What follow is, what I expect to be, the first of a series of supplementary posts about written in the 2013 summary. I’ll start with my trip and first day in Bergen.

My arrival occurred the 2nd of August, 2012. It was a flight with KLM airline from Barajas T4, in Madrid and a long layover in Schiphol, Amsterdam. I have to say that it was a nice airport, in my opinion. When I arrived, at night, the place was very quiet. A young girl was peacefully sleeping in the waiting area, someone else resting in the comfortable armchairs and airport staff.

It was a stormy night with some occasional lightning, and I was watching the girl sleeping peacefully without worrying too much about her belongings. I have to say that we were in the existing zone after the security checks. I was looking at her with envy. Without being able to sleep, due to it was my first time traveling alone and voices from my relatives and acquaintances were resonating in my head saying that if I fell asleep, I could get robbed. In the end, an hour before my flight departed, I fell totally asleep. Luckily, I woke up with 10 minutes to spare for not losing it.

When I landed in Bergen, I was totally exhausted. The suitcase was not in good conditions because of the treatment received by the staff and it was raining. In that moment I thought it was bad luck. Then I found that the weird thing in that city was the sun shining, the rainiest city of Europe.

Just after leave the airport I got on the bus going to the city, after paying 60 NOK, about 10 €, student discount included. After trying to get along with the driver, and after enjoying a short trip full of excitement by the unknown, in which I only saw nature everywhere, I managed to get to Byparken, in the center of Bergen. There started the challenge of searching the SiB offices, where I had to pick the keys of my room up, through labyrinthine streets with ups and downs. In the same situations, but without dragging a suitcase that seemed about to break at any time, I’d enjoyed my walk.

Once found the place and after submitting all my papers, I got to choose my room, since I was one of the first people of the semester. I decided that after so many years living in low flats, I wanted to live as high as possible. I also wanted good sights. And that was what I asked for. Luckily, my wish was granted, since later I’d find that sights were the best and the height was the last one where the lift reached. Depending on the lift in a student hostel has its cons, but I’ll leave that for another story.

Once I got my keys, I got out happily to rest when I realized  that absentmindedly I had forgotten all the papers inside. I rushed in again and I could only say the word “paper”. Surprisingly, the boy understood me perfectly. Then I heard a question: “You’re Spanish, right?”. To hear my language in that moment was really comforting. You have to understand that in that moment of the day, I only wanted to go to bed or to a corner where I could have some sleep. I started talking to them, Bárbara, Inma and Gus, two valencians and another one from Alicante that had only spent a few hours in Bergen and with which I went out for buying something for the first time.

The first purchase was the most painful. Only normal stuff that cost around 100 €. I didn’t have the card ready for paying so much in that moment, so I had to pay one part with card and the rest in cash.

Once done with the shopping, it was the time to catch the light rail and watch the residence for the first time. The first impression of the building wasn’t very encouraging. A high concrete building, not very nice. Also the first impression that we all had when we just arrived to the room was that practically, we were lucky of having a bed, because it’s almost the only thing into it. That was the moment when I joined the newly known Spanish people, looking for abandoned furniture by the residence. In the residence, people reuse everything, from sofas to tableware for the kitchen. If you’re lucky and you haven’t arrived too late, you can find a lot of useful things by the different floors.

We found a lot of things. My best treasure was reclining armchair that I used during all my stay there. Once the room looked a little bit better I decided that it was time to sleep. I took the pack of toilet paper for using it pillow-like and also the sleeping bag that I always take to  the trips. And I slept like never before.

Translation by Juanmi Tocados.

Post in Spanish – Entrada en español.