Reykjavik - Vik
Trip Start
Sep 17, 2009
1
2
11
Trip End
Sep 25, 2009
Reykjavík, Iceland
Friday, September 18, 2009
The drive from Keflavik airport to the city lasts approx. 1 hour. The driver drops passengers off at certain hotels/guesthouses, and i was lucky enough to live at Snorri - a GH on this list. When i arrived at 3:30 am, the blonde (whatelse?) host was surely already sleeping, but got up and gave me the room key. A cell actually, very small and minimalictic, but i was so dead tired that the only thing i wanted was a bed. I just had 3 hours to sleep, since at 7 am is breakfast and at 8 am a man from the car rental company should pick me up.
I still didnt make up my mind - should i record the facts (which might be useful for other people but hell, this is so boring for me), or emotions (nobody gives a damn about them but at least this is interesting to write down). Probably i combine it. I dunno. This blog doesnt have any purpose - so it will be as it is.
5 different soft cheese sorts, homemade jams, forgotten-since-childhood nutella, warm bread - a good way to start a day. Free WiFi too!
Anyway, a blonde friendly guy from the car rental picked me up and we drove to the office. Having booked a manual car, i ewas given an automatic - thanks, friends! I had such a car in Cuba (for the first time in my life) . But that was long ago - so i havent even succeeded in operating the clutch at once. Asked a guy from the office:
- Hey, man, how does this thing work?
- Well, here's the gas pedal, here's the brake...
- No-no, i know this far. How to operate this goddamn clutch?
- Drive safely and mind the speed limits - said a friendly dude.
I don't have a GPS this time - so getting out of Reykjavik took some time and patience. But then again, all roads lead to Highway #1. I chose the direction of Selfoss.
It's always hard to choose which sights to visit when you are limited in time. And was there ever a time when you werent? Usually my principle is the american one - "Europe in one day". To see the most i can, to make the concentration of impressions the highest possible. Then, to digest them i take one day to slow down and NOT to have any particular targets.
But here i decided to choose the slow strategy. I will NEVER manage the whole country in 5 days - it's impossible because of the painfully slow driving. So this will be a quite unusual journey.
First of all - Geysir and Gulfoss. Geysir gave the name to all the geysirs in the world - but it's only of many in this rather big area. Every 5 minutes or so one of them jets a huge amount of water in the air - an amazing thing! Gulfoss is a colossal waterfall - two waterfalls in one, to be exact. There are lots of Aussichtsplattformen, and you can get up close and personal - no chance to remain dry.
Lamb soup is a specialty of a nearby cafe - it is really good, hearty and filling. I will not say anymore the word "expensive", coz everything is expensive here. I wonder how high the prices were a couple of years ago... Since now they have fallen significantly, according to the guidebooks. Anyway, 10 EUR for a bowl of soup (a good one, i admit) is a shame, in my opinion.
As far as i can see, the majority of tourists is Dutch. Fuck, do i hate Dutch.
"Waterfall day". It wasn't planned this way, but on the way i kept stumbling on waterfalls, waterfalls, waterfalls. Small and silent, giant and roaring, slim, thick, double, triple - man, is this gorgeous. So different, each one living its own life. Simple water of nature's work of art - this brings about a thought of how we can regard same things in a different fashion.
I thought it had been a good idea to give a theme to a day. I mean, if we see one waterfall a year - certainly, we will love it because it is rare to us. But here we gotta chance to compare more objectively - and choose the real best one.
I will add some pics tomorrow.
My first time at a hostel. The last one, hopefully. I HATE this backpacker atmosphere. DUTCH backpackers. Thankfully i was lodged not directly in the hostel (no places...or whatever the reason) but in a nearby home of an old man (possibly, they got an agreement with him to accomodate surplus guests).
- Man, would you give me a key?
- Why? The door is open. We never close it.
OK. So, this is Iceland. No-crime-country. Previous year there were 2 car hijackings. Period.
So i am alone there. I only contact the backpackers when i need WiFi and breakfast.
You have to take OFF your shoes before entering home and hostel. Northern countries have much in common. Mud. This is what affects traditions and lifestyle. Simple practical reasons. Does this solve the question whether бытие определяет сознание oder umgekehrt?
It's awfully complicated to write in English. Here comes the solution: the languages will change. Within one entry, within one sentence. As will the styles, the quantities, the frequencies of new entries and so on.
OK, one day is enough to understand that Iceland is unique - the roughness of its nature but also its diversity strikes and impresses. And i only made about 200 km from Reykjavik so far. Nevertheless, i saw geysirs, waterfalls, glaciers, shingle beaches, a wonderful little country-life museum, picturesque churches, graceful horses and much more.
Make it 200 km inland from Moscow - and tell me what have you seen, ah?
