Day 0 - it begins

 The trip started with a mid-morning flight to Auckland, where I was met by my sister and we did a quick scout of Ribbon & Rose sewing/crafting shop on the way back to Browns Bay.  A delicious lunch at Common Ground (bacon, hash, poached eggs and very good coffee), a dog walk in the park and then I was dropped at the airport to start the international leg.  I had been able to check my 2 bags all the way to New York from Wellington, so that made life easier.  

Cruised through the formalities and went to wait at the departure gate.  We boarded on time and hit the sky. I had bid the minimum for a sky couch upgrade and wasn't really surprised that I didn't get it. I had already paid for a seat closer to the front of the Economy section with more leg room, and while the rows in front, behind and beside me all only had one passenger per row, there was at least an empty seat between me and the next passenger.  Downside was a 8 month old baby across the aisle.  As it turned out, she slept for most of it, but was grizzly and LOUD when awake.  

The flight was 16 hrs 15 minutes, the longest I have ever tried, but time actually passed quickly, helped by them serving dinner about two hours in, so by about 11pm I was fed and ready to Zzzz.  My sleep ring said I slept for 4hr 45mins but it felt longer than that, I guess because I was resting if not actually sleeping.  The Air NZ hosties came around mid-flight offering mini jelly tip ice creams. Would never have thought I would advocate for ice cream at 3am but it absolutely hit the spot!

We landed at JFK and the pilot had warned of long taxi times, it was about 30 minutes before we got to the gate.  Quickly through immigration, my fingerprints are already in file from an earlier trip, and I had the required ESTA.  Then it took AGES for my bags to arrive.  I paid $6 for a trolley, and schlepped my way from Terminal 1 where we landed, to Terminal 7 where my connecting flight left from, via the free air train. It was very efficient. Eventually found Icelandic Air check in tucked waaaaay in the back, and dropped my bags off.  

Then, TSA.  Sigh. It's always a zoo in America, but JFK is old (billboards advertising a massive upgrade costing 17 billion) and those facilities are limited. I stupidly chose the queue that was taking priority customers as well as plebs, so it took forever to get through immigration, and then security screening. The usualy cacophony of shouted instructions, plastic tubs slamming onto conveyor belts, whining children. I was sent back to take my boots off and put them thru x-ray, by this time my grace had been used and I did this with very little.

Finally through after about 50 minutes to the limited shops and food outlets by the departure gates.  

I paid an outrageous $30 bucks (American!) for a Ceasar salad that the label declared had been "made fresh" but they didn't say what year. It was disgusting, the lettuce brown, wilted and slimy, and the croutons soggy.  Couldn't eat the overpriced crap.  

The flight to Keflavik boarded on time.  There was a group of fishers on board, so all the overhead lockers were full of what looked like violin cases, but turned out to be rod cases, so it was a mission to find a space for my camera bag.  I had again paid for a seat at the front of the cabin with more leg room, and was immediately behind business class, with a huge space to stretch out. Lovely.

Another loooong taxi and a busy flight schedule to slot into, so out 11.10pm departure didn't actually take off until til midnight.  As we turned on the taxiway at one point, there were 6 planes ahead of us, 3 behind and more on finals to land.

We made up time onthe flight (or more likely they just build in an allowance into the flight time) and we landed in Reykjavik close to schedule.  They don't have jet ways here, so you are bussed to the terminal. Huge queue at immigration for the non-schengen/non-EU/other passport holders but it moved quickly and I was soon through. Met Belinda whose flight had arrived a couple hours before mine, she was waiting with her gigantic pile of gear that was just as bad as mine 😳 

Yikes

We phoned the rental van for pickup, went thru the formalities and were allocated our beast for the next 3 weeks.  It seems a much older vehicle than last time, and I swear it's smaller, even though it can't be!