Oslo, Norway

Told you I would be traveling at lightening speed. Three countries in three days. I just don't even know what to write about anymore. After that ferry ride, everything seems boring. It docks in Stockholm and unloads its passengers staying there, then turns around and goes back to Finland, so those who have roundtrip tickets and therefore using it as a nightclub don't have to get off, and as they are all passed out at that point have no idea we are even in Sweden. That was one of those experiences where you know life just doesn't get much better. I'm sad now because I'm not sure if the trip will get any better. I realize that's a limiting thing to say and I hope it's not true, but really, watching two incredibly drunk Finnish girls pillow fight in their underwear was just a lot of fun. I'm not ready to come home yet (I may have to make one final stop in Finland), but even if I did I would be happy with the success of this trip. Is one day in Stockholm enough? If you arrive at 6:30 am, maybe. Stockholm is a very, very, very beautiful city, unfortunately there's just no way it could have made much of an impression on me after the transportation experience. The phrase "getting there is half the fun" is ridiculous - in this case, getting there is ten times the fun. And it's just a ferry, a simple mode of transportation to get from one point to the other, not a cruise ship or anything. I didn't visit the Aland Islands, but God bless them and their tax free status for encouraging Scandinavians to make bad decisions. Last night at my hostel in Stockholm was a total l'Auberge espangole experience, with lots of people who were actually doing Erasmus. I guess it's spring break for most European universities. So last night this 8 bed dorm room was occupied by: an American (myself), a German, a Dane, a Peruvian, two Spaniards, a Swede and an Australian. Brilliant. I tried Absolut for the first time, and it's good but without the kick of Finlandia. I heard they sell a t-shirt in Finland that has a reindeer drinking a bottle of Finlandia and then pissing it out, filling up a bottle of Absolut. Sweden also has the government monopoly on alcohol sales, but they're not as cheery about it as Finland is, with the stores being called "System Bolaget," whatever the hell that means. Guess what is in Sweden and Norway - 7-Eleven. Yeah, I could live in this part of the world if I thought I would survive the winters. This morning on the train to Oslo I went to the dining car and got a sandwich, and the cashier told me "40 kroner." I asked her if this was Swedish or Norwegian kroner, and she said I could pay in whichever I liked. Really? Cool! I paid in Swedish kroner, which is worth less than Norwegian kroner. Oslo has set the record for the most expensive bed in a hostel I've ever paid for. I was stunned when I got off the train and saw the babes. Very nice! Oslo and Moscow are the two "hottest" cities I've been to. Makes me wonder what the hell was going on in Sweden, since despite all the hype about Swedish women I didn't see much that I liked. Oslo is a very nice city, almost as beautiful as Stockholm but more laid back. There's snow everywhere but the sun is out today and it's relatively warm. Also, Bank of America is still causing me problems.

One month ago I was in Kochi.
Two months ago I was in Aqaba.