Iceland Survival Journal: Part 2

We are currently questioning whether or not Iceland is a secret government ops location that lures foreigners to its island only to test their survival skills in hopes of determining what will come of the human race once ‘global warming’ becomes a widespread ‘thing’. We’ve not murdered anyone to use their skin as insulation, yet. Or for any reason. So, that’s good. But thanks for the idea, Buffalo Bill.

Last nights Titanic hunt for the Northern Lights was unfortunately unsuccessful. But the night wasn’t a complete waste; I have become empathetic towards the actions that Rose took…with waters at freezing temperatures, the wind-chill, and below freezing air temps- I would’ve been equally as selfish and let go too. Sorry, Jack.

After receiving an abundance of mixed information regarding late night buses, we hopped on a bus to return to the hostel after our arctic cruise. The bit of information in the mix indicating that we were getting on the correct bus was in fact, incorrect. The bus made two stops outside of town. Then pulled over, and turned off. Not by itself. There was an inhuman human behind the wheel. We were the only remaining passengers. We were forcefully instructed to vacate, as the bus was terminating for the night. We were in the middle of, legit, nowhere. Though, we were advised there was no worry, because the most recent murder in Iceland was 3 years ago…and that murderer was identified and caught within 2 days. Obviously, reason enough to not worry about being abandoned in east-bum-fuck on a foreign island at 2AM….right? No.
Just to confirm, we were not abducted or murdered last night. Phew. But a long hike in the arctic temps and a $30 taxi ride later did not make us as grateful as we should have been for our life. Go figure.

Just a few things to note, thus far:

1. If you think of cities like Manhattan or San Francisco as overpriced/expensive, you’re in for a horrific cultural and economical shock. So far in my travels, even considering Switzerland- I’ve never experienced such expense. Pack ramen and granola bars if you’re planning a visit on a budget. And, whatever your budget may be, triple it…at minimum.

2. Speaking of budgets; hostels are your absolute ideal choice. ‘Cheap’ in comparison to any other form of accommodation. Safe and clean, I highly recommend. Don’t forget your shower sandals.

3. If you were an advanced speaker/listener before landing in/on Iceland, you can rest assured you’ll sound downright dumb when attempting to pronounce or comprehend…anything. No directions are accompanied by an English comparable- making for already directionally challenged folks to become completely incompetent. Don’t be too hard on yourself, everyone who is not Icelandic is also dumb. Congrats.

4. The average price of a burger is $16USD (2,000ISK). Don’t even think about asking for cheese. That ramen is sounding good, yah? Yahhhh

5. An Icelandic hot dog is a staple food, you must have at least once when visiting. It’s a boiled wiener. They’re great. They taste just like, boiled wieners. Make sure you ask for extra crispy onions. And if you don’t like the taste of Dijon, skip the obscene drenching of weird marmalade-textured mustard and stick with the ketchup. You’re welcome.

6. There is a flea market on the weekend down by the Harbour. I can, cautiously, advise that I did not in fact detect any fleas. However, the inflated prices were distracting me from my non-official pest control investigation services being conducted…🕵🏻‍♀️

7. Transportation. Yikes. Taxis. Beware. You could buy a car for the fare. Or at the very least, a blinged-out Power Wheels Jeep.

8. The beam of light shooting into the sky is NOT the Bat signal. Or so several Icelanders have claimed. Though, I’m still optimistic even after learning the, alleged, true symbolism: The John Lennon Memorial Light, “Imagine Peace Tower” (Icelandic: Friðarsúlan, meaning “the peace column”) is a memorial to John Lennon from his widow, Yoko Ono, located on Viðey Island in Kollafjörður Bay near Reykjavík, Iceland. It consists of a tall tower of light, projected from a white stone monument that has the words “Imagine Peace” carved into it in 24 languages. These words, and the name of the tower, are a reference to Lennon’s campaign for peace, and his song “Imagine”. You can be fortunate enough to see the bright symbolic beam of, hope, light the night sky during a limited window every year- 9 October, Lennon’s birthday, through 8 December, the date he was shot dead. RIP, to this Legend.

Must cut this journal entry ‘short’…another long, interesting, thrilling, frostbitten day ahead…✌🏻