Preikestolen + Kjerag, West Norway

Preikestolen with Thum

Last weekend, Thum and I spent 4 days travel to West Norway for some hiking activity. Preikestolen or so called the Pulpit Rock in English is one of the famous hiking spot at Norway. Most of the travel advertisement of Norway will always show this either in postcard or brochure. Although the weather is not so good on the day we went up since we only have 4 days there so we continue our hiking trip without having much choice.

This is my first time to go for a hike. Physically, I am not tired. But, like Nic said although I have frequent work out still my body muscle are not used with hiking activity. My muscle especially my leg and thigh are really too weak. Both of my leg get tired so easily when I am going up the hill!

After 5 hours of hike, we reach the peak. Honest speaking, it is really worth my 5 hours to and for this gorgeous fjord view. Besides, the trail is not too difficult as well.

Looking down to Lysefjord from Preikestolen.

We are staying at Stavanger, a major oil and gas city for North Sea activity. Stavanger is not a big city and there is not much thing to do in the town too. Furthermore, it is a city which rain almost 300 days a year. On the second day, we woke up with a super sunny day. I was thinking if we don't want to hike on such a weather, isn't it a big waste?

Without thinking much, we start our journey to go for another hike on the second day. It sounds crazy, 2 people who never do any hiking but hike continuosly for 2 days. After we conquered Preikestolen, we are pretty confident about the definition of 5 hours trail. It is not that hard,right? Norwegian spent 4 hours, we spend only one hour more. Not so bad,right?

The road to Kjerag is really a nice drive for me. With a high performance car, perfect weather, cool road, best! Look at the picture on the above, we are actually driving from bottom of the mountain to the middle of the hill to start hiking. This time we were going to a rock which stuck between 2 vertical mountain which called Kjeragbolten. However, we are under estimate this little rock. The trail to Kjerag is really not easy. There are 3 slope which is almost 80 degree which is impossible to hike without the help of metal chain. Thum and I got small cuts and some injury on both our arms and palms by the end of the hike.

Still, it is cool? Again, worth right? =)

Life is like that

There is once during dinner, I have this discussion with one of my colleague. His wife pass away in a road accident. She left him 2 children, a girl with 4 years old and a little boy who are just 1 year old.

When my colleague is young, he spent all his time to earn a living to raise up the 2 children. At that time, he is young and physically strong, healthy and energy without spending time to his life or children. When he is old now, he got the money and time but his body condition no longer allow him to go hiking, rock climbing. He also want to spend more time with the 2 kids but they already in high school with their own friend. No more sticky to the family. He said, that is the arrangement of God. Why we cannot have life in the other way?

Young with money, time.
Old with family, good body.

One of my best friend's father is diagnose with lung cancer. Fourth stage. Nothing can be done. When I hear the news, I wish to say something to make her feel better or offer her some help. But, I don't know what I can do nor what I can say. However, she is handling well, she told me life is like that.

I really don't like this sentence. Why life have to be like that?
Why there are so many things that we cannot change in our life?
We appreciate life, we love our life, we live our life to the maximum, but why?
Why life is like that?

Berlin, German

Kaiser Wilhelm Gedächtniskirche, a church which is ruined strike during World War II but German purposely maintain it without any renovation.

At Germany, you can strongly feel there is one part of time is missing from this city. All the building in the city either very new and high tech or very old. The missing part is because they don't have any construction during the WWII and the reunification. Over here, you can see the effect of war every where and right in front of your eye. Either this Catherdal being air strike before or that palace is remove because of war.

Charlie Check Point where unknown number of lifes die here because trying to cross from East berlin to West berlin.

Me "trying" to cross the left over Berlin wall.=)

I am salute with German courage of admitting of what they had did during the war and towards Jews. There are not only having memorial park for Jewish but also have a Jewish musuem which I feel it is a must visit for whoever go to Berlin.

Maybe I had heard too much about how Japan is trying to hide the history, China is trying to hide the current issue, Malaysia is trying to ignore some contribution of non-Malay to our country, suddenly facing with German who are so openly display what they had did in the past is surprise me.

Jewish memorial park. Each block represent a grave for Jewish who had die throughout the years. All of them are same width and length but with different height.

I talked to my friend who had study at German for few years. Is it Germanic really can accept people discuss about what they did openly? They said that some Germanic still feel shame about it, however, the new generation are fine with it. No matter what, a country who dare to admit all their mistake is a country who can learn from the history. I believe that is the reason they are growing so fast in the last century.

Reichstag dome which is German Parliament building. Although it is free entrance but we have to go through extensive security check. Xin Jing and I were saying that because they worry somebody will bomb their parliament.

A walk in the dome. It is really cool! I feel as if I am walking in the air. I have to admit all their new architecture is very futuristic.

About the public transport, it is the most complicated I have ever met so far. My colleague called it as the most complete. Due to the completeness, it is also causing the complicateness. I am curious about Japan Tokyo now wondering how complicated the public transport is.

Berlin's beer with a bear which is berlin's emblem.

After so many serious story about Germany, let's talk about other Germany's famous - beer & pork. Their beer....er....not as bitter as the usual beer we have, it tastes lighter although the alchohol level is the same as other. They really drink beer everyday till they have so many ways of drinking it. Xin Jing tried coke + beer which surprisingly tastes good! You guys should try it at home. Berlin tradition red and green beer is not so interesting for me. At Germany, different part of people drink different beer.

Besides, my friend, Yeen Chow told me that at Southern Germany, there is one type of certificate which is Diploma for drinking beer. As long as you can finish 5 little of beer in 3 hours, you are entitle with a certificate. The 5 little of beer is different type of beers. Cool ya? Now, keep finger cross that I can go for the Oktoberfest at Munich!

German food all-in-one = Berlin's curry wrust, pork rib, pork knucle, pork patty, sour cabbage, grill potatoes.

Berliner are famous with their curry Wrust - curry sausage. I am not fancy about sausage, for me, it is ok. However, their pork knuckle is really amazing! I would not understand how could they cook pork until so tender. In my impression once pork is cooked, it will be as hard as stone unless it comes with many fat between the meat. But, the pork we have is not fat and as tender as chicken drumstick. It just tastes perfect! No wonder they are famous with their pork dishes. The pork rib...wow....wanginya...thumbs up.

Technology Musuem - a musuem with many airplane, ship, rocket from the war. I noticed many old white hair uncles were there too. I think it is a very nice musuem especially for guy who are crazy about military weapon.

Berlin has a lot of musuems and they are fun except the only problem is too little English. Xin Jing always said they are not tourist frinedly. I have to agree with that. After travel outside, it always make me thinking actually how Malaysia is. I make a little promise to myself, when I go back to Malaysia, I must visit all the museum that i visited during my primary school again. I want to see how is Malaysia Science musuem look like now, it is still as fun as in my memory when I am primary school. I want to visit National Musuem, the new Islamic Musuem and of course the fully of fun musuem - Petronas musuem at KLCC.

Any travelling around Euope before I go back Malaysia? I don't know maybe I will go Denmark once if time allows me to do so. Although Prague is always my number 1 wish to visit place at Europe but I do not think I am able to go in this few months. The most beautiful Europe city, Prague, sigh...Ok, so now, let's hope for our all-time-busy mr nicholas to post about US soon.