This adventure all started when my mom and I took a trip to Iceland and parts of Europe. While we started our trip in Iceland, Europe treated us in a more relaxing manner. We explored the streets of Italy, trying delicious gluten-free foods, popping into shops and exploring the country’s art and culture. Our European trip also took us to Paris, where we roamed the streets and stores, giggling when the waiters kept giving us the French menus instead of the English ones.
However, at the start of our trip to Iceland, the place was like nowhere I have ever been before. Maybe because I quite literally have never been there before, but you get the point. In our rental car, we were surrounded by volcanic rock and scenic mountains. It felt like we were in an entirely new world. The emptiness, calm and jet lag all caught up to us, which was evident when we accidentally fell asleep in a hotel lobby for six hours. Through many days of long six-hour car rides to explore and make it across Iceland, one day of adventure stood out in particular.
My mom and I decided to take an easygoing puffin tour to give us rest before hiking a glacier the next day. But no one could have prepared us for what was to come. We drove around four hours to our puffin tour, passing a total of two houses and around four farms. When we arrived, there were just a bunch of cars, a hut and a random bathroom. Even though we were early to the tour, our soon-to-be-known Viking tour guide called us out, saying we were late. Looking around at the other tourists, they understood that we were on time and gave us a look like “It’s freezing, and this guy is really intense.”
Once we all filled the space in a wooden cart attached to the back of a truck, we faced a one-hour journey of wild wind, splashing water and thick haze. There was the sight of a huge mountain in the distance. As we got closer, we were all saying, “Wow, look at that mountain,” not knowing we would eventually be climbing it. Approaching the huge mountain, there was the sight of the ocean with a lot of puffins flying around and having fun on the sand. As the truck came to a stop and let us out, our guide revealed our true fate: we would be climbing the mountain. After questioning my mom about whether this tour was listed as ‘leisurely,’ our tour guide told us about how he comes from a line of Vikings and is one himself.
If you are wondering how we climbed a mountain out of the blue, do not worry, my Viking tour guide led us to the sand dune part of the mountain where we had to climb up. It took forever to climb because only a certain number of people could climb at a time, and we had to angle ourselves to ensure no sand flew in each other’s faces. Unfortunately, these precautions could not save me because, for some reason, while everyone thought to pack sunglasses on an Icelandic leisure puffin tour, I did not.
As we made it to the top of the mountain, sand dune, a rock in the middle of nowhere, whatever it classified as, our Viking tour guide did not let us slow down and reminded us that upon our descent, we could just slide down. Yet, with how narrow the mountain was, it did not motivate me any more. At the top of the mountain, we walked through trails of surprising signs of life. There were many small bushes, an odd lighthouse and, of course, huge mammals with sharp teeth roaming the area.
There were areas where we would walk slowly and quietly to not startle them, though that did not keep them away. We worked our way to the spot where you can see a “plethora” of puffins. The strong gusts of wind, sand everywhere, and the fear of being attacked by a lion creature were all that came along with the tour.
Eventually, when we reached the puffin destination, there was a sighting of a total of three puffins.
Three whole puffins.
Three whole puffins who did not come within a 10-mile radius of us. After everyone took their pictures, we slowly returned to our starting point, but still, the strong gusts of wind, sand everywhere and the fear of being attacked by a lion creature were all we could think about. Once we approached the edge of the mountain, we went down through the sand dune and slowly made our way down. I then happily sat down in the back of the wooden wagon for an hour in the freezing middle of nowhere.
If you could have guessed, my mom and I did not hike a glacier the next day and were sore for around four weeks. Although this experience made my trip as special as it was, it made me realize that some of the most memorable memories are made from false advertisements and a Viking.
