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The Journey began in Iceland on May 1st 2009, which we quickly discovered was Slaves Day. Reykjavik was a ghost town. We arrived very early in the morning to be greeted by a bitter cold, rustic and intriguing landscape. The drive from the airport to the Travel-Inn Guesthouse took less then an hour but revealed the diversity Iceland had to offer.
Our First day was spent wandering around Reykjavik like zombies until our hostel room was ready. After not sleeping for 24 hours a supermarket counter quickly became a reasonable place for a nap. Dan's first meal in Iceland was a hot dog - which we soon discovered was one of their national foods. We specifically arranged for a room with a kitchen, but found out it was cheaper to eat out then cook for ourselves (by "eat out" we mean buy hotdogs, cup a' soups, subway and pizza - clearly we are on a very tight budget). The supermarkets are tiny and have very limited and expensive selection (2 chicken breasts were about $17 CAD). One would think that a country that is nearly bankrupt would be much more affordable!
On our second day we met three entertaining
guys from England and tagged along in their rental car to the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon geothermal seawater is part of an ecocycle where nature and science work in harmony. The seawater is heated by the earth’s natural forces to about 38 degrees C. It was 4 degrees outside but we managed to swim for about 3 hours in the magical blue waters. We even indulged by applying silica mud masks, which made us look quite silly but also made our face feel incredibly soft. After spending an afternoon at the Blue Lagoon we were convinced this was the fountain of youth (or as close to it as any human will ever get)!
Our third day was spent wandering around Reykjavik (in the cold & rain) for about 6 hours! Needless to say we slept very well that night.
On our fourth and final day we rented a car and decided to drive to the South Shore and see the sights (glaciers, waterfalls and geysers oh my). After driving for about 20 minutes we learned that speeding is VERY expensive in Iceland (enough said). Lady Luck was definitely not on our side that day. We also encountered
frigid temperatures, rain, sleet and snow...but on we went. After driving for almost 2 hours we turned onto a road that was to lead to the magnificent glaciers. As we drove, the weather, road and landscape became harsher and less inviting - almost warning us to turn back. On either side of the very narrow volcanic dirt road was about a 2 foot drop. Needless to say I was not feeling too safe. But determination and curiosity kept us going, until the snow, wind, and road conditions became unbearable. The final hill before we turned back was just too much for the little rented Toyata Yaris to conquer. But turning back was not as simple as we thought on a harsh road that was not much wider then the car itself. Luckily after a 16 point turn Dan manoeuvred the car back down the mountain. No glaciers were seen.
After driving another hour we got to Gullfoss and saw the beautiful waterfall - which would have been much more pleasant were it not raining sideways right into our eyes. I'm quite sure it was way below 0 that day. We also saw the second most famous Geysir in Iceland (Strokkur),
which erupts every 10 minutes throwing a column of water and steam to a height of 20 metres or so. The largest Geysir erupts every 150 years.
Iceland is a phenomenal country definitely worth seeing....in the summer time!
Geyser Interesting Facts & Quotes
* It rains almost every day
* The hot water comes from geothermal springs making it smell like sulphur (eggs)
* Beer was illegal in Iceland until 1989 (luckily they hard hard booze to keep them warm)!
* 60%!o(MISSING)f the 360,000 people in Iceland live in Reykjavik
* In the summer the sun rises at 3am and sets at 11:30pm - in the winter the sun rises at 11am and sets at 3:30pm.
* "He is truly wise who's travelled far and knows the ways of the world. He who has travelled can tell what spirit governs the man he meets" Havaval Eddaik AD700
* "Better weight than wisdom a traveller cannot carry. The poor man's strength in a strange place, worth more than wealth" Havaval Eddaik AD700
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John MacKenzie
non-member comment
congrats
Dan and Andrea, congratulations on the start of your journey! It sounds amazing already. Enjoy everyy minute... Your friend, John