Page 22 - 2000 ICELAND

afraid of heights at all; however this trail completely unnerved me because I
knew that coming back down it was going to be a hundred times worse.

Made it about two-thirds of the way up onto a plateau about 500 feet below
the top and just decided that I couldn’t face having to climb even further

down. So we sat for a while in the lovely grasses under the brilliant sky
enjoying the colorful and comical puffins, the dramatic black and white

kittiwakes, the ominous storm petrels, and predatory skuas! The

cacophony at Bird Island would have to be experienced to be believed—
those myriads of birds are chattering and squawking constantly in their

loudest vocalizations. You literally have to shout yourself to be heard over
them.

After finishing our packed lunch, we began to pick our way back down with

Kay encouraging me every step of the way to “just plant a foot and slide
until the sand stops you; and it will.” On the few occasions I let myself look

down at the sea, I was amazed at the clarity of the water! It was a breezy

five degrees Centigrade (about 40 F). Anyhow, we made it down and even
got across the boulder-chasm that had posed a barrier on the way up and

made into the boat by ourselves.

We saw the French family with two young daughters on their way down and
the young mother was obviously as unnerved as I had been. She was quietly

crying. Kay left the boat and went to help the daughters manage the last
boulders. Everyone got back safely. The “ice” began thawing even more as

we all laughed and joked with relief about how scary the experience had

been!

The return boat trip was faster and much bumpier, but the relief at leaving
that place was unqualified. Our bus met us 15 minutes later and we paid

our captain 8000 Kroners for a trip that had caused me to contradict my
own travel axiom (learned deep in the Copper Canyon in Mexico), “Never go

anywhere that takes longer to reach than you want to stay!”

DALVIK