Training in Reykjavik: 5-24 May

intrepidation and no clue what to expect. similar to japan and america, I arrived with very little idea about what to expect bar some rugged landscape and working for a volunteer organization called Seeds (see beyond borders).

www.seedsiceland.org

have now been training for two and a half weeks learning about a whole range of topics: icelandic history and culture, volcanoes, climate change, icelandic, leadership skills, environmental projects etc. it has been pretty intensive but necessary for the real work which will begin this weekend.

thankfully the other 11 volunteers are all amazing. was a bit tentative about being stuck with people would be over zealous and lacking in character but has turned out well. everyone comes from completely different backgrounds from a wide range of countries: France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Lithuania, Holland, Scotland and Switzerland. Have made some great buddies already and feel so fortunate to be out here. SWEET!!! one of the guys from france cycled further than me up the East coast of australia and is an absolute legend. we might end up doing an around the world trip sometime in the future.

Reykjavik is a tiny capital city but the night life is sonomous with a conorbation. have had some comedy nights out on the town which start at about 1am and go on to 6am with everybody coming out of the bars and clubs and chatting on the street and invariably doing stupid things. have seen a few museums, been in the parliament and walked all around the centre. the architecture is at times extremely inticing and at others quite simply obtruse. but it is understandable when you relate it to the rapid development that has taken place in the last 20 years.

Have a had a couple of opportunities to make it out to the countryside and have felt the sheer magnitude of the landscape. this is no place for big eogs as it make humanity itself meek and feel insignificant (the way it should be) as mountains, glaciers, waterfalls, rivers are so full of vitality. its not suprising that pagan beliefs of elves and the supanatural still exist even today.

On saturday we will be off to the western fjords to start out first workcamp. not totally sure what we will be doing but there will be a few short term volunteers with us and i will be leading the group. hopefully i wont have a shocker......