "spiritual activies" here sunday is one of those days when you catch up and join friends on trips. The youths here don't consider Sunday as a church day, this could be explained by their attendance of other christian meetings in the course of the week.

The excitement of having this trip naturally would have denied me some sleep. But since i was very tired after the Julebord i had a good sleep that was interrupted by the horrible tone of my Alarm. Well, it was sunday and i had to prepare some matpakke (Packed lunch) for the journey ahead was long.

This is the cable car station. The cable car takes roughly 7 minutes to the top of the mountain. Walking up the mountain takes hours. This photo isn't the best to show how far the top is from the station. A long the way i Kept asking Caro whether we were any closer- She has already beeen to the top once.

Here we go up the mountain. Shall we all make it up? with the snow and steepy sections of the mountain? Let's see

These guys are pretty serious that they didn't recognize i was taking this photo. As you can see they are really focused on the climbing. So let me try to catch up with them.

 The journey to the top was not an easy one, it had a variety of exciting and scary (at least for me)sections of steep, slippery, very steep etc. At some point when it became very steepy and slippery, we had to decide whether to continue or to go back. At that point we had to split and part of the group had to go back (they loved their lives-just kidding)

This is the point where we parted and only three boys had to make it to the top. The only thing that Caro would say is "...james please be careful and take care..." i felt so good especially since she said it with a lady's emotion of concern. I had to assure her that i will rerurn in one piece.

The last three standing....

Well, they say determination knows no barriers and i guess that is the strength and motivation the three of us had despite the ugly path before us.

 There were times when my breath was taken because of the slippery and steepy ground but i must say the steel fence you are seeing help quite alot.



Andre Førsund and meg



 Almost there.....where? the top of course.

 Just before a finish as you can see the snow is very white. You can easily think it had been raining Jasmin rice. this thing is really white and for the first time i understood the biblical verse that says(Isaiah 1:18)  .....though your sins be as scarlet they shall be as white as snow...... This thing is pure white.

These are the last photos my camera could capture before it "froooooze"

I know you wonder how we got down. We used the cable car. It seemed too dangerously walking down and this time round we loved our lives. It costed 80 kr(appr Ksh 800) with the cable car. What a beautiful sunday. see you.