Bless bless iceland!

So the ‘work’ camp finishes today. I am awoken early by our leader ivana leaving at 4am, then pixie and leg less packing. Pixie is so loud even when being quiet! I get to volunteer again as I offered to carry cases to bus meeting point. The excitement. Sad to say goodbye as we’ve had the most laughs. Pixie very much like me, gives everything a go and likes the outdoors!
Back at house it’s cleaning time! Hooray. We have to pick a number that corresponds to a job. Fortunately I got the kitchen, with dancer as helper. She’s very thorough so I make sure I am to. Not sure bathroom will be cleaned by chatty wifi though. She keeps putting it off! I think one who shall be nameless checked the numbers then picked her most desired job from choice of rooms, lounge and bathroom as dancer was busy cleaning when she picked. Well why not hey! I thought the house would be quiet with just 4 staying but alas no. Some of the photography camp are coming to stay. Damn it!!
We say goodbye to our illustrious leaders dancer and weasley. Dancer thanks me for being fun! Yay, nice to know they didn’t just think I was a moany volunteer!
Don’t want to waste any precious icelandic time so I head to see the Viking museum, see the sunset over pearlon again, I can never get bored of the views! Then go to see frozen lake in daylight. Again awesome views. Dancer had told me about a shop that has half price postcards. I must down about half an hour trying to find it. Give up and find the odd expensive postcard. Sod’s law, I then find the bloody shop. All good though, get a few more for scrap book.
Decide to find the penis museum. I’ve heard others talk about it. Sounds amusing and why not whilst I’m here. I think I’m scarred by it, pretty gross, no idea why I thought it was a good idea! Whales penis is huge! There’s even human penis on show! My favourite though was the elf penis! Lol
I don’t spend much time in there but can say I’ve seen it!
Go back to house and meet some of the new housemates. Don’t like change, bring me my old flat mates back! A Korean girl who seems to speaks little English just stomps around house in outdoor shoes when it’s a no shoe zone. She’s told by chatty wifi but ignores her?
Surprisingly enough the toilet/bathroom hasn’t been cleaned! Chatty wifi sneaked away without doing it. But the house is a mess already from so many new people.
I speed walk to the big outdoor swimming pool for one last time, go on the slide again and have it to myself like a princess! Have arranged a date tonight with an Icelandic man. Was perusing a new dating website which goes on proximity to you and chatting to this bloke, thought we’d meet for a drink. I have no smart clothes but hey ho. Head off and find him chatting to another English girl, smooth. Expecting a drink whilst chatting and he says shall we walk? Ok then it’s quite nice outside. He walks me to his bloody car! I’m like Erm no I don’t think so, so we carry on walking. Nice enough chap but smokes, yuck! And end up back at his car. Clearly in Iceland they don’t waste time just go in for the kill! As tempting as getting into a strangers car in a foreign country is I decline. Do have a cheeky snog but that’s it! Head off to meet friends on our last night out.
There’s 5 volunteers still here, Mini oprah is out with us for a change which is great, she’s ‘such fun’! The weird Korean is with them when I meet up, she’s eating chips off the table, on purpose, rather than the basket they came in? I asked why and apparently she hasn’t washed her hands? What!?!?
Mini oprah tells me her islandic date stories and it seems that on Iceland they just say ‘I’m going home are you coming?’ And that’s how it starts. Not my cup of tea!
Weird Korean is even more wifi needy that wifi girls and doesn’t speak at all! Chatty wifi eventually takes her home as she can’t remember way, and comes back to join us. Some lovely live music, acoustic, playing. He starts playing no woman no cry. It’s the song ivana was trying to hum in the name that tune game. We all laugh, I video it and post on Facebook. I realise that I have been defriended on Facebook by ivana as I can’t tag her in the video. Bit gutted as I got on really well with her. I decided to message and ask why. This is my biggest demon, I hate people not liking me, makes me sad. Clubs and pubs close at 1am during the week so we are dutifully kicked out with plastic cups for drinks not finished. Reindeer bless her has a pint left! She carries it out but never going to drink it. We ask random men if they want a beer and one man takes this as an offer and comes to hug me saying yes please! Oops sorry no that’s not what I meant! But check me out, 2 men in one evening!
Back at house very noisy and even messier! Yuck. I head to bed at 2am and say my goodbyes!
Weird Korean is sleeping fully clothed and making the weirdest noises every time she turns! Bad night sleep for me I feel.
When I wake up at 7am random people have left already! Very weird situation.
So final tour of Iceland, South Coast and glacier walk. Reindeer bless her, booked it as well so we have company. Learn lots about the eruptions and pass the volcanoes and flood plains from the eruptions. First stop is the walk. Get kitted up with crampons, climbing harness, helmet and pick tool. Amazing experience, walk through caves, eat 500 year old ice, lie in tunnels, love it! Not as white and clean as I thought but that’s because of all the ash still being now on around from he 2010 eruption. We then go onto the black sand beach and see the amazing rock formations, then two waterfalls one that you can go behind. Loved it all although freezing cold and wet from the spray of waterfall. One of the best days. Good trip to finish on.
The president drives past us on way back, registration plate number 1! Bit random but hey!
I get back to the house and find the bathroom flooded. Washing machine maybe? I try and mop it up but too much for our little mop and the floor is just disgusting from not being cleaned by chatty wifi. Yuck!
Rather than spend my last night alone it’s cool that reindeer is still here so we agree to meet up with. I find her at the wifi meeting spot, and weird Korean is with her. I check messages etc no have a reply from ivana. She d
Has defriended me because She disagrees with my blog, and feels I should of spoken to her about my unhappiness of no work on the camp. She has some fair arguments but think it’s a bit petty myself. We all have things we disagree with, with our friends but we dint ‘defriend’ them in real life! The world of social life on the internet hey, so fickle!
Anyway we head off to the shoreline as there is a bar I keep seeing that i want to try. Long walk along the windy coast but love the views. Reindeer and I aren’t bothered by it, you get used to long windy walks in changeable weather. Weird Korean has comes with us and keeps saying how long, where are we going. Slightly annoying as she didn’t have to come. Anyway we get there and it’s not a bar it’s a food outlet. How disappointing! Ah well we have some chips and refillable coke! Oh yes I know how to live! We get locked in, as we are taking a long time eating. Now I’ve heard of pub lock ins but food outlets?? Lol
We head into town and try a bar that I was told have a band playing. When we get there it seems like it’s an Icelandic comedian. Not going to understand that so just go downstairs for a quieter drink. Bloody expensive here, £7 a bottle of cider, just the one then. Think reindeer is put off beer after last nights expenses, she has a coke. Weird Korean asks at he bar if they sell ice cream? Never have I heard someone ask for that in a bar!
Head onto a another bar, I choose the English pub just to show my foreign friends what it’s like. Cheaper cider here, £6 for a whole pint! Yes.
Good atmosphere with a large group playing the spin to win a drink game and kept winning a metre of beer. Pretty cool. Weird Korean sits on wifi all evening and although we try to speak to her she just doesn’t get involved. Bless reindeer, she’s very sweet and I have enjoyed spending the last day with her. We call it a night at 11.30 and I go to say bye to reindeer but she says she’ll meet me in the morning to say goodbye. So sweet. Weird Korean asks reindeer for her phone number. Who uses mobiles when abroad?? Reindeer looks a bit perplexed but obliges. Think weird Korean is struggling being alone so grabs any human contact she can. We have heard that on her last work camp she didn’t mix at all and kept isolating herself? She’s here for another work camp for 10 days so she’s going to struggle again if she can’t communicate?
I spend probably an hour writing my postcards so I can post in the morning. Bit pointless as I’ll see half of the people before they arrive but it’s all part of the being on holiday. Weird Korean is sleeping fully clothed again? And making her weird noises. Looking forward to my own room tomorrow. Weird Korean gets up about 5 times in the night and has the loudest shoes. They are plastic slippers and she plods around the house so loudly.
In the morning I go to charge my phone and some git has stolen my charger! I check the remaining volunteers bags but all seem to have iPhone 5 leads. Bastard must of done it whilst I was on my trip. Gutted as have had no issues for 2 weeks until this last morning. Only have 38% battery so will need to find a charger somewhere!
Enjoy my last shower in the manky bathroom!! A quiet cup of tea and just chill. I spend the last morning walking through town, charging phone at hostel, and a very windy seafront walk! Going to miss Iceland. Amazingly beautiful place, lovely people and just awesome.
What can I take from my two weeks here. South Koreans are internet obsessed, the Russians are very funny. The Polish are loud (although I should of remembered from Polish nutter in Peru). The Swiss are very reserved. The South Africans are sociable creatures. The Spanish are hard workers. The Portuguese have a stubborn streak. ( I have lost a friend due to them disagreeing with my blog and no amount of discussions will change her mind). Bring crampons to Iceland in winter or you may break your leg. Don’t go on a date with an Icelandic unless all you want is sex. The term ‘work camp’ does not always mean you will work. Take ‘going out out’ clothes wherever you travel to, you may need them to stop you looking tramp like. Living with 8 people is tough going, the bathroom is rarely free, there is always washing up and you never sleep a whole night without disturbances. Remember that your blog is seen by everyone, especially those who you are writing about so be less rude? Or accept the consequences.
You have one life, one chance, don’t waste it!
I say goodbye to reindeer, I hope to see her again. She gives me a lovely hug, and says I’m welcome. Lovely. Onto bus but the. Realise I’m cutting my time a bit fine. Bus should get to airport by 2.30 and flight is at 3.35. Let’s hope the bus is on time!
I’m leaving a miserable Iceland today, sleety rain as we drive. No problem at the airport. Speedy check in, time for a cuppa, have enough money for some chocolate from shop. It gets a bit tense when I hear my flight called whilst I’m in the loo. I speedily head on and gate is like the furthest away! I must of been almost last to get on, but at least no waiting around. I am seated next to two guys, yummy!!! Oh, they are holding hands. Damn it!! The hostess doing the speech is hilarious. ‘If you are assisting someone who needs help in an emergency like a child or someone who acts like a child!!’ Then “if you need to attract sailors, mermaids or dolphins at sea use the whistle” very amusing, nice to have a bit of fun with the mundane safety talks. She gets a round of applause. I get all excited when I see a movie come on, turn off my iPad to watch and realise its in Icelandic. Never mind! The sunset is so beautiful though, a rainbow effect out the window. I love sunsets and sunrises, memorising.
Awaiting me at home will be my adorable animals. I do miss them. Unconditional love, well food required but still! I get to play 2 hockey matches this weekend then netball on Monday. My body won’t know what’s hit it, bet I walk like a complete idiot come Monday morning and I have work next week. How very original!
I love travelling but it is a lonely place at times. Miss having that ‘special’ someone to chat to, cuddle into and generally know they are there for you! Let’s hope 2014 brings me some love.