Danger is a Relative Thing

Even though this trip is 100% safe, it is very easy to forget how how easily something can possible go wrong. 

It's a good thing to be pushed out of your comfort zone. Over the span of this trip I have tried to get out of my comfort zone as much as possible. Whether it's trying rotten shark meat, or attempting some terrifying hike I try to be a good sport and always do it. 

There have been times where I have been very aware of the possible danger. The first time I have already talked about on this blog.  The hike up the mountain in Grundarfjörður got me pretty terrified. I I kept thinking "if I fall, then I will be severely injured or die". I knew it wasn't going to happen, but the possibility of t happening was intimidating. 

The next time was when we were looking at the puffins on those steep cliffs. I did every safety precaution to make sure I wasn't swept up by the wind and tossed off the cliff into the blue ocean way below. Laying down on the edge of the cliff just to look at some birds gave me a strange feeling of fear. 

I also had the same feeling when we were hiking near the Vatnajökull glacier. There was an outcrop that was a perfect lookout for the glacier. There was a path down to the peak that people had obviously used to get a better look at the glacier. Standing on the edge and looking over into the valley was another moment I felt uncomfortable. I thought: "If I fall off, I will die". Even though we are on safe  trail, it's easy to have thoughts like that. 

There was one time where I thought I was completely fine, but was actually not doing the smartest thing. We were on the pebbly beach and I had the overwhelming urge to let the waves tough my feet. So I took off my boots and walked a couple of feet ahead of me. The rocks felt amazing on my feet and I was waiting for a wave to make its way up to where I was standing when I heard a whistle coming from behind me. A woman then signaled me to get away from there in a very stern manner. I knew I was safe, but I didn't realize how potentially dangerous the situation was. 

Sometimes you just need an external reminder to be careful in your new surroundings. 

May 26th, 2016

Remember how I said that the hike in Grundarfjörður was one of the hardest in my life? Well after today I feel the need to  retract that statement. 

Today we a went to Breidamerkurjökull, a glacial lagoon that serves as the outlet to the largest glacier in Iceland, Vatanajökull. The Jökulsa river is what brings the icebergs, melt water and sediment into the ocean not too far away. 

To say that it was windy would be the understatement of the century. As we arrived we saw hundreds of Arctic terns both on the grounds and futilely trying to fly. The bus stopped and the wind rocked the bus back and forth. I lost balance as soon as I stepped off the bus due to the force of the wind. We walked with the wind to our back down to the lagoon. 

The lagoon was filled with large, blue icebergs calving off of the glacier.  I have seen many images and movies of calving glaciers, but I never expected to see them for myself. The ice that made it ashore was crystal clear and was just like an ice sculpture. The wind and the rocks made them uniquely textured. We walked along the rocky shore for about two hours looking at the icebergs. We reached the end of the beach and reconvened on top of a moraine. At this point my feet were really hurting. The loose rocks and sand on the shore of the lagoon made walking very difficult and stressful on your body. Group pictures happened and then it was time to turn back.

The wind was just an inconvenience on the way down, but it was flat out challenging on the wall back to the bus. I have experienced some strong winds in my life, but never anything like this. Each step felt like there was someone trying to push you back. The intense wind plus the loose footholds made the trek back painful. It was an hour of pushing through the pain and wiping dust out of your eyes. My legs were on fire, and I couldn't feel my right foot by the end. Stopping would just make it worse, so we pushed forward until we reached the entrance.

I sat down on the bus in extreme relief. Then I felt my hair. I now have a single dreadlock instead of hair. 

Although it was painful and I thought I was going to die from a 6 mile hike, it was incredible. I feel very lucky to be able to see what I saw today. The extreme conditions just made it much more memorable.

May 19th, 2016: The Birds

May 19th, 2016: The Birds

Today we are finally going to see the famous (or infamous) puffins. The first day we stayed in the hostel in Reykjavik I read an English newspaper about how the "puffin shops" were outcompeting the locally owned artisan shops. The article discussed e Icelanders should tolerate the annoying business because it is good for the economy. This made me surprisingly self conscious about my excessive excitement to see these absolutely adorable avians. 

Nevertheless, we arrived at Latrabjarg after a tedious two hour bus ride. We stepped out onto the cold wind bluffs and we were bombarded with the smell of bird poop. Looking around I noticed people laying on the edge of the cliffs. I laughed at their stupidity. Who in their right mind would damage themselves off of a cliff to get a picture of a bird? The answer: Me. 

In order to not get blown off of a cliff, or step in a puffin hole, you have to lay down to see the puffins. 

Looking at all those birds made me think of my mom. I know that she would have been beside herself looking at all the different types of birds living in those cliffs. I have to admit that I wish I knew what birds I was looking at. Maybe I should brush up on my Icelandic bird knowledge. 

Day 4:

Today we got up and left the Reykjavik hostel. We drove westward towards the fjords and glaciers. The first stop was at the Borgarnes water tower. This was the first taste of the cold weather to come. I thoroughly enjoyed this stop just because I understood all of the terminology Suresh was looking for (thank you surficial). I love being able to connect what I have learned over the past year to what I am seeing on this trip! The rouche montane was something that I vividly remember from the last test in surficial.

The next stop was the Eldborg crater. Although lunch outside was a bit cold, the hike was perfect. It took us about an hour(?) to get to the top of the cone. At first is was a slow, easy walk. However it soon got much steeper as we approached the cone. The actual crater was called a scoria cone and was formed from repeated eruptions of low viscosity magmas. Eventually it made a 60 m tall cone.

The next stop was ströndin where there were sea stacks with a lot of birds on them. This stop was painfully cold and windy. We did not stay for long.

The last stop of the day was my favorite: Drituík- Djupalónssandur. This was a beach covered in smooth pebbles and incredibly blue water. The rocks were just amazing. There were mixtures of composition, size, and color. The round smooth rocks, which made up most of the beach, was difficult to walk on. Although I was hungry, cold, and very tired from the day's activities I throughly enjoyed myself and I wish I cold have stayed and explored a little longer.

Finally we hopped on the bus and took a breathtakingly beatific ride to the next town we are staying at. The little town is picturesque. Small, colorful houses cover the winding street. Overlooking the houses are the huge snow capped mountains. The sun decided to come out just for our arrival. This was the most I have seen of it the entire trip.

We made dinner then celebrated Erik's birthday! We the split up to do our own thing. Then Lettie comes into the room and says "you guys have to try out this swing!" So naturally I followed. We went to the playground right behind the hostel. There we played on the swing set. Some more of our people came around and we started a pick up game of soccer on the AstroTurf pitch. This was the high point of my day.

One thing about this trip that I love is that everyone is so alike and we all get along so well. No one is afraid to be themselves around each other. We also geek out about the same things as well. I feel like can have great conversations with anyone on this trip, even if I didn't know them before we arrived. I really do appreciate this great group.