NMC Great Lakes Water Studies student Chris Horvath is in Iceland this summer on a Marine Advanced Technology Education Center (MATE) internship aboard Columbia University’s research vessel the R/V Langseth, doing research on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Chris is sending us periodic blog posts to update us on his adventure.
This is his first entry. It was written on August 12, but due to technical difficulties sent on August 19.
It’s been 95 days since I accepted this amazing opportunity to work aboard the R/V Marcus G. Langseth out of Reykjavik, Iceland. Sandwiched in the wait was a 19 day delay due to the ship succumbing to engine troubles. The trip took 15 hours to get from door to door. And, I had gotten exactly one hour of sleep by the time I touched down in Keflavik at 9 a.m. local time.
In my limited experience traveling abroad, I have realized that often times in life, slowing things down makes a big difference in the long run. Wary from traveling, I decided it would be best to park myself in a quiet corner of the airport floor and double-check my trusty Lonely Planet guide to Iceland for travel arrangements. It turns out that the private busing companies offer very comfortable trips in motor coaches directly to your destination in Reykjavik. They even have WiFi on the bus!
It must have been due to some subconscious need for a feeling of home in a strange land that the first two people I met in Iceland (outside of the amazing staff at Loft Hostel) were from California. I was feeling pretty exhausted from the combination of nerves and excitement, so I spent most of my first full day in Iceland stumbling repeatedly up the stairs from my room to the backpackers lounge and back down again.
On the second day, I rolled out of bed around 10 a.m. and fought off the urge to go back to sleep. I’ve travelled all this way to a place so remote, there was no way that I was going to miss the opportunity to experience the amazing things this island nation has to offer. I packed a day bag, and put boot to pavement on a self-guided sightseeing tour. If there’s one thing I can impart to others, it’s that following your heart will unexpectedly put you in remarkable situations.
I could feel that there was something pulling me west, and as I walked I felt that I was being funneled ever downhill. (It’s ridiculous to think that all the roads in Iceland only go downhill – but it sure feels that way). Before I knew it, I found myself crossing a busy highway and standing before a nature preserve in downtown Reykjavik. The preserve is a series of marshes and ponds that provide habitat for nesting migratory birds. In cheeky Icelandic style they have added touches like this bird-listening chair:
Basically you seat yourself in between two cone-shaped listening devices attached to articulated arms, place them up to your ears, and aim that at your desired wildlife. I must have looked ridiculous sitting there in the rain; but, it was totally worth putting my ego aside and trying something new.
Most of the buildings surrounding the preserve had a very careful blending of old and new architecture. One in particular stood out more than the rest and I could feel that there was something waiting for me inside. So, I quickly shuffled over to the entrance and not knowing what the letters on the outside read, I promptly smashed my nose into a sliding glass door. Use the other door…got it. As it turns out, this was the Building of Administrative Offices for the University of Iceland. Dr. Ármann Höskuldsson, Volcanologist and the Co-Chief Scientist on my upcoming cruise had an office in here. I figured, what the heck, I obviously came here for a reason. I tracked down some very helpful faculty who let into a back hallway. Fortune was smiling and I managed to catch Dr. Höskuldsson shortly before he left for the weekend. He entertained my questions about the cruise, and when we began to share “sonar war stories” I was shocked to find out that he and his students use the exact same Kongsberg EM3002 multibeam sonar system that we use at Northwestern Michigan College. To the gang back at the Great Lakes Water Studies Institute, we need to get convince the board to purchase us a helicopter. They air drop their survey vessel in inland lakes! I’ll see if I can get a copy of the video from Dr. Höskuldsson for a future post.
I can’t help but think that I was in the exact place I was supposed to be.
Fast forward through the days in Reykjavik to the final night on shore before we set sail. (I will revisit my charming experiences during those days, in future blog entries) This ship is so much bigger in person. The sheer amount of equipment, cables, catwalks and portable laboratories leaves this feeling that the sides were peeled away, exposing the insides of a great mechanical monster.
There is so much going on that it was easy for me to feel lost; the maze-like corridors often lead you right back where you came from. I surmise that I got lost at least a dozen times in my first five hours on the boat. Out of the generosity of the crew and science team, I was given a three person room with an ocean view all to myself. I feel very humbled and a tad embarrassed about the whole thing; but, after sleeping in a room with seven other people at the hostel (including one night where I had to wake up a stranger sleeping in my bed), I’m not complaining one bit!
Everyone currently on-duty deck side is on edge. Apparently, Iceland Harbor is at high risk of stowaways. Ha ha! Little do they know that we’re headed right back to Reykjavik in a month. Perhaps they think that if it worked for Leo, it can work for them…then again, he didn’t have the best ending to his story.
As I sit in my berth and think about all the amazing people I’ve connected with in the past year, the support of my friends, family, and my girl, and the incredible opportunities that the hard-working people at Northwestern Michigan College and the Marine Advanced Technology Education Center have given me, I can’t help but feel as though I’m not alone on this trip. On that note, it’s time to go up top to catch the Perseids Meteor Shower and wish someone special back home a very happy birthday.
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