Iceland Complexity

Iceland Complexity

A young man for no reason swerves out of his lane into mine 75 feet in front of me and continues off the road flying down and embankment of black volcano stones. The front of his car digs in and begins to flip. I was the first and closest and ran down the hill to help him. I waved for rubber neck tourist to stop and help. A few got out their car, others and natives drove on. WIth the car up side down I manage to find away to quickly open the rear door, and left the seat up side down to free him with the help of another person will to help.. The second person in the car was a woman and appeared unscratched. She had no emotion towards the man on the ground we huddled around to save. They are Russian, Open beers in the car, tons of cigaret cartons twenty minutes later a flashing light could be seen in the distance. And Angel of mercy perhaps. He was rushed off to somewhere in one direction, as I drove to Vik , a small village like town with nothing more than a first aid a, gas station, and five small out dated hotels and a grocery store in the the wet and fog. Forty minutes later the same Ambulance sped by me heading down highway one towards Reykjavik.

I wondered if the angle of death appearing as a road troll here was trying to claim another life.

Iceland has Iconic images to photograph, Nature, landscapes, and people. HOwever what the tourist nd marketing industry forgets to tell you , is that the majority ofthe cars you rent are not all working in perfect order. The car I drive has been replaced and its about to be replaced a third time Fuel sensors are bad, lights don't work, and the steering needs alignment. Maybe because the country is in financial despair they let things go and fix only what needs to be.

In Iceland life appears to be cheap and is very normal. People drinking behind the wheel. Many of the roads are poor and uneven. So you shocks wear out fast here. The Maps of Iceland never agree on the type of road. Out of do where a paved highway become a washboard road in the north going down the side of a switch back cliff in to the thick wet fog. People drive fast and pass all the time. If they can squeeze bye they do and care less. YOu are safer inthe streets of Paris, Mumbai, or New York than you are hear each time you turn your ignition key and head down a straight road. You just never know who's about to fall asleep and drive into your lane. I can't imagine what winter or fall is like here. This is summer and the parity here reminds me of line from a Client Eastwood movie during his youth. "Do you feel lucky today". Everyday people start their engines and somewhere on Iceland someone dies and someone lives.