Sept. 21, 2009

Waking up to a cloudy morning, I keep convincing myself that it is earlier than it probably is. A night of crappy dreams has me in a sour mood. Rain is falling on the tent. The fight to get out of my bag seems futile against such odds. Then I remind myself that I'm in Iceland. Cheese and toasted bread for breakfast. Pack up the tent. The rain has stopped, and a rainbow again marks the start of the day. I have a 2L bottle of carbonated water that has no chance of fitting in my pack, yet I do not want to waste it. So I chug it before I head downtown. Running to a gas station every 10 minutes to piss, I make pretty good time. The tourist info center doesn't provide much help about how to find a used bicycle, but I am at least able to pick up some maps. Down to the library to use the internet. Get some things accomplished. Learn of a possible purveyor of used bikes. Stop outside the Leif Eriksson statue for a cheese and toasted bread lunch. Head to the Bonus supermarket("cheapest" prices in town). It takes forever to find. I come across a bike shop. "Any used bikes?" The guy laughs, walks in back, returns with an old Mongoose steel frame junker. Apparently someone just left it there about a year ago. Asking 15.000 kr!? That may be a deal here, I just don't know, but for something I´d expect to pay about 20 bucks for, I delay the purchase until tomorrow. I'll see if I can talk them down to 10.000. The suckers won't know what hit 'em. I finally find the damned Bonus store. I pick up a carton of something and ask the lady next to me if its milk. She laughs and points me to the real McCoy. I replace the treacherous imposter and also pick up some Müsli and a can of beans. Returning to the hostel, I do not feel like paying 1000 kr. just to set up camp on another patch of grass. I offer to do some work around the place in exchange for the use of patch of grass. They laugh, push the request up the chain of command and ultimately say no. 1000 kr. it is. Bastards... The Reykjavik International Film Festival is currently going on, and i see that Stingray Sam is playing tonight at 8:40. I missed seeing that in Bethlehem, so I figured I'd walk downtown and catch it. I set up camp, lay down sleeping bag, open my eyes, and the next thing I know it´s 9:20. Sorry Mr. McCabee, no offense, I think... Tomorrow, buy that bike and hopefully ride out to Mt. Esja.