Iceland Day 10 ~ Journey back home... Oslo - Helsinki to one of the most amazing Norwegian dinner.

Almost couldn't make it to the airport off Reykjavic...

Finally, we were on our way home.
Before 5am, all of us gathered at the main road just down the slope from Welcome Apartments.  Our bus was to be arriving at 5am to send us to the airport.  But strange.  There wasn't any vehicles on the road except for a stocking-ed Icelandic lady in heavy mascara walking towards us from her car, reeking of alcohol, meekly asking for a lighter.
Jiaklat.. the frown line on Adrian's furrow suddenly grew deeper by 10 years. If the bus couldn't come in time, we literally had to grab the taxi across the road parked at the petrol station and get him to mobilise his whole brotherly fleet.

If not, we might just have to spend one more night seeking aurora here in Reykjavik.  Between our quiet discussion of alternative plans and Adrian's frantic calling on his handphone, the bus chugged along, manned by two elderly Icelandic gentlemen, one of whom Adrian later mentioned was probably the boss of the company.  Good for us, served by the boss himself!

So we bobbed on the Finnair plane from Reykjavik to Oslo, and waited in transit for a while in the wifi-ed but not internet-access Oslo International airport, where everything was super expensive.  But thankfully we had some Bakkwa, courtesy of Michelle and Eddy.

Iceland Day 9 ~ Pushing through snowy blizzard back to Reykjavic

TRAVELLOGUE: Of 17 knot wind and snow, a white out KKJ waterfall, a magnificent Hraunfossar waterfall, and back to Reykjavic!

This was really the last day and last night in Iceland.  It definitely seemed far to me, at that point in time, to travel all the way that 322km from Hellissandur back to Reykjavic and to fly back early the next morning.

But 9 days were one heck of a long time to be travelling away from home, though it sure didn't feel long to me then.  I could feel a sense of the trip ending.  Sadly.  But all good things must end, even though it was all white and snowy for the last few days.

Iceland Day 8 ~ Journey to the West.. of snow storms & bus-stopping side winds.

TRAVELLOGUE: Onwards to the ulu ulu West! (Then again, which part of Iceland wasn't ulu?)

The bench, and Leif Eriksson's.. hotel.

Yeah... By now I was Iceland-numb already.  It was like drifting from snowy plain to snowy beach to yet another snowy city.  But didn't mean I didn't enjoy every single moment of it.  My laziness (in not reading up and practising the pronunciation of the Icelandic names) meant that I wasn't truly prepared for what was to come.

"OK, this morning let's go and see that Hallsgrimkirkja Church further up," said Adrian.  Yes that was a good idea. Let's see how it looked in the morning.  And also to explore the inside of the church, something which we couldn't do last night.

Iceland Day 7 ~ Snow snow snow and back to Reykjavic!

Travellogue: An Icelandic White Wonderland ride to the Reynisfjara (Vik) Beach to see the Rocks and a snowy ride back to Reykjavik.

Gerdi Guesthouse in snow.

A winter wonderland welcomed us in the morning.
9am at the one-door SgTrekker Cookhouse was the standard procedure.  Just that on this day, the whole Gerdi Guesthouse had turned into Ice-land.

Iceland Day 6 ~ Racing against time in the Ice Cave, skirting the Svinasfelljokull, revisiting Jokulsarlon & a magnificent BANG! of Aurora!!

Travellogue:  Dragging my broken body along in the Race against time, shooting with just a point and shoot camera.. Boy, was I glad I did it!

The Ice Cave, by Serene.

A Whatsapp message from Adrian early in the morning on my handphone read:

"There is not much walking to the Ice cave today.  Only part is the little bit of steep climb into the cave.  If you cannot walk, you can still take picture from the mouth of the cave.  Serene can walk into the cave to shoot.  Don't worry, I will take care of you all the way."

Iceland Day 5 ~ A broken bus, a close encounter with Fjallsarlon, a flirt with Jokulsarlon (Norman) Ice Beach... and Bukit Lim Wee How

Travellogue: One of the most eventful days in Iceland

Life was like that.  There was always calm before the storm, and there was always exuberance before pain.  At 8am on this fateful day, not a single one of us would expect what was to come.  None.  We only knew that our stomachs were growling in anticipation of Adrian's breakfast.

Injuries in Iceland

The night of the fall..

I think I was feeling more shocked than painful with my injuries from that roll down the hill at about 10:15pm on that evening, day 5 of our trip to Iceland.

Iceland Day 4 ~ Bumping along the Southern Bumps:- Capes, Lava.. and finally Glaciers!

Travellogue: Cruising down the southern coast of Iceland.

Our GPS track for this day, from Skogar to Jokulsarlon.

Alex & Lai Peng on one of their regular morning walks,

We woke up to a nice, clear morning.  So far the weather had been lovely.  I told Serene the weather forecast I checked before coming to Iceland predicted that this day and the next few days would see rain and slight snow flurry.

Breakfast started at 8am.  Between Icelandic sesame-rye biscuits and OMG!-spilled coffee by a customer on the next table, we filled our stomach and got our luggage out.

Iceland Day 3 ~ Of famous volcano, full-rainbowed-Skogafoss, slippery Seljalandsfoss, and our first full-fledge Aurora...

Travellogue: The tour of the -foss, a gentle start that ended with a whole lot of bang for our bucks!

My second run in Iceland
I promised the boys at home that I will continue to run even while I was in Iceland.
Gerard said: "Don't be crazy lah.  Just enjoy your holiday lah!"
But Wai Kit joked: "Come on lah, go mark your run on the map of Iceland in Strava."
With the event one week right after my return from Iceland, I couldn't waste any time.  Thus at 6am on this third tour day, I enjoyed the lovely cool air and suphur fumes around Lake Laugarvatn.
My 5km run at Lake Laugarvatn (a clickable link to my Strava)