The start

Augest 8 2016

No problems getting to the airport.  Just road the mountain bike into Boulder and across 22 miles).  Drop it off at a friends where my boxed and gear was.  Haul the 100 lbs of gear two blocks to the local bus which arrived just as I got there.  Local bus gets me the half mile to the bus terminal.  Clean sailing to the airport.  The new arrangement at the airport has me carry  the gear to the far end with no cart.   Not impressed.  Board says the plane is late.  The Iceland Air staff says the plane is on time.  We board a little late and then sit on the tarmac for forty minute.  The board is right.  Tried to sleep but had a kid hitting the screen behind the seat for hours.  I ask the flight attendant to help and she went to the other end of the plane an hid.  So arriving in Iceland near dawn with no sleep and no food I grab my stuff and head out.  Standing outside the terminal wondering what I should do next I see the Bike Pit. Wheeling my gear over to it I find all the tools to put my bike back together.  Thirty minutes later I have a working bike.  A little while later gear is arrange for riding.  The grab basket in the bike pit has fuel cartridges and tangerines.  Bike box folded will not travel   easily.  Go back to the terminal and ask Icelandic air about bike bags.  They say they have them.  We will be checking back on how this turns out. Hope it is not loaded by the guy in Denver who bounce tested all the luggage being loaded on the plane.  

Bed off the front of the bike

As I head into the near by town I go for a tangerine.  My hands stick to the handle bars.  New plan.  I need food so I need local money.  Trip through town I can't find a ATM machine or bank.  I go back around and ask directions.  Yes I am in dire need of food so I ask direction.  I am told to find the bank I need to turn right on the main drag and look for the big building.  I could see a couple of flaws in the directions, but I went with them  A half mile later I found the bank.  ATM did not like my card so I converted cash.  Across the street was another bank and my card worked there.  I was thinking it would not be good not having access to most of my travel funds.  Flush with cash I found food.  Took back roads heading towards Reykjavik.  These quickly ran out putting me on the main highway.  This was like riding on an interstate.  Near 20 miles I was on the edge of Reykjavik metropolitan area.  I was fading fast and new I did not have 25 to 30 miles in me.  Rooms are tight in town so I could not count on finding a place.  I also did not want race though town with out seeing anything.  So I headed south into the country side.  At the edge of town my bike fell over under me.  Just barely kept the bike out of a 10 foot pit.  My bike does  go down under me.  I was tired.  A mile out of town I could see forest.  I took side road though the lava beds to the forest.  Found a track that lead me to a great spot.  I lay down in some heather around 2 and was out. I woke near sunset and setup the tent.  It started raining in the night and I slept
Love and kisses
Steve