SEA-KEF

Hello there. Jetlagged and groggy, after a 2 hour nap. At least I think it was two hours... the sky is the same color it was at midday, and the wind continues to blow with a ferocity that isn´t known to Seattle, unless in a storm.

I arrived in Iceland, at 6'30am, local time. My emergency exit row seat was roomy, but with the sacrifice that the seat would not adjust, making sleep impossible. What good fortune I had, however, to be sitting next to one of the audio technicians who worked on Sigur Ros´ Iceland tour, Heima! That was a good omen, if I ever knew one.

Here´s a travel tip; check the exchange rate before you withdraw from a foreign ATM! That´s all I´ll say about that, save to say that I won´t be needing cash for the rest of this trip.

When in Iceland, do as the Icelanders do, and fill up on booze in the duty free shop, as it is 1.3rd the price of booze in a store! Even worse then the WA liquor board.

The bus from the airport brings you past a beautiful stark wasteland, something out of a Cormac Mccarthy novel, with lava fields springing up and sagebrush-looking land... quite a sight. And to be quite honest, Reykjavik on first impression is looking GRIM. As I hope I have captured here in these images. What with the jet lag and churning stomach and gray tones upon cream/beige/silver etc, it feels desolate and lonely. And that kind of sums up how I feel at the moment... can´t wait for the weekend when things liven up and when I set out on foot, into the wilderness.

Walking through the city is interesting though... it is truly unique, and has the feel of a small village. Down the main shopping street, where all the bars and cafes and restraunts live, there´s the smell of hardy meals being cooked and various fruits of the forest being sold. Kaffi joints abound and more mothers with strollers then you can count in a single block. At one particularly charming coffee shop, I ran into the guy I say next to on the plane! Really, a small town compared to an AMerican city. (btw the icelandic specific keyboard makes things weird to type in).

Anyway more later... this is a shared computer and I dont want to hog it all. ENjoy the pictures ( i hope they all load!)

THanks to my friends and family and all the loved ones for being there for me!

All the best!

-e