Sunday, 26 April 2009
Arrived @ Keflavik around 3pm. Had Reykjavik Rent A Car deliver the 4WD SUV to the airport. To give you an idea of cost, it was 73k ISK ($581 USD) for 7 days. Not bad considering a standard economy car with someone like Hertz would have been just slightly cheaper...ended up feeling more secure with the 4WD as some of the roads were a bit questionable in some places (and you certainly don't want to get stuck as there's not a whole lot of traffic...). Also, not bad considering that's with an exchange rate of $1=125 ISK. This time last year, the exchange rate was $1=73 ISK, which equals $1,000 to rent the same car for the same time period.
***Did I mention that we're not even talking about peak season rates???***
How much was gas, you ask? @152 ISK per liter; 3.78 liters = 1 gallon; about $4.42 a gallon. 95 octane was the standard, so the grade is a bit higher than in the US. Still....Iceland is on sale, remember? I can't complain.
After a stop at the grocery store, it was time to head out into the country and save Reykjavik for the end. Off to the Reykjanes peninsula, where I had my first "wait, this is a road?" experience.
The first thing that caught my eye on the side of the road:
I wish I could have captured the smell with my lens.
Me and the car, on the "road" (with hoof prints):
The lake beach, with black sand, of Kleifarvatn. The lake is 1km deep and sits within a volcanic fissure. Legend says that a worm-like monster the size of a whale lives somewhere in its depths...though I didn't know that until I read it just now...otherwise I may have stayed in the car...
Happened upon the first cluster of hot springs at Seltún. Colorful steaming vents, mud pots, and a wonderful rotten egg smell. It went well with the drying fish from earlier.
Day 1 ends with the spectacular lava rocked coastline, looking back towards where we came from.
First night's accommodation was in Hella (pronounced like Hekla) at Guesthouse Brenna, which worked out to be $26 per person. Oh and my first dinner was a quesadilla! Go figure.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Iceland Recap: Day 1
Monday, May 11, 2009
The End
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Sunday Roast
Sunday Roast
Originally uploaded by sipp
In Cambridge @ The Eagle where Watson & Crick announced their
discovery if DNA.
Mmmmmm Yorkshire pudding.
Afternoon tea
Afternoon tea
Originally uploaded by sipp
Tea with a scone and brownie; it was chocolate tea and it was
wonderful!!!
Peacock Tearoom
Peacock Tearoom
Originally uploaded by sipp
In a little town called Ely, near Lakenheath and Mildenhall air bases,
north of Cambridge.
Thursday, May 7, 2009
Roman & Medieval Baths (in Bath, England)
Roman & Medieval Baths (in Bath, England)
Originally uploaded by sipp
I suspect they'll give similar tours of the Blue Lagoon in Iceland after another 2,000 years.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Dancing Queen
Dancing Queen
Originally uploaded by sipp
Changing of the guard. The band really played Dancing Queen along
with You Cant Stop The Beat, some Enrique, and Living La Vida Loca.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
The George, London
The George, London
Originally uploaded by sipp
Beef & Guinness stew with a Bulmers pear cider.
Big Ben
The Plough Inn, near the Cotswolds
The Plough Inn, near the Cotswolds
Originally uploaded by sipp
Awesome dinner @ the plough inn, in ford, England. Chicken, ham,
local asparagus pie with peas and fries and a Donnington ale. Heaven!
The Blue Lagoon (Iceland)
The Blue Lagoon (Iceland)
Originally uploaded by sipp
Last thing I did in Iceland...a stop off at the Blue Lagoon. We got
there just after it opened so it was pretty empty. It's a large
geothermal lagoon in the middle of a pretty barren lava field on the
way to the airport from Reykjavik. It is artificial and is powered by
a nearby plant that keeps the water at 38* C. The rocks around are
black but the ones in the water are milky white and the water is
bright blue. The silica in the water is supposed to be really good
for your skin- there are even bins/buckets that you float up to that
contain a white mud that you slather on your face. I found it a bit
itchy at first...
The worst part is, the water is so full of brine it turns you into a
raisin pretty quick and you have to use a gallon of conditioner on
your hair when it's all over.
All in all it was a fantastic stop...it's a spa with a clinic, cost
about $40 and I was there for nearly 3 hours.
Though I could have honestly done without all the nakedness in the
locker room.....
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Reykjavik
Reykjavik
Originally uploaded by sipp
After a particularly horrendous forecast (rain all day, 70%, 20-30mph winds, 42 degrees) it turned out ok! It did hail for about two min while I was in a shop, other than that just a little drizzle and now blue skies.
They say that if you don't like the weather, wait 5 min and it will change...
Also, if you get lost in an Icelandic forest, stand up.
Reykjavik harbor.
Trying to decide if I will have a whale burger for dinner...I don't really want to support it...it even bothers me to eat in places that even serve it. We'll a see.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Geysir
Devil's Piss
Devil's Piss
Originally uploaded by sipp
I think the Lake Myvatn Chamber of Commerce needs to work on their
marketing campaign (from yesterday).
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