Covid changes the plan
Our ring road trip almost didn’t get started. After getting dropped off at the bus station at the completion of the Hidden Trails of Iceland hike, I walked to the hotel where Angie was staying while she was out in order to shower and change. The plan was that I’d be able to do laundry and relax a bit in the afternoon and evening before picking up our rental car the next morning. I was a little tired from the hiking trip, but otherwise feeling fine. Angie had left a Covid test for me to take just to make sure so I took it before getting in the shower. I was shocked to see two lines on the test when I got out of the shower. I texted Angie, then got dressed, opened the window as wide as it would go and vacated the hotel room. I sat in the lobby by the front door and texted with Angie a bit before she made it to the hotel. We then sat outside and discussed options. The hotel had no other rooms available, but Angie found an Airbnb room that was available and not too far away. I booked it for two nights so I’d have somewhere fairly close and reasonably affordable to stay. It was a lot for me to process as I was thinking about both the cost and inconvenience of canceling our reservations, staying in Reykjavik for multiple days, or returning home early. I eventually suggested that I just make my way to the room to give us some time to figure out what to do. Angie then took a bus to go find an air filter and cleaning supplies so she could clean the hotel room that I had just been in.
We figured that I was on day 6 of covid. While people often test positive for covid for 10-14 days, I was was pretty much asymptomatic with just a lingering sporadic cough, and was hopeful that I’d test negative on the short side. Most of our planned activities on the ring road were outside and the weather was looking decent for the next several days. I think those were the three primary reasons that Angie said she’d feel comfortable if I double masked in the car with the windows open and found separate rooms at night until I tested negative. That seemed like the best option as I didn’t want to stay in Reykjavik until I was negative. Nor did I want to go on the ring road trip solo or cancel the entire trip and return home.
So that is what we did. Luckily the nest hotel we were scheduled to stay at had an room available, so I booked that. I asked for a refund for the second night of the Reykjavik room, but the owner conveniently didn’t respond until after the scheduled checkout time. I was disappointed having to pay for the extra night, but not surprised. In any event, I woke fairly early the next morning and caught a bus to the rental car location to pick up the car.
We then set off on a 12 – day trip around Iceland. The map below shows our nightly stops, with two nights in Akeuryi in the north of Iceland. I’ve broken the trip down into 5 separate posts: Snæfellsnes, Westfjords, North, East, and South.
