Friday 3 July 2015

Escape from Rejkyavik - Friday

The first day is always the slowest.  Assemble bike, pump tyres, pack tent, cup o tea and finally leave the campsite. 

I hadn't intended to go to Rejkyavik but alas plans were changed as the bike box store at the airport closed at 5pm.  Haven't they heard of budget travellers who arrive late in the evening?  So fly bus to the central campsite.  The reason I didn't want to stay there this year was simply because it seems to take forever to get out of the city.  

Anyhow that meant a change of route towards Pingvellir, turn right at the start of the unmade road and head down it.  I mean why make things easy! 

But all along that route I was rewarded with, apart from heavy showers, lupins. Beautiful, majestic blue lupins. They scatter the sides of the hills without effort. Which was more than I was finding till I realised I was still in my 'big ring' DOH! 


Tonight's a fantastic campsite with rewarding hot sulphuric showers. No complaints as the chill after the rain was not pleasant.  I also had to wash 
my bike as the ash had coated everything and I doubt it would be running smooth with all that in it's gears.  People keep talking of washboard roads in Iceland which I couldn't understand until today.  It was like riding over a cattle grid over and over again. I guess this is where the wind has created ripples in the ash.
So an early night after not many miles but  that's the way the first day usually goes. 

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