Next Adventure

Well I never really updated and compiled everything from the last trip on here... maybe some day I will add all the pictures and videos from Iceland and Ireland... but for the up and coming trip I will most likely be using this blog and the normal one for complaints. It is very likely that I will copy and paste that shit right over here afterwards... but I wanted something new and sparkly.

Skaftafell iceland impressions III

Skaftafell was the second of my big tours... Overall I think I am going to be spending at least $1000 on this one week of touring iceland. Tours including: golden circle, skaftafell and glacier lagoon, snaelfellsnes, blue lagoon and a whale tour... I all goes well. 

It's weird for how much it felt like I did yesterday in reporting back there isn't much to say. I got to see a lot of southern iceland, the rich farms of the south where the majority of the food is grown I guess, and then the barren portion where the soil has been washed away and a layer of volcanic sand and ash is present with not much vegetation other than mossy grass and the purple Alaskan flower than helps with soil erosion.  The driver pointed out how massive these floods were by telling us the beginning point and then every bridge that had been damaged for the next 1.5. Hours.   You really get a strong impression of both how awesome the earth is, and how much it affects the people of iceland. The land is just too young and unstable.  The earthquakes, volcanos and occasional glacial floods when warmed water underneath a glacier breaks free.  Iceland was actually more habitable during the time of the settlement than it is now... More good soil, more trees, more vegetation, less devastation... But of course the Vikings had far less technology and were pretty dependent on trade and imports of fine crafts when they first got here.

It is a fascinating history altogether.  

Anyway our trip was through the south all the way to the easternmost and biggest of all the glaciers. We first stopped at a large waterfall where supposedly gold is buried. It put a nice sense of awe on your face. Then back in the van for several hours till we stopped at some minor rest stops and got to see the Atlantic.   Then further into the devastated territory to skaftafell, which was supposed to be my final destination of sorts but it was raining, so instead of getting out in the rain and hiking to the glacier I went with some of the other tourists to the glacial lagoon where chunks of icebergs break off into fresh water lake that floats into the ocean... They are small enough icebergs that you can get near them... In fact a tiny one was ought on board and cut into chunks for the other tourists to sip whiskey... It was a German celebration of sorts and other than enjoying the show of the German tour guide,  mostly just watched the birds fly head first into the turquoise water and emerge with out fish in their beaks.... I couldn't spot ny fish either, but. There was a seal in the lake so there must be some food too. 

It was raining when we got there but warmed up by the time we left, and by warmed up I mean it stopped raining and maybe went up 1 degree Celsius.   On the way back it rained a lot and I napped in the car.  We stopped again at the rest atop by the Atlantic and I ran out to the black sand beach just as it started raining. Beautiful sight but I was surprised how small the waves were. In fact I have nt seen any big waves and I am hoping that ip the whale tour won't be so bad. 

We stopped back at one more waterfall on the way back which was cool because you could go behind it, icelands version of minnehaha I guess, but much taller.

As we were coming back into town we listened to some nice Icelandic music and I realized that along with being a very proud people Icelanders are also a very tight group.   The tour guide said he has met e president a few times, and that one of the rock bands on the cd was a member of parliament.  It's just interesting...   More on culture and people later. Hopefully. 

I bussed down to hafnarfjudor  and had trouble finding my hostel. Some really nice partying people in a neighborhood helped me find it.   Everyone is so nice when asked... And kind of reserved when not. 

Another thing I was surprised by is that I saw little kids still playing outside at 11:30pm... I guess because it is still bright out their parents don't worry.

Some  12 years olds tried to flirt with me while I was walking and that reminds me -though is slightly unrelated... All of the women seem to either be my age and have kids, or be significantly too young.   Like where did the single 20 something's go?   I see teens and I see moms, but there is nothing in-between. Of course I haven't really gone to a bar yet, so maybe I am missing out on my age group.  

Hmmm. More later I think.

Iceland impressions II.

The first of these check ins was accidentally posted on a different blog, I will remedy and spell check later and make sure everything gets where it needs to be. Also pictures and videos will be added later  I have decided... Because there is enough to keep people going on Facebook and no one actually reads this. I'm enjoying some green tea after a quiet day. I woke up to my annoyance at around 7 am.... On my one day to sleep in I couldn't... 

I trounced around hafnarfjudor or whatever the hell that city is called -fix in post.   My first stop was to the harbor a place I'd thought of going the night before at midnight but had gone to sleep instead... The harbor wasn't all that to look at, I soon found out the whole town was that way. I could arguably say the backyard of my hostel which happens to be a sculpture garden and the combination KFC Taco Bell are probably the most fascinating things in town.  The art galleries seemed to be closed, the Viking hotel had some roosters and some great statues outside, the theater could not be found and the cliffs were just kind of ehhhh.   The troll garden which should have been the best part was mostly just a park. The mall was bland, and I spent more time journaling there then actually shopping.  Ira as cute to see a good chunk of towns old man population come to get coffee and talk at the mall... According to the tour guide pamphlets the other big place to meet is the public pool.     A warm bath does sound good to me right now, but it will have to wait until tomorrow when hopefully I will visit the blue lagoon. 

After that cute little trip around town I paid my bill and booked a tour at the hostel. Snaelfellsnes on Sunday.   Which meant the rest of today and tomorrow I needed to check some things off the list.  I bussed into town after eating some KFC the cheapest meal I've had so far at around $10.  Then proceeded to the national museum which was way better than the stupid pearl museum,  2 full floors of stories and items from iceland a long history... Or short history in some ways, this was one of the most recently settled places in the world.  I really enjoyed the little videos that went along with the exhibits, and the first floor which was basically from settlement till the reformation was more interesting than the more recent stuff- and I think iceland feels the same because all of their museums are about the first half of their history and maybe the last 67 or so years since independence. 

I realized after the national museum that I didn't really need to see anymore Viking museums, so I skipper Reykjavik settlement museum, but looked at the prices at a few others... It's possible I will check one more out tomorrow if I can fit t in... But then I am never coming back to iceland. Cuz I have seen everything but the northern lights and the bigger whales (assuming tomorrows plan of seeing the local whales goes well).   

I walked around the harbor some more and then walked the shopping streets agin in search of a treat but figured 6 bucks for a crepe was kind of a lot.   Also I saw the most delicious ice cream in the world but of course I am lac-tarded. So I'm back at my favorites combo coffee shop and bookstore typing away until I get dinner. 

Next post will be about yesterday.

Delay

I don't plan on live blogging this trip but I am trying to figure out the limits of not having your cellular data on.   Am I able to use certain apps eg this one?  

I am at msp terminal 2  chillin.   My flight was delayed and I am headed to Iceland a few hours behind schedule.  Interestingly enough - because I purchased my ticket the way I did, the flight should be adjusted without fees AND  I got free breakfast plus a $100 voucher for future travel. 

A Northern Adventure

So this last year and a half I spent a lot of time looking into a trip to South America, this trip which I had researched and started to plan looked like about 6 months visiting 10 countries and unfortunately I had to postpone it. So I was looking for something for Summer this year. I have about a month off and I looked around for what was cheap and might also allow me to see a friend or two. 
I looked into prices in South Africa, Japan, New Zealand  but settled on something that I assumed would be cheaper... Iceland.  Iceland didn't seem like enough though, so I looked around the map and realized I could hop skip and jump to Ireland for probably not a lot more.  I ended up being able to stop over in England to see a friend... and thus the design of the trip was pretty perfect. 

I don't know that it will actually be cheaper. I mean, I can't imagine costs in South Africa to be too exorbitant, but at the same time I am sure the tours and sense of safety I would desire, would probably racket up the cost. Ireland and Iceland have very little crime so the sense of security should be pretty easy to deal with. I can book hostels and splurge a little on some basic tours to ensure I see what I want... and in the long run I think I will be happy with this trip. I don't expect to have to jump into my savings account, but if I do eh... 

So I have been researching for a couple of months and I feel pretty up to date on the history of Ireland, Irish culture etc.  But Iceland is kind of a mystery in some ways... partially its the language which throws me off, partially its the fact I didn't try very hard to find out any history and part of it is my attitude towards Iceland which is roughly   "they have a smaller population than the city I live in, how complex can it be?" 

So I am hoping to be blown away... 

Mentally I am pretty ready.. I have an early flight tomorrow to Boston and then a flight from there to Keflavik where I am hoping to get on the last shuttle towards my hostel in Reykjavik... It will be a long day of travel but I will be changing like 5 hours of time zones so midnight there is like 7 PM here...  I hope I can get to sleep the first night. 

Physically I have been preparing by going walking every day with a few days off. I have been walking a few miles every time I walk and it felt really great. My right leg gets really tight right behind the knee but I have learned a few stretches and I know that resting for a day really helps. To be honest I am more worried about the pain in my groin area. I have a recurring non serious medical condition that sometimes just causes a dull ache, but it leaves me not wanting to do a lot of walking. I hope it goes away. THE MORE YOU KNOW  right? 

In Iceland I think I will be sticking to the South and West of the country. I don't think I will make it very far inland, because the terrain isn't really accessible, in fact much of the island isn't exactly hospitable. As far as actual attractions I am not sure what I will see or do so far. I know I want to take a whale watching tour and will probably do the golden triangle and check out the blue lagoon. Other than that, I am not sure... most of that can be accomplished in a day or two. History, culture, a good walk, and lots of pictures... oh and maybe love?

 My main goal in England is to see the friend I visited a few years ago.  She lives in York, but since I have already seen York I might try to squeeze in a day on either side to check out some other cities... I fly into Manchester on the 22nd, and I think I will be flying out of Leeds on the 26 or 27... depending on if I want to spend a day there or not. Those cities are all in the middle north of the country. 

I am likely flying into Ireland through Dublin, and I know I am flying out through there. As for what comes in-between I don't really know yet. I know I would like to spend time in both Ireland and Northern Ireland. I know that I would like to visit many of the places on the map  to the right.
I am contemplating taking a multi-day tour that would take me all over the island. If not, I may do a few of the tours that are day trips from Dublin to places that aren't on this map.  Ireland has a fairly large and complex history for such a small and not densely populated place (it is smaller than Minnesota but has about 1 million people more).  I am interested in checking out historical sites, learning about the culture, listening to some music and taking a good walk, good pictures... and that's about it. Unless I fall in love. That would be nice.


Stuff:

1 small bag
2 pairs of pants
1 sweat shirt
1 long sleeve shirt
1 rain jacket (WILL BE NEEDED)
1 pair of sunglasses
1 hat
1 swim suit and towel
-socks to be thrown away
-t shirts to be thrown away
-briefs to be thrown away
money belt 
stuffed animal
flip flops
ipad 
iphone
digital alarm clock
1 book to be given away
journal, pens, colored pencils, sharpener
camera (if needed)
some cash, cards, passport, plane ticket-y stuff
toiletries


Looks like a lot, I will throw it away if I don't need it.

A night in Amsterdam

Having always enjoyed my trips to Amsterdam I saw no reason to stay at the airport all night long (my flight got into Amsterdam at 10:00PM and didn't leave till 10:00AM the next morning).

I ate Burger King at the airport before heading into the city.
I love this city, the first two times I was there I didn't even get high but its still rather beautiful.
This time though, I decided to indulge.
I won't get you tangled up in my mistakes, but needless to say I had a really great night that made me horribly sick at the airport the next morning (and very very paranoid that I wouldn't make my flight).

My commentary on Amsterdam is and will always be, I am glad there are places where things are not as taboo, but its sad that it has to come with rampant consumerism and exploitation.

It really is a beautiful city, but by the time I was heading back I was well gone, sleep deprived, emotional and way off my rocker.   I laughed at the girls speaking in dutch across from me. I couldn't tell if they thought I was listening to them or if they knew I was just a smiley idiot.

At the airport I tried to get focused and found to my dismay that I couldn't. It really ruined the whole night... The small amazing cultural differences got lost in the chaos... the things I felt were so beautiful, became cheap.

-I am somewhat happy to report though that the budget hotel where I once got bedbugs didn't seem to be operating... and for some reason that makes me happy (those were hellish nights as well).

Somehow I made it on my flight (thank the airport attendants) and by the time I got home I felt fairly decent again. The next morning I woke up and went to work.

The Last of York

On my last full day in York I went to the crowning monument of York, the Minster. 

I was lucky enough to get there at a time when it wasn't too busy, but also wasn't completely dead. In fact shortly after I had taken a stroll around the main sites of the building they announced that there would be a Stations of the Cross(what is it?) service. I not being a Catholic had never attended such an event and was curious. I followed the Priest with a group of others to several large paintings done by Ghislaine Howard of various moments during the Passion. The service was extremely moving, with prayers, stories, and quotes pushing the audience to see Jesus as not only God, but as a man who suffered like many suffer now. The message didn't end there however, he made it clear that the reason this happened was so that we might learn to recognize the beauty of our fellow human beings and care for them as equals (as he did). 

The poems and stories were touching, but so was the strong devotion of the people in the service, many of whom knew all the words to the songs.

After the Stations of the Cross (paintings) service, there was a regular mass, and I had to wait around for a little bit until I could go into the tower. 

The view was well worth the wait

When I returned from the tower I wanted to check out the basement, an on site museum of sorts that shows the history of the building and the town that surrounds it. 

The Church was originally built on a section where a roman building has stood, following that a small church was made, then a smaller cathedral and now the large one that stands today (all built from the same foundations). The Minster had to be reinforced a few years back to keep the ceiling from caving in on top of the old structure underneath. 

Along with the architecture, underneath are some more crypts and a display of the various religious utensils(cups and platters) that had served the church (the greater church) during different periods in English history. It was interesting to see how gold and silver, intricately patterned and plain faced fashions had come and gone.

Obviously its very high up, lots of fog/clouds. 

SO THEN  I decided to check out the Merchant Adventurers Hall with a quick stopover at McDonalds where I found this.

Does your McDonalds have a Sweet Viking guarding it?  

I didn't think so.

York Adventurers Hall

I'm not entirely sure why I stopped in here. I guess I like the old style look, but on the inside, despite the history, it was a bit -meh.

The history is pretty cool though, the Hall is basically the chamber of commerce for York, these are the people who funded all the big sea voyages and trading adventures that made York a trade hub and kept it populated and industrious. 

The best part of the Hall, is the video game you get to play in the basement where you send boats to various ports and try to make your money back.

The next day I left for Amsterdam, with a little bit of train delay to London.  Becky and I had a great brunch, but I barely made it to London in time for my flight.