Through the snow of Geilo...

Monday night we spent in a little wooden cabin, in the middle of snow and more snow. Our hitchhiking didn't go too well, so instead we took the bus to Geilo, halfway between Oslo and Bergen, where we spent the night at the youth hostel. Instead of the expected dorm, they gave us a cabin as if we were far in the woods, with kitchenette and all.The day after we took the train for the remainder of the voyage to Bergen, trainride classed in the top twenty of the worlds best trainrides, if you please! Very very impressive (and a bit expensive as well). Endless views of snow, lakes, rivers and fjords...

From the fjords of Norway

We arrived last Saturday in Oslo, Norway. Train into town, Central Station where we squatted internet and found out zilch was available for hostels within our price range or hosting from Couch Surfing (okay, we warned only one day in advance, granted ;-).

The railway station was starting to look more and more like our room for the night, which was a scary prospect, until a link of MSN friends were mobilised and found us a curly French Mimi that was willing to take us in for the weekend. From the railway station to the highest point of Oslo, then to the nightclubs of Oslo. Sunday was spent freely discovering the city, some vikingships and public transportation, especially the number 18.

Tired of hanging around, going to Oslo this weekend

Since the wait is growing long, Thomas and me decided on a spur of the moment to have a little get-away, and we choose Oslo as our destination, where neither of us have ever been...
Just booked our flight, from Saturday morning till Wednesday evening, from Antwerp through Amsterdam to Oslo, a mere 160€ each, and are checking out our favorite entry to the locals, CouchSurfing!

It'll do us some good to get away...

And once again, not yet...

Here we are, just heared the news that we're not to be leaving for Zimbabwe this Wednesday. The wait is getting long. Volens wants to wait for a definite decision regarding the second round.

On the upside, Thursday and Friday, a seminar about the Volens communication and also the africa part of their website is held here in Brussels, so that could be interesting for us to participate as well... And maybe afterwards, if Zimbabwe isn't quieting down, maybe first go to Zambia and do some needs assesments for the partnerorganisations there?
Whatever will be, will be....

Zim postponed once again....

Volens, our Belgian sending NGO, has decided once again to postpone our departure. First it was for Monday 7th, but since the results for the presidential elections have still not been made public, Volens prefers to wait. All good and well, but if we are supposed to hold till everything is a-okay down there, we'll probably never leave. So we suggested Wednesday 9th to fly to Harare, and also mentionning that we could go outside of the capital if a second round was declared, where we could learn Shona and get familiar with the culture. Let's wait and see what happens, and what gets accepted ;-)