The Joy of Randomness

Consider the following sequence of events that followed the last blog post:

Tim and I grab another "pepperoni pizza dog" on the way out of Reykavik (delicious, can´t believe I forgot to mention that delight initially). After 10 hours and 500km of driving, stopping at Geysirs and waterfalls and to take pictures of the broad, empty road, we pull into the small town of Hvall, which is not really a "town", just a Youth Hostel on the ocean. Secure a bed no problem, then back-track to the only restaurant for 30 kilometres for supper. We arrive to a large empty hall, and the cook just about on her way out. But she stays for us, and serves up a lovely Artic Char with curry. The waitress is an Icelandic girl, just back from India, and so she sits with us at the end of the meal to share laughs and trade traveling tales.

The next day, Tim leaves me at Skaftafell National Park after a morning hike onto a glacier (he has to get back to the airport with the rental), and I embark on an absolutely breath-taking, soul-inspiring 4 hour hike into the mountains. Catch the bus to the town of Hopf (population 1,500), again securing the bed no problem in the local Youth Hostel. I buy some groceries and beer, make a few sandwiches, then notice a soccer match going on at a beautiful pitch in the center of town. Bring the beer in and sit on the hillside to watch. Cracking game in what turns out to be a women´s league of what looked to be 15-18 year olds, with the home side coming from behind to win 3-1, but not before a poor girl on the visiting team missed a wide open net from 2 yards out that would have tied it at 2 late. Well worth the 800 kroner I had to spend for the ticket (which is about $7, not cheap). After the game, I wandered down to admire the magical harbour of the place as the sun reflected down onto it like a mirror into the wee hours. Really, really quiet and pretty spot.

Next morning (Tuesday), I try my hand at hitchhiking out of Hopf (buses are riotously expensive and infrequent), and quickly get lucky. A German couple, late twenties, pick me up and I spend the day with them - about 350 km of driving or so, when we decide to stop in the nothing town of Modrudalar at what is seemingly the end of the world. The Germans camp, I spend the night at a guesthouse (one of only 7-8 buildings in the "town"), and the accommodation is really just a room in the basement of a house that´s never locked. We arrived at 7PM, so after an Icelandic lamb soup and Viking beer, I take off for another hike through the lava fields for 2 hours or so, climbing a mountain to look at the stunning barrenness of the surroundings. Surreal, and another simple reminder of why I find this country so very appealing. Back out into the fields to watch the sunset (at 11:50 PM) and take some further photos.

Waking up today, the Germans were heading to Dettifoss, which is a waterfall I´ve longed to see, but need to pass on this time in order to keep moving to make sure I´m on time for the bachelor party. So I have them drop me where they leave the main highway, 40 km from Myvatn. Comforted by the fact that I have recently walked 40 kms in a day on the Camino (if worst comes to worst), I set out walking and hoping to catch a friendly ride. After an hour and a half of walking (only 8 cars), I get lucky with the 9th - a father/daughter from Denmark, headed through the north to see the countryside and ride horses. Hilariously, it turns out that the girl (beautiful, of course) walked the Camino in October!

The Danes leave me at the tourist information office in Myvatn (town of Reykjahlíð) around 11:45AM, where I learn that the bus to Akureyri leaves at 3:30PM and that there is a brilliant hike up Mt. Hverfjall where you can walk the rim of the crater, then down through the arches and tunnels of Dimmuborgir. Batteries expire at the start of the walk, which is quite frustrating but acceptable. The walk is arduous with the backpack but exhilarating, and I finish in time for another soup of the day and to flag the bus down on the side of the road, where I had been waiting for about 15 minutes in a storm of black flies and driving rain that started shortly after the hike finished. The bus drives through the fog for about an hour, lands me in Akureyri (Iceland´s second biggest city, population 17,000), where I walk 15 minutes through the rain to find the Youth Hostel. It is supposedly full, but the solo traveler, ever lucky, somehow gets squeezed in.

So now, here I am, having just emailed the boys of the bachelor party from the free computer in a downtown hotel and otherwise checking the email and updating this. About to head back to the Hostel to get my laundry back - finding a place to get clothes cleaned when you are backpacking for months at a time is one of the sweeter simple pleasures - and find out where the good spots are in town to celebrate Icelandic National Day. It´s today, of course, the anniversary of Iceland´s Independence in 1944.

Think I am having a good time?