After cycling all day in beautiful weather on my way to Hamar, the conditions suddenly changed in the evening. A powerful storm rolled in, and our campsite was hit hard—leaving the tent area completely flooded.
[Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Ladies and gentlemen, I’m preparing for a 3 days tour. Hamar Kamarat, I think it’s the right pronunciation in Norwegian. They are playing Brown Bergen uh this weekend and both clubs want to help us and donate match one shirts. So, um I’m trying to prepare the trike with everything for uh including camping gear and tent and everything else. Uh I will put all the luggages on my trike. the the two paneers, the big bag, the duffel bag here. Uh as I want to see how uh how my trike will look fully loaded and how this will adapt to to longer trips. So I have my camping gear and I’m going to fill up the paneers. I’m not going to take, of course, everything. I have a lot of stuff that I need to get rid of. I’m not going to carry everything to with me to New Zealand this summer. But uh yeah, I’m trying to to it’s a little bit of mess here, so I’m trying to take only things that I’m going to need for the next 3 days. So, a little bit of clothing, camping gear, uh my computer and my uh digital equipment for video editing, and that’s pretty much it. I should start packing because uh it will be a little bit of a trick. So, Bear with me. [Music] [Music] [Music] So ladies and gentlemen, this is my uh setup for this trip. It’s a 3-day trip. I have about uh 20 I haven’t weighed them but I guess I have like 20 kilos caros. Uh I have my sleeping bag and my tent everything in there. Some clothes and some and my uh editing equipment and everything else in the two paneers. I have some extra gadgets in here like power bank and stuff like that. Uh yeah, it doesn’t look bad. Um I have lost about uh 7 8 kilos in the past month. So actually I can carry more things on my bag on on my bike. The total cargo recommended with with the driver should be no more than 130 kilos. I’m trying to keep it to 125, but uh for the long trip to New Zealand, I guess I will need uh I’ll need uh some more things, but uh I will figure out those along the way. Perhaps I will need some other things. I will have to leave home. Some of the things that I have taken for example today. The trike looks uh good. Ready to go. I’m ready to go. uh to reach Hammer we will have to cross that um lake is the largest lake in uh here in Norway one of the largest in uh in Europe as a surface and uh the problem is to reach the other side where Hammer is we have to ride about 20 km to reach a bridge that take will take us over the over the lake and from there will be some other kilometers to pedal anyway today we’re going to camp. So, my goal for today is to reach the camping place. Well, this one arrived just in time before my departure. I got some more equipment from Vio. I’m uh very proud to be one of their ambassadors. They’re always uh supplies me with the best cycling equipment, jerseys and stuff like that, even with the flags. So, I have ordered new flags and stuff like that and the new shirt. Let’s see how those look. Guess what? I ordered two flags and I got only one. No, no, no, no, no. Don’t do that to me. Let’s see if the jersey looks better. It’s a little bit too large this time. I have lost uh 8 kilos lately. I think it’s just perfect. The problem is I’m missing the flag. [Music] [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] [Music] So my dears, uh I’m heading into Hammer. I won’t be able to do as I said the whole distance today because I have this uh issue with one of my batteries, my Shimano batteries. I have an appointment at the Shimano dealer in Oslo next week. Hopefully they can they can help me to sort that out all the way. My trips will be a nightmare because obviously I have only one battery and with one battery I can uh cycle perhaps 50 40 50 km a day and that’s not so much. Uh what I can do is actually cycle four or five hours and then stop and charge the battery for another 4 or 5 hours and then cycle again for another four or 5 hours. But that will mean that will mean uh 12 13 14 15 hours a day on the bike and that will be tough. But I put all my hopes in the guys in at Shimano in Oslo. So until then I’m heading into Hammer. I’m not going to make it there today, but I’m looking for a camping along the way. I found one on the map and uh let’s hopes they have a free spots. Um it’s a advice, a tip that I got from uh one of the campings where I have been staying last year because when I went into the camping I of course I went to the reception to ask if they have free spots and the to pay for the spot and campings in Norway are quite expensive. In the summers you can pay something between 30 and 40 euros, maybe more depending on which camping we’re talking about. But uh I paid at that time €30 or so and I have paid for two nights. And after I have checked in and set up my tent and all that stuff, I went into the reception to use their wiki so I can upload some videos on YouTube. And uh the guy at the reception, he seen my track. He seen the flags that I’m carrying. He went on the website and uh then he came to me. He said, “Adrian, why you didn’t say so? Why you didn’t say are you cycling for charities and you’re doing such a great project?” I said, “You know, I don’t like to beg for anything.” Uh but he said you know if we knew that you are doing such a great thing that then uh we will not charge you for for uh for the camping. It was nice of them to say that. Anyway, I have it was already paid and uh but they offered me a dinner and a cold beer that evening. So uh yeah, it was nice. So now uh the advice I’ve got from this guy was to email the campings before pre-or my arrival and see if they can provide a free spot for my tent. And uh I did. So apparently I’m having a free spot in a nice camping for tonight and I’m really grateful for that. My trip through through Europe and all the way to New Zealand will be very what can I say? I don’t know what uh I don’t know what uh and how it will going to go but uh requires a lot of logistic and stuff like that. And uh you know living in a tent is cheap. You can buy your meals for maybe €30 a day and that’s it. But uh it happened so much troubles with I had so much troubles like now with the battery if I have to buy a new one it’s a€,000 and that’s very expensive and uh even if they fix the battery you know I had all kind of challenges along the way along the journeys I have had so far like bike crashing camera crashing phone crashing I’m still using the old phone uh that I have crashed in CLA this winter. So, uh yeah, a long trip like that requires a lot of logistical and stuff like that. And I cannot do it alone any longer because I thought I have a budget. But then, of course, the Norwegian tax administration came and took a very very big chunk of that saying I have to pay more and more and more taxes. By the way, it’s one of the reason that many businessmen, including some friends of mine, they are moving their businesses in in uh Switzerland or in Spain or in uh all kind of Icelands where uh they do not have to pay so much tax. The Norwegian government is killing us. So, they’ve been taking my uh cycling uh budget and they give me a lot of stress and headache. I even had to go to the doctors for some uh checkups and uh my health didn’t look great as they uh put me on all kind of meetings and uh with to seeologist and and every time I went in there I had to pay about 160 €180 for every 45 minutes and at some point I said guys you know what I’m fed I mean, uh, oh, then on top of those, uh, €180 for 45 minutes for those kinds of meetings, they give me a long list of, uh, medicine, which I said, guys, I’m so fed up with all this kind of If I need therapy, my bike is my therapy, my travel is my therapy. So I told everyone to off. So actually I will be heading to New Zealand. Well, first to Europe and then to New Zealand starting with next week. So I’ll have to say a fair goodbye to Norway. Uh and to be grateful for all the adventures and all the and all the nature and everything that uh Norway had to offer. for this I don’t know I have been here for for like I think something between 15 and 20 years because I’ve been living also a little bit in different parts but uh it’s almost 20 years since since I came first in Norway so I’m looking forward to a new chapter as I said I’m short on budget I’m short on equipment I have a list with equipment that I should buy I do not afford it or if I afford it then I will have no budget a at all for traveling, for cycling, and you know, you need to have a backup in case something happens. So, uh I do not afford to get all this equipment. Uh I’m lucky as I said that some uh campings and some other people I met along the journeys are kind enough and support and some of them give me a place to pitch my tent or uh even doing some donations via y donate. Recently I have open a buy me a coffee but I do not drink coffee so you can buy me kilometers. I’m cycling. My plan is to cycle 100 kilometers a day plus minus if I’m getting my uh battery fixed and uh my budget will be something between 10 and 20 and that’s only for element uh nutrition and supplies. So uh everyone is concerned my do my family doctor my friends my family everyone is concerned that I have actually decided to leave for New Zealand next week uh totally well perhaps not totally unprepared but uh as I said I’m missing some logistic and I’m missing some budget but uh you know I said if I’m not going to do it now uh then when we are actually never ever prepared for for things that takes us out of our comfort zone. So even if I do not have all the logistic and the right tent and the budget and all the gadgets that apparently was needed for such a long trip and even my health is not in the best shape. I said, you know, that. The eyes of uh of others are our prisons and their toes are are are cages. So uh you know I’m really grateful for all the concern and for all the advices but uh I’m doing this my way and the only nice me I mean the it’s nice to get the encouragement messages from from football clubs for example and from players and from uh other people or from the association for the charity I’m working with. uh perhaps they see things differently but of course my friends and my family and my doctors they are very concerned but I uh I have done many things in life. I have worked as a agent football agent. I have been a dishwasher in a restaurant many many many yeah when I was when I was very young after I quit playing football when I got injured. So I have done a lot of things. I have been a youth uh football coach. I have been an agent as I said I have been a sporting director. I have been a restaurant owner, a hotel owner. I can do plenty of things along the journey. If something happens, of course, anytime I can stop and uh pause my journey. I can stop in Germany. I can stop in Italy. I can stop in Spain. I can speak a few foreign languages. So, I’m pretty convinced, you know, I need to try it. I have to do it. I have to do it. And uh seeing like football clubs donating and players donating uh shirts and boots and goalkeepers donating their gloves. It gives me this boost of enthusiasm energy that is required for such a trip. Hi [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Music] Ladies and gentlemen, as I said, I’m trying to to use maps as much as I again I do not trust so much the the gadgets I’m not a very practical guy so um so we will have to cross we’ll have to reach hammer here but uh we are on this side somewhere and uh I don’t know if you can see it on the map but it’s a bridge there and that bridge is uh you can spot put it over there. That will be the difficult part because as you can see, I can see from here. I don’t know if you can spot it, but it’s a lot of traffic. That’s a European 6, I think, crossing Miosa, which is one of the the largest uh lakes here in Norway. I mean, the largest in Norway and one of the largest in Europe. But uh we’re not going to cross the bridge today. Uh I found the camping down there uh not far away from the bridge. So is there uh there is the place where we’re going to camp today and to tomorrow we’re going to do the rest of the trip over the bridge over those mountains and into Hammer which is on the other side of the mountains. So that’s the plan. [Music] [Music] [Music] This part of the road is terrible. Really terrible. [Music] I have to check my mirrors all the time to make sure I’m not losing my paneers here. Hi [Music] [Music] All right. Terrible, terrible country roads. I have never experienced something similar here in Norway. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] So, brothers and sisters, since I have less than uh 1 kilometer to the camping that uh I was mentioning earlier, uh so I’m heading into there. The battery is fine. I still have about half of it, but uh I wouldn’t be able to make it all the way into Hammer with just one battery today. So, we’re going to camp in this place I have found in this camp. Beautiful camping. Uh, charge the batteries, charge the equipment, charge the phone, the battery bike, and then we’ll continue the journey tomorrow. But, uh, let me see you, let me show you, let me show you the camping. H, it’s a very beautiful one by by the not by the sea, by but uh, by the lake. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Woohoo! Woo! Yes. [Music] Ladies and gentlemen, seems I have found my tent spot behind me. It’s a very, very beautiful area. I mean, look at all these views around me. It’s amazing. Uh the guys at the receptions, they were very kind. As they promised me by email, I have not I’ve got not just a free spot for my tent. I did not have to pay anything, but they offered me a card that I can use uh for showering. Obviously, for shower, you have to to pay extra €10. Norway, it’s quite expensive, but uh yeah, they offered me that card for free, so I can use it. Uh if I want to use the shower facilities and stuff like that, so I’m really really grateful. I’m going to take you soon on a short tour around this camping. It’s quite huge, but it’s very beautiful with a lot of facilities. Heat. Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Music] Perhaps uh it’s a small pen for a big man like me. I have got a book. I have got my MacBook to do some editing. I got here a small small souvenir for the guys at the camping and the battery that I need to charge for tomorrow’s trip. So, um let’s have a tour around. So, ladies and gentlemen, let’s go have a look. I took my pen here with the batteries and chargers and books and stuff like that. So, let’s go find the the restaurant. Seems there is a kitchen here that everyone can use it. Let’s see if it’s locked. No, it’s not. But uh wow, everything smell fresh and clean. That’s beautiful. So if you’re at camping and you don’t want to or you don’t have cooking facilities in your camping, in your camp van or so, you can use uh those facilities. You have a fridge, even a washing machine to oven and stuff like that. So, pretty decent. Very nice. Uh there is with you all over the camping, free to use. That’s strange for Norway. And uh here it’s a small restaurant. Let’s see what do they have in the menu. Adrian. Adrian. Yeah, perfect. I’ll bring the feed once. Perfect. Thank you. Oh, I wait for Yeah. No, it’s fine. That looks good. Thank you. [Music] This is not budget traveling. I didn’t pay for the tent. €30 for tonight. I paid €30 for a for a walk, Asian food, and for a beer. I’m so stupid sometime. I’m getting old. I forget stuff in the hotel rooms, in trains, in planes, in the airports. Oh my god. [Applause] And now when it’s raining, I have to make it back to the camping. Let’s do this. As I said, guys, I had to to ride back about 30 kilometers to get my uh charger for my laptop and to get my uh data cable. So uh I run back and now I’m cycling back to the camping. It’s 10:00 in the evening. Seems like a storm is heading into us or at least is over there camping. We had a little bit rain, but I do not give up. My tent is still there and all the other belongings. [Music] But uh let’s hope we are done with the rain for today all the way. We’ll have to be brave. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] floated. Well, my tent is floated over there, but uh yeah, it’s nothing I can do about the rain. Let’s see where we can find a spot where we can edit some videos. Ladies and gentlemen, I’m back in the camping. As you could see, the my my tent was floated. I was lucky enough that my tent was quite quality and I didn’t have any le water leakage inside. So hopefully I can sleep good at the night. Uh the rain has stopped and the storm is gone now. So, um seems uh I do not have much luck with my first uh camping night this year. But, uh as I said, the rain is gone, the w the storm is gone. Uh I will start doing some editing and then I will see you next time on the next episode. Take care everyone. Well, good evening everyone. Uh, it has been raining as hell. It’s uh 2:00 in the night now and the rain stopped a little bit again. Uh, the guys at the camping, they were they were very kind. They uh let me use their terrace. Here is the restaurant. So, they actually let me use their facilities to to do some editing, and they told me I can be here as long as I want. They even said I can move my tent into their terrace because they not going to open before 12 or 1:00 tomorrow. But, uh, yeah, the rain stop and it’s so beautiful out here. I mean, look at all these colors. really beautiful. So, uh the whiff is quite bad, so it will be a long night with editing and uploading, but uh yeah, thank you for staying with me. And uh I hope you enjoy this uh video as much as I did enjoy editing. See you tomorrow.
1 Comment
30:03 mi-a placut😂😂😁