For the first time, Liselotte had to wake up each tent for breakfast. We weren't exhausted, just delaying the inevitable end of this truly magical trip. She had made pancakes for us, and we ate them slowly, packed up slowly, and got on the water slowly. Once there, we barely paddled. Matt suggested that we paddle backwards, and pointed out that there are eight of us and only one Liselotte, so what could she do?
The last day took us down to the end of a very narrow and particularly stunning fjord which has been named a UNESCO World Heritage site, and for good reason. Our usual joking banter was largely replaced by stunned silence and occasional gasps, and our return to civilization was a bit of a blow. We all felt closer to each other, and closer to the land, and didn't want it to end, even knowing that we could take a hot shower and get a cold beer.
Once on land, we went through the gear fussing in reverse, and as we had lunch one of the other guides joined us to ask me questions about a visa application she submitted to come to the U.S. which had been denied. I gave her advice, making a small deposit in the karma bank.
Back in Flåm we separated reluctantly, heading off to shower. Our family had a beautiful apartment in town where we showered and did two loads of laundry, and discovered that Thom had three ticks on his torso and leg, and Ria had a baby tick on her eyelid! Thom extracted all of them while I thought serene thoughts about the Queen.
Cleaned up and rested, we walked in to town and headed straight for the pub. We met Matt, Jason, and John, and shared a hilarious dinner during which Ria taught Matt the clapping game "Happy llama, sad llama," which he intends to use as a pickup line. Good luck with that. The photo of Matt below shows his clear resemblance to the illustration Ria made of his namesake, Mathilda the Hedgohog. This, too, he plans to use to pick up women, so show his soft, sensitive side. It actually was beautiful to see that he is great with kids, and that he totally overcame my initial first impression of him and turned out to be my closest companion on the trip.
The evening ended late, and we put off packing so we could sleep in a real bed with crisp, white sheets.
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