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Iceland - Day 26 : The return journey

In a corner were 3 others hikers laying right next to a sign saying that that wasn't allowed. It was either there or the bathroom stalls, so I lay down as well. At 1:30 I woke up, there were at least 15 people by now but fortunately the security didn't complain. After another 3 hours of sleep we were woken up because people started going to work. Everybody dragged himself to a bar 10 meters further and continued sleeping with their heads on the tables. 

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The no sleeping rule was annoying but at least I had got a few hours of rest. Just 5,5 more hours before my flight would leave. I wondered what would be done with the ladies working behind the check-in desk once they got older, every single one of them was below 35. It was probably better not to ask. The check-in lady that helped me was super grumpy, I think because I showed up 3 seconds after the she opened her desk. Luckily everything went well and I made it through customs. I had put my backpack in its rain cover to protect it during transport, it had gotten damaged more during the flight out than during my entire 3 weeks of hiking. 

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I bought some Brennevin as a present for my dad, which is hard liquor they sold everywhere here. Suddenly something got announced through the intercom: If Abraham Teunissen could go to the security. I guessed bringing my stove again wasn't a great idea after all. I was taken to a seperate room and two people from security showed me my backpack and an x-ray picture of it. That looked pretty cool but I figured this wouldn't be the best moment to bring that up. They asked what the metal thing in the picture was. I told them it was my stove but that I had washed it and filled it with water. They asked if they could see it. I stank, my clothes and bag even more, and the outside of the stove was covered in grass and glue remains. I unpacked it and showed the custom officers the dirty rusty object. 

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They looked at it and one of them opened the fuel tank. Immediately at bunch of water squirted out onto the floor. The second man asked if the first needed some help, but by now he had smelled it wasn't fuel. I was allowed to pack everything again and leave. My bag, including stove, would go onto the airplane. Probably it wasn't the a great idea to bring it, but on the other had I had now saved 100 euros on a new stove by just 5 minutes of cleaning and talking. It was nice that the officers had contacted me within half an hour. On the way out I still didn't know what had happened to my luggage 24 hours after checking in. Now I didn't have to worry about anything anymore, I just needed to be at the right gate at the right time.

 

It felt strange to leave Iceland after everything I had been through, but the trip had lasted long enough. It was time to go home. Unfortunately it was clouded so I didn't have as nice a view over Iceland as on the way out. After 3 long hours I arrived in Stockholm for my layover.

sas plan flying

View from the plane

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Iceland between the clouds

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At the airport I had to walk far. The 'landscape' was very nice though, but not in the same way as in Iceland. Maybe I should go hiking there for 3 weeks as well some time. I still had 1,5 hours before my flight would leave, which was better than he minus 45 minutes I had on the way out. There were suddenly also a lot of Dutch people again. I had seen my backpack leave the airplane so that at least had made it halfway. 

 

When the second plane left off I still didn't really feel as I was going home. I figured it would probably take some time to adjust to normal life again. The flight to Amsterdam was over soon. Just before landing I saw the 'Afsluitdijk' from the window. That was were Bart and Koen had cycled, so of course I needed to take a picture. Quickly I pulled out my camera and bend down over the man beside me. It was clear from his response that I smelled, but I figured he didn't say anything because he thought I was from Sweden. To keep it that way I didn't say anything either.

After lading I picked up my luggage, which fortunately had arrived. Before leaving customs I put on my backpack and combed my beard. These would be the last meters of Bram the Viking. My mom and dad were in the arrival hall to surprise me. They looked straight at me but didn't recognize me. Only when I stood right in front of them they recognized their son in this skinny, bearded, homeless person. I was given a large bottle of beer as present for completing my hike and was told to join them at Burger King. I got an XXL menu with a hamburger, fries, and cola.

Burger king xxl menu
Burger king xxl menu

Attack!
 

After finishing it my dad jokingly said 'would you like another one'. Five minutes later I started my second XXL meal. That was enough for now. The train and car ride went by pretty fast and around 10 o'clock I arrived home. 

It was getting dark.

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