Essential Iceland Tour Part 2

Throughout the morning Steinar kept pointing out the massive ice cap in the distance, our afternoon destination of Langjökull, and now we were on our way. As we left the solid fields of lava, the ground turned to dark rock and dirt. The landscape becoming more and more baron, a strange beauty.

Steinar explained to us that the normal tour drives to the glacier but because of deep snow in the winter and total ice in the summer they stay next to it.  There is only a 2 to 3 week period each year when their trucks can actually drive up it and guess what kids? Today was one of those days!

There's really no road, as you can see, and as soon as we hit the snow at the base of the glacier the guides raced each other, driving madly all over and up to about the midway point. We got out and were all just stunned at the beauty. 

We loaded back in the Rover and continued to the absolute top. We couldn't believe it! The sky was blue and almost cloudless, the views went on forever and being on top of the glacier was a total "king of the world" experience. Even the guides were taking pictures!

After some glacial snow eating and snow angel making each of the drivers let a good amount of air out of the over-sized tires allowing them to have better traction for the next part of our journey. We'd be driving off the glacier and up to the top of a near by shield volcano. This should give you a small taste of how surreal the drive was!

Again the drivers all raced each other off the glacier and had a ball climbing up steep sides of snow and ice, scaring the hell out of most of us! I don't think anyone really thought we were going to the top of the volcano, I think we thought Steinar meant we were heading in that direction. But soon we found ourselves parked along side the other trucks on top of the crater, watching snowmobiles zip around the inside, reminding me of a motorcycle cage of death show.

We were given more time to enjoy the never-ending, stunning views from the top of the volcano while the drivers used portable generators to re-inflate their tires. Then we descended into Cold Valley pass, traveling again not on a road but just finding our way thru the now slushy snow pack.

 We found an actual rode a bit further off, although it was gravel, and continued on to Þingvellir (pronounced "thing vellir") the site of the birth of Iceland's parliament, the site of the largest lake in Iceland and the site of the Rift Valley where the tectonic plates are moving apart at a rate of about 3cm per year.

Our incredible day came to end as we were dropped back off at the hotel. The Washington Six ordered drinks in the Hilton's bar and rehashed the day, truly marveling at our experience.

Hot springs, waterfalls, lava cave, glacier, volcano, tectonic plates. Highly recommended.

Iceland photos

Essential Iceland Tour Part 1

On our second day in Reykjavik we were picked up in the lobby of our hotel by Iceland Rovers for a full day excursion which was included in our package. As we climbed into the Land Rover, outfitted with oversized tires, we met the other 2 couples who would be riding with us for the day, one from our own backyard of Woodinville and the other from DC. The Washington Six I'll call us. Our driver Steinar was really excited about the weather conditions and told us more than once that it was going to be a great day and we were going to see some amazing things. None of us seemed to really know what all was included in this day trip but everyone was excited (and really nice thankfully!)

This was everyone's first glimpse of Iceland outside of the city and we were all impressed with the strange landscape. We had lots of questions for Steinar, who seemed happy to share his incredible knowledge of his country (Steinar can trace his roots back to the first Vikings who settled there). After driving under the fjord Hvalfjörður, one of the longest underwater road tunnels in the world, at a depth of over 500 feet, we came to Deildartunguhver which is the highest flow hot spring in the world at a rate of 180 liters per second. This water is sent through pipes to neighboring towns and was quite a first wonder for us all.

From here we drove further out to the middle of no-where until we came to the waterfalls of Hraunfossar and Barnafoss. At these falls, in the middle of a huge lava flow, you can really see how the water is forced to exit under the lava as it can't travel on top of it.

We were able to hike around the two sets of falls, with rope warning us only not to step on the moss growing on the lava. Unsuspecting tourists could easily fall in just like the children that the falls are named after. The water here was so blue it was almost surreal, it was a gorgeous area to explore.

A short drive from the falls, we turned onto a dirt unmarked road and parked in the middle of the Hallmundarhraun lava flow. Here we donned helmets and headlamps and made our way to one of the largest lava caves in the country. Steinar explained to us that to find these caves they fly over the lava fields in the winter looking for holes in the snow where parts of the roof of the caves have collapsed. Then in the spring they go to check and see if it's an actual lava tube/cave.

 We first climbed down a ladder into the opening of the cave. Then we carefully descended the snow, ice and rock into the cave itself. Once inside it wasn't all that deep, well it is but they have it blocked off for only official spelunkers which we are not. We clambered around the rocks and frozen ice while Steinar gave us more geology lessons.

Back to the Rover we headed farther into the interior of the country and towards our lunch stop. There were four other trucks doing the same excursion but up until now we had only seen them arriving as we were departing the various sites. The drivers had been speaking to each other via CB radio with us being able to hear their conversations but not understanding Icelandic it didn't affect us much. As we traveled along a river toward a bridge their conversation turned to English with comments about the bridge not being safe, not worth much, etc etc.  All of a sudden Steingar turns off the road and into the river! Everyone was laughing and whooping it up as we crossed the (not very shallow) river with the other trucks in tow.

It was quite exciting really, and the guides were just having a blast! After a stop for some traditional lamb soup with fresh baked bread and Viking beers we would continued on our exploration.

Iceland photos

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Hot Pot, Icelandic Style

For my foodie friends, this post is not about eating delicious Chinese hot pot, apologies if you are now hungry. This post is about Iceland's famed hot springs commonly referred to as hot pots. In Iceland, swimming and bathing are very much a socializing activity. Think of it as us meeting for coffee or the Irish meeting for a beer. There are 3 styles of hot pots around the country.

The first are the naturally occurring springs, pools and streams which dot the landscape. These don't have fancy hotels built around them like the ones we visited in Costa Rica. Generally spotted by steam randomly emitting from the earth, some are literally ponds of boiling water while others are gently heated and perfect for a dip. You can enjoy streams and larger pools with a group of friends while others are tiny, with just enough room for your feet to soak in. We didn't get a chance to experience this "in the wilderness" style, maybe next time!

The second are the man made pools. These are similar to the public pools in your town only the pool itself is heated year around using geothermal power. The largest facility in Reyjkavik is the Laugardalslaug complex. It boasts an Olympic size outdoor swimming pool with 10 lanes heated to 82F, another warm outdoor pool with a waterslide for the kiddies, an indoor 8 lane pool heated to about 90F and hot pots of varying temperatures around the outdoor pools.

At Laugardalslaug pool, which was just a 10 minute walk from our hotel, we paid about $5 entrance fee. We spent about the same to rent a towel (next time I'd just take one from the hotel!). You can also rent a bathing suit, restaurant sports coat loans have nothing on this! From here you make your way to the locker rooms. Before entering everyone removes their shoes and leaves them on shelves. Once inside you pick a locker, undress and shower without your suit on.

The gentleman who we purchased entrance from made sure we understood this- damn dirty tourists! Luckily we have a bit of hot spring etiquette under our belts. So you wash up thoroughly in the communal showers, (I heard that some places even have a shower attendant to make sure everyone soaps up!) and then put your suit on and head outside. The shower and locker room facilities here were incredibly clean. Someone was working non stop mopping and hosing down the floors so that I didn't feel so freaked out by not wearing flip flops. 

Photo courtesy of http://villareykjavik.com

Dayne did a few laps in the 50 meter pool and then joined me in one of the hot pots. The locals were chilling out after their day at work (we went at about 8pm) catching up with their friends while kids zoomed down the slide into the other pool. Sun wasn't setting until about 10pm and with the clear blue sky you forgot how chilly the air was until you got out of the hot water. Brrr!

The third is the luxury or spa style of hot pot, as in The Blue Lagoon.  The lagoon was accidentally created in 1973 after water from the nearby power station had no place to go and formed a lake on top of the area lava flows.  Back then Icelanders came and soaked for free, noticing the healing properties of the water. In 1999 a proper lagoon was built complete with facilities including a restaurant, clinic, lounge area, etc.

We added our Blue Lagoon trip as a stop on the way to the airport on our day of departure. We boarded the bus at our hotel in the morning, were driven to the lagoon (which is seriously in the middle of no where), had our luggage stored and spent about 3 hours soaking in the famed warm spring waters.

On top of our bus/entrance fee we rented towels and robes. They outfit you with a bracelet which they scan whenever you make a purchase and you just pay at the end. The locker rooms here were similar to the public pool but it looked more like a spa with dark wood and frosted glass. There are both common showers and some private, both outfitted with Blue Lagoon products and even dressing tables complete with hairdryers.

It's a lovely way to spend the morning before a long flight home. We explored the lagoon, with its range of depths and water temperatures. Used the complimentary silica mud on our faces. Drank chilled white wine from the floating bar and chatted with new friends. And even had a little sushi lunch. The time went by very quickly and we didn't get to many of the things that are offered.

We boarded the bus 2 1/2 hours before our flight and were dropped off at the front door to the airport. Best airport shuttle ever :)

I highly recommend experiencing the hot pot culture while in Iceland!

Iceland photos

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Eating & Drinking in Iceland

Surprisingly to most, Iceland can be a real culinary destination. Reykjavik in particular has more well reviewed restaurants than even a week of eating would allow for and we only had 3 days. Thanks to friends and Twitter we had lots of recommendations and I don't think we really could have gone wrong with any of them.

We started our first day off with a cup of lobster soup from the tiny harbor shack that is The Sea Baron or Saegreifinn. This is definitely a working persons cantina with kabobs of whale and halibut ready to be grilled, bowls of the delicious lobster soup served with hearty bread on built in wood tables with stools that looked to be crafted out of buoys.

We were told this is the menu :)

Icelandic lobsters are actually langoustines, delicate in flavor with a wonderful texture. One day we made a special detour on our Golden Circle drive to head to the seaside town of Stokkseyri for dinner at Fjorubordid known for their "Magical" lobster soup and peel and eat langoustines in garlic butter. Let me just say that this meal was worth the drive, only an hour outside of Reykjavik. The soup came first accompanied by a wonderful light rye bread with 3 spreads, a dill skyr, a tomato tapenade and an amazing brown sugar with garlic. We ordered our 300 grams of langoustines "with the trimmings" which included cous cous, pickled cucumbers and carrots, green salad and tomato wedges with a touch of vinegar and oil (tomatoes are grown all over Iceland in greenhouses heated by geothermal heat).




Then of course there is the infamous Reykjavik hot dog stand Baejarins beztu pylsur, self named the best hotdog in the world. This little stand, also on the harbor, continually has a line of locals and tourists alike. We got our dog (made with lamb) with the works- dark sweet mustard, crunchy fried onions, minced raw onion and remoulade. The dog was good and had a nice snap but there was a lot of creamy sauces on it, something we'd ask for on the lighter side next time around.



Of course you've heard of the unusual Icelandic delicacies like minke whale, puffin, fermented shark, sheep's head, etc. These are all easy to find, on most menus in some form or another.

Our first night we had dinner at Vox in the Hilton. It's quite a nice restaurant which prides itself on using only Icelandic ingredients. They offer a 4 course set menu which we both had.



The starter of minke whale was awesome. Just barely seared and sliced thinly I thought the flavor was very very good. The second course is their well known charred seafood soup. Delicious with bits of lobster, cod and halibut. Steak on a bed of sunchokes and asparagus with a creamy mustard sauce was good for the main if a bit underwhelming. The dessert made with skyr & lingon berries more than made up for it.



We also ate at Tapas Barinn which serves traditional Icelandic food in a tapas style. Here we had a 7 small plate meal which included or first taste of puffin served with a blueberry sauce. Yum.




For breakfast we ate the delicious buffet at the Hilton and also had some hearty eggs and bacon from the Grey Cat.

Of course with all this eating you need some drinking! We enjoyed beers and the Iceland equivalent to aquavit, Brennevin, shots at Kaffibarinn (co owned by Damon Albarn), Prikid, The Laundromat, The English Pub and The Icelandic Bar ( I really want to back here for a meal!). Keep an eye open for the Icelandic Gin- seems to be new and not every place had it but it was good and made for a delicious martini!

Folks in Iceland take their weekend pub crawls so seriously they have their own name for it- runtur. We only did one stop but certainly saw the damage if you know what I mean!

Thanks again to everyone for their suggestions, can't wait to head back and explore the rest of the list!

While waiting for our flight home we perused the airport eateries. After being warned away from the hot dogs there we settled on this gorgeous plate of smoked salmon and steamed shrimp complete with two glasses of wine, dark bread and assorted condiments. Classy Iceland, very classy.

p.s. forgot to mention that if you are looking for a bag of chips in Iceland look no further than...

Iceland photos

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Location:Reykjavik, Iceland

Long Weekend, Iceland!

For our spring trip Dayne and I watched many deals via Groupon, Travel Zoo and various airline offerings before deciding to go to, long on our list of places to travel, Iceland. Offered by Iceland Air we thought the package sounded 1) awesome and 2) very affordable.

First glimpses of Iceland from the FlyBus

We would fly non stop from Seattle on a Thursday afternoon arriving in Reykjavik about 7 hours later (Friday morning) with 3.5 days to eat, drink & explore to country of fire & ice. 3 nights at the Hilton Nordica. 1 day on a private 4x4 jeep tour to explore glaciers, waterfalls and ice caves. All this for about $800 per person. We added on airport transfers, a 1/2 day to lounge at the famed Blue Lagoon hot springs and spa and also a day of car rental to explore part of the country on our own.

I flew Iceland Air's Sega Class last year to Paris but this time we were in coach. And me in the middle! But still I find the seats comfortable and a bit more room than on the normal long haul flights. And there were pillows and blankets. But you do have to purchase your own food and drink. We decided to use our liquid bag allowance to pack a mini bar of gin and premixed vermouth and bitters. Martini anyone?






Upon arriving at Keflavik airport we took the FlyBus into Reykjavik, a 40 minute drive. Note to others who may be flying in, you are permitted to purchase at Duty Free upon arrival (open even at 7am) so if you want to save some money on snacks, drinks, etc to keep in your room plan on doing so.

The moon like landscape fought our jet lag for attention as we drove along the nearly empty highway to the city. At the Hilton we found our room not quite ready but the complimentary buffet breakfast, complete with shot of cod liver oil, was delicious and by the time we were done it was a quick hand off of keys and on to a much needed nap.

This is my plate, I'm sure you can imagine Dayne's.

A few hours later, unpacked, rested and armed with friend's recommendations, we began our Iceland adventure!  Stay tuned!

Have you been to Iceland? I'd highly recommend checking into this (or similar) deals from Iceland Air if you are thinking about it.

Iceland photos

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Location:Reykjavik, Iceland

Monkeying Around

As I mentioned, Quepos is well know for their park- Manuel Antonio. It's a beautiful nature reserve with an easy trail through the jungle that heads to the pristine beaches. On our last day Dayne and I took a cab to the entrance of the park and hired a private guide for a 3 hour walk. Without these guides that we hired we would have never seen even half of the wildlife we had throughout the country. It's really my number one piece of advice when traveling in Costa Rica, hire a wildlife guide!

The guides that work for the park wait until they have about 8 to 12 people total, I'm sure you could hire a private guide, and it costs about $30 cash only. Note that there is no ATM in the area around Manuel Antonio. Besides spotting and informing, the guides also carry a scope and set it up each time they spot things, giving everyone a chance to see their finds.

Banana flowers

We had seen a lot of wildlife on this trip so this day we were really hoping to glimpse more monkeys and a sloth or two. We entered the park with our guide and pretty much immediately saw a group of white faced monkeys swinging from tree to tree across the path! Success!

Sometimes we followed the main trail alongside families on their way to the beach, towing children and floaties. Other times our guide took us off on little used side paths, warning us to watch for snakes camouflaged by the underbrush. All in all it was a leisurely walk towards the beach past interesting flora and fauna.

Along the way we spotted some species we had seen before like helmut iguanas, hummingbirds, bats and even a random deer.

But we also saw a different species of toucan, which are generally not found here so the guide was very excited!  Mangrove crabs with bright blue bodies and red claws hanging out on the forest floor seemed weird and out of place.

In the area known as Sloth Ally we did finally catch a glimpse of a few shy sloths but unfortunately they were fast asleep way up in the shade of the tree leaves, making it very hard to see even with the scope.

As we ended our walk on the beautiful beaches we were rewarded with more white faced monkeys. Quite a few of them in fact. They are very interested in the picnic'ers lunches and sadly some people feed them. They were putting on a show, just as interested in us as we were in them, and swinging around having a good time. Adorable!

As Dayne and I made our way back to the main area of town on our own, there was one point where the beach we were on ended and you had to try to time the sea in order to make it to the other side. Dayne got wet, I however allowed this gentleman to transport me via his boat.

A casual lunch at Marlin's and some time hanging out on the beach rounded out a fantastic afternoon.

That evening when we got back to Quepos we found a farmer's market going on near the waterfront. Vendors had all sorts of beautiful tropical fruits on display. We bought a coconut water which in this case is a fresh coconut kept in ice water until you buy it and then a straw punched through its eye giving you access to the delicious liquid. Yum.

We also spotted a vendor with a big cauldron of chicarrone frying up. Perfect to go with our evening cocktails!

We finished up our day and our trip with a really delicious dinner at Kapi Kapi. A pretty, open air restaurant, by far the fanciest of the places we had been. The food and service were very good and it was a nice romantic way to end our travels.

We had time in the morning for a lounge by the pool before grabbing lunch, again at El Grand Escape. Then the van transfer that we hired picked us up for the 3 hour drive to the airport. Costa Rica may be small but with only one major airport, you have to plan your timing pretty well.

We flew home via Miami where we had to spend the night. We chose the close to the airport Regent which I would not recommend nor would I stay there again.

We loved Costa Rica and totally see why so many people have been traveling here over the last few years. A great first trip to Central America, but not the last!

All photos from the Quepos area are here.

Next up, Iceland!

Last Stop, Quepos!

Our last Costa Rica destination was in the quaint little town of Quepos, just an hour drive south of Jaco. Another 5 street town sitting right on the Pacific Ocean and known for it's pristine National Park- Manuel Antonio.

We thought we'd get to the hotel, return the car, have some lunch and hang by the pool for the day but upon arriving at the Hotel Sirena we found the pool not to have much lounging area and the two chairs it did have were already in use. Additionally the advertised tiki bar was not a bar at all without even a bottle of the national spirit Guaro behind it. 

So we killed some time until we could get into our rooms to unpack, by having lunch at the popular restaurant El Gran Escape. The food and drinks were good but the vibe is "big US theme restaurant" attracting lots of game fisherman, another thing Quepos is known for. After lunch we walked over to Cafe Milagro where delicious coffee is roasted and picked up as many bags as I thought my luggage would hold.

We finally got checked in and were able to spend some time in the refreshing pool. Although the hotel was not bad it was a bit more "budget" than other places we had stayed. It wouldn't be until we drove up the hill towards the park that we realized very few people stay in Quepos proper, most of the hotels are on the road between the town and the park. For this we would have needed to keep our car or rely on cabs as it isn't safe to walk along the busy road- an FYI for others traveling to this area.

That evening Dayne made us aperos, finally giving the bar a chance to really be a bar! And then we went walked all of 1 block and had a very good dinner at a little spot called Monchado's, under the mural of two Latin soap opera stars who resembled Donny and Marie. This place had some of the best Guaro sours of the trip! And then because we arrived back at the hotel to find it completely closed up at 10pm, we made nightcaps in the girl's room. Tiki bar... hardly!

We were all really excited for the next day's adventure- we were going horseback riding for the morning. In this area the jungle meets the ocean and the landscape is very different than the other regions we had been in (so much diversity for such a little country!) and we were looking forward to seeing it by horse. After a little morning mix up regarding reservations we were picked up by one of the partners of Valmy Tours, Valentin. We saddled up and away we went.

The horses were fantastic! Well trained but not following each other blindly, they were strong and well taken care of. The was the first time I've ever rode a horse without a bit in it's mouth, not that I ride that much (or well for that matter). We followed a river through lush forests, most of the land belonging to the family, and after about an hour got off to hike to the first of 2 waterfalls.

At the second waterfall Dayne and I went for a quick dip in the refreshing pool. The water was clear and pure. This country is all about the waterfalls!

On our way back to the farm our small group split up so those of us who wanted to trot, cantor and gallop our horses could. We were back in the river and the horses were giddy to be trotting and splashing water all over everyone. Then we came to this big hill with mud as deep as the horse's knees. Have I mentioned how big and strong these animals were? Our guide told us to just follow him and give a little kick. Holy hell!!! These horses shot up that hill and sliced through that mud with a passion! I held on for dear life while whispering in my horse's ear that we could slow down a bit if she liked. Dayne's stallion carried him up the hill like a child. And I heard a lot of "whoa, whoa, whoa" from Forest! We were covered in red mud from hooves to helmets. At the top of the hill we slowed to a cantor and finished up back at the farm. It was a really great ride!

A small but tasty lunch was provided back at Valentin's casa where we got to taste a local liqueur and gaze at the gorgeous countryside.

That evening we set out to celebrate Forest & Kate's birthdays, we started at El Avion for cocktails inside the big old C-123 cargo plane that was originally purchased during the Reagan Administration's covert Contra aid. The plane was abandoned in the Costa Rica jungle and now is a popular restaurant and bar overlooking the sea.

After a few drinks we grabbed a cab and headed way out on a dirt road, through the hills and towards the ocean for dinner at Ronnie's Place , I don't know quite how we heard about this but it was great! They have a large open air dining room, (I'm sure) fantastic views at sunset, and really nice service.

The food, like whole fried bass, was all delicious and upon hearing it was the girls' birthdays they served dessert with flaming sauce! It was Kate and Forest's last night in Costa Rica and a great way to wrap it up for them. Dayne and I had one more adventure packed day, stay tuned!