My photos are online

Still will keep up with the blog about the trip, but I have been busy. Just a quick update to anyone who wants to see my pics, they are here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/lizwilliams7

And no, in spite of how these pictures make things seem, I was not actually drunk the entire time.

:)

More Iceland!

See? It's not really covered in ice! It's very green in the summer. If the sun had been shining, you would be dazzled by the bright greenness of this picture.

So continuing where I left off, I got up very early on my second day in Iceland, because it was the day of my Superjeep tour. I left Reykjavík early to go off in this huge Jeep with gigantic wheels to see some of the country outside of the city for the day. This trip was fabulous. If you are ever in Iceland, I really insist that you do something like this. I wholeheartedly recommend you go here or here and book yourself a nice little trip, and if possible request that you go with a man named Gummi. Yes, that's right, Gummi. His name is actually Guðmundur Sigurðsson, but being a smart man he figures no English speaking foreigner can pronounce his real name. He is quite right. So he goes by Gummi, and he is really a great guide.




This is Gummi.






Something that is really striking about Iceland, to me, is the people there. Everywhere I have gone, I have met the nicest, friendliest people. They all seem to have a really strong sense of pride in their country, and they always are very happy to tell you about Iceland. Sometimes when you meet an Icelander, they seem very serious and shy. But they really are not. Once you start talking to them, all kinds of interesting facts come pouring out of these people. They are very generous people, proud of their history, their city, their country, their culture, their drinking water, their low crime rate, their cucumbers, and their chocolate milk. And a million other things I can't think of right now. Gummi is no different, although this is of course his job. But he is also clearly a very proud Icelander, filled to overflowing with knowledge. We spent nearly 12 hours with him and I don't think any of our strange questions went unanswered.

So anyway, off we went in Gummi's jeep, to see and learn all about Iceland. Huge fields of lava rock, waterfalls, forest, mountains, the bay, rivers, volcanoes... so much to see. It was amazing.

You have to love a place where there is just steam rising from the ground all over:

and where they have RED GRASS! I seemed to be the only one there who was totally amazed with the red grass, but I am not sure why. I mean, it's grass. And it's red. It's totally the wrong color! have you seen red grass before? Probably not. And it's just there, growing in patches in the middle of the normal green grass, minding its own business. Pretending it's not completely the wrong color...

After miles and miles of lava, hotsprings, a geothermal plant, a waterfall, red grass, and an eternity of driving through billions of rocks, we reached Langjökull. Langjökull is "the long glacier" where we went snowmobiling. It is the second largest glacier in Iceland, and I heard later that it is sitting right on top of a volcano (not shocking since Iceland is really more of a pile of volcanic activity than it is an island). If global warming does not melt the whole glacier first (a real possibility), then one day they expect this volcano to erupt, melting the whole glacier, and suddenly sending torrents of water down hill to destroy a nearby village. Sure, this might not happen for hundreds or a thousand years... But I think I might move to a different village if I were them...

And here let me explain how much of a disgraceful coward I am. There I was, standing on the edge of a glacier. Looking at white snow and ice as far as the eye can see. Knowing that I am going out there onto that endless plain of white... on a snowmobile. I had never been on a snowmobile. I assumed this would be a disaster. I'm not sure why I had zero confidence in my snowmobiling ability, but I did. I was incredibly relieved to learn that we were to go in pairs. One would drive out to the middle of nowhere, then the other would drive back. I'll take the return drive please!! (hopefully I will not have to drive back either...)

John, a fellow tourist from England, was happy to drive. So off we went over the glacier, out into the middle of nowhere. Thankfully, we were not going terribly fast. But snowmobiles are kind of tricky to control, you see. They don't necessarily turn quite when you want them to. And then you lean into the turn to prevent it from flipping over, but it still feels like it will. And here out on this glacier, there were big puddles of ice water (because it was summer) and cracks in the ice where this water was running downhill, slicing a crevasse on it's way. I didn't really care to end up in a big puddle of ice water or fall into a crack in the ice. I also didn't want to lose the group and get lost out there. Basically, this whole thing terrified me, and I did not even want to go. But everyone else insisted I go.

I spent the outbound portion of the ride alternating between keeping me eyes tightly closed and gripping the handles fiercely, and peering out of my helmet to make sure we weren't about to plummet to our death. I was unreasonably scared. I am not sure why. But I just was. So we stopped for a bit out in the middle of nowhere, you could not see a thing except white in every direction, because we were in the clouds way up there. The sun did come out for a little bit! It was lovely with the blue sky and sunshine, and the silence. Not one thing out there to make noise other than the wind, and us. Total isolation. I liked it there.

John had had a lot of fun driving the snowmobile out there, so in spite of all the protests from everyone else, I graciously let him drive back too. I was less scared of getting lost now, because our guide, Ása, was on top of things and made sure we didn't ride off into our own demise. But still, I was sure I would somehow get us killed. No thank you. I spent the return part of the trip nearly as terrified as before, but with my eyes open a little more often. Then it happened. Neither of us were sure how this happened, because there wasn't any terribly large rut in the ground, and we weren't really turning, but suddenly we were turned over, laying in the snow, with the snowmobile on top of our right legs. The very thing I had been so scared of had happened.

There, pinned under the snowmobile, on a glacier, in the middle of nowhere, I began to laugh uncontrollably. The others dismounted and came running. The other members of our tour group were horrified and scared, and they thought we were hurt terribly. They asked if we were alright, and we said we were. (I, between gales of laughter.) And they asked if I was able to get up, and I said I could not because my leg was pinned under the snowmobile. Katie, a really nice lady from Ohio, was so scared. They were trying to lift the snowmobile off of us and she expected my leg to be broken, or bloody under there. Nope. It was fine. We were both 100% unharmed by this accident.

It was the least painful or frightening accident I've ever experienced on any kind of vehicle in my life. I've crashed and fallen over in boats, on bicycles, a golf cart once, skis, and not to mention actual car accidents. All of these other incidents had involved some sort of pain. Not this time. I just landed softly on some snow. It was really no big deal, and I was laughing mostly at my own stupidity.

My eyes were wide open the rest of the way back and I even let go of the handles for a while. Once I wasn't scared anymore, it was SO FUN! If I ever have the chance to go snowmobiling again, I will actually try to drive it!


So we left the glacier and headed back across miles and miles of rocks. I've never seen so many rocks in my life. They were all just left there by the glacier, which is continually shrinking. It isn't really what I would call a beautiful landscape, but it's truly amazing to see it. That's some tough terrain.

Our next stop was at Þingvellir National Park (the Þ thing is pronounced like an un-voiced 'th' like at the beginning of the word 'thing'.) This was a beautiful place where the vikings had originally set up their annual national assembly where laws were created and communicated to the people's representatives that were sent to the assembly, and disputes were settled. It is also sitting right on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which is where the North Atlantic and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. This is a huge fault-line that runs down the center of the atlantic ocean. It also runs right through Iceland. It is why Iceland is there, actually. As the two plates separate, lava comes oozing up and hardens, creating land. It's a really interesting fissure in the earth to see. There is also just a generally beautiful patch of land here to look at, including these green grassy patches, and blue clear waters (and Iceland's largest lake).

Interesting fact: Iceland has an average of 150 earthquakes EVERY DAY. So small you usually never feel a thing. And all the houses and buildings are required to be built to withstand a minimum level 7 magnitude earthquake without collapsing.

So then we returned to Reykjavík after a long full day that was both fun and informative. It was spectacular and filled with fascinating Viking history. You all know me... I love them Vikings... ;)

Upon my return to my hostel, I attempted to relax for a while because I was quite tired. But no no, that was just silly. Of course I wasn't going to sleep! It was time to hit the town and begin the night-long mission to drink lots of beer.

This is the LONGEST post ever. And I have to go to a barbecue now! So I'll continue this another time.

UPDATE: OOPS! MY BAD!
I have since learned that the glacier I went to is not the one on top of the volcano that is going to erupt and melt it at any time and destroy a nearby village. Turns out, that was an entirely different glacier somewhere else in Iceland. They have a lot of glaciers, and the whole place is a bunch of volcanoes stuck together, so it is easy to get this confused. Apologies.

YAY ICELAND!

So after my frantic 3 days at home, I was off to the "Land of Fire and Ice." I can't even describe my excitement about going back to the land I love. I was in Iceland three and a half years ago and fell in love with the place. I have wanted to go back ever since. The first trip was in the middle of winter. It was COLD and it snowed the whole time, although they insisted that was not typical weather, and it was dark most hours of the day. Did I mention it was cold?

At long last I returned in the summer. To see this crazy place in all its glory. I was ridiculously excited by this trip. I could not wait to see the contrasts between winter and summer. I could not wait to go out into the countryside to see the green country that was a vast expanse of white last time. To see the sun shining! And of course there is the city with the crazy nights of partying that never end... So much excitement, I could barely contain myself. Once I was checked in at the airport, waiting to leave, I was literally jumping up and down!

Iceland does not disappoint.

I arrived at about 6am. The sun was shining brightly. Immediately it was clear that this was not the same place I visited the last time. Last time I arrived at 6am and it was total darkness, and would remain so for another four or five hours. Not in summer. No way baby, No pitch blackness this time!

The ride from Keflavík (where the airport is) to Reykjavík was amazing for me. This is because I have been on this exact route before. Twice. But it was just blackness with some lights here and there both other times. This time I could see what was there. We rode along the coast with clear blue waters on my left, and a bizarre landscape of lava rock and green moss and grasses on my right, complete with a lovely mountain backdrop. The mountain and lava terrain were made even more dramatic when the ominous black clouds appeared overhead.

When I arrived in Reykjavík, the sun came back out to greet me, and it was surprisingly warm. I stashed my bags in the luggage room at the hostel and ventured out to wander a bit, and get some much needed food and (of course) coffee. And just to look at it. Green trees, grass, loveliness. A stark contrast to the white and grey of my previous visit.

I was exhausted. A four hour "overnight" flight from Boston to Reykjavík... It is not good for the internal clock to leave at 10pm, fly four hours, and arrive at 6am, while your brain thinks it is only 2am... needless to say i did not really sleep that "night" because I never really had a night at all. After a couple hours of coffee, waffles, walking, sitting, looking... it was nap time. I was just waiting for my hostel to give me a bed so i could sleep.

Finally I got my key and I was off to sleep, after a very frustrating long conversation with an insane Austrian woman.

A few hours later, I woke up and got cleaned up and went out for an evening on the town. This was, by far, the most tame and relaxed evening I have ever spent in Reykjavík. If you don't like long nights of partying and drinking and general insanity, this is not the place for you. Oh Reykjavík, dear to my heart, please be kind to my liver...

But this time I had to get up early the next day (7:30am... ugh...), and having only gotten a few hours of sleep that day I knew I could NOT manage an all nighter. I was proud of myself for avoiding that scene completely. I just walked around the city, gazing happily at the colorful buildings, and houses with bright colored rooftops, and the shining sun, the beautiful harbor, and, of course, the beautiful people. And I ate a small cheese pizza that cost about $40, had some beer, and began to wonder... What time is it???

You never seem to know what time it is in Iceland. The state of light or dark outside give you no indication. Places don't seem to close ever. It reminds me of Vegas, where there are no clocks and the casinos have no windows. You never see the sun set (or rise again) because all evidence of time passing is kept hidden from you. Also, I usually don't wear a watch. I forgot to bring it on my vacation. That was rather dumb on my part.

I asked the bartender what time it was, and it was nearly 1am. OH NO! My bus... I really wanted to catch the last bus back to the hostel because it would be quite a long walk. And so much for getting to bed early. So I ran off into the night to try to make it to my bus. I missed it. But look at what i did see:


That's right. I took that picture at 1am. You see how a gal could lose track of time and miss the bus, right?

So anyway, I began to walk back to the hostel. No big deal, just about a 30 minute walk from where I was. Not the end of the world. But then I saw it. My bus. Bus no. 14, right in front of me. Why is my bus here? It was not supposed to be. But I got on and asked the driver if he was going to the Reykjavík city hostel, or was I on the wrong bus? And it was the bus 14 that goes in the opposite direction. DRAT! Oh alright. I thanked him and got back off the bus.

He shouted after me to come back. I did. He explained that he was finishing the route at (Someplace I can't remember or pronounce) and then he was finished for the night, and he had to drive all the way back the other way, to (Someplace else I can't remember or pronounce) so he would be driving near the city hostel. Not to it, but very close. He could just drop me off on his way, and it would be a much shorter walk.

I am an American. Here in the US, you don't really want to do this. For one thing, no bus driver would really offer to take you somewhere off of the normal route. And for another, if he did, you have a pretty good chance of being attacked/robbed/abducted... who knows what. But this was Iceland! I tried so hard to get into trouble last time I was there. My conclusion was that you can not get into trouble in Iceland. Also, I was tired. I had been walking a lot that day, lots of cobblestone streets, lots of hills, boots with heals... achy feet. So I though, what the hell?

As I rode in the bus, one of the other passengers was chatting with me, asking lots of the usual questions... "Where are you from?" "Why are you in Reykjavík?" (The Icelanders often seem surprised and confused by foreign visitors) "Really? You are on vacation and you wanted to come here?" "Really? You are here alone? You are very brave!" I laughed because this is the safest place on earth, nearly. No bravery required to travel to Iceland alone.

Then he got off the bus, and there were no more passengers. Just me. And then the voice of reason started. OH FUCK. Now that was brilliant, Liz. Oh yeah let me just blab all about myself and how I am in Iceland all alone. Now I'm on a bus that is out of service, and I don't know where I am, and I have no cell phone, and this bus driver could take me literally anywhere and do anything to me right now. And now because I'm sooooo smart, he knows no one will be looking for me. Ever. I begin to eye the windows and doors and wonder if I can open the doors by force, or if only the driver has that power. The window? "Neyðarútgangur." That looks like it means emergency exit, right? Oh there's the window breaky thing to get out in an accident...

Strange things go through your mind. Then the bus driver called me to come up by the front of the bus. I was reluctant to move away from the neyðarútgangur. But I also was trying to act casual and not piss the man off. So I went and sat near the front but out of arms reach. He started to talk to me about Reykjavík, and how nice the weather was that evening, and pointed out landmarks to me along the way. Once we were back in the city where I recognized things, my panic level went down a little. And he took a side street to go right past the harbor so I could get a nice view of the sunset, and explained to me that it would set completely in about 20 minutes, but it would still be quite light out, and then it would rise again in about an hour or so afterwards. And how they are losing 9 minutes of daylight every day since the solstice... etc. Very friendly. Then he told me about his daughters and his wife, and at last pulled the bus to a stop and opened the door.

"Just walk down this street and then at the end turn left. One minute later you will be at your hostel."

You mean, you aren't going to murder me? Yay! I thanked the nice man and got off the bus and scurried down the street, while the very innocently kind man drove home to (that place I can't remember or pronounce) where his wife and little girls were probably sleeping. Simultaneously I felt so relieved and also so stupid. Gee, Liz. Overreact much??

I reiterate that you can not get into trouble in Iceland.

Ocean soothes the soul

I am home and not sick or injured anymore. I got home really late Wednesday, and have pretty much been sleeping for 2 days. I am doing well now. But this is really not interesting. Let me back up to everything I skipped these past couple weeks!

My first stop on my vacation was Massachusetts. I visited my mom, saw some friends, and went to Cape Cod to see my relatives that were vacationing there. My aunt, uncle, cousins, and my cousins' kids (whom I'd never met before) were all there. It was a frenzy of activity (anyone who has ever spent time with 3 young kids and 8 "old" kids all in one house can imagine). But it was really great, and I had a nice time at the beach, and it was really fun to meet my new young cousins.

There is something about ocean waves... I think it's because I grew up in New England with water everywhere. I spent so much time as a kid at a lake, splashing around, swimming, sailing, canoeing, etc... And the ocean is right there. Being either at or in the ocean was a fairly regular occurrence. Now I live in the middle of a desert. We have swimming pools and man-made lakes with pretend beaches. So I get a kind of discontented feeling from time to time. I start to feel a need to see ocean. An internal unrest.

So it was wonderful. Standing with my feet buried in soft sand, staring out at the ocean, listening to the waves rolling in. Ahhh. Peaceful again.

Wieners everywhere...

Sorry, that's not that funny... but I have an immature sense of humor i think. :)

I am in Vienna, Austria, in german this is Wien, and the people who live here are Wieners... hahahaha.... ok sorry, enough of that!

So I have been a combination of busy, lazy, drunk, lost, tired etc... for some time now and didnt get a chance to write. No, I am not dead. I am pleased to say that I managed to not get swallowed by a glacier!

I should back up I think...

My first stop on my trip was lovely Massachusetts where I visited home and went to cape cod. That was nice because I got to see family I haven't seen in years.

Then I went to Iceland. Iceland was AMAZING. Beautiful in the summer. And it's just a crazy wacky place. I absolutely love it there. If I had unlimited money, I would go all the time. I went on an all day journey all over to see the bizarre landscape of that country. I saw volcanoes, lava fields, hot springs, lakes, glaciers... it was great. And I went snowmobiling on a glacier, which was why I thought I was going to end up dead in a glacier. But no fatalities! One minor crash, but it was more funny than serious. I will write more about all of this when I am home and there isn't a bunch of angry people staring at me wanting me to get off the computer...

I went from Iceland to Prague, which I at first did not like. But it really grew on me and I loved it there. I really fail miserably as a tourist, so I missed a lot of those really "important" touristy sites, I am afraid. I had an amazing time though, didn't want to leave, and will happily return some day. Very charming and lovely place.

Now in the land of Wieners, resurrecting my rusty German skills, drinking beer. Looking at palaces, deciding I would rather not go to another palace ever again in my life if possible, getting lost in a hedgemaze! Meeting cool people, having fun.

Today, however, was cold and raining, and I was TIIIIIIIIRED. I was out drinking till 5am last night, I am catching a cold, and my feet... My feet are in a terrible condition. My normally comfy shoes were defeated by use and abuse and they began to destroy my feet a couple of days ago. I have blisters and cuts. I also have an ingrown toenail that is totally out of control. I am pretty distressed by the size and color of my toe. I just try to ignore it and I keep on going. So...

Liz did nearly nothing today. My day consisted of only this: I walk in the rain, some yummy Falafel which had all kinds of strange things in the wrap (never had cabbage and saurkraut with my falafel before, and there was some stuff that I was unable to identify buried in there too). I then had great deal of coffee to try to get some energy to be productive. When the coffee failed, I resumed my mission to find bandages for my bleeding feet. Which i finally found. YAY! Then I returned to the hostel, (again, long walk in the rain) read my book, took a nap. The end. What a waste. But I am great at wasting time. It's probably the thing I do best!

Now my time is up and those people are still staring at me, waiting, looking like they are slowly losing their will to live. So I am going to try to get to sleep at a reasonable hour tonight!