Reykjavik, 100 Hotel

Arrived into Reykjavik late on Friday night. Could see volcanic eruptions as we approached the airport. Either that or the right engine was on fire. After landing onto a bus into the city from the airport. Got chatting with Dana on the bus (and a girl from California whose name escapes me!). As you do we exchanged contact details and said we would get in touch. Never heard from California girl again but Dana would become my bosom buddy during my trip here.

The following morning, Saturday morning, got a whatsapp text from Dana and we met up for a coffee and had a long chat. We got on well and had fanship of the West Wing in common. As a result of her message I on the spur of the moment booked onto a Northern lights trip for that evening that she was taking. As with everything in Iceland it is super expensive. It kicked off at 8.30ish (evening) and we drove on a bus driven and hosted by a guy called BG up into the national park. We stood around for what felt like hours in the cold and saw nothing. So eventually we moved up to higher ground (where the two continental plates meet) and after another long time standing around in the very cold we got back on the bus. The trip promised the chance to re attend as many times as it took to see the lights. Having given up, the lights finally decided to do their thing. First as a lightning like spark on the right of our view and then gradually filling up a whole half of the sky they danced around. The moment that will stick in my memory - the lights were like a curtain and at one point it was as if we were directly below the curtain and suddenly we were looking right up and they seemed to extend into infinity. It was a truly magical moment.

Again, company and specifically female company seemed to cheer my mood - I had been feeling a little down this morning (probably due to the massive cost of everything here). Along with Dana there was a Cheshire-based girl called Nicole who was a Manchester based lawyer - poor thing - and also a Russian girl called Olga. There was music playing at the time which I would have said would have been entirely inappropriate but which worked really well - The songs were Bob Marley ... One Love. And Over the Rainbow, the version by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole

So after a lot of standing around under clear and therefore very cold skies we earned our reward. And it was truly worth it. One of those once in a lifetime moments. Worth the fortune that we paid for the bus journey.

Dana and I have agreed to hang out for a couple of days and hire a car together so that is the plan for Monday through Wednesday.Okumaya devam et