Wednesday, July 13. Flight home was unexciting, except for the 90 degree weather at JFK. Terminal 2 is inaccessable without a 3 minute walk outside! Fortunately, I was dressed for San Diego and not Iceland, but nonetheless it was inconceivable that JFK’s terminals are not connected indoors. (Post-trip note: I tested negative for Covid on the 14th.)

Very nice trip, though a little surprising.

• I expected a mountainous island, but virtually the entire trip was along a wide expanse of flat coastline. The weather makes growing things difficult, not the terrain. The mountains were alwasy visible, but not reachable.
• Roads are incredibly excellent. Also few. People just don’t live inland.
• Not a single hotel had true blackout curtains. The lack of darkness did impact my sleep quite a bit.
• Cash money is a thing of the past. Other than a few tips, I never needed cash. Seriously, I never saw anyone using cash.
• My usual inability with languages was tripled here. Not a clue. A telling fact is that Anna made very little effort of teach us much Icelandic.
• Their history is so interwoven with legend, I sense that the average Icelander doesn’t know which is which. More to the point, they don’t really care. Their “sagas” are what they are, regardless of whatever level of truth that is in them.
• Icelanders demand that immigrants learn their language (most preferably without an accent), but are welcoming within this one caveat. A huge percentage of lectures were given by peple who weren’t born in Iceland.
• I suppose the most surprising (and telling) feature was the total lack of a nationally funded emergency rescue force. This one fact illustrates, on several levels, their cultural position on personal responsibility. That there is a volunteer organization that performs this service (and that it is mostly called upon to bail out foreigners) is the cultural outlier.

Greenland was very different in a backward kind of way, though it was stressed repeatedly that East Greenland was a poor example of Greenland as a whole. West Greenland is more modern. However, their use of credit cards over cash once again illustrated how far behind the curve the USA is.

Overall, I rank the trip inside the volcano as the best experience, including the walk back through classic Icelandic weather. The boat ride through the ice fields was also magical. The goats and horses (and their caretakers) were great. Their cod, char and lamb is delicious, if a little repetitive. Prices are (as advertised) incredibly high. The country is beautiful, both naturally and manmade. I am left with a desire to return when there’s a setting sun and snow on the ground. But I have other places yet to visit once, before I go anywhere twice.

Tuesday, July 12. Before our flight this morning we had time to wander around. Took some artisty photos.

The flight was (again) beset with odd delays. I had fun taking and printing photos of a few people waiting around with us. After takeoff I took a few nice photos before cloud cover set in. They served a delicious form of burrito on the 90 minute flight.

Arrival in Reykjavik was a shock. Sunshine! Not only was the city brighter, the people appeared visibly happier. Spent the late afternoon wandering without my camera to absorb Reykavik without a distraction. Sat for an hour at an outdoor cafe where they were constantly adding more tables, indicating that more people than usual (for a Tuesday) were enjoying the weather.

Monday, July 11.  This morning the first half of the group (me included) flew from Tasiilaq to Kulusuk. On time! The bus taking us the half mile to the hotel was delayed an hour. The second half of the group was also delayed. Business as usual.

In the afternoon we toured Kulusuk village, population 280 and shrinking. It had seen better days. Many people are relocating to Tasiilaq, which has that beautiful soccer field. Stairs everywhere. A couple in the village had turned their home into a museum of sorts, crammed full of family heirlooms. It was actually very interesting, if a little unorganized. The store had most of the necessities, though without many brands to choose from. Oddly, a high number of benches, new and old, were scattered around the village. On the edge of town there is an unmarked bust of a person, who after doing research revealed herself to be Milka Miilikka Kuitse, a drum dancer who refused to obey a missionary ban on drum dancing. The bust will certainly outlive the village. The village has two cemetaries, one very prominent. Depressing.

Immediately after the village tour we departed for another excurion up to a viewpoint looking out into the Atlantic. The location is the site of an abandoned Distant Early Warning Line site, built by the US. Construction of the base in 1956 is actually the reason there’s an airport in Kulusuk. The view is amzing. Just as with our boat ride yesterday, getting a grasp of just how big the icebergs are is difficult.

Dinner included the local concept of chili, which wasn’t bad at all.

Tomorrow we fly to Reykjavik, then depart Iceland on Wednesday. It’s almost over.

Sunday, July 10. Wow. That’s all there is to say. Boating among icebergs is so damn cool. The primary downside is that photos don’t convey the size of the ‘bergs.

In the afternoon we had a walk around the town, with great visits of an Inuit museum, storage room, and example of a winter house, which was made up of about 8 “beds” that were meant to hold 24 people. The surprising aspect is much of the traditions carried well into the 20th century. This wasn’t a 17th century style of life.

In the evening we watched a traditional drum dance. Interestingly, the dances aren’t religious or ceremonial, they’re just used to tell a story, past or present. The drum is a bit of misnomer. A stick strikes the drum’s frame to a certain rhythm. The skin of the drum is ideally made of polar bear stomach lining.

But the icebergs were the star of the day.

Saturday, July 9. A hectic day. Miscommunications caused us to not have bus transport available to the airport. Fortunately, another OAT Trip Leader volunteered his bus for the short ride. The airport’s waiting area was only slightly larger than the plane we were to board, making it a little cramped. Others were Germans, who seemed unable to perceive the need to get out of the way.

Flight was nice and short. Clouds most of the way. Some views of the ice fields while landing. Anna warned us that the terminal at Kulusuk was normally a confusing mess, and we were not disappointed. Put the bags in the bus. No, don’t. Ticket agent apparently didn’t know English, nor Icelandic, nor even Danish. A German tour guide (“Everyone hates”, says Anna) demanded that her group be handled first, which took the poor agent right off the deep end. Eventually we got tickets for the helicopter flight to Tasiiliq. Putting the bags in the bus, we departed for the nearby hotel for lunch and to wait for our flights. But just after lunch, plans changed and we rushed back to the airport for earlier flights. Seems the German’s Tour was cancelled due to fog, altering schedules. Half of us boarded the chopper, where I discovered my neighbor was the German. She was still bitching. The pilot was grumpy, likely due to the German.

The helicopter seemed to have a nick in a blade, but otherwise it was a straight flight. The hotel host picked up us and we checked. Its hillside location is terrific. Waited for the rest of the group. I watched an apparently never-ending soccer game.

In the afternoon we went on a short hike up one of the valleys, past their (howling) dog pound/yard and then the town’s cemetary. A sad explanation of why it was so large. Suicide is a real problem, which both Greenland’s and Denmark’s governments are anxious to ignore. The rest of the walk was more enjoyable. Small flowers were common. The dogs are working dogs and sadly chained up to stakes. Anna swears that they are happy dogs and well cared for, but the chains are a hard thing to see. In the winter they are essential for hunting.

After dinner we watched longish 1930s movie showing the typical life of the Inuit people. Not in English, but it largely didn’t matter. Very interesting.

Friday, July 8. The main event today was a visit to the world famous Blue Lagoon. Just google it. I provide some photos, but there are several million online. I didn’t apply the white cream. I did have an apple cider drink while in the lagoon. It was crowded with mostly tourists. It’s become too expensive for the locals. At yesterday’s visit at the electric plant, the tour guide described the Lagoon as essentially waste water. Not a pleasent thought. The temperature varied from warm to hot. It was a nice time, but honestly more hype than pure excitement.

We visited an Emergency Rescue Squad. Iceland, for whatever reason, has no federally funded service to help people suffering from a natural event or personal outdoor emergency. It’s all volunteer action. Considering the harsh weather and terrain, this seems insane. But officially the government expects people to be proactive to prevent getting placed in bad situations.

On the way back to the hotel I jumped off early to walk. The music museum has an unusual ceiling made up of mirrors. I managed to find my reflexion, which wasn’t easy. I witness some kind of visual performance of women with odd makeup and umbrellas. No one knew what it was about. I visited the Ice Bar. Cool.

We had a farewell dinner for the base trip. The dining room had a large monitor, so I was able to display my photos. Seemed to be well received.

This does it for Iceland. Tomorrow ten of us depart for a Greenland extension.

Thursday, July 7. A relatively light day. Visited a ThermoElectric plant and had an informative briefing on how Iceland is virtually fossil-fuel free. The technolgy is still evolving. They are now working on CO2 scrubbers which clean the air.

The Open Air Museum, a version of Williamsburg et al, was difficult to tour because of extreme weather. But it was interesting anyway. Of note to me was that wagons were first put in use around 1874, when the king of Denmark presented two wheels to a local farmer. Might be a wive’s tale.

Lunch was unexciting. During free time I went to a “Flyover Iceland” ride, similar but much better than the ride at California Adventure. Smells and mist were fed into the ride at the appropriate times. Really, really good. Got a little airsick. Saw how much Iceland I’d missed.

I then took a nap. Late in the evening I walked into town and struggled to choose dinner. Finally decided to test the accusation that the restaurant from last night indeed has horrible pizza. It wasn’t the best, but it wasn’t horrible.

Wednesday, July 6 (Part 2). Before arriving I had looked for a unique tour that would either include a flight over the mountains or some other special site. I found a not-inexpensive tour Into a volcano (whose name suffers from various spellings). I stress “Into”. After getting a confirming recomendation from our trip leader that it was fascinating, I booked it.

After an hour drive northest of Reykjavik, we arrived at a ski area. I assumed that we’d go up a lift to a mountain top, then descend. No. We were guided across the road on a flatish gravel path for two miles, pushed by a guide who seemed to be late for a date. Exhausting. The volcano, which was one of three in sight, was occassionally hidden in clouds. At the base of the volcano we stopped at a station for hot cocoa and instructions. We donned helmets and a safty harness, then climbed the remaining of the way to the top. (It was mildly foggy, with a moderate breeze.

The lift is identical to a window-washing rig for skyscrapers. Seven of us were loaded aboard and we were lowered almost 400 feet down in just over 5 minutes. The opening was just large enough for the lift, but as we descended the “hole” began larger in circumference. The bottom was about 200 across. White lights highlighted the intense and varied rock colors. It was dead silent. As there were only 14 at the bottom at any time, there were times when it was just me and the volcano.

After about 40 minutes we returned to the surface, into gale force winds and dense fog full of moisture. The two mile return was agony, but at no time did I feel that the trip was unworthy. It was a surreal experience.

Wednesday, July 6. This is part 1 for the day. After eight days in Iceland, we finally made it to Reykjavik. I was able to get some nice photos in the air, despite being next to the prop.

Our first stop was to a “Cluster House”, where small businesses operate in open offices and theoretically try to combine their business pursuits. The products developed are almost solely based on substances derived from fish. Some very odd products. Fish “cola”.

After lunch we had an orientation walk through the area close to our hotel. Very modern shops and restaurants. I split off from the group to do a previously planned tour, which will be explained in Part 2.

After the tour I wandered the same area again. Had hard cider at the Irish bar, The Drunken Rabbit. I then had fish and chips at a restaurant that proudly proclaimed the a TripsAdvisor review identified their pizza as the “worst I’d ever had”. The cod was the best I’d ever had.

(I exchanged money into 10,000 Kronas. To date I’ve used 900, which I didn’t have to. Credit cards are accepted for anything.)

Tuesday, July 5. Akureyri is at the end of the longest fjord in Iceland. So to spend the least time cruising to the whales, we bused to the Dalvik fishing port. Pretty views along the road.

We donned floatation coveralls, sweating in the process. The boat was not limited to just us, so there was a capacity crowd. But not horribly so. The cruise had fantastic views on all sides, regardless of the presence of whales. This was good, because the whales failed to appear. There were a few sightings, but all too far away to see anything. For a few minutes we were joined by dolphins, which was fun.

We returned and walked to a resaurant famous for their sod stew, which was not a boast. Very good. Our setting was off the stage of an theater due to the popularity of the restaurant. After the meal we were entertained by a 1t6 year-old music student. Iceland is properly proud of their love of the arts.

During our afternoon of free time I visited the local outdoor “pool”, which was actually a collection of several pools. I enjoyed the 42-44 celsius pool and kept trying the 5-12 celsius on. I might have managed it for 15 seconds. Brrr! I found it fascinating that a long row of seniors would sit in chairs along one wall and chat among themselves. It brought a vision of seniors at a trailer park.

Following the pool visit I meandered around town. As with everywhere else, the twon center looked like it had been painted just the day before. Everything was clean. Had an interesting pizza with both bacon and bacon bits. Caramel milk shake.