Current location: Djúpivogur, Iceland
Yesterday was the first day of summer here. It was a whopping 3 degrees Celsius. I’m pretty sure that my toes were blue by the time I had finished riding for the day. I arrived into this town just in time for them to have a summer music festival. I got amped up to hear some Icelandic artists only to be regaled with RHCP Californication. I had a good time and was mildly amused that all the songs I heard were in English. I didn’t understand any of the patter in between songs as they spoke on Icelandic.
I had to give up any hope of cycling around the whole country in Vik. The headwind there was forecast to be 30mph for 4 consecutive days. I took the only means available to me at that point and jumped on a bus. I don’t really regret this as the first 80km was a completely featureless plain. There would have been no respite from the elements for several days and the prospect of fighting that wind for days would have driven me mad. The bus driver was nice enough to stop every now and then for “foto-stop” every now and then.
I haven’t yet managed to see the Aurora Borealis as most nights I’m completely blanketed by clouds.
The cost of things in Iceland is shocking at times. A pint of beer tends to run $10 while the cost of a gallon of petrol comes out to about $9. Food is expensive as well. I can only hazard that they import everything as well much as Hawaii does.
Riding on the highway had gotten better north of Höfn if only because traffic had almost completely died out. There is no shoulder to speak of which puts me squarely in the road. Fortunately drivers tend to give the whole lane when they pass me. Reaction from passers-by has been generally positive as I’ve received many a thumbs-up and got my photograph taken once.
A short video showing the headwind I was faced with. https://youtu.be/Rtw3BygxIM0 I pan down at the end to show you the direction I needed to go. It was diametrically opposed to the wind. Sigh.