Our 3rd full day in
As you might imagine, this is not an easy process. In the end, some of the luggage compartments are being closed by at least two strong burly men throwing their bodies up against the luggage door trying to get it to latch. Somehow, it gets done.
So by now, we’re all getting sick of buses. More importantly, I’m getting sick of buses – they are crowded, hot and generally unpleasant. Every time we get off the bus, we do a checklist to get back on. And because of the way the hotels worked, I was on the “boys” bus. This year, we have an inordinately small number of male students – only 19 out of 73 students are male. They are all getting along famously, but there is a sense of relief when we get off the bus and get some fresh air.
Today, we head off through the picturesque scenery of rural
This was the first REALLY strenuous hike of the expedition so far, as you can probably guess, climbing to the top of an inactive volcanic crater means a lot of going up. Faithful followers of my previous expeditions will know that I’ve had trouble with these hikes. They illustrate just how much I’m out of shape and lack endurance to do anything like this, and this year is no different.
Despite all my best intentions to get healthier, each year I’m reminded of how far I have to go. And especially as I start to stretch towards the 40-year-old mark, getting in better shape becomes even more of a priority to me.
But enough about me – on to Grabrók crater. Well, it was impressive. And I can now say, I’ve climbed a volcano, albeit an inactive one. But by the time I reached the lower edge of the crater rim, I was tired. I took a few camera shots, including a video of the surroundings, as I don’t think still shots could do this sight justice. And then, somewhat dejectedly, I headed back down.
From there, we headed to the what seemed like the middle of nowhere, where we came upon a farmhouse nestled quietly in the Icelandic countryside. Obviously refurbished as a family restaurant, it made quite the impact on me with its deeee-licious lamb soup, considered a highlight of Icelandic cuisine. It was being like home a little bit, as I wandered the farm yard, checking out chicken coops and Icelandic pony stables. OK, I know, I don’t have either of those in my yard at home, but it still felt like the Prairies.
Next up was a quick stop at a place called Hvammstangi to visit the Icelandic Seal Centre and a trip to the coast to see if we could spot some seals. It was successful – seals were spotted in the distance, but as excited as the students were at seeing these beautiful creatures, I knew that we would have better views in the days to come.
Finally, we arrived at Mikligarour Hotel for our stop for the night in Sauõárkrókur. It was much nicer accommodations that our previous hotel, with showers and toilets in individual rooms and a larger meal space. But perhaps the most excitement came from the realization that it was the first time outside of meals and the sightseeing stops that the entire group stayed in the same location. It was a loud and rambunctious group that met for the traditional Speed Dating activity, where groups of students moved from table to table to learn about the background of each of the staff.
As you might guess, our entire group being together means that it was the first time that both genders stayed in the same hotel. Naturally, SOI has many procedures in place to ensure that nothing happens, and that’s part of my job on expedition – nightly bed checks and curfews. My senses were on high alert tonight as we checked all the rooms. And except for a couple of somewhat high-pitched giggles coming from a couple of the rooms, all was quiet. Sleep is a commodity that one doesn’t take for granted on an SOI expedition.
Looking ahead, Geoff announced we were off to the town of
Photos by Lee Narraway
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