About
My
Big Adventure!!
Why
I went to Iceland
I
can't really think of any particular reason why I went to Iceland. I
was just a bit fed up, and I felt like going away on holiday. I
considered various places (mainly in Scandinavia), because I wanted to
find somewhere: that would be fairly safe for a lone traveller; where
there was a good chance of people speaking at least some English;
wasn't going to take hours and hours to travel to; and would be
interesting to look round.
I've always
been
interested in Vikings, and their mythology, so Scandinavia seemed like
a good place to go, to find out a bit more.
There was also an element of a challenge in trying to find somewhere
that my family hadn't visited - they seem to have conquered most of
Europe, if only in fleeting visits!
How
I went to Iceland
I
did a bit of research on the internet, and came up with a list of
hotels and guesthouses in Reykjavík. I read various reviews
of
most of
them, and emailed them to find out about prices and availability.
Gradually I narrowed the list down, and eventually chose the Hotel Vik.
I booked over the internet, which meant I got a reduced rate (several
other places had offers for web bookings).
I looked at various travel sites to find the best price for a flight to
Reykjavík. In the end, I booked the flight through Expedia.
I
did try
doing combined flight & accommodation offers, but didn't find
anything suitable.
I also booked my Golden Circle tour on the internet before I went, as I
didn't know how easy it would have been to arrange once I was there. As
it turned out, there were plenty of places with information about
tours, and several booking offices. I was also concerned in case the
tour sold out, but I don't think this is likely to happen once
September arrives, as it's the end of the tourist season.
What
I took to Iceland
As
well as all the obvious things, I also took the following with me:
my Palm Tungsten - as well as having ebooks and some games on it, I
saved lots of information about things to do in Reykjavík.
This
meant I
didn't have to carry loads of print outs or big guide books with me.
my Nokia 3650 phone (on Virgin Mobile when in the UK) - roaming worked
well, and I had a strong signal almost all the time. There are a couple
of different networks in Iceland, and they all seem good (although the
coverage varies away from the city). I didn't use the phone very much,
but I wanted to keep it with me in case of emergencies, especially as I
was travelling alone.
my Creative Nomad Zen Xtra MP3 jukebox - just in case I needed some
music to while away the time. I did use it a bit in the evenings, as
there was not much to watch on the TV. There were a few films in
English, but nothing I wanted to watch!
a
couple of books -
The
Traveller's Companion, ISBN:
1861057733 (an interesting collection of assorted trivia related to
travel - just the sort of thing that appeals to me.)
The
Pirates! In An Adventure
With Scientists, ISBN: 0297848852 ( a funny story about pirates. It
also involves Charles Darwin, the Elephant Man, some jellyfish and a
chimpanzee - I enjoyed this book a lot, and will look forward to the
sequel.)
What
I brought back from Iceland
Some
of the things I brought back as souvenirs and presents:
Hats and mittens made of Icelandic wool.
Wooden models of Vikings, with furry beards.
Energy stones covered with Icelandic wool, from an Icelandic design
gallery/shop called Kirsuberjatréð, run by female
artists.
Icelandic schnapps, called Brennivín.
Books -
Lost In Iceland,
ISBN: 9979534397 (a
beautiful book of photographs, mainly of stunning landscapes in
Iceland. It also contains some information about the geography and
geology of the country).
Icelandic Folk and
Fairy Tales, ISBN:
9979510447 (some of the stories are quite humourous, and some are more
serious).
Hávamál: The Sayings Of
The Vikings, ISBN: 9979907002 (some of them make more sense than
others, but it's an interesting book).
