week twenty

the second week

of the Highlands

continuing work

at the stairs of Hveradalir

with an ever-decomposing boot

the snow demanded entrance

and the universe granted

but the weather

the weather showed mercy

and let out the sun

for a few days in a row

I even wore shorts

for one day

on the side of the house

where the wind didn’t blow

•

last days in the dream of heat

and smell of rotten eggs

we decided to walk back

the 5-kilometer hike

our fellow volunteers

had to discontinue

because of “bad weather”

where yellow mud

turned into a bright white

10-meter layer of snow

with path poles buried

somewhere underneath

so we also conquered

the valley of white

as far as you could see

’cause you don’t see long

without eye-protection equipment

•

in the snow, of course

we made a snowman

and snow angels to protect

the evergrowing snowballs

rolling down the valley

in the middle of June

•

done with the stairs

according to our standards

which got lower and lower

as the days went by

we continued with trash

get rid of the debris

before the place is gone

demolished and paved

clean it before

the heavy machinery

waiting on top of the hill

is put into action

and we thought the French

was the worst it could get

•

after placing pipes

and removing them again

for the drainage system

of the new 5-star hotel

we started to demolish

the first house in the way

whoever built it

never thought it needed

to be torn down in 2021

•

the first day’s goal

was reached on the third

after a thousand nails

were pulled out

destroyed or cut through

like our dream

of returning to this place

to see the ropes between houses

in the real Icelandic winter

we might never see

because of money

and climate change

•

three days of disrupting

the expectations of peace

for more and more tourists

with Spanish music and hammering

resulted in a house

without walls, doors, a roof

but with half a porch and window

we did not manage to break

and most importantly

8 anger-managed volunteers

•

we continued to be fed

with endless cookies

by the great chef

who doesn’t have flour

had an intercultural dinner

with ingredients we didn’t receive

the most important skill developed

improvisation

got us tomato soup with rice

apple crumble on a pan

and drunk pineapples

but never any leftovers

•

the end to an adventure

dinner from the chef

the vegetarian camp

eating salami and fuet

on a daily basis

received beef and beer

and the Eurovision movie

on a big screen

•

the crew who never gave up

while working in conditions

they never should have

who went for a run

after walking 14 kilometres

who slapped the table

until one of them won

the card game at 1 AM

who all sincerely loved

the ridiculous Eurovision movie

who came to our hot pool

at 5 AM on the leaving day

to make it to the volcano

and eat lava marshmallows

were the best people

to lead in the Highlands

it was an honor to have you ❤️

• • •

at the end of the week

returning to Reykjavik

all I can think of

it’s only going to go

downhill from here

you’ll see why