Page 16 - 2000 ICELAND

We had delicious potato soup, then tasty salmon, boiled new potatoes and
slaw (this too would become quite familiar).

Many of the French people slept in a large first floor recreation room with

tables and chairs in the middle. Pallets had been laid down around the
periphery for the sleeping bags. Kay and I ended up in a second story loft

with about 20 other people, sleeping in little cubicles separated by
partitions you could see over - open in the front.

There were a couple of single fluorescent strips to light the whole area, but

since it didn't get dark outside, it didn’t really matter. There were not

enough shower and toilet facilities for a group our size, but we made do.
Some of the folks started a practice that continued throughout the trek—

they went to the public “sundlaug” (hot swimming pool). Every area we
stayed in had its own facility, most of them with showers as well. However,

this night, Kay and I used only the lavatories for a little spit bath because
there was no way to get into the single shower in the hotel as the line was

far too long. The steaming hot pool under gray skies and chilly winds did

not look at all inviting, nor did the gang showers for changing into bathing
suits.

So after the evening ablutions, we headed for the loft hoping that too many

people crowded into a small space would not prevent a good night’s sleep.
And sleep we did, with no problems at all. We were probably all grateful for

the partitions, partial though they were, for the awkwardness among the
group was still very much present. But we were beginning to separate in our

minds those in the French group that seemed diffident due to language

differences and those who seemed to be curiously hostile to the English
group as a whole. We would ponder the meaning of the apparent dislike

and try to overcome it.

GULLFOSS

We were quite early this morning in order to get to the toilets and sinks
before the crowding started. I got my contact lenses in and then went back