Today was an easy day- I only took the bus to Husavik, which took about an hour and a half, and arranged my visits with the fish farms. Husavik is the whale watching capital of Iceland. By purchasing a round trip ticket from Akureyri (when I go off to the East on Monday, no buses go direct from Husavik, one has to go back to Akureyri), I received a really cheap ticket to go whale watching. This should be interesting...
I am here for a total of 4 days. I decided to book this weekend here because it has such a beautiful harbor and I had the desire to enjoy this fisherman's town and a view out over the ocean. Tomorrow is my fish farm day. I have planned to go and see 2, both land operations. One is right here in Husavik (with the possibility of maybe seeing the other one) and the other is about an hour away and is considered to be the most innovative. The bus system in the north is pretty crappy, as there are not as many inhabitants and the largest city is Akureyri, with a population of about 12,000. Here, the population is maybe 2-3,000. Because of this, I have to rent a car, yet again. I hate having to do so because of its inefficiencies and the staggering prices of the rental and paying for gas, which is about $1.50 per liter, mucho dinero! I really hope it is the last time.
I got very lucky with finding this current guesthouse. When I was looking at my itinerary the other day, and discovered the hostel I originally booked is far off from Husavik and no buses go there, I got a bit worried. I referred to my handy-dandy travel guide, and it gave me a few options in Husavik proper. I called this place and luckily they had room available- and I get my own space! YES!!! It sits on top of a hill and is maybe 10 minutes walking from the center. It is a very beautiful home, run by an old couple that are so young at heart and in their manner. When I arrived, they greeted me with coffee and cookies that she had recently baked herself- they were delicious!! They are so very hospitable and I feel very lucky to have found it and that they had room for me. This is the first hostel I have found since Selfoss that can be comparable to it. I am looking forward to the progression of my stay here.
Tomorrow will be my busy work day, and then I have decided to take the weekend off since all the fisheries do not operate on the weekend. I am looking forward to taking this short break and reflecting on the trip so far, since I am half way through today. Also, as little as Husavik may be, it has very much to offer. It has 3 museums concentrated closely together, which will be very fun to visit. More details about them to come, but I can say that they are topics I have never expected to encounter :) It is a beautiful city on the eastern side of a fjord. Across the sea, you will find snow-capped mountains and on the other side, large multicolored mountains with green that stops at a margin. I have been noticing that condition on mountain sides here in the North- it is quite interesting.
Image 1: Leaving Akureyri- on bus
Image 2: Getting close to Husavik- very much enjoy capturing the diversity of blues in the water. The type of water dictates its color. This appears to be fresh ground water in a marshy setting.
Image 3: View from my balcony, East side- notice what I was talking about with the vegetation just stopping after a certain elevation on the mountain
Image 4: View from my balcony, West side- midnight sun- the orange against the icy mountain tops is just stunning
Image 5: Close up of Image 4
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