Chillin’ On Top of the World…Literally

Travel Blog

So, let me tell you how I came to end up in the coolest place on earth for my 29th birthday. Last summer while sitting in Spanish class we were talking about some of the greatest world wonders. The Aurora Borealis, more commonly known as Northern Lights, became the topic of discussion. Thinking I misunderstood it’s accurate description, given that the entire conversation took place in my second language, when I got home and googled it. To my surprise, I hadn’t misunderstood. I’d interpreted the description quite perfectly. I don’t know where I’d been, and how I managed to go 28 years having never heard of this meteorological phenomena.

After about an hour of researching and scrolling through countless google images, I determined winter time in Iceland was one of the best times to bare witness to the Northern Lights. This was perfect as normally, it is around this time I’m heard lamenting about how all the crazy adventures I want to do for my birthday are closed or cancelled due to weather. So this year I would embrace being a winter baby, and head to a place that accomodated winter activites. However, my hopes were swiftly deflated as looked up flight prices and saw the cost of a round trip ticket. With this new knowledge in hand, I mentally postponed my Iceland trip and decided to do something more cost effective.

This definitely didn’t turn into an out of sight out of mind circumstance. For months I’d catch myself daydreaming of the day I’d witness with my own on eyes a spectacular sky painted by the colors of the wind.

Some time later a friend of mine, knowing I wanted to see the Northern Light, text me an article indicating that the likelihood that the Northern Lights would continue to be trackable was diminishing due to the forecasted rotation of the world. “Oh no!” I thought. “Looks like I gotta pull this off sooner than later.” While I wanted to visit Iceland for reasons other than simply seeing the Northern Lights, I didn’t want to wait a year and risk the chance of them not being viewable.

So, I prayed. Every time I looked at the map, I prayed. This was quite often being that maps and “trave”l are incorporated in my decor scheme. “God for my birthday, please gift me a trip to Iceland.” I’d often find myself absentmindedly pleading. Months later while sitting in the same Spanish I got a price alert on my phone that ticket costs had dropped drastically, by about 60 percent if my math is right (which it typically isn’t, so don’t quote me on that one). With prices so low, I didn’t waste any time and booked my flight same day during break time.

Although I already had in mind what I wanted to do while there, I let time pass before I started actually organizing. When I finally did start booking, I was blown away by how expensive everything was. The flight price was nothing comparatively. The following months my Google searches included “Cutting Cost in Iceland”, “Things to Do In Iceland”, “What to pack for Iceland” and “How to be Cute and Warm in Iceland”.

Because Iceland was so expensive, I read several blogs that advised to bring items such as your own towels and linen in order to cut cost by up to €10 a day per each item. Furthermore, since Iceland didn’t offer any “must have” food dishes other than an Islandic hotdog, I didn’t feel a need to pay nearly €70 a day for daily sustenance. Eating has never been high on my list of priorities anyway. Instead, I packed a loaf of bread a jar of peanut butter, a jar of jelly, Spain’s version of Cup of Noodles and some Top Ramen. Surprised by how I managed to fit layers of winter clothes, a sleeping bag, and food all in a carry on, I did! Totally not the same LA girl who moved to Madrid with 3 larger than life size suitcases filled with shoes and accessories. Nonetheless, I managed and was ready for my week stay in Iceland.

February 14, 16

My first trip as soon as I landed was a to the Blue Lagoon. Right off the plane, luggage in tow I caught a shuttle straight there. It was Valentine’s Day so they were crowded. When I approached the counter and gave the receptionist my name to check-in, I was told I didn’t have a reservation and they were all booked until Wednesday. I showed her the confirmation I received in hopes to get the matter sorted out. Perplexed, she explained to me that somehow my reservation had been cancelled. I was asked to step out the line while her and her manager tired to rectify the situation. In the interim, I watched as walk-in after walk-in was turned away due to the Lagoon’s full schedule. I was sure this too would be me in only a matter of minutes. However, to my surprise they were not only able to serve me but they upgraded my spa accomodations from the Comfort to the Premium package. I was granted access to the roof top restaurant while I waited, allotted longer access in the lagoon, given 1/2 off my massage, and was even provided a complementary robe which definitely came in handy with such rigid temperatures when outside of the water.

I showered and slipped into my bathing suit before heading to the lagoon. While the atmosphere around the lagoon was in the low 30s. The water itself reached temperatures of about 105 degrees as it was heated by the volcano we were situated on. The water was a milky blue color due to the surplus of natural minerals present in the water. The scenery was beautiful. Snow capped mountains surrounded the lagoon. In the water waitresses came around taking drink orders and also provided face masks that were also rich in minerals. In one of the hidden corners there was also an in water bar. After about an hour of soaking and exploring every inch of the lagoon from waterfall to waterfall, I floated over to the designated area where I waited to get my in water massage under the moonlit sky. After my massage I showered again changed and got ready to catch my shuttle to my hotel.

Since the time I visited Japan some years ago, I’ve wanted to stay in one of these capsule hotels, which is surprising considering the fact that growing up, I was always the girl who never hid under the bed during a game of hide and seek no matter how limited the hiding options. I hated sleeping in bunk beds because the bottom bunk was situated too close to the top bunk and the top was too close to the ceiling. But, this capsule hotel had my name written all over it. It actually turned out to be more spacious than I’d assumed it be and it was also quite well insulated. There was a charging port, both USB and regular outlet, a TV the size of an iPad, a built in radio and a baby fire extinguisher given there be any unforeseen occurrences. The capsule provided various light color selections ranging from white, blue or pink for illumination. While I initially had the blue light on to give me a “cool” like vibe, after about 5 minutes it started to hurt my eyes, so I turned it off and used the basic white reading light.

This hostel provide a nice size kitchen with some complimentary condiments. For dinner I heated up my noodles but instead of using the silver powder pack that came included with the noodles, I tossed it, dumped the water from my noodles added olive oil and a host of herbs and spices. Devine.

February 15, 16

Suðurland Iceland- Water Fall

The next morning I was up before the sun, not by much effort on my part as the sun in Iceland is very lazy and doesn’t rise until 9:30 a.m. if not later. I was greeted in the lobby by the guy who would serve as my tour guide for the next two days. After loading the luggage into the bus and picking up the others scheduled for the tour, we set off on the 6 hour journey down to Jökulsárlón, located in the south of Iceland. On the trip down we stopped at a host of water falls and a black sand beach. 1/2 way through the trip he hit a storm. The tour guide pointed out a few waterfalls as we drove by. Due to the strong winds of the storm, the waterfallws, instead of floating down to the ground, blew in a upward direction towards the sky and disappeared like a vapor.

We odered dinner on the road so when we reached our hotel dinner was waiting for us. I’d requested chicken, although I really wanted the over priced lobster but ballin’ out on food wasn’t my idea of a good buy. Once seated in the restaurant after moments of waiting for my meal, the waitress came over to inform me that they were out of chicekn. She asked if I wanted to change my order. I gaved at the menu with reluctance as nothing else seemed appealing and finally settled on the fish. The waitress must have sensed my apprehension as she apologized once more. She indicated that the fault was theirs and offered me whatever I wanted on the menu for the same price as the chicken. “Are you sure you dont want the Lobster?” She suggested. Given that that was exactly what I had a taste for, I ordered that instead. My meal was complete with a complementary cake as the tour guide informed the waitress that my birthday was the following day. After dinner, exhausted from the day’s travels, I retreated to my room and prepared for the adventures to come.

February 16, 16

The next morning, I was checked out and down stairs by 8:00 a.m. to have a light breakfast before we set out on out excursion to visit the ice cave. The journey there was an interesting one, frightening even. There were several times throughout the voyage where I thought wondered if I applied enough blessed oil to cover me for the trip.

We did some off roading. Even though we were in a vehicle equipped for such a feet, the conditions were rough.

The tour guide indicated it was the most difficult it’s ever been to get us there due to the storm the day prior. We traveled in 2 trucks, stopped continuously to pull the other out the snow throughout the journey. We plummeted into hidden ditches and drove across frozen lakes/rivers, that I was sure would crack under the weight of our vehicles in only a matter of time. We finally arrived but before heading into the cave the tour guide went in to check if it was safe for entry as he was unsure the conditions due to the storm the previous day. Once we got the clear, we headed into the narrow entry way.

The view inside was spectacular. It was interesting to see the mineral rich blue water I had soaked in just days prior, in ice form. It was also surprisingly well lit and not as cold as I suspected it to be. I typical characteristics of an igloo. There were parts of the cave that were very spacious allowing room for summer salts if you desired, while others were so narrow and confined that you had to do an army crawl to weasel your way through.

We stayed in the cave for about 45 minutes before heading to a nearby lagoon that was absolutely breath taking. The shore was adorned with black sand, just like the beach I had visited the day prior. However, present in the water were blue ice glaciers and sea otters. The black sand shore was contrasted with fragments of the blue ice glacier that had washed up on the shore. As the tide came in and out, it left behind blue crystal like streaks as remnant of the waves froze almost immediately upon contact with the cold air. After about an hour here, we began our 6 hour journey back to Reykjavik.

February 17, 16

The next morning I was checked out of the hotel by 10:00 a.m.. I took advantage of how close I was to the domestic airport and walked, arriving at my destination only 30 minutes later. I had more than enough time to do some light sightseeing as my flight didnt leave until 3:00 p.m.. However, I didn’t feel like dragging (cause that’s exactly what I would have been doing) my luggage through the snow filled streets, so I used the free wifi and extra time airport to catch up and respond to all my birthday well wishes.

When I checked in at the counter, the stewardess informed me that I was lucky my flight wasn’t scheduled for the day prior. I told her that my flight was originally scheduled for the day prior, but changed it to accommodate the needs of my excursions. She informed me that nearly all the flights that were scheduled for the day prior had been cancelled due to the heavy storm.

I boarded the flight just before 3:00 p.m. and arrived in Akureyri about 45 minutes later. Once there I caught a taxi to my hotel and stayed just long enough to set down my bags before heading back to see what the city had to offer. It wasn’t much. After a couple hours I returned to the hotel and took a short nap to be well rested for the evening’s events. At 10:00 p.m. I was picked up by the tour guide. We rounded the city to gather the others before heading to the sledding site, just behind the main lake of Akureyri. The guides unloaded the sleds and gave us a quick instructional. There were two sleds, allowing each couple to ride simultaneously. Since I was was with 2 couples I opted to go last.

Each couple returned complaining about how slow their dogs were and commented on how distracted they got at the sight of any bush. They indicated that they had to push (do a skateboard like motion) to coax their pack along. When it was my time to ride the instructor switched up the rotation and gave me ALL the fast dogs. “Happy birthday to me!” I thought. I mounted the sled and checked around to gather my bearings. After the instructor confirmed that I was ready, he counted down from 3 and the dogs took off!

A bit jolting at first, but fun nonetheless. The trainer trailed behind me with the 3 slower dogs. 1/2 way through the ride my gained momentum and I noticed we were going way faster than before. After about 15-20 seconds of traveling at the accelerated speed, the dogs deviated from the path set out for them and took a sharp left sending me catapulting into the air, and plummeting into the snow. Without missing a beat, I jumped up as soon as I landed and ran after the dogs. The trainer arrived seconds later and asked if I was okay. He told me he foresaw the deviation coming but was too far to alert me. He explained that the dogs saw a bird flying low and so went into hunting mode. He repositioned the sled back on the trac, game the dogs thee command, and sent me on my way. The remainder of the ride I found myself hoping to spot another bird in order to gain a faster momentum. The entire ride lasted about 20 minutes. Despite wearing 2 pairs of socks and leather gloves my feet and hands were painfully frozen. When we returned to the starting point we were able to pet, cuddle, and play with the dogs.

Feb 18, 16

The next day, I checked out my hotel left my luggage with the receptionist and meandered around the city’s center which was nothing like I expected it to be. When people say “downtown” I automatically think L.A. However, this downtown area didn’t even stretch across a mile’s radius and offered all of about 4 restaurants and 3 souvenir shops, one of which doubled as a cafe.

Before long I headed back to the airport to fly back to Reykjavik where I’d spend my last evening in town. I dropped off my bags at my new hotel and headed out to finally see the town. The city was very walkable and having already done my souvenir shopping, I was only in search for one thing. Hot Dogs! Now, it’s very rare you’ll see me eat a hotdog after witnessing how they were made some years ago. However, since it was the only thing on the “Foods to Try” I figured I’d abandon my hotdog fast and give it a try.

Down by the harbor there was hotdog stand made famous by Bill Clinton some years back rumored to have the best hotdogs in town. I trekked through the snow which only took about 45 minutes although I probably could have got there in 30 had I not continually gotten lost. I ordered my hotdog with everything. It was topped with ketchup, fried onions the consistency of cornflakes, raw onions, a sweet brown mustard called pylsusinnep, and remoulade, a sauce made with mayo, capers, mustard, and herbs. It was quite possibly the best hotdog I’d ever eaten. What set these hotdogs apart from what we’re typically used to eating back in the states is that the Islandic hotdogs are made from lamb. In fact, lamb is highly consumed in Ice Land due to the surplus of sheep (2 sheep per 1 person) and the prohibited import of live animals, resulting in a very, very low level of beef and pork consumption.

February 19, 16

The next morning, I returned to get another hotdog for breakfast before catching a shuttle back to the international airport. I arrived in Copenhagen after the 2 hour fligh and headed straight for my hotel. Since it was a bit late, and stores closed early, I forewent site seeing and decided to wait until the morning.

February20, 16

After a good night’s rest, I awoke, checked out, once again left my luggage with the receptionist and was off to see the town. First stop was the city center to do some light souvenir shopping. I then visited Christiana, an area in Denmark I had only recently learned of. Made famous because its very, very liberal drug laws, it’s a small autonomous zone comprised of about 1,000 residents. The city came to be, about 45 years ago when squatters took over an abandanned military base. They claimed the area as a free city, free of taxes and run by their own laws. New settlers began to pour in to this alternative neighborhood and the social experiment of a few free thinkers became a permanent feature of the city. I passed by Pusher Street, an avenue contreversial for its open ability to purchase, sell, trade and smoke hash. It was heavily guarded by security ensuring the safety of the visitors and protection of the participants. It was an interesting sight to see. There were tons of people there both visiting and making transactions. Although photos were prohibited while on Pusher St., many of the selling points had long veils to protect the idententy of the sellers only allowing the hands to be visible. People casually lined the streets standing around trash cans with fires burning inside. The smell in the air was very strong and distinct as people openly smoked.

I only stayed for about 15 minutes, out of fear of becoming contact high, before rushing off to the Queen’s Palace to see the changing of the guards. It was somewhat similar to what you’d see in London if visiting Buckingham Palace, minus the huge gate allowing you to get as close to the guards as you desire. Although I’d also witnessed the London guard changing, for some reason I was overwhelmed with a feeling of a excitement as I left the palace. I am unsure if it was that experience alone or the sum total of the week’s events as my entire trip was nearing its ending point. Nonetheless, the excitement caused me to walk down the street happily, but you know, not too happily as to not draw any unwanted attention towards myself.

This was actually advice I’d received a couple of years back while I was visiting a friend in New York. He met me at the airport and as we were walking down the street he leaned in close to me and said “Chill out you’re walking to happily. You’re in New York. Quit swinging your arms and stop smiling. Do you want people to know you’re from out of town?” In the moment I thought he was just being paranoid. However now, as a solo traveler I think about this conversation often as I try to play it casual and not allow my excitement of exploring foreign terrains cause me to stick out like a sore thumb.

With my phone on E, containing only enough battery to make an emergency call if need be, I headed back to the hotel to collect my belongings and caught a train to the airport. My flight back was delayed about an hour which seems to be becoming the norm for me after long voyages when I’m anxiously anticipating MY bed. I normally don’t make it a practice to order airplane food, but after a long day of exploring my appetite caught up to me. I knew I’d get in too late to pick something up on the way home and I wasn’t even going to try and convince myself I’d cook something at 2:00 a.m. in the morning upon my arrival. The fact that they were serving lasagna, my absolute favorite food, only reaffirmed my decision to place and order. After scarfing it down within minutes and having a Twix for dessert I was off to sleep for the remainder of the flight.

It took me about 45 minutes to travel home by metro. Once there over Sleepy Time Tea, which is now more of a night time ritual than a sleep aid, I reflected on all that had transpired in the past week, all that I’d seen and experienced. I further thought about my life up until this point but more specifially my life within the past year. I reflected on matters I’d stressed over, situations I had cried about then smirked at the thought of how miniscule they now all seemed. I pondered on all the places I had travelled to within the year, the people I met, friendships forged and smiled as my heart was filled with gratitude. “Twenty Eight was a great year.” I said to myself as I got up to turn off the light and get in bed. As I cozied beneath the covers and laid my head on my pillow, it hit me that I had quite literally celebrated my 29th birthday chillin’ on top of the world. At that realization I smiled once more.