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Published: August 3rd 2008
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Hotel Borg
This is the hotel Just a quick note to Johann who commented on yesterday's entry. I meant no disrespect to the people of Iceland. Also, I was not expecting tropical weather, it was a reference to the song "Tropical Iceland" by the Fiery Furnaces.
Ok, from the top then. I woke up around 1PM after taking a nap to try and counteract the onset of jetlag. First checked out the square and area immediately around the hotel, then went down by the harbor and through a flea market that is setup indoors near there. Headed to the other side of town and got lunch at Solon, which was a pretty mediocre rendition of fish & chips. I wandered around the town for a few hours and I must say, it's very clean and I didn't run into any areas that one would describe at "sketchy." I got back to the hotel around 7 or 8, ordered a few beers from room service and drank them in the bathtub. I love hotels that have big bathtubs, and the Borg's is adequate, although the water doesn't seem to get very hot. I had been told that people go out late in Iceland, but I apparently didn't
quite appreciate just how late. I got dressed and decided to start the night at the Hotel 101's lobby bar because it looked sleek when I dropped by earlier in afternoon. It was pretty crowded, I tried to stand at the bar an order but they told me to sit down and they would serve me. I ordered a jack and coke then left after finishing. I stopped by Kaffeibarrin (I think that's how it's spelled) next, and I must say I am not a fan. It always has positive buzz, but I didn't are for it. It feels like someone's house, I suppose I don't like cozy. The music was weird, and the clientelle was a little too hipsterish for my tastes. I imagine it is the Beatrice Inn of Reykjavik. After 2 pints of Viking, I moved a block over to Vegamot. Someone told me that Red Bull is illegal in Iceland for some reason, but they had another energy drink called "Burn" that was red and mixed well enough with Vodka. I had a number of Burn and Vodka's, met an American couple who were on their honeymoon and kept waiting for the rush to come. It
Hotel Borg room
This is my hotel room in Iceland was 1 or 1:30am and the bars were still completely empty and boring, so I thought maybe it was just this place and finally took off. The next stop was Cafe Oliver, which was the best of the evening. They didn't have burn so they gave me some other energy drink (I don't remember the name) that tasted and looked similar to red bull. Outside I met some asian dude and this guidoish American from...you guessed it Long Island. Luckily I left them shortly after walking in and did not see them again. I got my drink and met some Icelandic people. They said they got free drinks from the bar and that got me some free shots, so that was nice. I asked them about Brennavin which is a schnapps that is supposed to be an Icelandic specialty. The couple from Vegas had told me Brennavin tasted like "horrible gin...if gin is distilled 7 times, this is distilled like twice...maybe 1 and a half." Being as I think straight gin tastes like horrible gin, I did not have high hopes for Brennavin. My new friends told me it wasn't bad at all, so I told them I was calling
View
This is the view of the park from the room their bluff and that if I was getting a shot they were also drinking it. It wasn't bad at all (although I was pretty drunk so maybe I couldn't appreciate it), didn't require a chaser. We all left Cafe Oliver to meet their other friends at a bar called Apotek (maybe?). There was a big group of people and the night really starts to get hazy post-Brennavin. The pockets I remember were the people who brought me leaving (I didn't mind since their other friends continued to booze with me), instructing the bartender how to make jagerbombs, then drinking them with 7 or 8 people. Someone else leaving and handing me their beer which I took and converted to double fisting and then finally having to chug said beer because people wanted to head elsewhere. After Apotek things get even hazier, I don't know how many bars we went to, I only remember that we were at Rex (I think it was Rex) for maybe 1 drink. The only clear memory I have of the place is standing on line for the bathroom. Afterwards one of the guy's and I (I have no idea what his name was and probably
Incoming
Iceland Air has flights landing at city airport all day. Their approach is right over the city and they rip by the hotel at rooftop height couldn't pick him out of a lineup) tried to head back to Cafe Oliver, but it was closed, then we tried several other places but everywhere was closed since it was 5 in the morning. People don't go out until 1 or 2am, but once they are out they stay out. It was 5am, sunup had been at 4:39 and the streets were slammed with people fresh from the bars trying to find anywhere that would continue to serve them and get them out of the pale early morning. We continued valiantly trying every bar we passed but to no avail. Somewhere in this blur of people and light and drunkeness I ran into the Vegas people and threw a sloppy hello out as we passed, and then we ran into more of the people from the original group. The next thing I know, they've dragged me to a strip club. I hate strip clubs. Someone got me a beer, I don't remember having to pay a cover charge. I was pretty out of it at this point, so I sat down somewhere and realized I had no idea where the people who brought me there were. I decided it
Lake
This is a lake near the edge of town was pretty late and I didn't want to be there anyway so I finished my drink and took off. It's a good thing I familiarized myself with the city earlier, because I'm assuming that's how I got home. I have no idea were this strip club was or how we got there, or how I got home. Not only did I get home, but I managed to find an open pizza place near my hotel (no idea which one or where it was) and get drunk pizza which I ate back in my room with the light coming in through the windows. The last thing I remember is thinking that for drunk pizza, Reykjavik knows their stuff.
Day 2
I woke up at noon, surprisingly un-hungover. I spent the day at the blue lagoon, yea it's touristy and it's mostly American's and Brits but it is definitely worth it. It is basically like a big bathtub, the water is pale blue and milky and it's heated naturally by thermal hotspots that are part of Iceland's topography. While I was there, I also got a massage which they do in the water. They put you on this raft like thing
Houses
I was told these houses for for 250 Million ISK (roughly 3mm), overpriced if you ask me so that you are partially submerged and floating, then they drape a towel warm from the waters over you and give you a pillow for your head. It was very relaxing and got some of the tension had built up from the lousy seat on the flight in my neck and shoulders out. On the way home, stopped by the huge church. Iceland is 98% Lutheran and the church is pretty weird, it has an enormous spire that looks like a skyscraper (specifically the top evokes the Empire State Building) sprouted out of the body of a normal church. The final stop between then and now, what at the hotdog stand shown in the pictures for this entry. I was told it was amazing, but to be honest, the hotdogs buy at the supermarket and heat up in the microwave are superior. Now, it's time to take a nap.
-Jared
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Hugo Jameson Houndstooth
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Racial Make-up
I hear slavery is still in full swing in Iceland...