We landed in Keflavik at 0700 local time with our guide, Dr. Thorleifur Fridricksson, waiting to take us to his home in Reykjavik. Iceland appears foggy, barren, and largely uninhabited as we traverse the roughly 50 kilometers to Reykjavik. It's dark and broken basaltic landscape is reminiscent the Valley of Fire in New Mexico only with coastal, mossy qualities.
A light breakfast is served at Thorleifur's: bread, salami, ham, cheese, and pastries. Before we fall asleep in his living room he leads us to the neighborhood swimming pool where the village folk defrost in the geothermally-heated outdoor pools. There we rage on the slides and in the hot tubs until it is time to check into the Reykjavik Laugardalur Hostel. The hostel lies just outside of a huge park and acts as an epicenter for weary travelers and native Icelanders alike.
After a brief (2+ hour) nap it's time for dinner at Inga Gunnarsdottir's house, a Furman alum. Inga prepared an authentic Icelandic meal with lamb dogs, meat and cheese on rye, veggies, crepes, and chocolate cake, which we ate ravenously while watching Eurovision on TV. She also offered us inspirational words as the frigid sun began its slow descent behind Reykjavik. We take another bus back to the hostel, thus ending our long first day in Iceland.
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