yesterday was indeed a drab day. the clouds hung in and it rained off and on. but this morning the clouds had lifted and while walking to catch the bus i was able to see the mountains that surround town and the glaciers that flow down among them.
today i was heading west towards Reykjavik, with a final overnight stop in Skogar. Skogar has one of the best folk museums in the country and another fabulous waterfall to admire. first stop along the route was at the glacial lagoon, this time with a blue sky. at 3h00, we stopped at Vik for 45 minutes so people could walk to the black sand beach to see the rock sea stacks that rise from the ocean. since i had already spent 2 good days here before Höfn, i went into the grill at the station to eat something. Skogar was a settlement with not much more than a few houses, and little for food. there was also a hostel (which was impossible to a get a bed at), a boutique hotel, and a hotel chain where i planned to stay. Hotel Edda had an attached gymnasium with 50 mats so it wasn´t necessary to reserve for me and my sleeping bag.
we ate, viewed, and loaded the bus for the next 25km to Skogar.
the bus driver pulled into the parking lot at the falls and i asked if he was going to swing by the hotel, which is what the bus did last time i came thru. nope, wasn´t going to. there isn´t much to Skogar, but it is spread out and the hotel was at the other end. i wasn´t impressed as i saddled myself with my 2 bags, front and back and with 2 bowls of Icelandic meat soup in my belly, i made my way over to Hotel Edda.
but as i got close I saw a handwritten sign in the door "closed from 24/8/08", which was.... today. could that really be? the boy vacuuming behind the locked glass door shrugged and waved me away.
now starting to get a little worried, cuz on the way i had stopped by the hostel and confirmed that they were still full, i walked back in the direction i had come, trying to keep my sense of humour, chuckling at the huge cows along the way.
last chance, Hotel Skogar - the young thing behind the counter looked at me with a big smile and cheerfully said sure they had a room, for 20,000Ikr. 20,000Ikr!!
it was the last bus of the day that had dropped me off at 4h30 and now it looked like i was screwed. i went back to the hostel and asked the attendant (German) if she could think of anything. she phoned all the farms within 10km and they were all booked and they wouldn´t allow me to sleep on the couch at the hostel for safety reasons. I was starting to get very frustrated... f#@k the folk museum, the fall and Icelandic hospitality!
OK, calm, next step. i pulled out my down jacket and i would hitchhike outta here. first i went to the parking lot at the fall and explained my predicament to a few drivers but no luck there. so about 5h30, my bags on, i started to walk to the main highway - one lane each way, sporadic traffic. i had lots of time before the sun would set.
lucky me, a car pulled over before i even got to the highway. a young German couple, they were heading in the right direction, but were turning off towards another waterfall about 25km from here - they would drop me off at the junction. he had hitchhiked in New Zealand last year. they were traveling for a week in Iceland cuz they had been looking at interest rates on the internet and saw an ad for an Icelandic bank. 2 days later they booked their flight.
the junction was in the middle of nowhere, but i would have cars coming from 2 directions. we said goodbye and they were off. it started to rain as i positioned myself, but i was hopeful. but then it stared to POUR! i looked at my down jacket getting soaked and looked around - no traffic and absolutely nowhere to take cover (there are few trees in Iceland). i thought about my hat, umbrella and rainjacket in my bag, but it was way too late for all that. i needed a car.
a few cars whizzed by, and a solo driver, young guy, smiled, shrugged and continued on. as i watched my bags at the side of the road take a beating in the rain, i could feel myself wanting to become frantic, but that wouldn´t help anything. in my desparation i started using my whole hand rather than my thumb... maybe a little too aggressive? then a little white car pulled up and the windown went down. they were going to Vik, wrong direction, but at that moment i was happy to go anywhere. they cleared space for me and i jumped in. a lovely young Spanish couple here for 5 days, hoping to do the entire circle route (good luck!). how did you get there, she asked once we took off. past Skogar and back to Vic.
they very kindly dropped me off at the Vic service station, where i was a familiar face. i would drop my bags here and start my search for a bed. but.... there was an Icelandic Excursions tour bus in the lot. i asked around and this bus was continuing to Reykjavik tonight. i found the driver, explained my problem and asked if he had an empty seat. was i alone, he asked? he checked with the guide and came back with a yes!! what relief, a huge smile. i phoned Reykjavik and requested an extra night on my reservation and then i relaxed at a table with 2 women from Manchester who were in Iceland for the weekend.
the driver was Latvian and the guide American (where are the Icelanders?). the tour bus set off at 8h30, making one more stop, before returning to Reykjavik - 20 minutes at Skogar Falls. i was hardly enthusiastic, but took the obligatory photo, and felt sore about not being able to climb to the top or see the museum... but i was not stranded.
the tour bus dropped me off right outside the guesthouse and by midnight i was crawling into my sleeping bag in a nice warm little room at Hotel Von - thank you so very much!!
24.8.08
22.8.08
not every day
i have arrived in Höfn (pronounced Hup). it is further east on the south coast, which means i have to double back to Reykjavik. I decided to do this becasue the scenery along this route is gorgeous, and i get to stop by Jokulsarlon twice - a lagoon filled with icebergs from the icecap Vatnajökull. the bus stops here for 1/2 hour viewing. there is no accommodation at the lagoon so this my only chance to see this "classic postcard scene" (i would bring a tent next time, which would solve all kinds of issues).
Höfn is a harbour town and "it´s setting is stunning; on a clear day ... gaze at Vanajökull and it´s brotherhood of glaciers." today the clouds are so dark and heavy it is as tho i could reach up and touch them. hope it clears tomorrow, cuz i am here for 2 nights and i don´t thinnk there is a lot to do otherwise.
altho, there is a glacier exhibit which also shows clips of 007 movies shot around here. and there is a grocery store, the biggest grocery store i have seen yet.
i don´t know how they make meals exciting. the grocery stores are so small, with such a minimal selection, that i have lost interest (most stuff is imported and expensive). so i keep eating hotdogs and hamburgers and shop for ryvita, apples, tinned fish and skyr. Skyr, praised highly by the guide, appears to simply be yogurt (www.skyr.is).
after checking into the hostel, i went to the store. apples, mackeral, vanilla skyr, nacho chips and salsa , and to the cashier. an asian woman in front of me left her buggy behind her, preventing me from moving forward. i politely asked if it was hers. yes, so she gave it a shove and it rolled back to the middle of the main aisle. i pointed out that she could join it to the other buggies immediately to her right. well.... she then shouted at me that she wasn´t a tourist (?) and demanded to know where i was from. was i so orderly in Canada?! pushing the buggy in line will take minimal effort i said, then asked where she was from. she shouted back HELL! i said i was sorry. she then added that she was Icelandic and asked what i did in Canada, to which i calmly responded that i didn´t think she was really interested in conversation (i should´ve gone over the top and said i worked in Africa helping the poor). leave me alone, she spat back. maybe the clouds were getting her down.
i´ve had more interaction with Italians and Belgians here than with Icelanders. when i do, they are often brusque, but not necessarily unkindly so. usually it has to do with removing my shoes. while i agree that we shouldn´t wear shoes in the house, i am not even inside before i am being told to remove my shoes. it feels like a substitute for welcome.
otherwise, the country continues to catch my breath. so many waterfalls, black lava fields, ice caves, volcanos, calderas, cake-shaped mountains, ice caps, bleak vastness, whales, fjords, geysers, steaming valleys, bubbling mud, hot rivers, beautiful Icelandic horses, dramatic rock formations, black sand beaches, glaciers, rugged cliffs, moss covered lava rocks, and today a glacier lagoon. Höfn has been the only dull dreary drab spot.
Höfn is a harbour town and "it´s setting is stunning; on a clear day ... gaze at Vanajökull and it´s brotherhood of glaciers." today the clouds are so dark and heavy it is as tho i could reach up and touch them. hope it clears tomorrow, cuz i am here for 2 nights and i don´t thinnk there is a lot to do otherwise.
altho, there is a glacier exhibit which also shows clips of 007 movies shot around here. and there is a grocery store, the biggest grocery store i have seen yet.
i don´t know how they make meals exciting. the grocery stores are so small, with such a minimal selection, that i have lost interest (most stuff is imported and expensive). so i keep eating hotdogs and hamburgers and shop for ryvita, apples, tinned fish and skyr. Skyr, praised highly by the guide, appears to simply be yogurt (www.skyr.is).
after checking into the hostel, i went to the store. apples, mackeral, vanilla skyr, nacho chips and salsa , and to the cashier. an asian woman in front of me left her buggy behind her, preventing me from moving forward. i politely asked if it was hers. yes, so she gave it a shove and it rolled back to the middle of the main aisle. i pointed out that she could join it to the other buggies immediately to her right. well.... she then shouted at me that she wasn´t a tourist (?) and demanded to know where i was from. was i so orderly in Canada?! pushing the buggy in line will take minimal effort i said, then asked where she was from. she shouted back HELL! i said i was sorry. she then added that she was Icelandic and asked what i did in Canada, to which i calmly responded that i didn´t think she was really interested in conversation (i should´ve gone over the top and said i worked in Africa helping the poor). leave me alone, she spat back. maybe the clouds were getting her down.
i´ve had more interaction with Italians and Belgians here than with Icelanders. when i do, they are often brusque, but not necessarily unkindly so. usually it has to do with removing my shoes. while i agree that we shouldn´t wear shoes in the house, i am not even inside before i am being told to remove my shoes. it feels like a substitute for welcome.
otherwise, the country continues to catch my breath. so many waterfalls, black lava fields, ice caves, volcanos, calderas, cake-shaped mountains, ice caps, bleak vastness, whales, fjords, geysers, steaming valleys, bubbling mud, hot rivers, beautiful Icelandic horses, dramatic rock formations, black sand beaches, glaciers, rugged cliffs, moss covered lava rocks, and today a glacier lagoon. Höfn has been the only dull dreary drab spot.
15.8.08
When in Rome....
I am eating at gas stations and I am eating hot dogs. Altho tonight I am being adventurous and having a hamburger.
I still care about maintaining some degree of health, but this is not unusual in Iceland. And it is certainly the thing to do as a traveler in Iceland.
I had been reading about the hot dogs (pylsa) in the food section in the guidebook. So I tried my first one a week ago. It was just a regular wiener in a white hot dog bun with choice of the usual toppings - ketchup, mustard, may, etc. But they are cheap - 200 Ikr.
Compare that with the price of last nights meal. I ate at a pub style cafe with a view of the harbour and ordered the cheapest main on the menu - Icelandic meat soup, which came with a small salad and some bread. It was indeed very tasty but it was 1850 Ikr!! I can´t bring myself to tell you how much that is, so you figure it out.
Gas stations offer a small menu of meals under 1000 Ikr - hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, fries. My hamburger was just delivered to my table on a plate with metal cutlery and I am impressed. Certainly not McDonald's. And this place is busy... and only a few are buying the gas.
If I can manage to get a room in a hostel, then I can buy food at the grocery store and make my meals. But tourist season is July and August and it is brutal trying to get accommodation if you haven´t planned well in advance. This is forcing me to make a quick plan, then phone ahead for reservations. But this still isn´t working. I am on my way to Akureyri tomorrow and every place I have phoned during the last 2 days is full. I have my sleeping bag. Campsites sometimes have big huts where you can sleep in your bag. You can also use your bag and stay at guest houses at a reduced rate. I have my fingers crossed for any kind of roof for tomorrow.
I haven´t tried hitchhiking yet (transportation isn´t cheap either). Iceland is probably the one remaining country where it is safe to do so. I am still using the buses.
I went to the penis museum this afternoon (www.phallus.is). I wasn´t impressed, but it is often that way, isn´t it?
If you are thinking of going to Italy this month, you will not find any Italians there. They are ALL here.
Until next time, bless (goodbye).
I still care about maintaining some degree of health, but this is not unusual in Iceland. And it is certainly the thing to do as a traveler in Iceland.
I had been reading about the hot dogs (pylsa) in the food section in the guidebook. So I tried my first one a week ago. It was just a regular wiener in a white hot dog bun with choice of the usual toppings - ketchup, mustard, may, etc. But they are cheap - 200 Ikr.
Compare that with the price of last nights meal. I ate at a pub style cafe with a view of the harbour and ordered the cheapest main on the menu - Icelandic meat soup, which came with a small salad and some bread. It was indeed very tasty but it was 1850 Ikr!! I can´t bring myself to tell you how much that is, so you figure it out.
Gas stations offer a small menu of meals under 1000 Ikr - hot dogs, hamburgers, sandwiches, fries. My hamburger was just delivered to my table on a plate with metal cutlery and I am impressed. Certainly not McDonald's. And this place is busy... and only a few are buying the gas.
If I can manage to get a room in a hostel, then I can buy food at the grocery store and make my meals. But tourist season is July and August and it is brutal trying to get accommodation if you haven´t planned well in advance. This is forcing me to make a quick plan, then phone ahead for reservations. But this still isn´t working. I am on my way to Akureyri tomorrow and every place I have phoned during the last 2 days is full. I have my sleeping bag. Campsites sometimes have big huts where you can sleep in your bag. You can also use your bag and stay at guest houses at a reduced rate. I have my fingers crossed for any kind of roof for tomorrow.
I haven´t tried hitchhiking yet (transportation isn´t cheap either). Iceland is probably the one remaining country where it is safe to do so. I am still using the buses.
I went to the penis museum this afternoon (www.phallus.is). I wasn´t impressed, but it is often that way, isn´t it?
If you are thinking of going to Italy this month, you will not find any Italians there. They are ALL here.
Until next time, bless (goodbye).
9.8.08
Note to continuity
Upon arrival in Iceland, it was announced that MAN would return on the next ferry. Since I was already here, I decided to carry on and have a look around.
2.8.08
Beach Beauty Competition
I am not aware of the standards of beach beauty, but this is most certainly a beautiful beach (pics later). And so the sign at the head of the stairway down confirms - "Award Winning Beach".
At Sango Beach on the north coast of Scotland, in the tiny village of Durness, there is a campground where you can situate yourself to have a stunning view of the beach and the few surfers who give it a go.
And only a one mile walk thru gentle countryside, you will be splendidly thrilled to come across Cocoa Mountain Chocolate Bar (www.cocoamountain.co.uk), a serious rival to Callebaut!
At Sango Beach on the north coast of Scotland, in the tiny village of Durness, there is a campground where you can situate yourself to have a stunning view of the beach and the few surfers who give it a go.
And only a one mile walk thru gentle countryside, you will be splendidly thrilled to come across Cocoa Mountain Chocolate Bar (www.cocoamountain.co.uk), a serious rival to Callebaut!
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