The time-card delivered, the backpacks packed and the post-work-pre-trip tequila was had. Time to leave!
Danish Delights
Unusually, the trip didn’t start with getting to the airport, but rather the train station. From where we took…. a bus, to a nearby train station. From where we took a sub-par train that we had to swap from yet another train station. But eventually we reached Copenhagen, as is fitting, seeing that Denmark is often a place of origin when exploring, fleeing to or colonizing Iceland.
We didn’t stay long in the Danish capital though (long enough to have some delicious pork, fresh off the bone), just an evening and a night before we set off for another capital, the northernmost Nordic (and indeed the world): Reykjavik.
That piece of blue ling was good enough for Odin
Our first aftenoon on Icelandic soil was spent checking out the surroundings, including the nearby shopping and restaurant street and trying the local food. Fish and lamb are the staple food of the land, and we went for both. But before that, whilst innocent-like walking down the street, a sudden voice rasped: “Would you like some free candy?”. Startled by this sudden offer, we stopped in our tracks and had the question repeated, followed by a suggestion to try some fine Icelandic candy* if we would just step inside for a moment. That didn’t seem conspicious at all, and before long we had an impromptu chocolate- and liqourice tasting in an Icelandic candy boutique.
Splosh!
One of the most important items on the bucket list (or indeed two, if you ask the wife) was to take place on our free day before the start of the tour. It is well-known, to those that know it well, that Iceland lies bang on the Atlantic rift between the North American and the Eurasian continental plates, with lots of tectonic activity as a result. Combine the volcanic fissures with the nearby glacier, and you’ll find a ravine with crystal clear water, right between the coninents. And so, the dry suit course we took in November last year came to fruition as we descended into the icy waters of Silfra.
A bit of equipment malfunction (the release valve was broken, and the spare suit was too big) and too little weight in the beginning was compensated by a spectacular dive, with seascape to die for and visibility beyond the limit. Somewhere in my less-than-optimal suit there was a leak, however, and though I never got cold, I was basically soaked from the waist down. Semi-dry, rather.
Although the glacial canyon itself was devoid of animal life (only seaweed and algae), the air was not. The flies swarmed denser than in Australia (although less aggressively). Flynets are not really optional in parts of Iceland, we realized.
After a dip in the cold, it was time for one in the hot. We got back to Reykjavik, got us a quick hot dog (which is the staple food for Icelanders on-the-go), and got ready for our spa treatment.
Off we went to the famous Blue Lagoon**, where the soaking and the face-masking got us clean, refreshed and ready for a fancy dinner at the lagoon’s own restaurant, LAVA. Best lamb fillet ever, and the cod was good enought for Odin.
Lingustic lingerings
The volcano at Reykjanes, Litli-Hrútur, was still erupting, but we were short on time. There are two options to see the red hot lava up close and personal: By hiking or by helicopter. The former takes all day (which we don’t have before our tour begins), and the latter costs an arm and both legs. The latter was also fully booked. We do, however, have one free full day after the trip ends before we fly onwards, so hopefully Litli-Hrútur will be just as red and shiny in about two and a half weeks.
Instead, we took a free walking tour in Reykjavik. The guide hailed from the Carribbean, but had moved to Iceland a couple of years back, and was clearly well-skilled in culture, history and lingustics. Icelandic is as close to Old Norse as they come, and is the language that has changed the least over the last thousand years. For us Scandinavians it’s fairly easy to comprehend in writing, but when spoken, the nuances get lost on all but the natives.
We walked the street(s) of Reykjavik, saw the usual old important people as bronze statues (only now they weren’t kings on horses, but rather politicians and movement leaders, and even women), and the architecture and art. The famous church (Hallgrimskikja) lies atop the even more famous Rainbow street (actually Skólavörðustígur), and by the not-so-majestic Tjärninn (The Pond) lies the current house of parliament.
Not far from there lies the Phallological Museum, and not far from there lies the best hot dog in town, as well as the best pita.
Time flies, and soon we trudged off towards the campsite to pitch our tent and meet our group. And there was also Tallulah, the truck Madventure just recently had bought off Dragoman, still in the traditional white-and-orange. Let’s overland!
Caroline’s Corner
Such an amazing landscape! And the plane hasn’t even landed.
But a hop, and a skip and a very funny Icelandic bus ticket seller later (he was very sarcastic in a very jolly way. And as I would later discover, a very Icelandic way), we were on our way to the hostel. Never judge an Icelandic hostel from its exterior, because the exterior of Kex hostel is very, very rundown as well as in between two major buliding sites. But my hubby is a wise man and knows not to judge the inside from its appereance. The inside was a very, very nice, clean, wellrun hostel. Phew!
“Do you want free candy?” is not a question that you repliy with a “yes”. Not if the question is asked on a street by a random stranger in a new city. Especially if you are a woman, you never ever, e v e r, say yes. But we did. And we participated in a generous tasting of Icelandic candy. The manufacturers wanted to try out their candy on tourists to suss out if they could successfully export it (we did not have the heart to tell them that we already can buy this candy in Sweden).
I got to dive between two tectonic plates. Yay! And I stayed dry as opposed to Martin. But we are roughly the same size so I had some spare clothes he could borrow.
Blue lagoon! Blue. Frigging. Lagoon!!! Yay. Definitely worth the hype. And I got to slather my husband in facegoo. Yes. Martin tried on one facial silica mask for me, and even a second one! Yay! I tried on all the rest because I did not have the heart to make Martin try more face masks. Two is plenty for the man..
I noticed an interesting culture phenomenon; as a person of nordic descent/culture it is perfectly fine to undress completely in the ladies dressingroom and then wash myself thoroughly before puttning on my swimsuit and entering the spa. The Americans were shocked. They all undressed one by one in the only single person cabinet, but wearing the tiniest, barely there string bikinis when they left the cubicle. As opposed to the sensible movement fiendly outfit the icelandic ladies wore (and yours truly).
The LAVA restaurant at the Blue lagoon is well worth a visit. Especially do try their Skyr based dessert. Not only because they add liqourice candy to it but because it is awesome.
Hot dogs. Anyone who has ever worked with me knows my slight (?) obsession with hotdogs. We tried both the famous hotdog stand and the recommended one. The second one offered the best dogs a gal could dream of. As well as a very tired, sarcastic but very friendly seller/dealer/hotdogchef. I got the complete dog. That is: toasted bread, all the condiment inside the bread (including bacon, cause you know….bacon) then the sausage (lamb) and then a discrete string of remoulade sauce. Delish.
And those flies? They are aplenty and if one happens to eat them by mistake, one might discover that they taste sweet. Alledgedly….
Walking tour. After two breakfasts we now have a new way of attatching value to things or experiences. One or two breakfasts. 2000 ISK is the cost of a good, basic breakfast and now our baseline. A visit to the museum of phallos in Reykjavik is a must. And certainly worth 2,75 breakfasts (5500 for two persons. One more excited than the other). It did not disappoint. Good beer. Interesting collection of penae. (What is the plural for penis? One penis, many penises, penae, penis?). Male elephants can volontarily move and therefore use their penises to scratch themselves. Note the “tiny” stuffed, preserved penis of a young male….
I did not buy an Icelandic handmade sweater (even though i was seriously tempted) But 20 some breakfasts is a wee bit pricy så we bought two wooly hats instead.
In the evening we met up with our travelmates för the next 17 days. And we saw Tallulah! The queen of lava fields (yes, I did reference Priscilla, queen of the desert).
The tent and the sleeping gear got it first outdoor experience. Perhaps we should have tried the tent outside instead of inside in our livingroom. But it is a good tent and we slept pretty ok.
Get up at 0500 and liking it. Yeah. Its weird but it is not hard to get up that early since the day is so full of cool things.
*) AKA sweets, lollies, goodies, or, as the Icelander says: Nammi
**) Named so because it’s a lagoon, that’s blue and famous
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