On top of the world
Trip Start
Jun 08, 2005
1
48
69
Trip End
Ongoing
Reykjavík,
Iceland
Monday, August 6, 2007
So, thinking that the night was finally sorted I had no idea that I was going to freeze alive! It was sooo damn cold I couldn´t´t believe it and at day break (some time around 4am) I had a hat 3 layers and a pair of socks on and couldn´t move an inch in my sleeping bag! I had intended on cycling down to Grindavik today (the blue lagoon) but because of the cold last night I thought that I would be better of busting a move to Reykjavik to get some more thermals.
Besides the freezing cold last night the weather is OK - it´s not that cold during the day, but it´s like London on a grey day. A Spanish girl was telling me this morning that this is the kind of weather her and her boyfriend have experienced on their bikes for the last 3 weeks.... with a general loathing for the cold and grim weather I think my face dropped in horror when she told me this. Mind you, it is Iceland.... I do have to remind myself that this is not entirely unexpected. I can see that this is going to be one of those trips that you hate at the time, but totally rate after it´s over and done with.
Anyway, the ride today - 50 tough km from Keflavik through to Reykjavik. My bike is heavy at the moment - 26kg of luggage to be precise (I was lucky, they wanted to charge me at the airport, but I sweet talked them out of it), combined with 18kg of bike is a lot to carry around when you´re out of practice. Most of the 26kg is food I might add - in hindsight perhaps I should have got the food:clothing ratio a bit better sorted!
It´s a bit like riding on the moon (well, what I imagine some other outer planet to look like) - scoria everywhere, moss and little mountain like plants and flowers (which are very pretty). I haven´t taken a really close look at the plants and flowers whilst being on the bike yet - that scoria gives me the creeps and I soo don´t want to fall off - would probably be like rubbing your body on a cheese grater with 44kg on top of you! There aren´t ANY trees - bare bare bare, except for in Reykjavik.
The other reason I didn´t muck around too much today was because the road was a bisyish road that eventually turned into a full blown motorway which seemed to have all 6 cars in Reykajavik on it at the same time! Nah, only kidding, but it was busy. However, I bailed off the motorway when I started to notice a tunnel coming near and figured that I may be doing something illegal, if not dangerous - I had the bike heaved over the barrier in a jiffy and was out of there! In my haste to get away from the motorway I ended up a bit lost.... well, not exactly lost just distracted by things and I didn´t know where I was. I think thay you´re only lost if that becomes a problem and for me it was no problem, but it did take me about about 3 hours to do the last 10km. Hmmm maybe I should check the definition of lost though. There´s some pretty cool architecture here and most of what I saw today I wouldn´t have seen had I not been on the bike.
Ok, so tonight I´m in Reykjavik - I´ve just cooked up a feast and had a coffee (muhaa to all of those who are struggling with beans on squashed toast, I ate like a Queen) and I´m waiting with anticipation for another freezing night. I plan to spend the next few days in Reykjavik, now that I´m here. Hopefully I will get to see some family friends (they invited me to stay tonight but I´m having phone troubles.... actually that translates to Susan can´t dial a number in Iceland because she can´t figure out what dialing code to use) and have a look around town. I know very little about this place, except that Alex James (Blur) totally rates the place and that the world Chess championships was played here in 1972 (I think) between Russia and the US which caused plenty of hu ha in terms of the Cold War and what not.
Ok, that´s it from me.....
