TravelStream™ news feed for member dtofsrud on TravelPod's free travel blogs service http://www.travelpod.com/syndication/rss/dtofsrud en-us Copyright ©2010 TravelPod.com Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:29:25 -0400 http://www.travelpod.com http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1174875540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1174875540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1174875540/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:29:25 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

On the last day I decided to take it easy and I only had a few hours so I went down to the waterfront. It was a fairly nice day for May and there were lots of people milling around. The boardwalk had steps down to the water, most people were sitting reading, drinking coffee, visiting and others were listening to the music from the live bands on the boats moored right there. Some of the boats had restuaraunts which looked pretty cool. I sat back to enjoy the sun, people watch and do some reading.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017025620/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017025620/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017025620/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:18:41 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

aka Vikingskipshuset (oh yes, another reading!) The Vikingship Museum displays the worlds best preserved viking ships. These ships were built around 800 AC. They were found in three large chieftains grave sites, where they were meant to take their owners on the last voyage after death. They exhibitions also contain rich finds from the chieftains graves, such As small boats, sledges, a cart, tools, harness, textiles and household utensils.
- i had forgotten about that part! Unearthing the grave site of a viking is similar to opening up the tomb of an Egyptian, lots of items for the afterlife buried with the bodies. The boats are amazing in the craftsmanship, carvings and metal work.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017024840/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017024840/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1017024840/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 22:06:11 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

I never thought about the government of Norway, turns out they have a King and Queen. Who knew, kinda naieve right? (wish I could spell that). Anyway, we also saw the Kon-Tiki muesum which contains (and this is straight out of a book!) the original vessels and objects from Thor Heyerdahl's many expeditions. The Kon-Tiki raft from 1947 which sailed fromPeru to Polynesia, the papryus raft Ra II from 1970 which sailed from Morocco to Barbados. Very interesting story on the ingenuiety of the time and the science derived from the trip.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1182397500/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1182397500/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1182397500/tpod.html Sun, 24 Jun 2007 21:53:48 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

When we got up to the Holmenkollen they were just finishing up a cross country ski competition so the beer gardens were overflowing and kids were all over tubing down the hills. Looking down the jump is a totally crazy feeling!
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016976540/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016976540/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016976540/tpod.html Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:44:47 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

Vigeland Park contains the largest collection of sculputres created by one man, Gustav Vigeland (1869-1943). They portray man's existense on earth. 192 sculputres totalling 650 figures. (pulled that out of a book!) Some of the sculptures are pretty disturbing, others were very nice, and amazing in their detail.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016683740/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016683740/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016683740/tpod.html Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:28:21 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Asker, Norway

Apparently this hotel was used by the Nazi's during their occupation and at one time was a hospital during the war. Very cool history and nice views, as with the rooms in Oslo the rooms at this hotel were very European - tiny but functional. I took the train from Oslo to Asker then cab to the hotel, it was very easy and the train was totally comfortable.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016542800/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016542800/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/norway_2002/1016542800/tpod.html Wed, 20 Jun 2007 23:08:35 -0400 Oslo and Asker

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Oslo, Norway

This was my first day in Norway and it was pouring rain, I didn't have a lot of spare days to sit around so went down to the local Statoil gas station, bought an umbrella and headed out. The museum is full of info on the Nazi occupation and liberation and was a great place to hide from the rain. The Fortress the museum is held in looks out onto the bay and it's quite beautiful.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/vegas_2007/1178849340/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/vegas_2007/1178849340/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/vegas_2007/1178849340/tpod.html Mon, 14 May 2007 22:34:43 -0400 Las Vegas Nevada

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Las Vegas, Nevada, United States

The girls and I headed for Vegas for the weekend, got some sun and lots of drinks. Two of the girls stayed in "the hotel" at Mandalay Bay which was a very nice place. Sandy & I stayed at the Tropicana. Very Trailer Park and the ventilation sucks - the other odd thing was that the cost of a bottle of water varied, depending on how close to the door you were.

At the House of Blues bar we saw a band called Cross Canadian Ragweed which is apparently very popular down in the USA but I've never heard of them and they said they've never been to Canada. Anyway, they were awesome.

Friday we were having a beach day at the pool at Mandalay Bay, the girls went for food and found Chad Kreuger from Nickelback so we got a photo with him, he was awesome even though he may have been annoyed. Then he followed us to this hoity toity sushi bar we ate at for supper (and by followed us, I mean he showed up before we left!).

Saturday we slept all day then went to Freemont Street for the evening. There was bands playing on the street. They were pretty good, then we headed for this 'country' bar called the Hog and Heifer. Not so much a country bar, more like a biker bar but it entertained us. It was about a $15 cab ride from the Tropicana to Freemont Street and we had no trouble getting a cab back, it was neat to see the screen show that they had rigged up over top of the street and they also had the band up on the screen. At some point we sat down at one of those oxygen bars that is supposed to fix you up and give you more energy. We might have been past the point of no return but the extra oxygen didn't perk us up.

Next time, I'd definately think about booking some shows ahead of time and getting a car to go hiking out at Red Rock.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1170725820/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1170725820/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1170725820/tpod.html Sun, 04 Feb 2007 20:56:40 -0500 Inuvik & Tuktoyuktuk Winter 2002

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Parson's Lake, Northwest Territories, Canada

Usually when we would stay in camps they would be the standard ATCO shack camps, set up various ways. However this time we were staying in a different setup called Weatherhaven which is not only used in cold weather conditons but also in the jungles and deserts as well. This camp is basically a tent set up on gravel and well insulated underneath so as not to melt the permafrost underneath.

I thought for sure that life in this camp would be brutal and it wouldn't be much different than cold weather camping but it was actually quite warm and comfortable. Because of the size of the camp it was like a small town there. Food was quite good.

There are alot of restrictions on camps up north because of the permafrost. Human waste needs to be burnt or contained in plastic bags for disposal, waste water was also managed very efficiently. It was an amazing setup.

The big problem was that since the walls were made of canvas and the sections were set up fairly close to each other you can hear everything which made it hard to sleep when you aren't used to the noise.
]]> http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1012871940/tpod.html http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1012871940/tpod.html#comments Travel Blogs http://www.travelpod.com/travel-blog-entries/dtofsrud/arctic_2002/1012871940/tpod.html Sun, 04 Feb 2007 20:36:27 -0500 Inuvik & Tuktoyuktuk Winter 2002

Jump to the full
entry & travel map

Tuktoyuktuk, Northwest Territories, Canada

Finally the Tuk townsite comes into view. There is not much in this little town but they are very self sufficient. In the winter you can travel here on the ice hiway, in the summer you have to come via boat or plane. There is no road to this town in the summer.

The only place in town to buy souveniers at the time was the Police station, although you can buy various things from a website/travel agent in Inuvik that are from TUK-U that are mildly amusing. Tuk is a 'dry' community but like many northern communities they have their problems with violence and substance abuse - live hard, play hard - they definately have the oilfield boys beat there. In spite of this they ban together as a community for an annual whale hunt, at which time the meat is stored in a community 'cellar' and families who need meat or elders who are not well off are welcome to this meat.

Tuk also houses one of the DEW Line stations set up to monitor a possible Russian attack during the Cold War. As far as I know, these stations are still manned today but for a different purpose. Just for the record, if you look at a map you would notice that the tip of Alaska is not all that far from Russia, Russians could have just driven over the ice and been on American soil before they even noticed. But that would have taken alot of work.

Our company was planning to do some off shore work in the summer and brought some boats up to prepare for the work, they were frozen into the ice in the harbor for the winter. In the spring, they would break the boats loose and get to work.
]]>