Day 1… Getting there, lost baggage ever changing landscapes.

Day 1… Getting there, lost baggage, ever changing landscapes.

My day began with catching the Airporter bus at 4 am to Belfast for first of the day flights to

Manchester (1 hr). A wee stop in between and then the second flight to Reykjavik (2hrs 45 m).

Image First glimpse of Iceland

On arrival and going through passport checkpoint I learned that my next flight was from a different airport in Reykjavik, a bus journey away. ( did’t see that anywhere in my flight information).

Anxious now about where do I get the bus from, how much and can I get Kroner out somewhere for ticket. (brain functioning on 2 hrs sleep at this point).

But on to baggage reclaim first.

Here, as I watch the baggage carousel go around empty and my fellow passengers all disappear through customs did I have that “Oh NO” feeling rise inside. I quickly went to the other two carousels to check in case it was on there. No nothing, there were similar BUT NOT MINE!

What if someone’s picked it up by mistake, ran through my mind.

Deep breath, found a really helpful member of staff and we went to the lost baggage counter and began the process of form filling etc…

Leaning on the counter, giving all my details all my details, I have to admit the tears threatened behind my eyes, as I thought of the stuff I’d in the case, that I needed..

Not to worry she reassured me, it’ll be sent on as soon as it is found in the meantime se gave me a lovely wee Icelandair grey bag.. a few wee bits to keep you going for the night she said cheerfully. I thanked he gracefully and walked away after getting directions for ATM and bus to airport desk feeling relieved and happy.. have to say the Staff were wonderful… your kind of, for a min go into freefall but they were so friendly, helpful and confident that I felt that too leaving them.

I went next to the ATM, withdrew 1000’s of Kroner nor sure how much it was (mind too fried and tired to calculate), the exchange rate or even was those amounts in my account.. they were and next stop bus ticket desk…

I bought a return ticket followed others to a coach in lashing rain and climbed on board, hoping it was right on, yip! Phew it was on driver checking tickets.

We set of for Reykjavik city and next airport.

I was so shocked by the landscape out my window… Totally Volcanic… many shades of browns, greys and blacks – rare small patching of dried looking grasses and craters where the earth had not long split apart by the look of it… mind whirring when was last active volcanic action on Iceland, that big ash clouds a few years back as far as I recalled…

Don’t know about you but when I’m seeing all these new surroundings and having all these intense feelings I like to chat about it but the young woman beside me had those big earphones on (I noticed most younger travellers wearing them – makes it no fun or I guess keeps away chatting tourists) so I didn’t get to chatter about it and keep the awe-ness of it all to myself, with difficulty.

Next airport, a couple of us left the bus an made our way in to this small airport… had a cuppa while waiting for a flight to Egillsstaoir (1 hr), which I still have difficulty pronouncing.

Departing on a small propeller plane, we flew over the snow-covered mountains that simply takes your breath away. You see the high sided rimes of extinct (hopefully) volcanoes filled with snow, the large glaciers, ice rivers and glacial waters flowing milky white.. for that flight alone, the journey was worth it.

Glacial waters

Arriving at Egillsstaoir, I was met bagless by the delightful Skulli from Skriouklaustur, centre of Culture & History, my home for home for next wee while.

We jumped in his car and headed to … Neto.. the supermarket.. my braindead body filled some bits into a basket, most importantly coffee and we made the journey to my final stop of a long day.

Even the journey there was filled with landscapes the colour off powder blue from the thousands of short knee high blue Lupins (brought in from Alaska) seen now as a weed covered the roadsides and hills like the wild heather does on the hills of Donegal. Breathtakingly beautiful amidst the wonderful trees. East Iceland is green grazing Tree growing land at which I’m very happy to see.

As I am shown my beautiful, warm snug wee apartment, I can’t help but feel inconceivable nestled in this enormous glacial valley with high mountain ridges to either side of me and the open valley to one end.

I think sleep comes easy on the first night on Iceland.

Traveling time 18hrs…

Joy unmeasurable.