Part II; reykjavik, my dearest

A lot to write now! holy cow the days are packed and last I left you with was when I was feeling lonely and ragged in a windy, cold city.

BUT all that changed, that very same day of jetlaggyness. I met up with Bragi, in infamous pillar in the couch surfing network. He is like Gene (if you know Gene), into good food, drink, merryment, etc. Friend of everyone, Bragi, maker of connections. We met up a Zimsen, a little bar in town (this is Wednesday, mind you) and Bragi had plans to take some people sight seeing the next day. We agree it won´t be a long night. More couch surfers show up, and it becomes an all out party-meeting thing. (typing on this POS really makes me miss my mac...) anyway, Bragis got a hook up at the bar; just say you´re a couch surfer and he worked something out with the owner so that we get a discount. We end up doing pretty much ALL their business for the night, because before long the beers keep coming, and now (uh oh) the brennavin! Icelands famous, 'black death´ distilate. Not that bad, tastes like caraway or Kummel. Anyway things wind down and its now like 1am... so much for the early evening. Jetlagged but feeling much more alive, I make my way back home...

... but things happen to me along the way. Like hearing a really heavy metal band up in a building as I pass by... there were stairs up the back of the building that ended about chest level... but being the sneaky person I am (hey i´m on vacation) I climb up them, and enter into a patio area. After sneaking under the ropes meant to keep me out, I start up a conversation with a guy who speaks quite good english,and we go in and check out the bands. The venue itsself reminds me of the comet Tavern back home on Capital hill; a bit dingy and lurid on the inside but pure in spirit. or something. THe show reminds me of a curtain show at Neumos, several bands, all local acts playing pretty hard stuff. Lots of head banging. Lots of beer. Jesus i´m going to pay tomorrow...

12.49;

Shit, my head! what the hell? Well whatever (this is my thought process you´re witnessing) and then I think .oh my god! there´s a free walking tour around reykjavik!. I had heard of this... a 2 hour totally free walking tour, coming very highly rated in many icelandic travel forums and online resources. But it starts at 1300 and i have exactly 11 minutes to get there. Woke up, got out of bed, dragged a comb across my head...

Minutes later, I´m there and Jonas, our guide is a jolly, upbeat, funny as all get out, totally viking dude. THis will be good, couldn´t be better. He gives us probably the best tour i´ll ever get; candidly speaking about the icelandic situation, lifestyle, housing prices (which was SUPER interesting... wow they´re in the shitter) and is basically just a good hippy at heart. Much good advice is given, like asking for deals, promotions, and discounts where ever you go. Check. Budget eating, check. Then he pitches another tour they give, the white night geothermal swimming and dinner tour. This sounds interesting... a bit pricey but i figure i´ll ask for a deal, eh!?

After the walking tour I spoke with the owner of the tour company, which is probably the best tourist resource in reykjavik (google my reykjavik tours) and really now, cruises, tours, all that shit really isn´t my cup of tea. Srsly. So if you know me and know i´m not really into hanging out with a bunch of random people (probably onoxious americans) then you´d know this had to sound pretty damn interesting for me to check it out, so I did; talked with the owner, and worked out a half price deal if all the spots were not sold out, which as luck would have it, they weren´t.

But before that, I had signed up to play (sacrifice myself for slaughter) in chess with s local couchsurfer named thörsbjörk. She is traveling to the fareo islands to compete in an international chess competition, and quite by accident; supposedly she signed up with her girls chess club to spend 8 days playing against some damn good players. After being slaughtered mercilessly, and a bit more hang out and talking shite it was time to take this tour.

The thing that made this so cool was our guids, ymir and jonas (from the walking tour). Fun, free thinking, candid, no BS down to earth guys. A group of about 15 or 20 mostly american and canadian depart the city and head out into the mountains. THis is my first time seeing steam rising from the earth. Moss covered lava fields. Mountains springing up from nothing. wow. All with minimal, but funny-as-hell commentary from jonas and ymir. Now for the back roads and gravel... this is when it started to get surreal for me; medows pouring down from the hills in the distance, a glistening lake in the bright night sun (its about 9.30 or 10.00pm at this point) and we start walking... the air has the strong smell of sulfer and is very pungent and cold. We pass a lunar structure thing, belching out steam. I´m told its a testing hole, they drill down to see if its a good spot for geothermal energy and put this little structure over it in the meantime. (there´s a picture of that). Up, up into the hills! Onward we hike, and we pass gurgling, boiling, steaming, belching pools of molten clay-water, the likes that steam up your camera and glasses, and bathe you in a hot, fine mist. The heat from those things is intense. STRAIGHT up from the ground! It´s really blowing my mind now, i´m looking at living, moving earth right before my eyes. Most people will never see this stuff. There is a little girl on our tour as well, and I can only imagine how awesome that an 8, 9, 10 year old kid can see these things.

Up onto the hill and then we descend into a valley. More geothermal goo. More gurgling... still really freaking cool. (i´m typing quickly because this is a shared computer)

still light out! very bright. we start passing little rivers, walking over them, hot almost boiling rivers... just doing my head in, left and right, look up and you get a mountain with shimmering sun on the top of it and golden clouds. Coming across another river, our guides tell us that you can drink from it, stright from it. I get on my hands and knees and that a huge swig. It´s probably the best thing i´ve done since being in iceland... its cold, and pure, and delicious.

Finally we come to a place where a hot river and a cold river meet, creating a nice 38 degree C temp. and a the place to swim in. I like being in hot water, and iceland is THE place to sit around in hot water. Drinking, sheep testicles, whale meat (I know ani, but i was starving and it was in front of me and their quotas are different then the japanese, much more strict in iceland i´m told) and brennavin! more of that stuff. I break out the theo chocolate and it´s well received. The sky has moved from silver to mother of pearl to beige, now to a kind of creamy platinum, and its time to wrap up. Another hour hike, across rivers, and along a huge gorge (big waterfall down below), cameras do nothing to depict how amazing this landscape is. And this is just minutes outside reykjavik!

finally, back on the bus and in town at 3.30am. STILL light enough to not need headlights.

Ok, next day, hung over again. ´gzus,´i´m thinking, ´i really didn´t intend to get trollied the first two nights´ but hey, I'm young and on vacation.

Day 3
This day, summer sprang into reykjavik and it was no-jacket time for everyone! Shorts for some, even. I walked around, up to a park, fed ducks with some cute kids, hung out in the park more... there are some pictures of that as well, i think. This was also the day i explored a lot more Reykjavik on foot; the imposing hlemurr (sp) church looming over everything, and the lagavour st (main shopping/cafe drag) all atwitter with hustle and bussel. Sunny faded into clouds, and it was naptime to gear up for he infamous all night/all morning party that is Reykjaviks Friday and Saturday nights.
I had heard about the "rantur" which is the all out party that spills onto the streets that never get quite
Dark; drinks are taken around in public, people of all ages, high enough to reach the bar participate aNd there is a palpable sense of genuine excitement and curiosity in the city. Dressed to the teeth and out to kill as many beers as possible, icelanders take to the(every)bars like there was no tomorrow. What makes this so cool is how everyone is out to have a good time and be at their best... No bitchy, snobby attitudes did I encounter. No shields socially uptight qualms. Just unabashed debauchery. Nice! I like this. (as I write this it's middnight, Saturday and it's going off again.)

Dangerous, going out like that; things wrap up at about 6 or 7am and it's easy to loose track of time (or is that fun?)

Anyway, Saturday was nice; went to the flea market and got a cool hat made by an old lady, got some salami from a local meat shop for the trip up to the west fjords, nap and then oh you know, party hardy until 6am. Got some good video of that. Anyway it´s now time to set off out from the urban viking land and get into the wild. get some dried fish, and get on the road! can´t keep me away, baby.

i´m going to leave the hostel now, uploading a mobile me ZIP file. maybe a packet of photos will be online the next time i get WIFI to share with you. maybe.

love to all,
-e