eg tala ekki islensku - Part 1

Gullfoss waterfall

We're back from Iceland and we loved it. We did our bit for the Icelandic economy though we have very little to show for it in terms of materials items; the majority of our funds were spent on food and experiences.

In an attempt to curb anecdotal diarrhea, and prevent readers' eyes from glazing over, I will try to bunch my stories under subject lines.

Icelanders are different.
We knew that we had entered a new country as soon as we boarded our Icelandair plane. Not only were the air stewards and stewardesses perfect Aryan specimens (blonde, blue eyed, about 6 feet tall), but the women wore the jaunty stewardess caps of old and one even wore 4 inch stilettos (!). The music selection on Icelandair was also hipper than that of any airline I have ever flown with: it featured homegrown stars like Bjork and Sigur Ros, but also Mark Ronson, MGMT, and Radiohead. And they kept the entertainment units going even as we landed, as opposed to shutting them down half an hour before landing, forcing passengers to focus on the descent without distraction, like other airlines. So, I landed in Keflavík International Airport while listening to "15 Steps" from In Rainbows (sweet!).

During the rest of the trip, we found Icelanders to be standoffish but usually willing to assist and enthusiastic about International cuisine - not unlike Torontonians. However, unlike in Toronto, service does not require tipping, and they do not believe in price gauging. Once engaged in conversation, Icelanders tended to have a dry sense of humour. Residents of downtown Reykjavik were unbelievably stylish, even the parents of young children, who were dressed in equally covetible multicoloured outfits. They have clearly given up on dressing for the weather, which dictates a waterproof jacket and layers. Instead, residents pranced around in leather jackets and stylish high heels, putting my practicality to shame.

Strokkur geysir

Nature dominates in Iceland
As cosmopolitan as the locals are, they number at around 320,000, making them no match for mother nature. The weather changes rapidly throughout the day, going from bright sun to pelting wind and rain within hours. Umbrellas are rarely used by anyone. On the plus side, Icelanders enjoy cheap utilities due to geothermal heating and glacial springs. The water from the tap tastes like spring water and is not chlorinated; neither are their geothermic public swimming pools, which thus require all users to scrub their nether regions vigorously prior to entry.

Largely untouched and uninhabited, the landscape of Iceland is breathtaking. Within an hour's drive of Reykjavik, one can experience expansive grassy plains or volcanic fields covered in thick moss, surrounded by rows of mountains. One of my best experiences was visiting the Langjökull glacier, which unlike the Canadian glaciers, was pristine and virtually untouched by visitors; the feeling of having such a majestic view all to ourselves made me giddy, though that could have been attributed to being 1km above sea level. More popular and accessible tourist attractions like Gullfoss waterfall and the nearby geysirs, were also unmarred by human contact. Living close to a international landmark like Niagara Falls, we were blasé about seeing any waterfall, but were pleasantly surprised to find out that Gullfoss is elegantly multi-tiered. Plus, we were able to get closer to these dangerous demonstrations of mother nature's power than we ever would back home. A mere string, hung one foot off the floor, politely suggests where tourists should stop. However, if a tourist wanted to get closer to the powerful plunging water or receive a 100C jet of water to the face, they are free to do so.

That's more copy than two subject lines would suggest, so more on Iceland in the next blog entry.

PS, "eg tala ekki islensku," meaning "I don't speak Icelandic," was printed on a t-shirt that I bought shortly after landing in Keflavík International Airport. Strangely enough, the best deals in Reykjavik were to be found at the Airport. For an explanation, please refer to 'Icelanders are different' above.