Saturday, July 29, 2033
Waiting in the airport.
We were told at C16, but apparently it’s not all that clear. A screen at C16 no longer shows our flight number. The man sitting next to us discovers the flight number now shows up at C18.
Crowds. People are obviously nervous and afraid to miss the plane. I talk with an official who encourages me to sit down. ´Don’t stand in line. It’s going to take a long time.’
Later. Suddenly the doors to the gate open. Slowly we file into the plane. Crowded and noisy.
We take off and I try to sleep, while people talk loudly.
I open my eyes. The plane is descending. Thick clouds, and then… a grey sea and dark land. No trees.
The land moves upward towards the plane. A shock when it hits the landing gear. Suddenly we seem to be going very fast. The pilot breaks strongly and then we coast for a long time until we arrive at the buildings.
All airports in the world are designed by the same architect. Even the luggage carts are identical.
We pick up our bags. Originally we wanted to take only hand luggage. Checked luggage is almost €100 per suitcase.
But I found out that by taking our three sleeping bags we save many hundreds of euros.
A man waits at the arrival hall with a Go Iceland sign. He collects more passengers who have rented cars.
We walk outside and I smell a clean crisp air that reminds me of northern lattitudes.
A van brings us to the rental place and there we face a real Icelander with a wild beard. Despite his appearance he impresses me by being able to write upside down for us. We have reserved a 4-wheel drive diesel. Apparently essential for the F-roads.
Then we drive through Iceland. Bare, treeless. Stoney. Definitely a volcanic island. Short grass and moss cover the surface.
If there are no forests even the wood has to be imported.
Occasionally we pass some buildings, mostly with the same boring efficiency and colors as in Sweden.
In Reykjavik we find our hostel, and now I write this, very tired. In Holland it’s past midnight.
We ate in a food court. Nice pizza and a fried cheese. I won’t mention the prices. Discouraging. But the place was busy and cozy. And we feel good about being here.
We made it to Iceland!
Joseph Heckman, PhD
2023-07-31
Place I very much want to visit. I look forward to learning from your travels.
Ruud
2023-07-31
Wij zijn er in mei geweest. Erg mooi land. Have Fun
roy de hair
2023-07-31
Hi Rob, Weer een mooie reis! Ook voor ons een potentieel reisdoel, dus ik ga je weer gedetailleerd volgen. Heel veel plezier en hopelijk wederom een prachtige reiservaring. Warme groet.
Rachel
2023-07-31
Have fun & enjoy your holiday :-)
Jertske
2023-08-01
Ahh wat goed. Het is gelukt. Wat een gaaf land...nu al.
durieux
2023-08-01
Thanks everybody. It’s a real nice feeling to see comments. It makes me feel I am not traveling alone.