By Ava Kabouchy – Pictures & Journey Web site
There are lots of methods to journey and discover a unique nation. To fulfil a childhood dream of experiencing the northern lights, the aurora borealis, Ava Kabouchy visited Iceland as a volunteer and took part in environmental initiatives. Between whale recognizing, trash assortment, pictures classes and snow climbing, she realized extra about Iceland than on a standard vacation. Right here’s her inspirational account:
It began with Sister Adelaide
When Sister Adelaide advised us eight-year-old third graders concerning the aurora borealis in geography class at St. Brigid’s College in North Bergen, New Jersey so a few years in the past, I used to be enthralled on the concept of the evening sky lighting up in inexperienced. In my class picture that yr, I used to be carrying a glass pendant minimize like prism to point out all the colors of the sunshine. I known as it my ‘aurora borealis’ necklace, and questioned if sometime I’d see the aurora for actual.
A unique form of journey to Iceland
However my journey to Iceland wasn’t solely about seeing the aurora; it was additionally about becoming a member of a workcamp organized by SEEDS, an NGO based mostly in Reykjavik, which organizes workcamps for worldwide volunteers to reside and work collectively on a undertaking that has been recognized by a local people. Tasks primarily deal with nature, comparable to constructing climbing trails or strolling paths, and taking part in reforestation, or are centered on the setting as my workcamp was. Not possible to spend prolonged quantities of time exterior in mid-March in Iceland, we workcamp individuals within the Environmentally Conscious and Trash Searching Undertaking, did two clean-up initiatives in Reykjavik.
(SEEDS is affiliated with SORPA, a community-based group is in control of waste assortment and administration within the Reykjavík space with different native stakeholders. Natural kitchen waste, blended family waste, paper and cardboard, and plastic packaging are all rigorously managed on account of citizen concern)
We volunteers have been amazed to find what number of bits of plastic particularly we collected on and below the melting snow alongside streets in Reykjavik. Two volunteers have been wanted to hold the heavy burlap bag into which we had all put our discovered items, together with a really massive variety of cigarette butts. The clean-up reminded all of us how shortly and simply small items of plastic and different trash accumulate and what hurt is being finished to the setting, along with the unsightliness of all of it. A cigarette butt can take from eighteen months to 10 years to decompose and we had picked up many.
Plans to take part in a meals distribution program, sadly, needed to be cancelled as a result of unhealthy climate prevented meals from being delivered to its vacation spot. A powerful fishing business exists in Iceland and solely 2.5% of the inhabitants faces starvation, a exceptional statistic that has not elevated since 2000. Nonetheless, single moms and people unemployed due to the covid pandemic stay probably the most weak populations, for whom the meals was meant.
Ég tala ekki íslensku
One afternoon after our second assortment of trash and disposing of it, we have been invited to an Icelandic language course for a big group of immigrants and refugees confronted with studying a language that have to be exceedingly troublesome to study. The instructor offered learners with many various educating modalities – a brief video of a household at dinner, a tune concerning the days of the week and months of the yr, and instructor to pupil questions. Folks within the course got here from many components of the world, and as I checked out two Muslim ladies, presumably refugees from Iraq, I questioned how they’d managed to get to Iceland, however much more so, how they have been adjusting to such an excessive change of tradition and local weather. A lot of the college students saved their winter coats and hats on regardless that the room was very heat whereas exterior frequent snow squalls have been nonetheless taking place in March.
We volunteers have been handled to a one-hour language class simply to study easy phrases, none of which might I bear in mind because the instructor practiced with our small group: The place do you reside? Hvar býrðu? I don‘t communicate Icelandic: Ég tala ekki íslensku. Luckily for the group, our widespread language was English.
Purposeful initiatives
All of our days with SEEDS have been full of actions, which included after-dinner workshops on {photograph} composition, lighting, and enhancing. Every of the volunteer instructors gave us assignments comparable to composition after which we hung out taking images, sending them to the teacher, and having them critiqued throughout the group. After our remaining dinner collectively, every participant confirmed ten of her finest photographs, and plenty of of them have been really wonderful.
One other exercise was a go to to the Whales of Iceland exhibition with life-size creations of whales and information about every one. A movie was proven of the various completely different species of whales, which included whale tune to which we listened whereas sitting comfortably on massive pillows on the ground. The exhibition is instructional, reminding individuals of the impression people have on the existence of whales. On the residence we considered a video about dying coral reefs in Australia, the Florida Keys, and different locations the place the 1.1⁰C diploma rise in temperature of the water, attributable to world warming, has all however put an finish to the reefs within the Keys, now bleached white due to the shortage of life inside them.
Geothermal energy
In case you aren‘t an engineer or a scientist, you won’t discover a go to to a geothermal plant fascinating, however this was Iceland, which makes use of imported oil just for transportation and fishing, considered one of its most important pure sources. We realized on the Hellisheiði Energy Plant that in 1940 to 1975, Iceland started utilizing geothermal, a renewable power supply.
Amazingly, 73% of Iceland‘s electrical energy is produced by hydropower vegetation and nearly 27% is produced by geothermal power. When a drill is put into the bottom close to considered one of Iceland‘s practically 600 scorching springs, the steam is used to run the generators which distribute the recent water to cities and cities. The temperature of the steam is 180C/356F. Electrical energy is produced by hydro-power, and 70% of the nation‘s power consumption is from renewable sources, a exceptional statistic.
The great thing about Iceland. It truly is all it’s cracked as much as be
After visiting the plant, our younger driver and information from Portugal, Luis, a useful long-term volunteer, drove us to the Geysir Geothermal Space to see a number of the geysers which give the nation‘s scorching water for heating properties and different areas. We noticed steaming fumaroles attributable to the boiling water which runs only a few ft beneath the earth‘s floor and the geyser, which usually shoots steam and boiling water excessive into the air. (Geysir is definitely an Icelandic phrase, which has develop into a phrase used internationally.) Close by was the Gullfoss Waterfall, giving us an concept of the facility of hydropower, a spectacular sight below a blue sky the place the whole lot else was pure white. We hiked alongside the rim of the Burfell Crater and regarded down on the frozen lake within the crater beneath us, robust winds howling round us.
On our manner again to Reykjavik, we noticed a small herd of Icelandic horses – small however robust animals with a double coat to maintain them heat within the very lengthy and harsh winter. Delivered to Iceland by the Vikings within the eighth century, the horses by regulation can’t be imported as a way to preserve the breed pure and illness free. If an Icelandic horse is exported, it’s not allowed to come back again. And they’re very pleasant to guests.
Volcanic cliffs, howling winds, whale recognizing and snow climbing
Our second tour took us to Snaefellsnes Nationwide Park, situated on a peninsula in west Iceland the place March winds blowing over the cliffs made us tread rigorously as we watched excessive surf crashing towards the volcanic cliffs. And as we watched, we noticed the again of a whale emerge, an incredible website, which was like a present from nature to us. Earlier we had walked to a seashore the place we noticed quite a few seals sunning themselves on lava rocks within the ocean. On the seashore was the skeleton of the backbone of a whale.
And as if these sights hadn‘t been sufficient, we then hiked within the snow to a cave within the blue and white panorama to see a river flowing inside it. From there we hiked all the way down to a black sand seashore bordered by black volcanic monoliths protruding out of the white snow and others standing within the sea, being battered by excessive winds and excessive seas. The solar got here out and went away, a snow squall got here and went away. The day continued with a go to to an 18th century church seemingly in the course of nowhere, with no homes to be seen, and solely a small cemetery subsequent to the church . We have been pushed onward the place blue was the dominant color, a chilly blue, no different automobiles in sight as mild snow continued to fall.
As our van approached Kirkjufell Mountain, its iconic magnificence may very well be seen even from a distance. Excessive and searching very similar to a peaked hat, some snow nonetheless coated it and beneath it two waterfalls cascaded.
Reflections on a unique form of go to to Iceland
After all you’ll be able to go to the Blue Lagoon and Skogafoss Waterfall and Seljalandsfoss Waterfall, behind which you’ll be able to stroll, and sleep within the bubble lodge ready for the aurora to seem at any second within the evening sky. However this was a unique form of Icelandic expertise.
I left feeling admiration for the younger program individuals, all younger ladies by likelihood from Italy, Greece, France, Mexico, Germany, Portugal, and the U.S. ranging in age from 17 to 23 (when you don’t rely the participant from the U.S. who was considerably older.) Some had simply completed highschool and have been doing a niche yr to journey not solely as vacationers, however as younger ladies all for organizations comparable to SEEDS and the environmental work it’s doing. Some have been already enrolled in college, or had completed college, and have been taking a niche yr for a similar motive.
Their pursuits have been in developmental economics and humanitarian work, artwork, enterprise start-ups, medication, and medical analysis. Not admiring their enthusiasm for his or her time in Iceland together with their future plans and targets was unattainable. Throughout meal prep or simply sitting within the widespread space, I talked with a few of these younger ladies and admired their independence, their plans for his or her futures, and their considerations concerning the setting and what may very well be finished to maintain it clear and convey it again to well being.
Concern exists amongst Icelanders and its authorities that over-tourism is harming the nation’s fragile setting. Justin Bieber, who produced a video within the valley the place the Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss Waterfalls are situated, introduced a lot tourism to that space that the federal government needed to shut it for some time. Bieber‘s antics, comparable to skateboarding atop a crashed airplane and rolling down a moss-covered hill have been being imitated by vacationers, inflicting not solely hazard to themselves however to the setting – moss can take as much as 70 years to develop and it was being destroyed.
Swimming exterior whereas it was snowing
We spent our final full day speaking and stress-free within the widespread front room. I had heard concerning the out of doors thermal swimming pools close by and determined that will be an effective way to spend my final afternoon in Reykjavik. A brief distance to stroll within the snow, I went into one of many swimming pools the place individuals sat in water, geothermically heated after all at a temperature of 44C/110F.
When it felt it was time for a swim, I walked within the chilly to the massive lap pool the place the water was comfortably and naturally heated, did some laps, then returned to the sitting pool. The air temperature was 2C/33F, and it was snowing. I regarded up on the snow and marvelled at what I used to be experiencing – being exterior in Iceland within the snow and in naturally heated swimming pools. Again for some laps, again to heat up within the pool, extra laps…
As I walked again to the home, refreshed and relaxed, it was snowing, a delicate snow this time, not a squall.
Again to Sister Adelaide
I did see the aurora borealis. Getting out of the van with seven different individuals on a really chilly and really windy March evening in Kleifarvatin, the dream of an enthralled eight-year-old got here to life. I put my gloved arms over my face and simply stared upwards. Inexperienced lights within the sky simply as I had imagined them, completely different styles and sizes, shades of sunshine inexperienced and darker inexperienced. They might disappear. They might return. Fourth of July fireworks might by no means have in contrast. This was pure, this was nature at her most interesting.
I bear in mind Sister Adelaide’s lengthy Dominican behavior and wimple, which coated her face. Once we third graders turned fifth graders, we heard a hearsay that Sister Adelaide had left the convent, which didn’t shock any of us as a result of we might simply how fairly she was. Right now I’m wondering if all these years in the past if Sister Adelaide was enthralled by the imaginative and prescient of the aurora borealis and that she, too, noticed it as I did and skilled the marvel of inexperienced lights dancing within the northern skies.
Fascinating information about Iceland
Beer was unlawful till 1989. Iceland has no army – no air power, no military, no marines.
Getting there
Properly-priced tickets on Icelandic Air, very quick and environment friendly test in. Flybus on the airport makes many stops. Simply inform the driving force the title of your lodge.
The place to remain
Nupan Deluxe close to Keflavik Airport; excellent place to relaxation earlier than your journey house, €59 an evening, about $64.
The place to eat
You’ve many decisions within the centre of Reykjavik.
SEEDS Volunteer program
In case you are all for volunteering with SEEDS in Iceland, right here is the web site: https://www.seeds.is/workcamps
I discovered SEEDS by way of CADIP.org, which gives quite a few volunteer alternatives world wide. There isn’t any higher age restrict.
About Ava Kabouchy
As a toddler, Ava was fascinated by world maps, which later was travels to many components of the world. She has labored in a number of African nations, created a microcredit group for ladies in Honduras, and did a volunteer pictures gig for a clinic for a Mayan neighborhood in a distant mountainous area of Guatemala. Lately, she hiked alongside the Camino de Santiago in Spain and in France, travelled in Morocco, fulfilling a childhood dream of strolling barefoot within the Sahara and one other of seeing the aurora borealis in Iceland.
Ava is the creator of the not too long ago revealed “The place within the World is Grammie Now?”, a e book for younger readers to show them about Saudi Arabia, a rustic not usually studied in center faculty curricula. She has additionally authored a e book on her 4 years in Saudi Arabia: “Wanderlust, A New Lease on Life within the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia”.
Ava makes her house in southwest France and on a distant island off the coast of Maine, USA.
Discover out extra about Ava Kabouchy on her web site.