One of the things that I read today is that Iceland is very peace-loving. It just sounds like a wonderful place to visit!
Getting lost is a good idea! Then you will have to keep asking handsome men how to find your way back to where you want to be – and that could take hours…
Met a very good looking Swede at Geysir today. He was here as a reward from his company for having a good year. I didn’t ask him which company. He was unattached, or so it seemed. Too bad we were on different buses and had to go our separate ways…
No word from Worm the Red, eh? Hmm…
Off to fill my journal full of today and then I’ll be back to write about it some more.
I’m glad you’ve posted this- i think it might be fun to go to iceland!
What’s the weather like in Reykjavik?
I was slightly disappointed today to learn that the phallological museum has been relocated to northern Iceland. No up close and academic penis study for me. 
The museum is missing a male human specimen, though…
It is cool and misty today. Warm enough so that my windbreaker gets a bit uncomfortable, but cool enough where my cotton sweater is not enough. Everything, and I mean everything, is closed in Iceland on Sunday morning. No food. Gah. I did find an espresso cafe that was open and got a croissant. I’m still hungry!
Off to Blue Lagoon today to see what I can see and slather myself with silica mud. Sounds um, great. 
My muscles are aching from a strange bed, carrying heavy luggage etc, so I can hardly wait for the hot water to relax me.
I was only in Iceland once, ages ago, but loved it! Wish I were there!
Regarding food - certainly there must be a large hotel somewhere with a restaurant open Sunday mornings! Probably won’t be cheap, but better than starving.
And yeah - I too found the people there were not exactly hard on the eyes…
Have fun and keep posting!
I am finding that one gets what one paid for (it would seem obvious, no?). No innkeeper in sight today and the loo is terminally clogged and the floor is awash. I came back from the Blue Lagoon to this mess. Ugh.
I want to find out if I can go to the movies here tonight. Hmmm… The restaurants are now open (they open at noonish), so I’m no longer starving. Yay!
You could always tell Hans you are a professional nude photographer in search of new talent. Just sayin’… 
Glad you’re havin’ a good time rigs! Hope you find sustenance today.
Since you have mentioned expensive prices several times, while Worm The Red has said how cheap things are right now with the conversion rates, can you tell me what a 6-pack of beer in a grocery store would cost in dollars? (a “regular” beer, not something imported or otherwise high end)
What about a beer in a pub?
What about a slice of pizza at a take-away stand?
The reason I ask about these three specific items is that in all my travels, these seem to me to be a great benchmark/barometer of average prices, as they all seem readily available no matter where I am travelling. (and if not a slice of pizza, a fallafel, kass brojie, bratwurst, kabab or other such quick “street food”)
Hope you are having an amazing time!!!
Matthew
Sure, Matthew–as soon as you tell me how much a 6 pack of beer costs in the USA. I never buy beer! I also have not noticed how much 6 packs go for here.
A hot dog at a stand goes for about 450 krona (ISK) or so. That is about $3.85. Not too bad, except that where I’m from, a hot dog at a stand would be about $2.50. I have no clue what it would be at a ballpark or similar.
A slice of pizza… I just bought a whole pizza to eat in at “nice” Italian restaurant (not fast food). It cost me 1900 ISK, which is about $15.50 for a small-medium (it could feed 2 adults if they weren’t too hungry).
The prices ARE reasonable, when you consider that I am here in the popular tourist season. What I can’t get over is the thousands. It seems so much–it’s hard to keep the conversion in my head. A Tshirt cost about 2900 ISK (or 2450 ISK-depends on the shirt), which are $23 and $20, respectively. Then again, a taxi from the main bus terminal to my hotel was 1000 ISK, which terrified me, only to find out it was $8 and change. I find it hard to go to an ATM and withdraw 20, 000 ISK, which is about $165. It’s psychological.
So, some of this is me, but the tours are expensive(10,000 ISK and up) and (for example) to rent a towel at the Blue Lagoon cost me $5 or 600+ ISK.
Plus, I am on a strict budget for this trip, so I have tended to cry poverty every time I turn around…
I will post my last bit about Iceland tomorrow AKA the vomiting toilet: the shitstorm from hell knocks on Rigby’s door. I am too tired tonight. It may be 8pm here, but to me, it’s 0100.
I sincerely apologize for not having cut in with wise ass comments and other nonsense until now, but life has been quite hectic here in Sweden (add to that the fact that I left my computer in Iceland and haven’t bought a new one yet).
It sounds like you’re having a blast and that you’ve been able to see most of the things you should see when doing “Reykjavik” on a shoestring budget.
And MPB, half a liter of icelandic beer costs about 180 ISK in the liquor store and about 800 ISK at a d/t bar. Don’t ask me what that is in dollars 
As you all know, the loo was clogged at some point during my last day in Iceland. I went to the spa and about my day. I came home to a still clogged loo, but the shower was fine, so I used to (to take a shower, folks). Then, after packing, I decided that perhaps (wishful thinking here) the loo had miraculously unclogged itself and I needed to pee. This was about 1030 or so. It hadn’t, and now the water was to the edge of the carpet in the tiny galley kitchen in the basement.
I went upstairs to find Jamie, an ex-pat Brit living in Spain for the past 20 years and his 2 friends, Manolo and Danny(no Inglais). They were making spaghetti bolognese; I was in my pajamas. I explained my dilemma and used their loo. Looking back, that may have been the straw that broke the camel’s back…
I returned to downstairs to go to sleep, having to get up early in the morning for my trip home. I entered the basement to find a tidal wave of shitty water cascading down the hallway and into my doorway. I’ve never seen anything like it. I glanced into the loo to find water erupting from the toilet. I tried to turn the water off, but someone had removed the valve handles. I yelled for Jamie and Manolo came down to help. He took a look and said one word: “terrible!” and went back to eating his spaghetti bolognese. I ended up staying upstairs with these 3 guys, eating cheese and crackers and drinking some Spanish red wine while waiting for Hans to show up (Jamie had called him on his mobile).
Hans found me a bed in another guesthouse 2 doors down and walked me there himself at 0100. That was sweet of him.
Odd as it may sound, I find this whole episode amusing. Sure, it’s gross as hell, but seriously–what else can you do about such a thing but laugh and go with it? I slept on the plane on the way back. No one was hurt, although Hans was mortified. Clearly there is something hugely wrong with the plumbing! I hope he gets it fixed–it’s a nice place and will be even better once they’ve gotten the kinks worked out.
Thus endeth my trip to Iceland. Tried the dried haddock today–it’s chewy, dry (duh), vaguely salty and vaguely fishy, but otherwise bland and kind of nothing. The kids love their souvenirs. I am ready to go back as soon as I can scrape up enough $. Next time I plan on getting out of Reykjavik and seeing the rest of the island, and walking on a glacier.
No one mentioned the word saga to me, not even once. This made me happy (I meant to read them, but just couldn’t. I dislike tall tales, be they Paul Bunyan or Icelandic folk). I’m sure the sagas are fascinating; but not for me, not right now.
I have not really had any jet lag, per se–I did go to sleep early last night (830 pm), but got up at about 9 am. I’m still on vaca until Friday. Yay!
Sounds like you had a great time, rigs. And the toilet story just makes things memorable (gross, yes, but still, far from ordinary). Some of the Icelandic sagas are the funniest stories I’ve ever read, by the way. You might like them…
Welcome back! And hope you get to go back very soon.
GT
<attempts to hurt GT via internet access>
Sagas make me all stabby. Auuuuggggghhhhh!
I hope Paris was as much fun as Iceland!
I endorse that idea. I liked Reykjavik, but the best part was travelling around and seeing the rest of Iceland.
If I had time enough, and money…
As one who traveled a lot in my younger days, I truly enjoyed keeping up with your posts!
It brought back lots of memories of past adventures in travel, especially my short stay in Iceland. (My trip was much more pleasant - no major disasters, but far too short of a stay. Would love to return to Iceland someday.)
Thank you so much for sharing!