Early mornings at any harbor are fascinating to me. There is a lot of activity, but relatively few people. Ships are being loaded. Fishermen and crew are getting dressed for the sure-to-be freezing water they will encounter. Forklifts are driving around like they own the road. I could sit and drink coffee and watch a harbor for the rest of my life -- but PEOPLE -- I've got an Arctic Circle to get to.
So, let's attempt to qualify my excitement about going to the Arctic Circle. Now, as we get older, we tend to lose that all-over tingly feeling of going on a great adventure or some other big moment. So, I didn't feel all tingly. I didn't lay awake all night freaking out with the excitement of the coming morning. BUT -- it must be said that also, as we get older there are fewer experiences that are entirely new. It gets harder to impress, because we've sort of seen it all. Right? And I know a few people who've had the pleasure of going to the Arctic Circle -- my brother included. But, I hadn't been. And, I consider myself an adventurer and I need this badge! BAM! I'm stoked! Plus, I'd been on this island for a week and I had yet to be on the water in any sort of boat. YAY! WATER! BOAT! ARCTIC CIRCLE!
The ferry was a solid 3 -3.5 hour ride. We both had a little bit of anxiety over whether the seas would be rough. Maybe it's just me...but when I think of going to the arctic circle, I don't imagine calm, smooth-as-glass seas. I think about those TV shows on cable channels where dudes are trying to fish while being sloshed around the deck like rag dolls in a hurricane. We board the ferry with maybe 30 other passengers. As is my standard practice, I immediate case the joint. Up and down every ladder and stairway. In and out of all the doors. Forward and aft. Got it. Now I know where I want to be in all situations.
I begin our journey under the bridge on a front deck. The wind is steady and cold. I'm glad I have my hat and my outer rain coat pulled down tight. We have a solid hour just to get out of the fjord! Who knew it was that huge:) The ferry was cruising right down the middle of the fjord -- and it was really wide. That meant it really wasn't ideal for Dave talking pictures of either coast. A shame since we'd seen a couple of really cool waterfalls the day before on our drive around.
We went inside and sat down -- they had a nice room built out like a movie theater -- comfy chairs and movies running the whole time. I didn't realize until we had sat there for some time chatting that my brother tends to have sea sickness issues. I do recall on our family Hawaiian cruise in 1994 that he had one episode of seasickness so bad he couldn't go to dinner. It gives me pause. This is his trip. I wanted it to be about him. I wonder if he agreed to the ferry knowing how much I love boats. I'm thankful that the seas aren't too bad. A little lilt from time to time, but nothing to complain about.
Below deck, there is a snack bar. I got us some coffee and we had a snack. Free refills on coffee -- w00t! Didn't seem long at all before we were arriving at Grimsey Island.
So, Grimsey is tiny. But people live here full time! I see a few houses just past the harbor. A little church. A restaurant and a tiny store. So cute. We have a couple of hours so we all bail out and Dave and I head toward the little restaurant to have lunch. I go with the soup and bread special and Dave has fish and chips. The soup was mushroom and it was so delicious. Now that we've calmed down from the long boat ride and have some calories to work with -- we're ready to walk the island!
We head out walking the perimeter road. As is true of Iceland with the Ring Road, there is a road that runs the perimeter of Grimsey. We're not sure we have time to walk around the entire thing (even being as tiny as it is) but who cares -- we're off in search of puffins!
Well, good grief -- we found puffins. Tons of them. Hundreds. Thousands. We tried to get closer -- walking slowly and carefully towards the edge of cliffs. Suddenly, we were practically face to face with them. They were so adorable. Tiny and cute. Dave was busy taking pictures. I was standing as still as possible just wanting to watch them without bothering them. So totally in awe. Feeling blessed and honored to be in the place -- this tiny little island in the arctic circle...full of puffins and not a whole lot else. Loving the sounds and the activity of the bird life. This is huge because I hate birds. But what I love is this moment. Me and my brother. Grimsey Island, above the Arctic Circle. It's totally silent except for the songs being sung by the thousands of birds. I'm as small and silent as I possibly can be. And then I almost stomped a duck.
Holy crap! A duck was just sitting there and I seriously almost stepped on its face. What the heck, duck?
We continued on our clockwise tour around Grimsey. We saw sheep (of course we did) and a gazillion puffins. We delighted in their existence...and in our fortune of being there with them. Being conscious of the time, we realized we needed to start making our way back towards the ferry.
We walked aways along the perimeter and then realized we need to cut up and over the island to get back to the ferry port. As we started that way, we came to the airport. Hmmmm...Ok, so we can't walk through the runway. Even more to the point, there was an electric fence around it. There's no way we can go all the way around the island. We don't have enough time. We need to cut through.
Dave steps over the electric fence. I stand there. He points at it and said, "Step over that." I stand there looking at it. "so..." I begin.
"Is that an electric fence?"
'Yes," he says.
"so here's the thing, " I say.
"yes?"
"If I'm going to get electrocuted today, it's not going to be...there. I'm not stepping over that. I'm a lot shorter than you are."
"Hmph."
Finally, we decide I can crawl under it without much worry. And I do. Whew! No one got fried!
We head back towards the ferry port. I wanted to stop in the store out of sheer curiosity. Let's say you are the ONLY tiny little store on an island that was 3.5 hours, by boat, from anything at all-- what would you carry? I was surprised to see beyond the staples a few delicacies -- this fantastic drink (Ribena) was introduced to me by a European friend. Wow! Didn't see that coming!
We had about 30 minutes so we walked a bit further. I stopped to just soak it in -- I was looking at the houses on the island and wondering about the families here. How do they make their money? Where do they work? How are your dreams formed when you live in this tiny little slice of the world? What do you know about? Is there a "culture" here? Dave snapped a few more pictures and then it was time to get on the boat.
I anticipated the trip home to be pretty dull. Dave wanted to select seats further into the movie room this time, so we did. As it turns out, a couple sat right behind us and we struck up a great conversation with them. The woman was from Wisconsin and now lives in Austin. The guy...hmmm...now I don't recall...he lives in Austin now, too, and they are dating. Anyway, we chatted with them for a couple of hours. They were on a similar journey as we were -- but they were going clockwise. So, we were able to share all kinds of good info with them, and they with us. Small world, indeed.
On the trip "home" we also discovered the best value in the entire country -- we bought ham and cheese paninis on the boat for a mere 3 bucks. Holy smokes!
The boat ride back was the smoothest I've ever seen. Thank you, Lord! Good grief -- I seriously cannot believe how calm it was. Not a single lilt, bump, wave, tilt. We were comfy and calm and ok the entire way. Best boat ride ever. BLESSED.
By the time we got back to land, we were really hungry and pretty darn tired, too. It was Dave and Tracy's anniversary and I knew he was dying to talk to her. So, when we made it back to Mr. Happy, I left him alone to skype and I went walking around town seeing what the dinner options were. That didn't take long -- the pub or the pizza place.
We ate pizza -- and dude!! It was delicious! YUM! Also, one of the cheapest meals we've had. Score!
afterward, we gased up -- the gas station in Dalvik is apparently the place to be -- lots of local youth were in there buying a snack or sitting at the tables outside hanging out.
We drove on for a bit until we got to our first true road side campground. There was no glamour here, but we were tired and happy to have some place quiet to stay for the night -- and near a WC! A day for the record books, for sure.
As we laid down to sleep, I couldn't help wallowing in the amazement for a bit. I'd been in the arctic circle! I'd been within a few feet of thousands of puffins. I'd been somewhere that almost NO ONE had ever been. I felt so lucky and so proud and so, so, so, thankful.
I'd be remiss if I didn't reflect back on this year. A terrible year in many ways. An amazing year in many ways. But all things considered -- here I am. In Iceland. Having been on a trip to the Arctic Circle. Warm and cozy in our camper van. 2 weeks of freedom and adventure with my brother. I've hated so much of this year and yet...living it got me here. And I'm so in love with "here".
Thankful. Happy. Joyful. Blessed. Tired. Thrilled to be in love with life once again.
