Okay, Now I'm Safe To Describe The Day

I just wanted to get some pictures posted before anything else prevented me from doing so, therefore the previous post is full of my favorite shots from the past few days. With any luck I can get back to integrating the day's pictures in that day's post. Speaking of which, apparently tomorrow is "Culture Day" in Reykjavik, which turns the city into a giant party. Depending on what time I get back from diving and how much of a madhouse the city has become I may not get a chance to make a post tomorrow. The cafes that serve as hotspots throughout the city tend to be pretty happening pubs in the evenings, which may make it impossible to get any blogging done. So if I'm MIA tomorrow I'll try to make up for it on Sunday.

Okay, on to today. After my late night last night I decided to pass on breakfast and sleep as late as I could manage. That worked out fairly well and I didn't rouse myself till ab out 10:15. By the time I'd got out the door it was past 11, so I just started a tour of Reykjavik and grabbed a hotdog along the way. I'd already wandered around a bit on my first day, but I was just way to tired to take it all in, so I started again, this time refreshed and in the mood to explore. I wandered down the main street, taking a brief detour to check out Tjornin (lit. "Pond" in Icelandic) a small lake in the middle of town. It's full of ducks and gulls, some of which look like a typical seagull except bulkier, and with an odd red marking on their bottom beak. I'll have to look them up sometime.

I also made a detour into a clothing shop to buy a jacket. I equipped myself with clothes that assumed a slightly cooler summer temperature, which is what I'd been seeing while monitoring the temperature from Canada. Way off base. It's been quite cool here, and fairly windy, which is apparently pretty common. I've been making due, although I was a bit chilly yesterday. However, I was a bit concerned that I was going to continue to be slightly less than comfortable, and also that I would be woefully unequipped for my glacier hike on Monday. Fortunately the Icelanders know how to gear up for the weather. Unfortunately this comes at a cost. The most popular brand (or at least the best advertised) seems to be 66 degrees North. I took a peak in there and was unable to find a light jacket for less than 29,900 ISK. That's $252.43 CAD according to Google at the time of writing. They're all very technical garments, but I can get technical in Canada. Just go down to the MEC... WAY technical. I managed to find a different brand in a small shop and got a groovy coat that's very breathable and waterproof, but light and warm for 19,900. I got a tax-free receipt which I can take to the airport on my way out and get 15% of that back too. Still more than I wanted to pay since I ALREADY HAVE A JACKET, but it's cool, and I needed it. I'm just embarrassed as a Canadian abroad to be caught off guard by the weather.

I wandered out to the coast of Reykjavik harbour after that, and then made my way back to the guesthouse in time to get changed and meet my ride for the diving day. Our Divemaster today was Louis, and it was just Louis, Helmut, and myself on the trip today. We went out to Gardhur, which is out past the airport on the south peninsula and did two dives there. As you'll see if you've checked out the pictures, the water clarity wasn't so hot, but it was still very interesting. We were constantly trailed by huge schools of Herring, and we saw quite a few Scorpion Fish and Skates chilling out on the bottom.

I learned an important lesson today on my second dry suit dive. When checking things out on the bottom I generally like to kick my feet up so that I'm head-down and able to get my face close to what I'm observing without crashing into it. Not a great idea in a dry suit. You see, you keep it filled with air to control your buoyancy, and if you become too buoyant you vent air from a vent on your left shoulder. Well, if you get your feet too far above your head all the air rushed up to your feet and you lose the ability to vent it from your shoulder. Being perfectly upright streamlines you, and you shoot up to the surface at an ever increasing rate as the pressure lessens. Fortunately I wasn't very deep and was therefore sparred the kind of debilitating injury that this kind of bonehead maneuver would normally bring. A lesson well learned in controlling my buoyancy and body position.

The second dive of the day ended up being a learning experience as well. We got caught in an unexpectedly strong current and had to resort to a technique that most divers would normal avoid: making direct contact with the ocean life. We dumped the air out of our suits to become quite negatively buoyant and then pulled ourselves along the bottom by the stems of the kelp until we were out of the worst of it. I owe Helmut a beer, since he grabbed hold of me while I was still positively buoyant and kept me from getting swept away. It's great when you're a novice to be diving with experienced people. I was actually really fortunate that I'd run out the battery to Dad's camera on my first dive of the day and left it behind for the second. Any extra drag would have been detrimental at that point.

Well, it's almost 10:00 now, and I think I'm going to start making my way back to the hotel. I rushed over here as soon as I got in to make sure that I'd finally get some pictures posted, and I could still use a shower. The dry suit doesn't cover your hands and face from the salt water. Also, I don't have the luxury of sleeping in tomorrow, it's up at 7:00 to be ready for another 8:00 pickup, and then back to Silfra. I'll try to get some better pictures this time, although I'll probably do one dive without the camera so that I can be more focused on the actual diving.

I'll check in soon. Hope everyone back home is doing well!