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Essentially complications presented themselves around every corner. Upon arrival at 6;30am, I discovered that my luggage had not made the journey with me and ended up wearing the same clothes for a few days. Icelandair did give me an overnight care package which which included one XXL t-shirt (perfect for winter weather in Iceland), waxy looking deodorant, and something called 'cleansing milk'...I have no idea what this is, but having little choice, I used it on my hair. While fortunately my accomodations were clean unfortunately the shower, due to the high sulphur content of the area, smelled like eggs. Additionally, there was a torrential downpour the day I booked an outdoor excursion (as my luggage hadn't arrived yet, I had no rain gear and was soaked through)...
For all of its complications my trip was enjoyable! Following the first harrowing experience in the shower and brief nap, I was able to get a full day of walking around central Reykjavik. I began by walking up around Hallgrimskirkja Church and having a filling lamb stew in a place called Cafe Loki. Their menu also served a dish called an Icelandic Braveheart which featured fermented shark, but I decided it was best to keep my distance. From the church I continued towards the shoreline of the Faxafloi Bay passing the one museum where size probably does matter, the Icelandic Phallalogical Museum. Their leaflet informed me that while they have three human specimens they are always on the look out for bigger and better ones! After awkwardly taking a picture of the museum's sign I took a walk along the bay seeing a scupture called the Sun Voyager and stopping in the Harpa concerthall. By around 3:30pm the sun was starting to go down and continuing away from the bay and into the city's center I stumbled upon the Reykjavik Cathedral, Photography Museum, and National Museum of Iceland. For dinner, I popped into the oldest pub in Iceland, Prikid, where I had a fish burger, fries, and a local icelandic beer.
Despite the torrential downpour which lasted the entire next day, I embarked on a tour of Iceland's natural wonders. Throughout the bus ride our guide kindly directed our attention to notable landmarks silhouetted by the rain. First stop on the tour was a greenhouse powered by geothermal energy. Because the sun hadn't risen yet, the glow from the light from the greenhouses could be seen peering over the horizon. Next stop was the Gullfoss Waterfall, formed during an interglacial period at the end of the Ice Age. From the waterfall the tour continued on to Geysir Park where we had the opportunity to see an active geyser, Strokkur. I was able to catch the tail-end of one on video (check it out here: http://www.offexploring.com/ambrosial-adventures/videos). The final stop was a trip to Pingvellir, a national park instated for its historical and geologic importance. The park covers an area where it is possible to view continental drift of the rift between the North American and Eurasian plates. While in the park I had the opportunity to stand on both plates as well as see divers exploring the rift.
After a very wet day of roving around the country, I went to the Laundromat Cafe for diner. The cafe lived up to its name by having a small laundromat in the basement and a cafe/bar on the ground floor. While I didn't use the washers and dryer, I did get some delicious salmon.
My last day in Reykjavik started with an early visit to the Hallgrimskirkja Church. This time I was able to ride the lift up to the bell tower and get an aerial view of the city. After visiting the church I once again went into the center of city to the Kolaportid Flea Market and ate lunch from the famous hot dog stand Bæjarins beztu. Before heading out of Iceland I walked past the waterfoul on Tjornin, a small pond in the city.
All in all Iceland and its friendly people provided a lovely diversion. Hopefully I will have the opportunity to visit again! (Next time with decent weather and reliable luggage)
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