Fresh Start

It's a (Chinese) New Year, visiting a new city, in a country reborn. It almost feels like Canada.

Mix it up

It seems that no matter where you go in North America, there is always a local radio station called "Mix" (or Jack or Bob).

Driving to and from work every day sounds the same as back home, while listening to The Mix 101.9 (KTMX-Chicago, with Eric and Kathy in the Morning), or Mix 102.9 (KDMX-Dallas), or Mix 100 (KIMN-Denver 100.3).

Of course, you do notice the reduced CanCon, the advertisements for stores you've never heard of, and the weather forecasts in Farenheit.

Now with Sirius XM Radio in the rental car, and Virgin Radio with programs like the Ryan Seacrest Show, driving in Canada starts to feel like driving through middle America.

Passport

While my passport is at the Chinese consulate, I'm temporarily grounded. While it's probably possible to drive to Buffalo and catch a domestic flight within the US from there, I'm not going to take a chance. Not these days, when a day of jet-skiing can land you in detention.

Sometimes it's easy to forget the significance of having a passport, or the potential problems of having the "wrong" one.

Like at the UK Immigration checkpoint at Gare du Nord in Paris, where a Canadian passport gets a cursory inspection, a couple of gruff questions, and a Channel Tunnel stamp. Meanwhile, the "Asian" family [in Canada, the more commonly-used term would be "South Asian"] right behind, with green-coloured passports, gets the third degree.

Aside from US Citizenship and Immigration, the last time I felt this personally was in Iceland. As the European Union expands, certain countries have become very defensive, with their immigration policies and increased scrutiny of non-Schengen passports.

As I handed over my passport, I watched the officer flip through, waiting for something to happen. Waiting, until he reached the page with the US work visa. He did not try to hide his "wow" reaction, but let me through. It was a long wait though, for my new friend Haya.

While in the clearance area behind the booths, we were both pulled aside again. Couldn't help but notice that they picked out the two non-Scandinavians. Passports were taken for photocopying, no doubt to be added to an immigration watch list.

At the end of the trip, that passport is still the only universally accepted ticket home.

Rounders

No, not Rounders, but rounders.

As Iceland sits between Europe and the Americas, this game sits between cricket and baseball, bridging together Britons and Americans, and any Canadian hangers-on.

Play Ball

When all you have is a cricket bat, everything starts to look like a cricket ball.

Lagoon

Flashback: Tuesday, July 20, 2004

After a hard day of surveying, and dodging the skuas, a pleasant surprise trip to the Jökulsárlón (glacial lagoon).

Placid

If it looks familiar, you may have seen this place before, in Lara Croft: Tomb Raider or Die Another Day.

Circling

The tour boats are actually amphibious boats with wheels, painted grey for Angelina Jolie's visit.

Bridge

It is rumoured that they use tugboats to keep the bergs in the lagoon for the tourists. I wonder if they also tow away the muddy and unsightly ones.

Calving

The Breiðamerkurjökull which feeds the lagoon is rapidly retreating. One day this may all be gone.

Jökulsárlón Panorama

Ice Climb

Flashback: Saturday, July 17, 2004

Our ride today is the trusty Volvo Laplander - the Swedish Jeep.

Laplander

It's a dangerous path up to Svinafellsjökull. The weather is also miserably rainy, for the first time since we got here.

Dangerous Path

I have many rucksacks with loops for an ice axe, and now I have the axe. With the crampons attached to the boots, and some instruction and practice on how to stop a fall, it's up the glacier we go.

Climbing

While we're not actually tackling vertical walls, it's a pretty dangerous path on the ice as well. One of our party was from Israel, where he's presumably done some military training. Yet he almost took a tumble, saved only by an older lady.

Crevasse

On the one side is a sharp drop into oblivion. On the other, is a gentle rolling slope for about 15 metres, and then a sharp drop into oblivion. To add insult to injury, the large super-glacial ice crystals would probably shred your waterproof trousers on the way down.

Icy Waves

Like a sea of ice, the glacier ripples out, all the way to the mountains.

Day Hike

Flashback: Wednesday, July 21, 2004

Maybe it's because I never play hard (or often) enough, but very fortunately (touch wood), I've never been seriously injured in sports [until November 2006, unfortunately]. A few months prior, I'd landed my left foot awkwardly during a squash game, and could still feel the occasional twinge in the ankle.

The Trek Begins

Today, Hart and I are putting ourselves to the test, taking our turn at a big hike. Fuelled by our standard rations of cheese and Nutella sandwiches, we were looking at a full day in the hills.

Sjónarsker Viewpoint

Above the hexagonal basalt formations surrounding the Svartifoss, is the first landmark, with obligatory panorama sundial.

Skaftafellsheiði

It's all so verdant here. Among the mosses and tall grass of the heiði (heath), we take lunch. It's a pleasant day, and pleasant conversation.

Long uphill climb

One of many reasons for taking this trip was a milestone birthday, and a sense of time slipping away. I could only hope that I'm a fraction as strong as Hart when I'm in my 60's. Not many people could survive being run over by a motorboat in a drunken hit-and-run like he did. It can't be that easy, but he still handles the climb very well. For scale, note the figures ahead, walking up the path.

Over the Edge

The more daring members of the group are going to the Kjós Valley, tucked in behind the mountain on the left, around the bend. It's supposed to be spectacular, but it doesn't seem as scenic a route, trudging along the Morsárdalur, looking up at the mountains. At least that's what I tell myself. From up here, we also get to see part of the Morsárjökull, and the lake at its base, from afar.

Kristínartindar

The highest summit on this side of the glacier is the ridge on Kristínartindar. That will be left for next time.

The Real Prize

It's good that we chose the clockwise direction. The views just kept getting better and better, until we reached Gláma on the east, overlooking the glacier. Note the adventurous photographer behind the rock. Don't step back!

Gláma Viewpoint

According to GPS, it's over 400 m down. To solid ice. This unadventurous photographer will stay well back from the edge. Especially after Hart almost lost his footing in the wind.

Skaftafellsjökull panorama

The scale of this place seems scarcely believable. You can't even take it all in without turning your whole body around. No wide angle lens is wide enough, which is where digital comes in.

Long way down

On the downward path, there's one last lookout from Sjónarnípa, over the foot of Skaftafellsjökull. Then it's trudging back through the brush, down to camp.

Breaking Up

By my reckoning, at least 15 km, in a leisurely 7.5 hours, including a lunch stop. Not a bad day at all. Unforgettable.

I can see for miles and miles

"Getting older sucks, but it sure beats the alternative: getting deader." - Joe C.