IFLA 2005, Oslo: First day in Oslo

Am using the free internet connection from the hotel lobby to post this. It's around 5am now, local time.

The 16 hour flight from Singapore/ Bangkok/ Copenhagen/ Oslo was uneventful and pretty smooth going. But personally the novelty of travelling by plane has really, really worn off and flying (by economy class) is a mental and physical strain. All the more incentive for me to keep fit.

Reached Oslo International Airport around 9am. Together with 6 other colleagues who were on the same flight, we took a taxi to our hotel.



Costs 870 Kroners -- or SDG$290! Expensive but necessary as it was more cost effective than travelling individually by train. Hey, welcome to Oslo! I was already warned from the travel guides that it's an expensive town.

Unpacked my stuff, got registered for the conference, and had time to spare to walk on a self-discovery tour around the city.


My small but cozy room.


View outside the quaint little window.


This was lunch. We can't afford the big meals!



Somewhere along Karl Johans Gate (a street name).

With 2 other colleagues, we managed to walk to the University of Oslo, the Royal Palace, get on board a ferry for a 2 hour tour by ferry of the fjords, quick walk to the City Hall (venue for one of the Nobel Peace prize award).


The Royal Palace grounds.


Summer houses on the islands along the Fjord tour by ferry. The route took about 2 hours.


City Hall.

On the way back to the hotel, we got a bit lost and found ourselves in what must have been a slightly seedy part of the city ('cos we saw two streetwalkers at the corner). Got back to the hotel eventually, with the help of some people (non-locals, actually) who could roughly point us in the right direction.

Weather was around 20 degrees Celsius, sun was bright. It helped that the day remained bright even till 7pm, 'cos we managed to cover lots of ground that way. I was thinking if Singapore had long daylight hours like this, our tourism sector will surely boom!


Dinner was pizza and pita -- huge portion!. Delicious stuff (decided not to convert the cost to Singapore currency. Less stressful that way).

Back to hotel around 7.15pm. Tried to read more preliminary papers but zonked out. Woke at local time 3am to research on tomorrow's meeting venue and schedule, do a bit of planning of what papers to attend.

OK, breakfast is served at 6.30am. Don't think I can go back to sleep now. Going to eat early 'cos my section meeting starts at 8.30am and there's about 15 to 20 mins walk to the meeting venue.

Tag: IFLA, oslo 2005