A long paved road leads to Cape North. A road with beautiful views of mountains with rounded peaks. At many places bald rock and pebble soil, whith sparsely some grass and moss. Still, I made pictures of gentians and orchids and, in wet places, small “carnivorous” plants. Here too reindeer. For a long time we went uphill, often 9% steep. Every vehicle driving here goes to or comes from Cape North. Lots of big and little buses. Walking is not a pleasure with all that traffic, without considerable room to step aside.
I arrive at Cape North, where I am awaited by Paulette and Rudi. Pictures. While we are walking and taking pictures, clouds of lightning surround us and within minutes we are in an immense fog. During the hours we spend there, it doesn’t get clear anymore. One hardly sees anything. All right, we’ve seen it and for me it’s over.
We are filming and next we enter the Cape North building to see what is out there. Very important of course: a restaurant (my love, Tosca, is not allowed in). She is lying outside at the entrance door near the outdoor ashtray pole for smokers. That’s right outside the sliding doors. Whenever Tosca moves, as a true, good host, she keeps sliding the automatic door continuously open-closed, making a selection of dog-friendly and unfriendly visitors right away. A group of Asians in the restaurant and we watched the scene and had fun from a distance. To whom does that dog always serving the doors belong to?
There is a museum about the North Cape history. Interesting. I never knew, who did? that the King of Tailand was visiting Cape North in 1907 and was carried uphill by four men from the sea more than 100 m. down the rock. That was not King Foemiebol, but King Chulalongkorn. Didn’t he have better things to do than traveling from the king’s crown in Tailand to Cape North in that time? Other celebrities also came here long ago, among them King Olaf of Norway, King Oscar II of Norway and Sweden and Prince Louis Philippe, who later became King of France (incognito) in 1795. And finally a Dutch shepherd from Cottessen with his dog. But that person is not a king.
And about the impressive and horrible dramas during the 2nd world war. Hitler thought the Western allies together with the Russians would attack Western Europe in the North of Norway. Huge German troop concentrations were drawn together. A major fleet war took place here with Germany’s largest warship and masses of German submarines and on the other hand, the Allies. The Allies worked together with the Soviets. Unfortunately, we did not have time to study the finesses, but the war history is still alive here. Also did the Nazis destroy most of what was left of Sami culture.
A demonstration of seabirds, including the puffins and the great Jan van Gent. How does that bird get it’s Dutch name? Ghent is probably related to goose. Jan may come from the Celtic Ian ban an sgadan (white herring bird). This way I learn something new. A further demonstration of the midnight sun in relation to the rotation of the earth around the sun and so on. Stimulates reading about these topics.
On the edge of the abyss there was a fence with a message only in Norwegian that it was dangerous to climb over. Apparently, the warning is less important for non-Norwegians. On the other side of the fence, a few meters from the cliff edge there were several flat stones with a name or message on it. The writers now probably rest hundreds of meters below on a small cemetery. I also want to put down a stone with inscription Harry heart / arrow Sonja, but because of all the names of our children and grandchildren, the stone would be too heavy, so I just quitted the idea at second thought. When we want to drive away it is very difficult to find the camper because of the thick fog. I ask Rudi if the camper is a vending machine. No. Then be careful with startup. Because if the camper is in its second gear at the start, our names can also be added to that little cemetery hundreds of meters down.
Gee, what a luxury: sitting in a car, food and drinks unlimited by hand. Not having to puzzle where to stay overnight. Constant temperature. No weight on my back. No pulling dog at the leash. A chest that no longer hurts all the time.
At Cape North, Rudi asks me while filming what I feel now. Everything. Mission accomplished, as far as walking is concerned. Fundraising for Mama Alice continues. But most of all, no longer lonely, the uncertain infrastructure and the enormous improvisation. From back to basics now back to security: safety, regularity and luxury. What a blessing that is. If I see here in Alta eg those Eritrean refugees, I wonder if they are happy here. If one can only live from day to day, then everything that provides safety is better, even though it is near the cold Cape North. Luxury, rich westerners, even almost elderly!,Luxe, rijke westerlingen, zelfs bijna bejaarden!, gaan barre tochten maken in tenten, te voet of op de fiets, een zelfs met een hond, haha, om eens te ervaren wat het is om af te zien. Natuurlijk wel met de creditkaart op zak en met het mobieltje in de aanslag of blog op I-pad, om constant te getuigen van hun durf en moed. Op die manier afzien is een andere vorm van luxe. De omgedraaide wereld, maar wel leerzaam en zinvol. In een riool leven in Ajacucho, lime snuivend en elke dag leven van moment tot moment, genoodzaakt tot misdaad, wil ik helemaal niet aan den lijve ervaren.
Luxurous, wealthy Westerners, even almost elderly people, go on barren tours in tents, on foot or on the bike, even with a dog, haha, to experience what it is like to go back to basics. Of course with the credit card and with the mobile at hand or their blog on I-pad, to constantly testify of their courage and baldness. An experience in that way is another form of luxury. The reversed world, but instructive and meaningful. Living in a sewer in Ajacucho, sniffing lime and living every day from moment to moment, forced to committing crime, I do not want to experience it at first hand.
In the past, villages or parishes in my region supported it’s missionary, with collections and fancy fairs. That does not exist anymore. But we have in our region heuvelland Fréderique Kallen. Our Fréderique from Hoogcruts-Noorbeek has been living in Peru for a long time and has established the organization Mama Alice, dedicated to the fate of street children in Ajacucho. One of my daughters-in-law is from Peru. This is how I build a bridge on the one side between the country where two of my grandchildren originate half from and on the other side our region. I hope people will make a donation to Mama Alice. How? To click on “Mama Alice” on my website www.ponyanddogtrip.com. After my return in the NL, I hope to give lectures in order to augment to the collected amount of more than 10,000 E. The donations go straight to Mama Alice. The organization has already received the Transparency Award twice, which indicates that it is extremely clear how the funds are spent. Those who finance Mama Alice support also me mentally. Thanks in advance.
All of this in response to Rudi’s question what I’m thinking of. And much more. People ask, what was the funniest, the hardest? What did you learn? Was it worth it? For sure it was worth doing it. What the value will be still has to crystallize. Needs some time. For the time being, I like to return to the familiar, regular, certain luxury of home, family, friends and acquaintances, work and hobbies. And what it all will bring? We’ll see.
We have a long aperitif with nuts in the camper. We talk about the film. What does Rudi want to capture, want to show? What elements does he want to emphasize? Rudi wants to show his documentary at a film festival for documentary films, next year in Amsterdam. Furthermore, we talk about support to the organization Mama Alice, for which I am walking.
I would like to have a snack at the campsite. A large sign on the street says: kitchen open until 21 pm. It’s 20 o’clock. No, you’re late. Kitchen is closed. Yes, but outside is a sign … Closed is closed, like Befehl ist Befehl. Isn’t the war over yet? Then I’ll eat now for dinner the food rests that I intended to save for breakfast tomorrow. That’s like mustard after the meal. Or, to indicate with an anecdote: what is written in a neighboring country (I do not want to name it) on the instruction of the morning after pill? Have sex before use.
Plan for tomorrow: We’ll go to Alta for a few days, where I was a little while ago. There is my famous Croation friend at the campsite reception. In addition to the state-of-the-art cathedral, near Alta is a beautiful canyon with thousands of years old rock paintings. And a pizzeria. Aha!
Tomorrow more.
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