A trip combined with bike and bus, 30 km from the west point of Møn to the east – a large forest in Klintholm area, where the ghost tree in Alette’s garden is. I packed my large format camera, tripod, computer (because I don’t have internet access with my phone), sketchbook, water and banana.
There are 2 buses I should take. They come once an hour.
In the first place, after biking for 40 mins to the bus stop, I missed the bus no1. It just passed in front of me. Then I should make a decision ; should I wait for an hour for the next one. NO, I should just bike. cycle cycle cycle, with the old kind of crappy lovely bike which I found in a garage in Holland and heavy gears carrying. Heavy, I can only cycle, something like 10km p/h. In the middle way to the city Stege where I should take bus no2, I gave up. Just sat on the side of the road, and waited the bus no1. It came, I took the bike with me, arrived at Stege quick fast. Now it’s easy. I checked the timetable. Pff, 45mins to wait. This point, I was already late for the appointment with the owner of the tree. More I think about how far I should go, I was getting worried. Today is mid summer day (sankthansaften), ppl go to parties. It’s a longest day of the year. I sent sms to Lars, It’s “dum far!! I won’t be able to come back even by 7, maybe 9.
I called Alette, she asked me, if she should pick me up somewhere, but I said, I should be fine cus I am with bike. OK, now finally the bus came, easy, it’s so fast – running like a dog motor engine. I asked the bus driver to tell me where to get off and direct me after. He seemed bit confused, he didn’t know “Busnevej”, but then he became confident. I got off, he pointed a direction that was 180 degree opposite to where I should have gone. I had a sligh doubt, but how would I have known that a local bus drivers could make mistake. I thought it was my phone, I had offline map with satellite, telling me wrong. This was a bad idea in the first place in this rural island. I biked on the road where just continuous farm land and hills with similar trees are at the both side. Everywhere looks familiar at the same time unfamiliar. Hum, I actually don’t recognise anything. I have been to see meet the ghost tree twice, I should be able to recognize the way, says my heart. But the satellite seems telling me that I am at least on a right spot, which was wrong after all. I am tired, warm, my legs are feeling strange.
I sat down on the side road, wanted to cry. How far should I go? Suddenly a very old couple appeared from 10 meter away. Are you ok?, they asked. My face says, No I’m not ok. I told them, I want to go Busene, Busene! B.u.s.e.n.e. Vej. But they don’t understand me and they can’t read the small text on the phone. Anyway, they said, you are heading to Stege. Stege! is where I took the bus from. How could I believe that the driver could make mistake? I stood up, I run again. I wonder if I thanked to the old couple… On the way, I asked several cars in the hope that maybe one of them could give me a lift. But no success. And they confirmed me several times that I had to go back where I got off the bus. Another hour to ride. I am really tired. Finally, came back to the bus top. Here we go. The street connecting to Bussne vej was just there – at the left side! Now finally, again, somewhat familiar landscape. But another long way to cycle cycle cyle cycle, I don’t know how long I cycled today. Ok, finally, I came to the street where Alette lives – Karensbyvej. It became a very narrow pass with rocks and stones. I go slowly with the bike on Karensbyvej. Now, in front of me, I see the pass splitting into two, which my memory says, I should choose right one here. I carefully chose to go “straight”. Again, straight straight straight… I am slowly going down the stone pass. On the right hand, I see farm lands, which I have never seen before. I see cows, I hven’t seen them being here before. Seems like I am going around the forest. I was supposed to come into a large dark forest before reaching to Alette’s garden and the tree. I didn’t understand why I didn’t go into the forest. I sat down again and called Alette. She didn’t understand where I was. But she said, as long as I was on Karensbyvej, I would reach her house. I said, Yes I am on Karensbyvej. But after hunging it up, I wasn’t sure any longer, if I was on Karensbyvej? Why there is the sea in front of me… I decided going back. Too warm. I took off my red sweater. I put it on the camera back. I cycked again. The bike was getting heavier and heavier. I saw my sweater was caught completely into the chain and wheels. Because my bike was crap, the steel sticks holding the wheel fell off stuck into my swaeter and took it into the chain. I thought, this is it! now I see my telephone doesn’t have signals, map doesn’t show anything, no compass, no body around. Only sky, grass, cows and the forest beside me. But I remember I had a small screwdriver. I took it out and tried to cut my sweater. It got into the sticks and chain really badly. The brand new chain was so tight so that I couldn’t even loose it. Dum dum dum, I am so tired. I should just leave the bike. But how can I carry the gears? I can’t walk with them and where should I walk to? I felt crying again. But somehow, there was no way to give up. Ghost is challenging me. I was thinking, how Lars and ppl would imagine, Toshie went out for photographing the ghost tree and she can’t reach, she can’t come back. This is how mythology would born. Møn has a lot of old myths.
Anyway, I managed to cut my swaeter, took it out from the chain, ready to go back where I came from. Again. So much back and forth in same places in this trip. I think what does it mean then.
I heard people’s voice, someone having parties there. I went into a local’s mid-summer party and asked help to diect me. Seems I was on the right pass but took the wrong decision, where I shouldn’t have done. So, here real finally, I came to Alette’s garden, but totally from a different direction. I saw her and her husband waiting me in front of their house. There, the ghost tree, a really beautiful small tree full of leaves stood in a large garden where there are no trees around her, in a huge forest. A lovely stone house like a real fairly tale stood far from the tree.
Distance without technology and machines was overwhelming, this is what we need to feel, get lost and physically feel the scale.
Making Land initiative 