Sept. 20, 2009

Hopping aboard the flight, sat next to a nice couple from Oslo. Long 5 hour flight, but had free entertainment. Watched Sigur Ros´ Heima, then slept on and off for the rest of the flight. No problems with customs arriving in Keflavik before dawn. 50 km to Reykjavik. Begin walking in the rain as light emerges. A large man in a shuttle bus stops and asks if I need a ride. I say no money. He says the shuttle is free to Reykjavik and looks at me like the idiot I am. Tells me everyone swims in Iceland. A lot. Great... Chilly day heightened by flickering rain. Walking the shoreline, a rainbow spans the harbor. After a few hours´ walk in the Park, I am pretty sleep-deprived, sore, hungry, wet, and chilly. I head to a hostel recommended by the shuttle bus driver, and pay 1000 kr. to camp outside for the night. I quickly fall asleep, and the next thing, it is dark out. Leaving my pack in the tent, I walk downtown. I navigate by street signs that i cannot pronounce/remember for more than 5 seconds. As it was during the day, the streets are empty. I seem to pass someone once every 5 minutes. Arriving on a Sunday gives me the impression that Reykjavik is a ghost town. Finally finding a store that is open, I purchase some cheese and toasted bread, and learn that it is 11:30 pm. I figure that's late enough and begin the hour-or-so walk back to the tent. Chowing down on the items, I lay down in my bag and am at ease. Hungry food is the best food. Most things are damp from the day, but i am plenty warm. I think this far too often, but thank the Badlands deity for synthetic fiber.