千山萬水，長途跋涉，來到這個遙遠的北毛之地，原先一心想著好好工作三個月儲錢來旅行，怎知…｜We traveled thousand of kilometres to the middle of nowhere in Iceland for working. However just after one day…
千山萬水，長途跋涉，來到這個遙遠的北毛之地，原先一心想著 幹一番事業，成為酒店業鉅子 好好工作三個月儲錢來旅行，怎知工作一天後的早上，老闆一早就來叩門跟我的朋友說：
「我覺得你煮的東西不太適合這裡，你們今天離開吧！」
吓？！明明昨天還好好的，你老闆還說我朋友煮的東西好吃，怎麼今天忽然就說不適合呢？再者，他也只是工作了一天，做廚房的需要時間磨合很正常吧，就算有不合意的地方也可以試著改嘛，怎麼一來就趕我們走？更別說我們花了這麼多時間金錢來這個鳥來生蛋的地方呢！這怎麼說得過去？
由於實在太過突然，一時不知怎樣反應，而最最重要的是：我們沒錢呀！你叫我們去那兒？
由於老闆說我的工作表現良好（真是洗廁所都洗到成了專家），我便嘗試跟他說給我們一星期時間，讓我留下繼續正常工作，好讓我們賺點路費／生活費，亦希望讓我朋友留下繼續幫忙幹其他工作，不支薪，只是打工換宿，給我們時間找工作，找地方落腳，然後才離開。
老闆回去跟妻子商量後也答應先讓我們留下，說一星期後再商議。
當天我們繼續如常工作直至五時，老闆還來跟我們說先去休息一下，七時再回來餐廳幫忙。怎知到6時半時，老闆又來叩門：「我覺得還是不行，你們還是明天一早離開吧！」
吓？！你無L嘢呀？有冇再飄忽啲呀？
實實在在，既然我的工作沒問題，我朋友反正也是跟我一房，吃也不是白吃，還是要繼續工作，再不成我們兩人吃少點好吧！我真的不知道有什麼原因必定要將我們除之而後快不可。他也沒說清楚到底是什麼問題，可能就只是不喜歡我們吧！
既然沒得留下，我們便要再作打算，但我們也不知可以有何打算，我們身上只得大約 kr 18800（134 歐元）和老闆答應會給的 kr 50000（358 歐元）作為我們的工資和回程到雷克雅未克的交通費。在生活水平超高的冰島，這些錢也只夠我們食住三、四天。除了錢，我們還需要時間找工、找落腳地呀。雖然當天我們便即時上網找工作，找住宿，couchsurfing／workaway，不斷發 email，但什麼回音也沒有。
向北走，向南走？
到第二天離開時，我們還是不知要往何方，應該北上冰島第二大的 Akureyri 找農場打工交換食宿？還是去人流最高、酒店餐廳最多的首都雷克雅未克碰運氣？
老闆一早把我們載到45公里外的小鎮，放下我們在那裡等接駁車去碼頭後便離開了。真係多L謝晒！
由於離程匆匆，我們完全沒想過上網訂船票一事，結果到碼頭時便要付全費買票，因為那裡沒WIFI。更因為現在剛踏進六月，已變為夏季價錢 kr 5460 (39歐元）。就這樣，只是三天的差距，我們每人便要多付 13歐元，真是屋漏兼逢連夜雨。
幾經爭拗，最終我們決定還是往南走，去雷克雅未克，因為聽說現在旺季找工沒問題，只是住宿太貴，怕我們還沒找到工前已經山窮水盡。還有這裡近機場，真的窮途末路要離開時總算方便些。
回程途中我們都沒說太多，始終心情低落，前路茫茫。還有，我真的不甘心呀！如果三、四天內找不到工作，我們便要離開冰島，但我們什麼也沒看過呀！花這麼多時間金錢來這裡打工為什麼？還不是想認真看看冰島！你叫我怎麼甘心什麼也沒看過便走？其實這份工是我朋友找的，如果不是他，我不會有機會來這裡打工；但也因為他，我要跟著一塊被趕。真是成也蕭何，敗也蕭何。
回到雷克雅未克
就這樣搭車又搭船，轉了六程，終於傍晚時份來到冰島的首都，亦是全國唯一一個城市雷克雅未克時，兩人的交通費總計是 kr 32480（234歐元）！我一人由意大利佛羅倫絲到冰島都不過100歐元，媽呀！
一個人口只有三十萬的城市，要如何接待估計全年會有超過二百萬的遊客呢？可想而知，這的住宿價錢在旺季時會是多高。結果我們能找到最便宜的背包旅館床位，都要每人30歐元一晚。現在我們身上只餘 258 歐元，只夠4日租，怎算？
下集：#2 希望在明天
We traveled thousand of kilometres to the middle of nowhere in Iceland simply for working in a hotel there. After the first day of work, however, the owner came to our room and said:
“I think your cooking is not quite suitable for here. You two have to leave today.”
What?! Hey wait, you were quite happy and satisfied yesterday and even said Jan’s food was tasty. How on earth it’s suddenly not suitable for here now? Anyhow, it’s just one day. Why couldn’t you tell Jan what you like and let him try to change his cooking? After all, we spent so much time and money to make it here, how you can kick us out in this remote area just one day after!
It was too sudden that we didn’t really know how to react. Most importantly, we had no money! Where the hell could we go now?
Since the owner said I was doing great on the housekeeping part, I tried to negotiate with him to give us one week time. I suggested that I would work normally to get paid while Jan would do volunteer for food and accommodation only, so that we could earn some surviving money and have some time to figure out what to do and where to go next.
He agreed at the end after discussed with his wife and said we would discuss about it again after one week.
We worked as normal that day until 5pm when he told us to rest a bit. He also asked us to come back to help in the restaurant at 7pm. However, he came to our room again at 6:30pm and said: “No, I don’t think it’s a good idea. You two have to go in the next morning.”
To be honest, it wouldn’t cost him much for letting us stay for a week while we shared a room in the staff house and especially my work was perfect (that’s what he said). I didn’t really see why he had to kick us out all of a sudden again. Probably he just didn’t like us.
Seemed it’s an unchangeable decision now, we had to figure out something else immediately. But we really had no idea what to do. We only had kr 18800 (134 Euros) and another kr 50000 (358 Euros) that the owner promised would give us later as our salary and transportation for going to Reykjavik. Not only money, we also needed time to find job and place to stay. We sent tons of emails for jobs and accommodation that night, couchsurfing/workaway whatever we could find. Yet, we’d got no positive feedback.
To the North or South?
Even on the next morning, we were still arguing where to go. Should we move to the north for farm volunteering in around Akureyri or head back to the capital Reykjavik where most restaurants and hotels are?
The owner drove us to the nearest town 45km away to wait for the next transit to the ferry pier. He gave us the money and left.
We got back to the pier and realised we didn’t book our ferry ticket online in advance as we were too occupied by the whole situation. Also because it’s June now, the ticket price was raised to kr 5460 (39 Euros). We now had to pay 13 Euros more per person when compared to 3 days ago.
We finally decided to go to Reykjavik because it’s the peak season with many job opportunities there. Just the accommodation was so expensive there that we hope we could survive until we got a job. Also, the international airport is just 50km away from there. In the worst case, it’ll be easier for us when we really needed to go.
Back to Reykjavik
Another long day on the road. After 6 transits, we arrived back to the capital and the only city of Iceland, Reykjavik, in the evening. We spent kr 32480 (234 Euros) for all the transports today. We only had 258 Euros left now. In one of the most expensive countries in the world, we could probably survive 3 to 4 days on this money.
How expensive was it in the peak summer season there? The cheapest hostel dorm bed we found was 30 Euros per person per night. How are we going to survive with the money we have now?
Next: #2 There’s always hope
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