Sunday July 24, 2005

July 24 - Heimaey, Westmann Islands - We spend half the day visiting this scenic volcanic island. In the afternoon, we visit one of the icecaps of Iceland!

Information about Westmann Islands

Information about Iceland
 

JOURNAL ENTRIES
Sunday July 24th
Geoff Green
Expedition Leader
Heimaey, Westmann Island, Iceland

Hello everyone from sunny and warm Iceland! First let me apologize for the delay in getting this next dispatch to you all and onto the website. The last few days have been absolutely packed with adventure and excitement, and this is the first time I've been able to sit down and share our past 48 hours with all of you.

We arrived at 6:30am to Iceland yesterday morning and were met with Blue skies and a remarkably warm temperature of 20 degrees Celsius (73 farenheit)! (Can you say "Global Warming"?) After checking through customs we hopped onto our waiting buses and begin our first full expedition day in Iceland. Within minutes the students could tell they had arrived to a very different and special place. The landscape around the Keflavik airport where we landed is a completely volcanic and barren. It kind of looks like you've landed on the moon. In the distance we could see the Snaefellsness Icecap. Crisp, clean air filled our lungs.

Our first stop was at the world-famous Blue Lagoon, where we all changed into our bathing suits and jumped into the geothermally heated (37 degrees Celsius) waters! What a way to recover from a long day of traveling.It was also a hands-on way of discovering just how geologically active Iceland is. And that was a theme that continued throughout the day as our tour continued.
Other highlights of the day included visits to Thingvellir, a geysir and a waterfall. Thingvellir is a natural wonder on an international scale. The faults and fissures of the area clearly show the rifting of the earth's crust. Thingvellir is also the site of the world's oldest Parliament.

It was a tired group that arrived into Reykjavik (the capital city of Iceland) at the end of the afternoon. But the excitement level rose as soon as the buses pulled up beside our expedition ship, the M/V Explorer, at the dock in downtown Reykjavik!
Everyone was welcomed on board our new floating home and quickly shown to their cabins. After a quick shower and change, there was time to explore the ship before the Ship Safety Drill was performed.
Then a group of runners carrying the World Harmony Torch ran to the ship and presented us with the torch, which we have been asked to carry from Iceland to Greenland to Canada. Finally, we held our introductory briefing about the expedition ahead and then dinner was served. Whew, what a day. But it still wasn't over! After dinner at 10:30pm with the sun just setting on the horizon, we set sail into the North Atlantic Ocean! It was a great first expedition day. A special thanks to Snatak and friends who provided us with a fantastic "Icelandic" picnic lunch. By the way, the sun started to rise just after 3:00pm!
This morning we awoke to find calm seas and the Island of Heimaey in the Westmann Island Group shrouded in fog. The steep, jagged cliffs that plunged to the sea, were covered in thousand of nesting seabirds, including Kittiwakes, Puffins, Guillemots and Murres. (see Birds of Iceland) Just after breakfast the Captain brought us in through the narrow harbour entrance of the protected small fishing port of Heimaey. Two special guests joined us, Ole and Margo, to tell us about the history of the Westmann Islands, and about Puffins. It was a great introduction for us before setting off to explore this beautiful and dramatic island archipelago. We divided up into two groups for the day. Half the group went hiking to the top of the volcano situated at the edge of the main village, while the other half went on a Zodiac cruise to circumnavigate the entire island and visit some of the uninhabited outer islands. Then after lunch, the groups switched activities.

It was in 1973 when the last volcanic eruption occurred here. During the eruption almost 40% of the village was buried in lava, and the harbour was largely filled in, which ironically resulted in a more protected and sheltered harbour than prior to the eruption. During the hike to the top of the volcano, two of our geologists (Eric and Peter) measured the temperature of the volcanic soil just 10 inches below the surface. It was After descending the volcano, everyone had some time to visit the small town of Heimaey before returning to the ship.
The Zodiac cruise was also incredible. It took us two and a half hours to make it around the islands. En route, we saw thousands of Puffins, Murres, Gannets, Guillemots, Kittiwakes and Razorbills, in the ocean, soaring through the skies, and nesting in the cliffs. (see Birds of Iceland) The rugged island coastline was dotted with caves, several of which we entered with the Zodiacs. It was invigorating to taste and feel the salty air, and smell the richness of the ocean life. Already, after only a few short days, the students are beginning to re-connect with our natural world and feel the awe and wonder of Mother Nature. Connections and feelings that are often missing in the lifestyles and lives of today's "modern" society.

Tonight, spirits are running high. At our Re-cap and Briefing many of the students shared their highlights of the day. One of those being a direct "poop hit" by a passing seabird over the Zodiac! Our Captain hosted a Welcome Dinner and the sun is still shining bright at 9:00pm!

Tomorrow morning we arrive to the small village of Olavsvik, situated on the north coast of the Snaefellsness Peninsula. Stay tuned!

In the expedition spirit,
Geoff

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We sail out of our first day, aiming away from the Vestmannaejar Islands and back towards the manland, with a grey palate of ocean as a backdrop and no land in sight. Today we woke up sailing into the bay of Heimae Island, the largest of the archipelago, and continued on exploring these islands by zodiac. Home of the youngest island in the world, and some of the fiercest volcanic activity on earth, these islands seemed magically calm as we sped in and out of their caves in search of the puffin, a bird filling the northern niche of the penguins. Between the thick mist and the wild sheep,
these islands echoed of tradition and mystery. - Leah Kasinsky
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The onset of a new adventure is at hand. Together, the new and experienced, from both far and wide, the young and... the not so young, we start this magical journey together. In the end, we will take different memories away, different friends, but we will have experienced it together. I know it seems early to be talking about the end, but I also know that as we sit together today in lectures, hiking up and around a volcano that last erupted sometime in the 60s, cruising around in zodiacs into caves, around islands, and watching puffins, murres, seals and the odd sheep way up on an out cropping of old igneous rock, I am forming friendships that will last beyond the days of this trip and into many adventure filled years to come. I am a SOI returnee, after visiting and exploring the Antarctic this past Christmas, I join the team once again for another exciting escapade to the Arctic. That's all for now, best wishes -and many thanks- to all the friends and families of everyone here! - Erika Lackey-Ruwald
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Hello!!!!

Finally we are on our ship - the Explorer!! I didn't write yesterday just because I was so tired after all of the traveling to get to Iceland. I only slept for one hour in total on the plane on the evening of the 22nd, and the early morning of the 23rd. Arriving into Iceland at around 2:00 in the morning (Ontario time) and then touring around Reykjavik and surrounding areas is a little hard to do with one hour of sleep...

Nevertheless, the day was fantastic. I never pictured Iceland to look the way it does, and it is beautiful all the same! A somewhat deserted landscape with miles and miles of volcanic ash covering the fields, mountains after mountains, and beautiful landscapes as you look into the distance is just a small part of Iceland. As we arrived into Reykjavik at around 5:00 p.m. last night, we boarded our ship, got all settled and were finally ready to begin the journey at sea. I was so excited and still am!

Anyways...into the present...

Early this morning, we awoke to arriving at Heimaey and the Westmann Islands. We were then told that half of the group would be starting the day out with a hike up an active volcano, to the very top! Wow, what a great way to actually get some physical activity instead of just sitting on a plane for the amount of time that we did. It was such a momentous occasion as I reached the top of the mountain, and it was extremely thrilling being so high with no higher mountains in sight. In the afternoon, we headed out in the zodiacs for a three hour cruise in the middle of the North Atlantic Ocean around the Westmann Islands. For me, this was one of the best parts of the day. This zodiac cruise was unlike any Antarctic Cruise I had been on. The zodiac cruise was filled with sightings of seals, seabirds, puffins, caves, island after island after island, and glaciers!! The word "wow" was the only word that ever came to mind. This being my third Students On Ice Expedition, I was feeling very connected to the world during this time...something that I have never really felt before. As I was just sitting in the zodiac this afternoon, I couldn't help in getting a little choked up thinking that this is in fact my life, this is a part of me, and I would never change a single moment. This is only the first day aboard the ship, and I already get the feeling that it will only get better and better. I am super excited and so pumped and I am feeling at extreme ease with the fact that I am visiting the Arctic for the second time. I always tell my parents that the Arctic is my home away from home, and I couldn't agree with that statement more as I sit here reflecting right now.

We are getting ready for a presentation by Eric and Ingrid about snow, seeing that we are headed to Greenland tomorrow evening! This trip is honestly just flying by and it is extremely bitter sweet to think that this expedition is going to come to an end sooner than we all think but we are all enjoying every minute of it!!!! Let's continue!!! Woo hoo!!!

I will probably write later tomorrow so talk to you then. I'm so excited! - Kelsi Prince

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We just finished a GREAT presentation by two of our dear teachers. It was really interesting to see how it all worked about small piece of snowflakes. WAUW, the world is really an amazing place. Imagine a world without snow and ice? Denmark would be one island less..... (and according to Anne-Katrine, DK
would be GONE!)

I am really fresh and awake, but also ready to go to bed so I can be ready for tomorrow's experiences. I'm really looking forward to do some fieldwork, especially about snowflakes. Small, yet important! Like hobbits. - Mads Qvist Fredriksen (dansk humor er en go' ting! :-))

Til mor: Send flere penge!
Denmark, Haslev - Sjaellands Paris
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At this point a bit seasick, but still very excited about this whole trip!
Today we spent the whole day at the Westmann islands, south of Reykjavik. We walked up the newest mountain in the world, a huge volcano! We also sailed around the main island (where the town were), in the fast Zodiacs and saw a lot of different birds and smaller islands... a cool day. Now we are at sea
again (causing a bit of sea sickness).

Haaber at alle derhjemme I GL og DK har det godt... Det har jeg I hvert fald.
Mads underholder! :-)

- Knus Anne-Katrine
Greenland, Nuuk - dybfryseren
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Hey everyone! This is an amazing trip, a once in a lifetime opportunity. We are so glad we can share our experiences with people all around the world. Today is our second day on the ship, and our third day traveling with Students On Ice. Our first flight was to Toronto from Ottawa; however, we had such a short time period to get to our gate that we had to run! From Toronto we headed to Boston to meet up with the American and International people. We had around three hours to do some fun activities such as icebreakers, eating pizza and hanging out. We also learned about the excellent staff coming with us on the trip. We took an overnight flight to Reykjavik, Iceland. The flight took around 5 hours and gave us time to get to know members of the team. We arrived in Reykjavik at 6:30am, got on the bus, and headed straight to the BLUE LAGOON. This was incredible, relaxing and mind blowing at the same time. The water was warm and had the most magnificent colour and algae scrub! In the conference room we had a one hour lecture about Iceland and its history. Back to the bus for some well deserved rest as we went sightseeing through the southwestern part of Iceland. We went to a huge waterfall, large gorge, and a spectacular geyser which we will never forget. At 5pm we boarded our ship, got into our cabins (we are not together boo-hoo), unpacked, had a safety lecture and a lifeboat demonstration. Most people had a shower as well since our hair felt like straw from the Blue Lagoon, we thought it was going to break off! We had an amazing dinner, learned about the World Harmony Run (WE GET TO CARRY THE TORCH!), then finally set sail at 10:15pm. Finally we went to bed and fell asleep as soon as our head hit the pillow.

Jessica Pietrusiak and Rebecca Cameron / Winners of the Canadian Geographic
Polar Bound Contest
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To Jessica's friends and family

Mom, Dad and Amanda hey I miss you guys I am sorry I haven't called, I really can't as no reception and I haven't seen any pay phones. I don't have e-mail and I am sharing a cabin with a girl named Genie, she is really nice. I hope you guys have fun at the cottage! Miss you see you soon.

Mrs. Dolinski- Thank you so much for providing me with this opportunity!

Love Jess

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To Rebecca's friends and family:

Mom, Dad, Nick, Ben, Josh and Pepper- I am missing you, but it is very nice to still be able to contact you! I have been really busy, please continue to read these as it is my only link to you. If Mr. Worndl is reading this, THANK-YOU! I am having a great time, don't worry too much about me,
everything is great.

Love Rebecca
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Sunday July 24, 2005

Hello, it is now 1:22p.m. here in Iceland as I am writing this journal entry. I am very excited about my next adventure at 2:00p.m. We are going to the zodiac to cruise around the Westman Islands. I am very excited to go on the zodiac; it will be my first time on the zodiac, and I would like to see puffins. These are little birds, a lot like penguins but not part of their family. Puffins live in the Northern Hemisphere and penguins in the Southern.

When I woke up this morning, I felt very rested from a good night's sleep, which most of us needed. This was my first night ever on a ship, with the waves hitting I got pretty used to it. Hopefully I won't get sea sick. After when every one was ready and ate breakfast we went to the lecture hall to learn a little history of the island and some information on those puffins I was talking about and then off to the adventures.

Half of the group went hiking to the newest mountain in the world. It's a volcano that erupted in 1973 and became the "baby mountain of the world," well to me anyways. Climbing up to the mountain was a bit of challenge to me, since I have a touch of asthma. On our way down we went to the local stores for some souvenirs.

Now I would always like to leave my last paragraph to my family and friends! This one is to my mom: I hope everyone at home is having a good time and if you see any of my friends to say hello to from me. But now I know you will be checking this every day, but I am sorry I am not allowed to write emails to any one, but I will try to write a journal every day so you will know what the groups is up to.

Victoria

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Mads Qvist Frederiksen
Denmark
Sunday July 24, 2005

"Hello, where are you from?"
"I'm from Denmark, my name is Mads"

"ehhh Denmark..okay.Mess? Mass? Maaddds?.. hi."

Coming from a little country in the middle of nowhere can be a bit problematic when you are on ship with people from mostly the US and Canada; especially when your name is impossible to pronounce for anyone else than a Dane. Nonetheless, I have been greeted in a wonderful way by all the strangers. Traveling is not only about seeing volcanoes or funny birds, it is a lot more than that. To travel is a journey inside yourself, but also a journey to understand your own culture and other cultures. So, being on SOI is teaching me a lot more than only about the nature. I for example already know a lot more about the Inuit culture than I knew 48 hours ago.

However, the nature and our environment is also an important part of this trip, we shouldn't forget that. Therefore the walk up to the volcanic crater today (24/7) was an interesting, and new, experience for me. To walk on slope made out of the ashes from a volcanic eruption 32 years ago is a special feeling, it is even more special to put your hands on a random rock and feel how hot it is. To travel is to be alive.

Another thing I would like to write about is the ship: The Explorer! This is not only a ship, it is a luxury liner with sauna, nice food and hot showers. Nevertheless, there is one thing that I have been wondering about. I saw a strange thing yesterday when we did the "emergency drill." You can see on the back of the lifejacket an instruction of "how to use it," but does the woman on the picture smile while she takes it on?

Peace, Love and understanding :-)
Mads Qvist Frederiksen - Denmark

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