Day 9: Constable Point back to Reykjavik

23 September 2018

Today is a travel day with lots of waiting around. We have to have our main bags out in the hallway by 7.15am ready to be transported out. Breakfast is longer today (7.30-9.00) but we also have a lunch station so that we can make sandwiches to take with us. We have to vacate our cabins by 9.00 so that the crew can start preparing them for the next lot of incoming passengers.

We all adjourn to the Panorama lounge to wait … and wait … and wait. We are again in the second group – which was good last time because we got a sleep in but this time we just have longer to wait. The first group departs at 10.15 but we don’t go until 11.45am. Just as we have got everyone’s contact details, had a second cup of tea and were just starting to get bored, Manda brought out a DVD to play for us: David Attenborough’s The Hunt – set in the arctic and with lots of polar bears and other animals we have seen over the past few days.

Finally it is our time to kit ourselves up again for one final trip in the zodiacs. The day is fine and clear with not a breath of wind – a very far cry from when we arrived a week ago into a snowstorm. It is very sad to start saying goodbye to our lovely crew who have looked after us so well during our stay with them.

Back on shore we hand over our life-jackets (more farewells) and then begin the half hour trudge back to the airstrip with our armed escort, passing the first of the next group walking towards us on the way. At the airport we are shown to the ‘departure lounge’ – a penned in area outside – where we have to hand over our trusty boots. Here we have another 1.5 hours to wait. We strip off excess gear and eat our sandwiches. We have a bit of excitement as we watch our plane coming in ready to disgorge more passengers but the excitement dissipates as we stand there and wait … and wait.

Eventually at 14.05, now starting to get chilled despite the sunshine, we get to board our flight back. It is a 1hour 30min flight with a second lunch of a ham and cheese croissant and a cup of tea. The views over Greenland as we fly out are spectacular and we are reminded of just how much snow and ice is locked up in this region.

After sorting ourselves out back in our rooms at Fosshotel Reykjavík, we had arranged to meet Ute and Siggy, Friedrich and Erwin to go for dinner at a ‘marketplace’ nearby. This was a place where there were multiple restaurants in the same space and we could choose whatever we felt like and eat it all together.

I decided on a spicy chicken salad that ended up being enough to feed a family of four – our table did manage to finish it. Ute and Erwin had Vietnamese Pho, Gill had Summer Rolls, Friedrich had Arctic Char and Siggy a toasted sandwich. Afterwards we had to try out the special ice cream that was made in special mixers with lots of liquid nitrogen – it made quite a display. I tried the salted caramel and a liquorice, others had chocolate and berry flavours.

The other 4 were leaving at 4.00am next morning so we said our goodbyes that night.

Please join me over the next several posts as I take you on our Journey to the Arctic (and more).

The Joy of Business Class

Copenhagen Stopover Day 1
Copenhagen Stopover Day 2

Arctic Express: Northern Lights
Day 1: Copenhagen to Reykjavik
Day 2: Reykjavik to Constable Point, Greenland
Day 3: Scoresby Sund: Frederiksdal & Flyvefjord
Day 4: Scoresby Sund: Nordvestfjord & Ingmikortilaq
Day 5: Scoresby Sund: Eskimobugt & Immikkeerikajik
Day 6: Scoresby Sund: Danmark Island & Vikingsbugt
Day 7: Scoresby Sund: Cap Hope & Ittoqqortoormiit
Day 8: Scoresby Sund: Steward Island & Constable Point
Day 9: Constable Point back to Reykjavik

Iceland Discovery
Day 1: Reykjavik: Blue Lagoon
Day 2: Golden Circle
Day 3: South Coast
Day 4: Jokulsarlon
Day 5: Eastern Fjords & Moorudalur Valley
Day 6: Moorudalur Valley & Lake Myvatn
Day 7: Akureyri & Trollaskagi Peninsular
Day 8: Grabrok Volcano & Snaefellsnes Peninsular
Day 9: Snaefellsness to Reykjavik

Toronto, Canada
Day 1: Reykjavik to Toronto
Day 2: Toronto to Port Perry
Day 3: Lake Muskoka
Day 4: Millbrook
Day 5: Back to Toronto
Day 6: Toronto
Day 7: Niagara Falls

 

 

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For this and other similar tours see:

Explore Europe with Intrepid Travel (a range of different travel styles – see my post on travel styles)

Peregrine Adventures (Comfort tours)

Geckos Adventures (for 18 to 30s)

Note: After people telling me they had booked an Intrepid Tour on my recommendation, I now have affiliate links with the Intrepid Travel group of companies and may receive a commission if you book a tour online within a couple of months after clicking through to these sites.  So if you are enjoying my tips and stories and finding them useful in choosing your own travel, please click on these links and help me to bring you more .

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