Dispatches From Overseas: Part III

Tuesday, August 2

I want to live in Iceland. Seriously, for at least six months, if that will be enough time to climb all 200 volcanoes, visit every geyser and hot spring and do everything you can do in this beautiful country. Hopefully I will survive if none of the three active volcanoes (that erupt every 3-4 years) explode and their lava flows, up to 40 feet deep, cover everything for hundreds of miles. Or a geyser doesn't explode near me. But it's okay, I like living on the edge. I guess all the people in Iceland do. The Eyjafjallajokull volcano (yes that's its real name) erupted twice last year, the second time causing a major earthquake. So anyway that's some of the things I learned today on our bus tour throughout the Reykjane peninsula, where the most volcanoes are. They are really very beautiful and look like mountains. We got to get out and climb to the top of one, it was really intense and steep and there areas where there was bubbling water and steam coming out from the mushy clay ground. That was definitely the most fun part of the day.

We took a bunch of pictures and climbed so high it was a workout. Did I mention after that we had to go to the track for practice and do a workout? I’m def going to sleep well tonight. Did I also mention that before the tour we went to the Blue Lagoon? Yes, the main tourist attraction, an insanely large geothermal pool spa with hot blue water and a bunch of minerals. One of which is silica, which is white, and we rubbed it all over our faces to make them super smooth and moisturized. It was unreal. And very relaxing. For dinner we went to Reykjavik, the capital city, which was actually very nice and populated. I bought a wool hat and matching gloves and Alex bought Viking swords we battled with in the street. Iceland is turning out to be pretty awesome. We're going to an adrenaline park tomorrow!!

Monday, August 1

Today was the end of our Stockholm visit and the beginning of a very different new experience in Iceland, population 300,000. We didn't want to leave the busy city where there was endless shopping and things to do and go to where we heard was the middle of nowhere, cold, and stay in a rustic hotel. Which is exactly what we got and worse. The moment we touched down in Iceland it was like we were in another world. It is compared to the surface of the moon: rocky, flat, treeless with patches of grass and some rocky hills in the distance.  Riding the bus to the hotel it looked we had arrived in an uninhabited barren landscape, then we saw some oil rigs, then some office building, then some simple one story houses and as we entered into the small town we had no idea we were about to be transported back to medieval times. It is called the Hotel Viking and it is basically a walking museum and where were staying for the next five days.

Everything here is either wood or stone and covered in animal fur: bear, cow, horse, fox, an animal rights activist's worst nightmare. There were also stuffed animals hanging everywhere: antlers, bear, owl, seal, ect. as well as everything viking: boats, jewlry, weapons, wood things and I don't even know what else. The rooms were like college dorms and the water smelled like rotten eggs because it had sulphur in it. It was also raining and winter-jacket-weather cold. We were all out of our comfort zone of the Radisson back in Sweden, but as the day went on we started to have fun. We went out exploring around the hotel and climbed up to the top of a hill where we could see the whole town below. It was actually a very beautiful landscape despite how strange it seemed. We found a convenient store and had a good Viking-style dinner. After we all sat in a circle in a cozy cave-like room in the hotel and went around telling things no one knows about us. Our trainer's son, Harrison Nussbaum, played songs on the guitar and Harry Lieblich sang beautifully. I think we will enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of Iceland, Blue lagoon trip is tomorrow. Sooo excited. ♦