Leaving Bergen

I've been holding off posting here because I've been hoping to find somwhere with a wifi hotspot, but so far all I've got is a few locked down networks and dodgy gprs links. So I guess I'll have to postpone posting more pics and catch up with that later. Until then I guess I'll post some text updates. We stopped by the aquarium in Bergen on Saturday. I got some nice shots of the penguins there, just for Baldido. They even had some Gentoo penguins there... The bio-tech-geekness factor over there was almost overwhelming. The rest of the aquarium was pretty cool too.Anyway, the Hurtigrute ship - MS Polarlys - was to cast off at 20:00, with check ins starting at 18:00. Not wanting to be too late, we arrived well in time for the start of check in, which was good, because now all the surprises started. First of all, as we're travelling with a car, we inquired about the access to the car during the voyage (for baggage needs and such). Not surprisingly they said access to the car during the voyage would not normally be allowed, but then they added that all baggage had to be removed from the car before check in, checked in with the people, and would be at the cabin when we arrived there. This had not been communicated at all before this point, and resulted in some hectic repackaging to avoid sending away a lot of small, open baggage items. Then we were told they expected cars to be let in on the ship around 18:00... They weren't... we sat on the ferry lane for well over another hour before someone sort of arrived and sort of waved us on. Then just before driving onto the ramp, some guy suddenly said all car passengeres had to leave the car and enter with all the pedestrian passengers. Why hadn't *this* been mentioned at check in!? So, another flurry of activity as handbaggage and people have to make their way back along the car lane and into the main building. Meanwhile, as the cars once again prepare to get onboard, someone tells the drivers to drive up the ramp, but noone have put up a metal plate covering a 50cm orso gap between the ramp and the elevator taking the cars to the car deck. The first car to drive up the ramp (our car was the second thankfully) gets both wheels stuck in the gap and the car lands on its belly on the edge of the metal ramp. The car looked brand new and belonged to a sympathetic older swedish couple. I hope it wasn't seriously damaged. They had to get tools to pull it up and get the plate in place. Meanwhile, my dads standing on the side waiting for this to get sorted, and the same maniac that told us to drive aboard is telling everyone behind to drive aboard too, so when the cars behind come and see our car just standing there, they try to drive past (by now the swedish car is inside, but the elevator is still not back, so there's actually nothing behind the ramp. it's all pretty insane. Anyway. Finally we got on board, no damage done to our car, and we find the baggage delivered at the cabin. Very smooth. The Cabin is great. it's pretty low, and the view isn't all that much through two smallish circular windows, but there's nothing in front of them, and we don't have people walking outside it or anything. Also it's spacious, and the standard is excellent. We left Bergen pretty much on time, tomorrow we'll be waking up in Ålesund, and then going in to Geiranger and then back out to Ålesund. It should be a great stretch of the voyage.