Day 43 – 1 Aug, Flatviskis to Lonsdal

(5.5km, total 1147 km, 1h 30 m, 0830 to 1000)

I slept in a bit knowing I would have a better change of a ride later in the morning. Once again there was no breakfast but I knew I would be eating a hot meal shortly.

The trail dropped slowly through a mixture of rock slabs and scrubby vegetation. There was on bridge over an impressive river and then the trail dropped into thicker trees and sections of swamp with boardwalks.

I could hear the traffic getting louder and started to get excited. The trail got wider and after crossing a bridge I could see the road.

Where the trail came out was not a good spot for hitchhiking so I walked down the road, past the big sign for Lonsdal, toughing it so I had a definite spot too get back on the trail. I stopped 20 meters further on and stuck my thumb out. There was a good amount of traffic heading south but not much heading north where I needed to go. I thought I would be a while but it was only 15 minutes until an Italian couple picked me up.
The dropped be off in Rokland at the shopping centre where I picked up my parcel from the Posten at the supermarket, got a burger at the attached Circe K and then did my shopping at the supermarket. I think I went overboard as the two bags were very heavy.
I then went back to the road and 10 minutes later had a ride with a Norwegian man heading back to Oslo after attending a festival in Lofthaven. I headed 20km back the way I had come to Saltdal Tourist Centre where I had reserved a room with a bathroom. It turned out to be a portacom type room in a layout that would have worked well for our Mali camps. I had another large burger for lunch and some ice cream before doing my washing. It was the most expensive washing machine ever at 50 kr (approx. NZD 10) without powder. It was almost the slowest too taking 2 hours.
I really enjoyed the hot shower but did not like what I saw in the mirror. I had dropped a lot of weight o the last section.
It rained on and off all day.

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