SUPing to work!

Ever since we moved into our new offices in Mölndal back in December, I'd been biking along Mölndalsån on my daily commute. Parts of it looked ugly and dirty, but others were beautiful with flowers along the banks, tree branches hanging over the water, and different birds living along it. So for a long time I'd been considering taking the waterway to work, and yesterday I finally did it.

After some basic scouting, I saw that the creek ran through the amusement park Liseberg, so I figured that part would be blocked off. Further south, there is a section that seemingly goes underground below a road that crosses in from the motorway to the east. Closer examination made it seem like there was no fencing or similar to prevent navigation of that tunnel. 

I left the house an hour earlier than usual, with my inflatable SUP in its bag on my back, and hopped on the tram to the Liseberg stop. I walked behind the amusement park, and just past the south entrance found a spot to inflate and embark. All went smoothly for about 300m, until I got to the first bridge. There was a log underneath it, chained to the banks on either side! With a SUP it should be no issue to cross, but I had to get across with the fins below the board also. Turned out not to be so difficult, and with some light manoeuvering I was beyond it. 

Time to set paddle! Liseberg in the background

Got my gear with me

Continuing along, I passed many familiar places that I normally pass by bike, and I got lots of curious looks from commuters above me. I myself had never seen any kind of vessel at all on the creek for the last 2.5 years I'd been living in Göteborg. It was a lot of fun paddling along, dodging water lilies, and seeing all the ducks and birds fluttering around. Eventually I go to the tunnel near Lana, it looked dark and foreboding. I crouched down on my knees and slowly entered, with one thought crossing my mind that perhaps the air in there would be no good? The water was still though, and I could easily paddle the 300m around a bend and out the other side. Now it was plain sailing, as the scenery got nicer and greener the further into Mölndal I got. At one bridge a city worker was watering flowers hanging off the bridge, and she was turned away from me and wearing headphones so didn't see me coming. Thankfully I passed between watering left so I didn't get any spillage on me :) 

The light at the end of the tunnel

Troll under the bridge - who's that stomping up there!?!

Entering green and leafy Mölndal!

Alas, when I hit 4km, I'd reached the end of the line where the creek really goes underground before hitting the hillside where the creek comes rushing down from Mölnlycke. As I made landfall, my colleague Marie pulled up on her bike and welcomed me ashore! That's also how I got the photo of yours truly! 

End of the line, with the office in the background

Arrival at Mölndal

At work during the day, people were surprised that I'd come by SUP to work, but I was challenged to see if I could make it through Liseberg also! Seeing as there was nothing to lose, that evening I paddled back north on my way home also. The cree, although slowly, flows north so I had some extra speed on the way home. It started raining about halfway, but was still drier than if I'd been in the water. Arriving to Liseberg, I simply ducked down under the bridge there and emerged inside the park! People lined up for their rides stopped mid ice cream lick, and stared as I passed by. It was quite fun and ridiculous to be paddling through there! Another bridge came along and people crossing stopped to look, with one kid shouting out that I should watch my head. I was more concerned though about the waterfall coming up ahead! They have some kind of pipe creating a waterfall across the creek! Luckily there was a gap along the side and the turbulence in the water wasn't bad so I made it through. Further along, by "båtbryggan", a kid ran along and shouted "Killen! Killen! Vad håller du på med??" (Dude, dude! What are you doing?) I just said "I'm on my way home from work!" His eyes went big and he seemed shocked! Soon I was through the park, and out underneath the main road that goes to Korsvägen. Just past there, I saw my friends from work! They'd gone out to get snacks, and were waiting for me in the grass along the creek! So I got a grand welcome ashore, and we sat down for some wine and chips to finish off today's little adventure.

After Liseberg, passing ICA Focus

Glacier 360 - 3 day, 290km stage race around Langjökull glacier!

Check out the Video first!

https://vimeo.com/185157362

Preparation

Back in January my friend Jonathan and I met up at the Bianchi Cafe in Stockholm. We hadn't seen each other in a few years and only a few times since graduating highschool together back in 2000. It was a bit of a luck because I was visiting my sister in Stockholm, and had been kicked out for the day because she was busy tidying up her apartment ahead of a viewing, as she was about to sell her apartment. Anyway, a happy surprise was that Jonathan really enjoyed cycling, particularly mountain biking! So we talked about that for quite a bit, and suggested riding together some time later in the year. A few days later Jonathan sent me a link to a new race event in Iceland, the Glacier360! It was a brand new event being set up by a tour group that organized guided mountain bike trips in Iceland. I didn't need much convincing, and soon we were both signed up for this 3 day stage race around Langjökull glacier! (We'd find out later that we were actually the first team to sign up so we were given start number 1!) In the next few months we organized flights and discussed what gear to bring etc. but also did a race together in Uddevalla to understand better how we'd get along. I had spent most of the spring road-cycling and swimming in preparation for Vätternrundan and Vansbrosimmet, but did a little bit of mountainbiking in the Delsjö area as well just behind my apartment in Gothenburg. Soon enough the summer months were rolling by and it was time to meet up with Jonathan in Stockholm for our trip together to Iceland!

Arriving to Iceland - August 14-16

I drove up to Sollentuna on Sunday evening, after having spent the previous week gorging myself on good food at home in Småland while my family was vistiting from different parts of the world. I found Jonathan still working out what to pack, while I similarly had spent the last few days going back and forth about exactly what to bring. We inspected each others gear together, left out duplicate tools etc, packed everything up successfully and after a delicious meal prepared by Jonathans wife Elsa we headed to bed. 
The flight went smoothly, and we landed to a very grey, dreary and misty Keflavik airport at about 9am Monday morning. The airport was packed, but we quickly got bus tickets and very soon were heading east to Hafnarfjörður. The view out the windows was not a very pretty sight, as we were hoping for better weather than to cycle through dense fog and slowly getting soaked from the continuous light rain. Having jumped off the bus, my cousin Örvar picked us up with his reliable little trailer anno 1982 for our bike bags. It was great to see Örvar and Sirry again, and of course their three delightful daughters. We caught up in the kitchen over a late brunch, and even witnessed Chinese tourists being dropped off outside the house to take photos of a beautiful example of Icelandic architecture! We joked that Örvar and Sirry should start charging for photos of their house, or maybe even invite tourists for an experience of having coffee with true Icelanders! In the afternoon we got to borrow the car and toured Reykjavik, driving out to Seltjarnes first and then into the center. We saw quite a bit, with highlights being the enormous contoured map of Iceland at city hall, and the delicious bread and pastries from Braud Co. just near Hallgrimskirkjan. In the evening we were invited to dinner at my aunt Salla's house in Kopavogur, where many cousins also came! We had delicious fish soup for dinner and Skyr-pie with blueberries for dessert, while spending time with many cousins I hadn't seen for several years and even getting to meet the newest addition to the family, Rökkvi Harðarsson! 
The next day was all about preparing for the race, and we took a taxi in the morning with our bikes to the headquarters of the organizers Made in Mountains (MiM) to put our bikes together. There we met Jorge, an experienced Portuguese rider who had done many stage races before in South Africa, Nepal, USA and of course home in Portugal. We also met briefly Jonathans brother Chris who was signed up for the race also, along with his teammate Greg who was going to race on a fully rigid single-speed Kona! Quite a contrast to the top of the line full-suspension S-Works, Trek and Yeti bikes we'd seen so far. We had a few hours to kill before the pre-race meeting so we grabbed some world-famous hot dogs from Bæjarins Beztu and saw some more of Reykjavik, ending up at Reykjavik Roasters coffee shop to write some post cards. The race meeting was at the Kex hostel, which was full of people dressed in Marmot, North Face, and Arctery'x gear, clearly ready to tour Icelands interior. We found the Glacier360 corner and were asked first to sign a waiver before picking up our race numbers. Seemingly unlike most others, we actually read the waiver and were surprised to see several references to the agreement being subject to certain laws in British Columbia, Canada!? Well, the organizers admitted they'd just copied and pasted the wording and said the document was just meant to inform us about the risks. After an information session we made our way back to Hafnarfjörður via bus and relaxed for a while before dinner together with Örvar and Sirry, and also Erla and Friggi who came over. We had a great dinner of fish accompanied with malt og appelsín! It was however the night before the race so we turned in rather early, making sure to have all our things packed up before bed time!

Grey and dreary as we land in Iceland

Awesomest map in the world - and there in the center is Langjökull glacier!

Out by Seltjarnes in the outskirts of Reykjavik

Stage 1 - August 17

Route: https://www.strava.com/activities/683291653

Early morning! We woke up at the crack of dawn (which is extra early in Iceland) and Örvar was nice enough to drive us down into the harbour of Reykjavik where we met up with the other racers. We loaded our bikes and luggage onto the buses and were soon off driving east. The weather was changing quickly as we went up and down across some small passes and through valleys. But things were looking bright overall with the sun piercing through the clouds! At Laugarvatn we picked up the rest of the racers, which included most of the pros who mostly did look quite pro, but also like mere mortals at the same time. One of these pros was Rebecca Rusch who was there with a crew from Red Bull who were going to film along the whole way and prepare a feature for their website. It wasn't far from that stop to Geysir, where our bikes and gear were already laid out, with Jonathans and my bikes up at the front where they belonged as top-seeds! ;) We had a look at Strokkur and did some warming up and filled up our water bottles, before it was time to line up in front of the big starting gate. One could really feel the energy buzzing around, as everyone was eagerly anticipating the ride ahead, all in their finest kit and on spotless shiny and well-tuned bikes. Then the starting signal went off! Most everyone held a similar pace for the first few kilometers as we climbed through forested area of about 3m tall trees, but once we emerged onto the more barren rolling hills above, the field was spread out. The first section followed a gravel road parallel to a string of power cables and the riding was quite easy. We could see a steep climb ahead though, dotted with other riders. It was indeed steep but once we got to the top we were treated to a very different landscape, much more volcanic and barren with Langjökull glacier off to the north-east on our right. The road here was rougher but still not so bad, and we tried to up the pace a bit along the next 30 or so kilometers. Soon we had rounded the east side of the conical old volcano Skjaldbreiður and descended down towards the first rest stop. I was pretty tired so it was a welcome sight and it was here that I first talked to one of the photographers from Red Bull. He was a cool young guy, living in Austria but from the US, seemingly always doing some kind of adventure. But I was more impressed when I saw over off to the side another competitor, sitting on a rock, and nursing her baby! The baby must have only been about 4 or 5 months old. She and her partner set off for the rest of the stage at about the same point as we did, and seemed really in great shape. So impressive! To be doing a long distance endurance event and just casually sitting down at a rest stop to breastfeed. Just awesome. After the rest stop we followed a busier road so the surface was easier to ride on, but there was a bit more traffic, and we were also now climbing. Several teams were having to help push each other up the climbs and the going was quite slow, until I saw a distinct and typical mega-cairn marking the top of the pass and then we let loose and were sweeping down the hills! Jonathan is a very skilled descender and quite fearless so I had trouble keeping up and he would have to hold up from time to time to let me catch up. It was getting warmer and greener as we descended too, and soon we were biking in the bottom of a wide valley along a noisy and wide creek. With a few kilometers to go the course jumped off the road and onto some beautiful single track trails winding through another small forest, which made for the funnest riding of the day. We emerged out into a clearing where we were to cross the creek mentioned before. Jonathan was ahead of me and in the middle of the creek got stuck and I heard a loud bang as his rear tire exploded! He didn't notice though and kept biking as I saw all the sealant pouring out of his tire and spilling on the rocks. I called out to him and he finally stopped realizing what had happened. Fortunately we were only about 500m from the finish, but what terrible luck! As we limped across the finish line we were greeted by staff handing us drinks and guiding us to the camp site. We were both quite impressed by the facilities at the campsite, the tents that were set up for us were much larger than expected and even included proper comfy air mattresses! The campsite was actually part of a larger hotel complex with a restaurant, a little shop, golf facility etc., quite fancy compared to the wilderness we’d been cycling through. After cleaning and tending to our bikes we went over to the pool and relaxed in the hottubs, but also ran over to the icy pond to chill off a bit! Jonathans brother and his teammate finished the stage quite a while after us, but their feat of managing with a single-speed fully rigid bike was super impressive! Next was dinner and we had a good time talking to a German couple we’d been cycling parts of the route with, they were from Bavaria and mostly did sprint triathlons but had recently started mountain biking. We turned in quite early that night, ready for more riding on day 2!

At Geysir - let´s go!

Climbing with Langjökull by my side

The Camber where it belongs

Stage 2 - August 18

Route: https://www.strava.com/activities/683291667

I woke up feeling great, and felt even better when stepping out of the tent and seeing the beautiful surroundings and the promising weather for the day! In high spirits we went up to the hotel to get breakfast, and then packed up our gear, prepared our bikes and lined up by the starting line. The route started on a couple of kilometers of pavement first heading further up the valley but we soon passed the last farms and were on a rocky dirt road heading into the highlands. The sun was shining down on us as we went down and mostly up the rolling landscape through lava fields sprinkled with green moss. After about an hour and a half we finally reached one of the highlights of the day, the major river crossing that everyone had been talking so much about the night before! Our tactic was to wade over in our socks with pants rolled up and bikes on our shoulders, and change into spare dry socks on the other side. There was a rescue worker who had set up a rope across the river and was on hand in case anything went wrong, but the crossing was not very difficult. We did see an Irish biker slip and fall into the icy water though, facing the prospect of spending the rest of the day riding in wet clothes! I lent him my spare long johns which he gladly accepted, although they were a bit baggy and loose on him. For the next 20-30km there were several other river crossings and it was at times difficult to see if they were bikeable, so for some we waded across, some we jumped across, and some we rode through. This part of the day was a lot of fun because the sun was shining, it was neat crossing so much water, and the riding was quite fast and smooth. We were still climbing though and soon reached a plateau of sorts, very rocky and difficult to ride on, but with spectacularly eerie views to all sides seeing Langjökull clearly to our right and mountains on the horizon to our left up near Blönduós and towards Varmahlíð. The first rest stop was much farther along on the route than expected and when we finally reached it, it was a very welcome sight. The organisers had promised 4 rest stops in a span of about 50-60km, but there ended up only being 2 there. Luckily we had such good weather and a tail wind, otherwise this day could have ended up very differently. When we’d finally managed across the tricky plateau, the track wound down into a shallow but wide valley and we could see the F35 road off in the distance which was where we’d make a sharp turn right. As we raced down the bumpy road it was quite a shock to get on the relatively smooth dirt road again! But now the wind was in our faces and it became a completely different challenge as we could see much farther ahead and the climbs were less steep but much longer. At the top of one climb we stopped briefly to eat a bit and I noticed that my rear axle had rattled itself loose, but after tightening it things rolled on much better. It was also here that we saw our nearest competitors again behind us, and we decided that we weren’t going to let them catch us before the finish! So we pressed on, as the wind tried to push us backwards and more cars were passing us also on their way to the destination for the day, Hveravellir. Multiple times we felt deceived as we’d see what looked like some sign of the camp but it’d turn out to be an airfield or a shepherds hut. But then across another rise we finally saw the steam rising from the hot springs and we got renewed energy in our legs taking us the final stretch. The route took us down a single track for the last 400m or so, and finished through the bright blue gate after 112km of riding! It was great to be finished for the day, particularly such a challenging and exciting stage, but I was also massively disappointed with the reception we got. Namely, none at all. There was nobody on hand to do any of a number of things, take our photo as we finished, hand us something to drink, point us in the direction of the camp/showers/food, give us some encouraging words or high fives for finishing. It was a real bummer. So I found the camp myself and dropped off my bike and got something to drink, but went straight back to the finish line to wait for the other teams. Take their photos and welcome them to camp. It was the least I can do while the organisers seemed busy pampering the pros who had all finished several hours earlier. At last though it was time to clean up, both the bikes and ourselves, and Jonathan and I jumped into the hot spring that we’d been looking forward to all day! The hot spring was only lukewarm though, but another cyclist who was a Danish journalist realised we just had to add more hot water. The temperature was regulated by two pipes, one with cold and another with scalding hot water, so we just had to move the pipes to get the balance right again! It was fun to share our experiences with the journalist, and I need to not forget to check out the article he was writing when it comes out in Danish mountainbike magazines! Dinner that evening was simple but filling and we treated ourselves to some beers, while I also shared the photos from the finish line with the respective teams. Evening came quicker today since it’d been a longer day, and it was not long before sunset that Jonathans brothers team arrived as well, even more impressive that they’d come through today! It rained a bit as we crawled into our tents and prepped for the next day, eager to ride what had been promised to be an easier day with more downhill and the race finish line waiting by Gullfoss!

Getting our feet wet

Jonathan disappearing in the vastness of Icelands highlands

Team Joteg - Numero Uno!

Stage 3 - Valley of Thieves - August 19

Route: https://www.strava.com/activities/683291909

The third and final day of the race had arrived! But despite the two tough days behind us, I was still feeling fresh and excited for more riding. We’d slept a little longer today though so there was a bit of a rush towards the end to be ready in time for the start, but soon enough we were all lined up again together with the other teams. I was glad I’d chosen to wear short sleeves and shorts again today, because we were still having great luck with the weather and it was quite hot climbing up and away from Hveravellir towards “the valley of the thieves”. As we reached the edge of the valley I had to stop briefly and take in the spectacular view. The green slopes giving way to a beautiful valley with gleaming streams down below, and all under a beautiful blue sky dotted with light fluffy clouds. The other aspect being the sheer openness of the place, being able to take in so much and so much beauty from just one spot! The descent into the valley was fast and fun and down below the tracks were smooth and flowing as we crossed another few streams. The fun didn’t last all too long though, as soon we were out on a large open plain, and there was barely any track to ride on. Big rocks were everywhere and at least for me it was impossible to ride continuously for the next 3-5km. It was still early on in the day and I didn’t want to get disheartened, but if this was what had been promised to be the fun single-track on the easy day, then we had a much longer day ahead of us than anticipated! Fortunately things soon got a bit better, as tracks were emerging ahead of us. The terrain here was very soft and all-terrain vehicles had formed deep ruts in the soil which were not very nice to look at, but made it quite easy to navigate. Often these ruts we were riding in would be about a half meter deep though and quite narrow, so it took a lot of concentration to ride well and not sideswipe the edges which could result in crashes or worse. We were soon riding along the glacial river Hvítá and I started thinking about the sheer scale of things and how all we’d seen so far fit together. We were now on the opposite side of Langjökull compared to where we’d been on day 1, and here glacial runoff was flowing into lake Hvíárvatn and then continuing south to form probably the most famous waterfall and landmark in Iceland, Gullfoss. Here the track was a lot of fun, flowed back and forth, up and down, through soft mossy areas and then across sandy stretches surrounded by big boulders making us feel like we were riding on the moon. Soon we’d crossed this area of wilderness and were back on dirt roads, quite wides ones actually. Here we caught up with several teams and even passed some as the riding became a lot less technical and much more about endurance and stamina. There was one last major climb to contend with as we rode along the side of a conical mountain, and then had a ginormous descent which took some concentration as the road was pocked with potholes especially in the bends. We met up here with the crew from Red Bull and for the last 20km or so we rode together, chatting and enjoying the last bit of the race. I was honestly feeling quite exhausted here though and had a hard time keeping up with the pace that was set, with Jonathan leading the way. The dirt road soon gave way to asphalt and more and more cars were buzzing past us, as we saw the mist from Gullfoss down below. Before we knew it the big blue finishing gate was right ahead of us and just like that the race came to an end! It was a bit surreal making it to the finish line, both because of realising where and how far we’d ridden, but also because suddenly we were surrounded by hordes of tourists pouring out of busses to go all googly-eyes at the sight of Gullfoss. Jonathan and I got our obligatory victory selfie with our medals and the waterfall in the background, before we packed up our bikes and gear into the van that was going to take us to Reykjavik. The organisation here though was a bit awry, as there didn’t seem to be any plan and we were fortunate to have enough space on the van for both of us! I had a good time on the drive back though, chatting with other racers like the Irish guy who’d fallen in the river the day before, and Jesse from Tennesse who’d ridden a Fargo in the race and was now planning to ride it north in Snaefellsness to do some touring. Everyone was in a jolly mood and one could feel the atmosphere of content, while everyone was quite tired and also a bit sad that the race was over. Arriving to Reykjavik it became clear that my bike had not made it in the transport so I was faced with either a 2 hour wait or picking up the bike later. Thankfully the organisers offered to drive home my bike to Hafnarfjörður later in the evening, so things worked out! Here Jonathan and I parted ways as he had reserved a hotel for the night and left early the next day while I went home with Örvar and Sirry to have some pizza and relax with them and their daughters. What a great way to end the evening, with pizza, more malt go appelsín, and spending time with family! 
The next day was planned to be the night of the big party to bring the whole event to a close, out on Viðey island off the coast of Reykjavik. Unfortunately my flight left the same night so I wouldn’t be able to make it to the party, but instead I got to spend the day in town together with Örvar and Sirry and family. It was actually the day of Menningarnótt, the anniversary of the founding of Reykjavik, so there were a lot of activities in town. The city had distributed equipment and ingredients to people living in town so they could make waffles which were being prepared out on the sidewalks and handed out for free! We listened to some concerts in various areas, chatted with people and family members we ran into, and had some great food from the food stalls downtown. Also we listened to a choir singing in Hallgrimskirkjan, before testing out some “french fries with nutella” that we’d heard would be good in a local US themed restaurant. They were… interesting, let’s say. The day ended with a ride to the airport, saying farewell to my fantastic hosts Örvar and Sirry, and climbing aboard a plane back south the Göteborg!

In the Valley of the thieves

Finished!

Blinging at the Golden waterfall

Reflection

I will never stop being amazed by the fantastic rugged beauty in Iceland. The sensations one experiences there of being so small compared to the massive earthly forces on display there, combined with the awe felt from all the vast expanses and incredible beauty are quite amazing. I feel very fortunate to have a connection to such a special place and of course also to have such a wonderful family there. Regarding the race, it was challenging and a lot of fun, particularly because the course was so unique and took us on such a cool tour of the highlands and around Langjökull. I know already though that I won’t be back next year, mostly because I’d rather repeat such a trip on my own terms, with a bit more freedom on when and where to stop and rest and sleep and how fast or far to ride. Plus, there are so many other stage races to try out, so next one will be someplace else. It was also clear that this was the first year this race was being organised as some things were a bit strange or frustrating, particularly the attitude I felt from the organisers and also from other riders that if you weren’t pro or amongst the top tier, you weren’t really very important at all. I’d recommend other amateurs or recreational riders to tour Iceland on their own or via tour groups, or seek out other races. Overall though, it was an amazing experience and I’m also grateful to have had such a terrific teammate in Jonathan, who not only rode strong and hard all three days, but also kept a positive outlook and encouraged me along the way! Looking forward to our next race together :)

Paddling Säveån

Paddling Säveån 

Time for a mini-adventure! I'd already taken my SUP (stand up paddleboard) out a few times on local lakes both near Göteborg and in Småland, but now it was time to really make use of the portability of an inflatable board. I had read about some others having paddled canoes down Säveån, and given that I'd biked along the little river many times as it passes through Partille and Jonsered, I thought I'd try it out for myself!

With the board folded up in its backpack case and the paddle in hand, I walked off to the bus stop and took bus 519 towards Jonsered. I wasn't sure exactly where there'd be a good spot to launch the board, but having scoped out the map I took my chances at the högshall bus stop, the last one before entering Jonsered. Turns out I was in luck! It was right by a bridge which spanned some rougherish rapids, and downstream from them it was a lot calmer. There were a cow pasture along the shore so had to climb over the fence to get to the water. Having inflated the board and packed the bag and pump under the straps of the board, I set off. 

Over the fence, past the cows, to Säveån

Not the most beautiful of spots, but fine

The initial kilometer was a lot of fun, some smaller 'rapids' where my lack of balance was tested, and several twists and turns in the river. It then got a lot calmer though, and less exciting. On either side was mostly pastures or semi-dense forest with warehouses behind. There was also a lot more trash in the river than I'd expected. Tires, bicycles, plastic bags, and at one point even an entire submerged car! I did see some blue dragon flies, several common goldeneye ducks, but the only fish was what looked like a dead perch floating belly-up. As I passed through Partille, the only clue that I was there were the bridges, as it was really quiet down in the river. I passed a small boat with a family that had gone up the river for a swim, and soon started passing more little huts on the shore with boats docked. They were all quite run-down and it seemed like old grungy looking men lived there, some napping on mattresses with doors open while the radio was blasting. 

As I saw the smokestacks of Renova and Göteborg Energi, I knew I was approaching Göteborg. Passing through Gamlestaden, it was fun going under the bridges I'd crossed many times by bike when heading north, and watched people stepping in and out of trams as I quietly was gliding by. Soon the river widened quite a bit, and some passing boats made for a bit of fun as I rode across their wake! I soon saw Gasklockan, the famous cylindrical landmark in Göteborg, and then Skansen lejonet, an old fort trapped among the railroad tracks behind the station. As Säveån drained out into Göta älv, I could see the cranes and warehouses all along the harbour, sailboats cruising out towards the sea, and larger boats docked along my left. The wind was a bit rougher and some more waves but it was still quite easy going. I enjoyed passing under Götaälvbron bridge and "Läppstiftet", the iconic but in my opinion less than attractive high rise by lilla bommen in Göteborg. Turning around the corner around the Barken Viking hotel ship, I entered the little harbour along the opera and docked! Pulled my board out and packed it up again within minutes! I then joined all the tourists strolling along the dock and headed to Brunnsparken to take the tram home!

Götaälvbron!

Hotel Barken Viking

Back on land

Overall a fund little adventure. It took two and a half hours of continuous paddling (I had a time to keep otherwise I would have been more casual). Next time I'd bring drinking water and sunscreen. What really struck me though was how much garbage there was along the river. I'll have to see if Partille kommun is doing something about the trash, and if not, perhaps go back with a larger boat and try clearing some of the debris!

Visit to Caucasus - Part 3

Crossing the border to behold the mighty Ararat - July 11th

After a full nights sleep we had a relaxing morning and after some breakfast all was set for our trip down to Armenia. The front bumper of the car had been removed to be repainted after some scratches, but it was replaced onto the car again in time for our trip. We didn’t want to risk any questions about if we’d had an accident, when crossing the border. Our start was delayed a bit, someone decided quite late to take a shower (cough cough) so we didn’t leave the apartment until about 12:30. We drove through town and I realised there was a lot of Tbilisi I had yet to see, but that would have to be another day. The road took us past Rustavi and after about an hour we were at the border. Before crossing the border we stopped to buy some fruit at a roadside stand, and I tried a very strange fruit that the seller called a Georgian pomegranate. It was bright orange and very warty, and when opened it had bright red sticky seeds inside to be eaten. Found out later that it is a sour gourd, but to me it looked like it was from outer space! We had to get out of the car and first go through a Georgian checkpoint getting an exit stamp, then over the bridge into Armenia and stand in line again for the entrance stamp. The lines were long, the sun was hot, everyone seemed a bit frustrated. And it took even longer for my father driving the car through, because once in Armenia you had to not only register the car as being in the country, but also arrange local insurance which took a long time. We must have spent nearly 2 hours at the checkpoint. At last we could continue and the first hour or so we traveled along a river through a narrow valley with towns dominated by old steel mills and abandoned ten story factory buildings with broken windows. These were strong reminders of the Soviet era, when ore would be transported enormous distances to be processed into steel far away from the mines, it seems on purpose to ensure that no one region was self-sufficient and would remain dependant on the union. My father told a story about his first job and how his life was affected by cheap step. He was working for AEG putting together a tender for a project in Iceland, but a competing offer from the USSR won because they were much cheaper. They could not set an appropriate value on steel because steel in the USSR had no real price. And thus the project wasn’t given to AEG and my father did not move home to Iceland and instead started his nomadic lifestyle living abroad. We eventually made it up and out of the valley to Spitak where we stopped for some delicious kebabs in a small cafe. I tried the Armenian Tarragon soda there but it was nowhere near as good as the one in Georgia. It was cool watching the bakers in the town making the traditional flat bread too, working in an assembly line, tossing the dough in the air and through special ovens. 

Fresh hazelnuts for sale at the border!

The crazy fruit (sour gourd) that the salesman tried to tell us was a 'Georgian pomegranate'

Armenians know how to pack their cars effectively! 

Crummy photo of what looks like an old Soviet era steel mill - with strange ore chute at the top of the mountain

Shortly after Spitak we got to the Spitak pass and beyond there the landscape changed quite drastically. In front of us was a vast plain, all green from the fields and with smaller hills here and there. It was quite stunning! We continued on as evening was drawing close, and passed the giant Mt. Aragats which unfortunately was obscured by clouds. It provided some foreshadowing though, because as we got closer to Yerevan, through the haze we suddenly were able to see the outline of the absolutely massive Mt. Ararat! The mythic mountain from the biblical story of Noah, that completely dominates the horizon and without much surprise is featured in a lot of Armenian logos, product names etc. Yerevan was really fantastic! A modern, organised, bustling city. After checking into the hotel it was already quite late but we had time for a walk, some drinks outside and then dinner. One astonishing thing though was the abundance of references to the Armenian genocide of 1915. There were banners and posters everywhere, even people wearing t-shirts like a fashion statement. Everything in English as well. Gave me the feeling that some powerful force is behind all this, and given all the merchandise, the uneasy feeling that people may be profiting off of this tragic event.

The beautiful open plain beyond Spitak pass

Cattle blocking the roads in Armenia

Armenian waterfights! - July 12th

I woke up early and finally went out for a run after several days off. The streets were quiet and mostly empty as I headed north and climbed the stairs of the cascade complex that dominates the northern area of downtown Yerevan. There were all kinds of sculptures, including several by the Colombian artist Botero, and a series of fountains not yet in use, but which definitely will be a sight to behold once complete. As I ran to the top I looked forward to the view of Ararat, but unfortunately the smog and haze did not allow for any such view. Later, after a leisurely breakfast the four of us packed up, checked out, and went out for a walk before leaving the city. It quickly became apparent that there was some kind of water throwing festival exactly this day when we happened to be in town! Turns out this is a ancient pagan festival called Vardavar held every year 14 weeks after Easter. People were emptying buckets of water from their balconies, and teenagers were prowling the streets with super soakers. We sought refuge at a cafe to have some fresh juice (which turned out to be quite terrible) and then when the coast was clear got all the way back to the cascade stairs with minimal drenching. Turns out the cascade complex had an interior part also, with a music hall, exhibit spaces and a gift shop. Amanda bought a beautiful necklace with a pendant shaped like a pomegranate. Now it was midday and since it was midsummer also quite hot. So all the city seemed to be out looking to get others wet. As obvious tourists, everyone was excited to spray us and after some early evasive manoeuvres we eventually had to resign to the reality that we would get soaked. The central square was just mayhem, as firemen had filled a pool with water and people were everywhere spraying each other. If only we’d known and been better prepared! We had to get going though and finally made it to the car, quickly changing out of our wet clothes before driving out. We took the road north east this time, and passed endless stands selling swimsuits and blowup toys, as this was the road to Lake Sevan. This is the place people from Yerevan go on the weekends to swim, camp, and eat on the shore of what must be the largest lake in the Caucasus region. We stopped there for lunch and had another delicious meal, but it was devoured quickly as the wind was strong and cold by the lake. We hit the road again, and this time a tunnel brought us through the mountains back away from the arid south-central section of Armenia to the wooded cooler north. After a couple of hours more we approached the border to Azerbaijan and stopped at an outlook where there recently had been built a military outlook point where soldiers could point their weapons directly at the border. The drive was longer than expected and we had to keep going, getting back to the border which again took nearly two hours. It was getting dark as we approached Tbilisi and once in the city poor lighting, road construction, and crazy macho drivers made the drive a bit less than comfortable. We were even pulled over for some apparent infraction, but allowed to continue on after protesting about the state of the roads! The police were calm, respectful and rather kind though, leaving a very good impression. As we finally arrived back at the apartment, it was time to pack up again as the flight back was already leaving in a few hours. 

The cascade complex in northern downtown Yerevan

Unfortunately no sight of Ararat in this panorama of Yerevan

Armenians HEART PT cruisers!

There's Ararat!

Only photo I got of the water throwing people - it was mayhem though!

Local beer at Lake Sevan

Delicious fish kebab at lake sevan!

Military pillbox looking out towards Azerbaijan

Adventures in Sigulda - July 13th

After perhaps two hours of sleep, we drove off to the airport and had to say goodbye to my father and Maia. Next time we’ll see each other is… October maybe? Or next spring? The flight to Riga was full of Zzzzs, and thankfully so as I had another full days layover to spend in Latvia. This time I took the bus into town and then after some delicious pierogis for breakfast jumped on another bus due east for about an hour to the town of Sigulda next to the Gaujas national park. The sun was shining, and the town seemed extremely well prepared for tourists! Right across from the station was a bike shop with the awesome name ‘Okej’ where I rented another bike for the day. After rolling through town for a bit, I rode down and across the gorge where the river Gaujas flows, into the national park. I was eager to see the cave I’d been reading about, but the Gutmanis cave, apparently the largest in the Baltics was quite disappointing. I wouldn’t even call it a real cave, it was more like a dent in the cliff where perhaps 20 people could shelter from the rain if the weather was bad. I got back on the bike and followed a trail along the river, through dense woods, fields and cute little farms. The trails were a bit confusing though and I soon found I’d gone a bit too far but made my own route than instead of the one on the map I had picked up at the tourist information office. This was a lot more fun as the trails would vary from broad bumpy tractor roads to super narrow single track paths and back to smooth hiking trails. My favourite part was the ghostly illuminated tree in a small clearing with branches every which way and no leaves. I soon returned to Sigulda and saw some more sights like the zip line park, a couple of castles and even saw the Russian luge team getting into the team bus after practicing at the local bob sled arena. After a pizza for lunch/dinner and some reading in a park I got back on the bus to Riga. The evening was quite beautiful and I was able to walk around and appreciate the city a lot better this time around! I was still amazed though by how oddly similar Latvian sounded to Swedish, not the actual words but just some of the sounds and melody of the way people spoke. After an hour or so of strolling through the old town, I walked across the main bridge over the river Daugava, and got on the bus to the airport in front of the large pyramid shaped building that is the national library. I was soon back at the airport and safely on my way home to good ole Göteborg!

Entering the park

You call that a cave?

The spooky ghostly troll tree in the middle of the forest where ghouls come to dance at midnight

Trail biking

Farm roads of Latvia

So many storks in Latvia!

Postcard from Riga with the house of the blackheads