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I love going around with my tourists. Of course every group is different.
I had a group from Singapore coming in on Feb. 28 and they left on March 8. They were very nice and understanding. You may wonder why I say understanding – you see, we have had the most terrible winter I can think of. Constant wind. Let alone the snow we have had, but the wind is so awful. Out of 90 days (back to beg. December) there have been 40 very windy days. And driving a bus in much wind is not really a pleasure. The first days were fine. I picked them up at the airport on Saturday Feb. 28 and we went straight to our hotel about 2 hours from Reykjavik. Snow blowing across the road on our way, but not too much wind (up to 20 meters per second in gusts upon one mountain road). That evening the Northern Lights were dancing in the sky, great show. All colours, simply beautiful.
Then Sunday, March 1 we set off at 9 in the morning and did snowmobiling upon one of the glaciers as well as looking at the pretty sites around, the gushing
hot-spring, waterfalls and of course Skalholt, the old bishopric for Iceland. Was a great day, almost sunny but calm weather. Back to the same hotel.
Monday March 2 we set off at 9 again and I was anxious because the weather beneath one mountain was bad, gusts of wind but not too icy road. We made it to the snout of another glacier where they went hiking with crampons and all. Great day for them, waiting for me. On we went and the road from the snout of the glacier to the main road was icy but now the wind was picking up again and snow blowing across the road so I could hardly see where I was going, but made it and on over to the next hotel. Such ice on the road and snow blowing across all the time so I was exhausted when we finally came to the hotel, but the view from our hotel! The sun was about to set, cast this beautiful pink colour all over the icy world around us, all the little streams and lakes were bluish/greenish/purple colours, all around us and between the lava-fields that were covered with pure white snow.
It was like a magical world! My tourists did not go inside, one man stayed outside till the sun had set so I lent him my gloves. He just stayed there taking photos. That evening alas, no Nothern Lights.
The following day (March 3) was supposed to be calm so I was at ease, but again in some places the snow was blowing across the road so I had to drive very carefully and slowly. We made it well to the Glacier Lagoon and the icebergs there were really worth the drive. This glacier lagoon is never the same, even if I stop here every month all year it is never the same. The icebergs on the lagoon are ever changing. To give you an idea of how changeable the lagoon is then I took a photo of an iceberg with a hole in it. The day after my husband, with another group, took a photo of the same iceberg, but then it had fallen and did not look the same at all. And back we went across the sands and lavafields and more sands, glaciers on one side, sea on the other – cars outside the road because
it was so icy and slippery, but I managed to hold the bus on the road and got them safely to the hotel. Again I was exhausted when I came to the hotel. That afternoon I told my group we would set off at 8:30 in the morning as the wind was picking up again around noon and we wanted to make it across one mountain road and drive beneath one awful mountain.
March 4. We set off, wind not too bad and we managed to cross the mountain road, but the wind was picking up again there and in some places I could hardly see the road. I told them I had to change the plan so we could make it to the hotel that day as the weather forecast was awful, in fact dangerous. When I came to the signs telling how bad the wind was – 30 meters a second in gusts beneath the mountain I was not feeling comfortable – so I told them again I had to change my plans and this time just go back to Reykjavik and wait till the wind dropped. I phoned the hotel and they told me the wind
South part
Going up to a glacier for snowmobiling was supposed to drop around 4 in the afternoon so I had to find something for my group to do. We visited museums, drove around the city and finally I drove them to the shopping mall in Reykjavik and said I would pick them up again at 3:30 when the wind was going down again. Then I phoned the weather forecast office and was told the wind was not going to drop until 8 or 9 that evening. Again I phoned the hotel and asked what they could do for me and they changed the booking to a hotel in Reykjavik. Boy, was I relieved! And my group got deluxe rooms there too. I can’t tell you how grateful I was to the man who gave me that information. I drove them straight to the hotel and was home around 5 in the afternoon.
The day after the weather was still very bad and I am talking about VERY bad – snowing, windy. No chance I was going to risk any tours outside Reykjavik so I took them to another museum and paid that myself as a compensation. I offered to pay their lunch too, but they insisted to
pay that themselves – at least I booked them into a restaurant that day for lunch.
Friday, 6 of March. That day we were supposed to go on Segway wheels around Reykjavik and as the wind had dropped even if there was some hail now and then, they managed to do the Segway and were happy with it. Going around Reykjavik that way is great fun and you see so much.
Saturday March 7 was good and as my husband had already said good-bye to his group he came with me, he was the driver this time so I could relax and be ONLY a guide. The group did ATV (all terrain vehicles) down to the black beach and through the lavafields. They had a lovely time and even sun now and then. After that we drove them to their hotel near a place called Blue Lagoon and that was good bye for me to them. Always a bit of a sad feeling when I say good-bye to good groups.
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