Over the course of the next few weeks, I’ll be posting a tastefully-edited version of the journal I kept during the time I spent in Iceland. You can find all the entries and more on the “Iceland Transcribed” page.
My day started much, much earlier than I intended thanks to my roommate’s incessant snoring. I could hear him through my ear plugs, and listening to music couldn’t drown him out, either. Thankfully, I was able to doze for a while before I actually had to get up.
After checking out and inquiring about buses, I began my journey to Akranes [Ah-kren-aes]. That journey involved waiting at a bus station for two hours in the rain, but it was still a journey.
Akranes is a small fishing village about a 45 minute bus ride west of Reykjavik. There’s not much else to say about it, other than it is home to a phenomenal bakery and boasts two lighthouses.
I asked the girl at the tourist information center about hiking Akrafjall, and she said I could walk there, that I should go to the peak, and follow the river through the ravine on the way back down.
The man running the hostel said basically the same thing.
This hostel is a good deal smaller than Reykjavik City Hostel, and I think I actually have a room to myself, which is a wonderful change of pace.
I will admit to being a bit homesick, though. After getting used to the bustle and color of Reykjavik and moving to the dreary remoteness that is Akranes, I think my adrenaline and excitement have abated and now I realize I have nothing familiar nearby. It makes me miss my own bed, with my cat, in my not-great apartment with my wonderful roommates…
I’m sure I’ll feel better after my hike tomorrow. And maybe a nap. It’s not even dinner time yet but I’m pretty sure this day has lasted for a year.
Mouse Talks 
I’ve caught up on these now and they are fantastic. I especially like the much needed pronunciation tips! I’m glad you had some company when you were feeling homesick. You still put yourself out there despite it though and saw lots of interesting sights. Transportation in other countries always makes me anxious, even when I do know the language, especially buses as you can rarely just buy a pass from a machine like you can on the metro. Even when there is a machine and I can clearly read the sign that says ‘out of order’, trying to explain that to the impatient man behind the counter in Paris is scary!
LikeLike
The story only gets bigger from here! I’m a nervous traveler, too, so trying to sort out the bus system in a foreign language was a headache. I can’t imagine trying to figure out a metro system!
LikeLike