Day 9: bittersweet stopover in Otta

After a lovely night in the forest, with the birds singing, no trouble sleeping and thankfully no rain, I slowly made my way to Otta. It took a lot longer than I thought, since the trail was completely overgrown and for the most part untraceable. So I worked with my map and compass and in the thicker woods, I eventually ended up using some of the forest paths the lumber trucks use - which worked great.
I got to Otta in the early afternoon, found a hotel and started my errands, like picking up my resupply boxes, planning my next 10 days, and washing all my clothes. I also took everything I hadn't used in the first 9 days and reassessed whether I could throw it out (see picture 6). The lighter the better, even though I feel perfectly used to my 20kg pack.
My attempt to meet some locals and socialize over dinner failed - all restaurants were completely empty. So I got mine to go and had a wonderful Skype call with my mum over a burger and fries instead.
Being back in civilization is good - I got into town and right away bought a basket of fresh strawberries. Things are convenient. But I can't help but feel like I'd rather be on some mountain in my tent right now ;) so this stopover is somewhat bittersweet.
Tomorrow is my first rest day and I'll be lazy, reading books, planning my next resupplies, and writing my diary.
This is a first: a post without a tent picture!Read more