Land of Fire and Icicles - Iceland - November, 2015

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Land of Fire and Icicles
And here we go again…..off to the airport and off on a new adventure. Even the beginning is new for a change - instead of either driving myself to McCarran or reserving the usual car service, FINALLY was able to use a shuttle bus, Supershuttle. The little blue bus company has been in the Las Vegas valley for about two years but thanks to our strong taxi lobby group, has been restricted to servicing only the hotels in and around the Strip. Don’t know how they managed it, but now they can pick up and drop off passengers in the surrounding residential areas. What a blessing this is especially for yours truly. As many times as I make the airport run, it means a savings in the hundreds of dollars in the course of a year. My driver arrived 10 minutes early (always appreciated) and I was at the airport just as the sun peeked above the eastern horizon. Something new #2 was taking a flight from terminal 3 with Alaska Airlines – definitely weird not having my standard Sky Priority check in lane. Never been inside this new building (erected four years ago) but I give it my seal of approval, not half bad. Makes my regular terminal 2 building look positively shabby.
Took off on time and 2 hours later, I was happily ensconced in my favorite window seat in the Sky lounge in Seattle where I had a 3-hour layover. Time enough for a couple of coffees heavily laced with Baileys Irish Cream and getting this blog started. Something new #3 was taking Icelandair to Reykjavik – a 7-hour red eye flight across the frozen northern hemisphere. This is my first time ever taking what I “fondly” refer to as a discount airline: no they don’t discount anything – they basically charge for everything! About the only thing I liked on this flight was the overhead lighting, designed to represent the Northern Lights, dancing around the ceiling in ribbons of blue, green, purple, white and red for the entire flight. Thank god for eye shades or sleeping would be a thing to be desired. But an uneventful flight is always a good one and we landed 15 minutes early in Keflavik, home of Iceland’s international airport and gateway to the country. It’s located on the southwest coast of the island and is an hour’s drive from Reykjavik, the capital.
The airport resembles a regional hub back in the states – not very big and certainly not very busy – this always gets my vote. A short walk from the plane’s jet way to the immigration hall, and as we were the only international arrival at this early hour, the place was basically empty. More officers manning booths than necessary – I walked in and walked up to the nearest one, who simply nodded, stamped my passport and waved me on – that’s the way to enter a country, in 3 minutes flat! My bag appeared on the carousel soon after and I made my way to the exit. The arctic blast of air hit me face-on in the Arrivals hall as the nearest door opened – holy hell its cold here, but I needed that slap in the face to reverse the effects of multiple hours trapped in a metal tube a mile above the earth’s surface.
Just before meeting the arranged airport transfer, I found the nearest Bank of Iceland and exchanged currency. No commission and an exchange rate of 136 krona to the dollar…I can live with that. Once I found my driver, it was a short walk thru rain/sleet/howling winds to the shuttle bus and off we went. It was just 8am but still pitch dark….it feels so weird being this far north with only 5 or 6 hours of actual daylight, this late in the year. Iceland lies just a couple of degrees south of the Arctic Circle and by mid-winter December 21st, this will have dwindled to only an hour.
With a few hours to spare before hotel check-in, it was an opportunity to drive around this capital city and see the sights as soon as daybreak was evident. There is water everywhere – what the southwestern US states wouldn’t give for this much available liquid! Nordic influence in the buildings and I hoped for a Viking sighting, but no such luck. In the next three hours, I experienced rain/sleet/a few snowflakes and of course, howling winds directly off the North Atlantic….it’s as cold as a witch’s tit here and that’s cold by anyone’s estimation. The country is Lutheran but all faiths are present and accepted in Iceland. There is one large catholic church with very impressive architecture, claiming a massive windpipe organ – imagine the sound emitting from that on a Sunday morning – talk about waking the dead.

The central Plaza Hotel is situated exactly there, right on the city square in the heart of downtown Reykjavik. A typical tour group/tourist hotel to be sure but adequate for my 5-night needs. Certainly not the Hilton by any stretch of the imagination, but hey that’s life on the road, right? My room was on the second floor overlooking this delightful square and the fact the television had all English programming channels, more than made my day. Nothing like Coronation Street every day for a laugh – that show hasn’t changed in 40 years.

By the time I unpacked and got myself situated, I realized just how hungry I was. Hadn't eaten in over 24 hours so it was definitely time for me to explore the culinary options in and around the hotel. I was too tired to go for a hike looking for food, so it would have to be within visual distance. Did I mention it's freezing here? I doubt the mercury was much above 32f as I ventured forth in the central square and what did my eyes see before me? A Middle Eastern restaurant advertising falafel....they obviously knew I was in town. I ordered the spicy falafel wrap and was rewarded with a meal to satisfy any hunger - it was simply delicious. The place will be getting more of my business before I leave Reykjavik.
Had a few hours to kill before my scheduled trip out to find the famous Northern Lights (aurora borealis) which obviously needs no explanation- this is a worldwide phenomenon - so I returned to my hotel room and grabbed a couple of hours sleep, to take the "edge off" my exhaustion. A large group left on the bus at 8pm and drove for the next 50 minutes out into the middle of nowhere - other than the reflection of the full moon on the glistening snowfields, not a man-made light to be seen anywhere. We pulled into the parking lot of a small restaurant alongside 5 or 6 other sightseeing tour buses, all here obviously for the same reason. It was a brilliant night, stars so close you could almost touch them, a full moon floating in a cloud-filled sky but unfortunately, no northern lights to be seen. People were milling around, setting up their cameras on tripods etc., and scanning the skies in vain. I had to laugh, the entire scene reminded me of a gaggle of geese all staring upwards....too funny! I stayed inside the restaurant to keep warm....my mother didn't raise no fool.
After an hour of waiting to no avail, our guide announced we would head towards the south coast in hopes of a better result, and off we went. This is where the fun begins for this entire evening and what helped my trip to be so interesting. We were driving along a narrow, two-lane highway (again in the middle of nowhere) when we saw bright flashing lights approaching. It was a convey of two flatbed trucks transporting two complete houses, so our driver immediately pulled over as far to the right of the road as possible. The first truck had almost passed us when an extension of the house caught the back of our bus and the two vehicles were locked together, totally blocking the entire road. We were all asked to leave the bus and gather on the side of the road, while the drivers and the police escort attempted to solve the problem. It was the most fun I had had all evening. It was about 45 minutes standing around in the freezing night air, petting some Icelandic horses in a nearby field, before the bus was uncoupled from the house and we could continue on our way. First time I have ever been hit by a house while riding in a bus, that's for sure.

And as if that wasn't enough excitement for the tourists, not 10 minutes later our driver realizes he has made a wrong turn somewhere and is lost. It is now close to 11pm, we haven't seen any northern lights, we got attacked by a house on a flat-bed truck in the middle of nowhere - can this get any better? But of course it can readers....LOL To make up for all these events, our driver decides to give us a rendition of the Iceland National Anthem and in full tenor tones, proceeds to do exactly that. This man is Iceland's answer to Pavarotti - what an incredible voice he had...I couldn't believe it....this was the icing on the cake of my night, I swear to god. We finally returned to the hotel around 1:30am - I was brain fried and dead tired, but wouldn't have missed this particular evening for the world.
The next morning was the same weather forecast: heavy overcast skies, howling winds, rain/sleet and subzero temps....sounds delightful, huh? Today's sightseeing was to be out to the famous Icelandic resort spa of the Blue Lagoon. Situated in the midst of a massive lava field on the Reykjanes peninsula, this man-made location is the result of the building of a geothermal plant, a by-product so to speak. Geothermal seawater is fed directly into the lagoon, forming wells as deep as 6,000' and the water stays around 100-110f throughout the entire year. The water is a combination of mineral salts, silica and blue/green algae, and attracts people from around the world to don swim suits and venture out into the freezing cold to soak in it – apparently it does wonders for the skin. I was quite happy to grab a table adjacent to the large picture windows overlooking the lagoon, and watch the activity for a couple of hours.

I was back in the city center in the early afternoon and ready for a late lunch. This time I wandered down one of the other main streets just off the square and found an Indian/Pakistani place by the name of Shalimar. Had a delicious green curry with mint nan plate which was reasonably priced. Food is very expensive in Iceland; they are basically self-sufficient with meat, dairy and a few cereals, but fruit and most other grains all have to be imported. Many small villages have erected large green houses to produce what they currently import, but obviously it isn't enough to feed the entire island population. I spent a couple of hours walking about the streets surrounding the city center, but when it started to rain and sleet in ernest, I headed back to the warmth of the hotel lobby to people watch for a while. In spite of the miserable climate, I did get some fabulous photos of Reykjavik.
The effects of traveling to Iceland and the long evening previously, all finally came to a head and I knew I needed hours of solid sleep to get back to relative "normal". I crashed early that night as I had a full day of sightseeing coming up.
Bright and early I was aboard the tour bus by 8:30am (still pitch dark by the way) and was on my way for the Golden Circle Tour which showcases some of Iceland's most popular attractions. First stop was the Hellisheidi Power Plant at the foot of Mt. Hengill volcano, where the planet's most violent forces are harnessed and converted to clean energy for space heating and hot water purposes. The plant has four massive turbines and is capable of providing 220,000 volts of electricity, more than enough to supply all the homes in Reykjavik.
From the power plant, we made our way to the Kerio Crater, a 3,000 year old volcanic crater lake. The rock here is red instead of the normal black lava. Next up was the Geysir geothermal area home of the famous Geysir and Strokkur Hot Springs - what an incredible place! The Strokkur Geysir erupts regularly every 5 minutes and is almost identical to Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. The surrounding area is riddled with vents puffing and smoking steam, giving the entire area a very surreal feel - almost spooky.

The Gullfoss waterfall, also known as the Queen of Iceland's waterfalls, tumbles down a deep gorge and the final stop of the day, was at Thingvellir National Park which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is the location where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet and form a rift valley cutting across the entire island. It is also the location of one of the world's oldest parliaments, which was founded in 930AD.
This time of year not only is daylight in short supply, but the climate changes frequently - it seems to be every 30 minutes or so. During our Golden Circle adventure, we "enjoyed" rain, sleet, hail, snow, winds howling like a banshee and very low hanging, dark grey clouds. I haven't seen the sun in 4 days and how the Icelanders stand being without those golden rays for days on end, beats me.
Each day around 5pm, a decision is made by the tour companies as to whether or not the Northern Lights tours will be conducted that evening, based on weather forecasts and sun spot activity. Our first night was a bust and from the way this day was going, tonight would be also. I was fast losing hope that I would actually see the Aurora Borealis, but hope beats strong in the human heart.....yeah right! By the time I returned to the hotel, it had been announced that no tours would be forthcoming.....2 down, 2 more nights to go....fingers crossed. Mother Nature is simply not cooperating for me at all this trip.
My last full day in Iceland dawned the way all the previous ones had: bitterly cold, wet, icy and plenty of wind but that wasn't about to stop me enjoying one more sightseeing session by heading off to the South Shore of the island which is famous for its black sand coastline and stunning scenery. First up was the Seljalandsfoss waterfall where the more adventurous of the bus passengers could actually walk behind the falls and exit on the far side. Considering how cold and wet it already was, I wasn't about to get even wetter and colder by doing this, so I opted to remain out front and just take photographs. One of the women who did make the walk, returned to the bus drenched to the skin and promptly removed her sodden jeans to air dry while we drove on to the next attraction. I have to applaud her actions, I wouldn't have the courage to drop my drawers on a bus in front of total strangers! The majestic Skogafoss waterfall plummets nearly 200' over a cliff and down to the valley floor. It is so incredible to watch....like a mini Niagara Falls.

To round out our day, we ended up at the wettest and windiest village located at the southern-most tip of Iceland - the town of Vik - a charming village surrounded by towering high cliffs. The black sand beaches are easily accessible and have the most impressive basalt formations along the coast line. The North Atlantic waves pound the beach with a dangerous undertow - the roar of the ocean and the screaming of the seagulls were deafening.

It was so cold, I couldn't wait to return to the bus - the wind was snatching my breath away and blowing me from side to side, as I attempted to walk on the rocky surface. As we headed back the way we had come, the heavy overcast descended and it began to snow in ernest. Within minutes, the ground was completely covered, turning the surrounding landscape into a starkly beautiful monochromic vision of black and white, with a few touches of dark green pine trees off in the distance. Then, much to my amazement, the sun actually broke thru the overcast and a spear of golden light struck the snow - I guess I have now seen everything that Iceland has to offer in the way of weather conditions! A really fabulous day and I was more than ready to be back at the hotel by 6pm that evening.
Being an island in the North Atlantic, it stands to reason fishing is the major industry in Iceland and that means marvelous fish restaurants are to be had everywhere. I was craving fish and chips and had been told about the Reykjavik Fish and Chips place, just three blocks from my hotel. That evening I celebrated Thanksgiving with a large portion of the most delicious cod fried in a light batter, a mound of crisp french fries and lots of lemon dill sauce and malt vinegar......heaven on a dinner plate. A great way to finish my sojourn here and it's back to Las Vegas tomorrow....can't wait to sleep in my own bed.
Things you may never have known about this place:
Iceland resembles a tiny spot on the world map but considering its size (approximately 103 sq. km) the country has an incredibly diverse landscape dominated by mighty glaciers and mountains, desolate highlands, fertile river valleys, volcanos and massive lava fields. Iceland is located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge dividing the American and European continental plates, slowly pushing the two in different directions, at the rate of 2cm. each year.
Hundreds of earthquakes dot the landscape, although not all of them are active. The most famous ones are Hekla, which was once believed to be the entrance to Hell; Katla and Eyjafjallajokull (try saying that name 3 times fast!), all of which have erupted within the last century. Mostly recently Eyjafjallajokull caused all the air traffic problems thruout Europe, stranding thousands of passengers, back in April 2010. On average, there is a volcanic eruption every five years, and lava fields cover about 11% of the island.
Geothermal power is used for space heating and the production of electrical power. In fact more than 90% of Icelandic homes are heated in this way, while fossil fuels are only used for transportation purposes. As a consequence of all this hydropower, the country enjoys a clean, pollution free environment. They can honestly claim the purest air and water anywhere on earth.
The population is approximately 329,000, 60% of which live within the capital area of Reykjavik and along the coast, with 80% of the land mass uninhabitable due to the lava cover. The very first settlement was in 874 AD, founded by a Norwegian called Ingolfur Arnason. Ruled by clan chieftains from 930 to 1262 AD, it then became part of Norway, then by Denmark until independence was declared on June 17, 1944.
It is estimated there are a total of 80,000 Icelandic horses on the island, all pure bred and descended from the animals brought by the original settlers. The first four years of life, horses run wild and develop their natural 5 gaits – other horses around the world only have 3 gaits. Once a horse leaves Iceland it can never return, to prevent any equine diseases from affecting the rest of the horse population, which have no natural immunity due to isolation over a 1,000 year period.
Only birch trees are indigenous to Iceland….the Alaska Ash and pine trees have all been imported and planted – these are the only trees on the island.
Icelanders are multi-lingual. From the age of 8, English is mandatory thru 10th grade and in the following two years of high school, a third language is added (almost always Danish). Depending on choice of college courses, a fourth or even fifth language is then chosen. Seven universities are available in the country with very low tuition overall. Housing and food are the two most expensive items. Also taxes are high, but health care is low cost with free hospitalization, major surgeries, etc.
Due to the very high cost of living, most adults work two jobs. Government subsidizes are available for each child based on parents income, but it is not a substantial amount overall. These are hardworking people descended from fierce Vikings and who doesn't love Vikings? Last but not least they are also very attractive, mostly blond and blue-eyed, with a zest for life and living.....considering the harsh winter climate and the endless summer days with no nights.....how could they be any other way?
Cheers.....

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