Having the 24 hour tourist card gave me the incentive to go crazy and visit as many places as possible. With it being Sunday, though, there were limitations I had to overcome and cater my schedule accordingly, such as the bus not running until noon.
I began my day by visiting Laugardalslaug, the largest swimming pool of 14 in Reykjavik, since it opened at 8. I spent about an hour there, trying to build up to the hotter tubs (there are a series of 5, each increasing by several degrees centigrade). I ended up making it to about 42, sadly, the second tub. The steam room was sulfuric, and one of the most intense I had been in. The slide was pretty outstanding also. The tube's top would change every few seconds to keep the eyes entertained- transparencies, colors, cuts, etc.
I then decided to go to the zoo since it was close by and I was able to go for free with the card. It was maybe 10 minutes walking from the hostel and is right across from the Botanical Gardens. It was pretty sad. Its size, as well as the size of the 'captivities' I felt were not adequate for the animals. They had seals, many in a small tank which was unpleasant to see, cows, sheep, horses, and birds such as chickens, turkeys, etc. It was kind of a sad little place. To lift my spirits, I spent the rest of my time walking through the Botanic Gardens, looking for, photographing, and trying to capture the essence of the native flora they had in their collection.
After about an hour, I ran on over to the harbor to catch the ferry to Videy Island. If it was running according to schedule, I would have missed it and had to wait an hour. However, luckily to my surprise, there was a children festival happening on Videy, so they had the ferry running constantly, as there was always a line to get to and fro on each end. It became so severe, they had to call on back up forces, and one of the bigger whale watching boats, came to help dissipate the numbers on either side. This was much better for my tight schedule.
I arrived to the other side and had a light lunch. Next, I decided to explore the wonders this little place had to offer, such as the bird life and earthworks/sculptures by Richard Sierra and Yoko Ono. Can't forget to mention the stunning landscape that was there with amazing views of Reykjavik across the Atlantic.
Once I completed my little hike around, I took the ferry back to Reykjavik, to find out I had just made the city bus (which runs once every hour). That was pretty lucky also. I went back to the National Museum to experience more of its wonders and spend some time finding interesting descriptions and artifacts related to my topic. For example, they had an encased geological section taken from one of the central valleys of the country which illustrates and has registered all of the major volcanic events through ash build up. It was absolutely fascinating.
I then decided to go and check out the geothermal beach. It was kind of disappointing, actually. The sand was golden yellow, as it was imported from Morocco. The whole thing just seemed strange to me. Most of the bathers were in the rectilinear geothermal pool with very few swimming in the ocean, kind of defeating the purpose for it to be a 'beach'. It was hard to tell if that portion of ocean was being fed with geothermal water, but yes- disappointing and out of place. One of the beauties of Iceland is how they use and deal with their geological conditions. I don't understand why they couldn't have used black sand found in many areas along the shoreline, especially around the fjords where the mountains were carved out and eroded away, leaving different grades of sand to rocks to boulders. Iceland is most successful when they acknowledge who and where they are, and disregard other examples, like the 'American Way'. I see Iceland running into trouble when they use American techniques which should not be applicable to them. It can sometimes be disappointing to see and become aware of this disconnect.
I topped off the evening at the restaurant Prikith. It was recommended to me by a friend who had just recently visited Reykjavik. It was quite delicious, great vibes, and excellent location. With its position on the corner of the busiest, most 'happenin' intersection in Downtown Reykjavik, I perched myself up on the second floor and sat by the corner window as I people watched. The distinction between the tourist and the native was quite clear. Icelanders are so very stylish, and this temperature is their utmost heat. So, they dress with as little as they can. The tourists, most likely from a warmer land, were dressed up in layers and jackets, with backpacks. I know I am guilty of this as well. Although, I did see one tourist completely lost, who stopped in the middle of the intersection to see his map- I don't think I've done this haha.
I went back to the hostel to, sadly, begin to pack my things. I chatted it up with these two German sisters who were my roommates the whole weekend. Prior to this we exchanged some conversation here and there. We ended up talking for hours and swapping stories. We exchanged emails and I finally let them go to sleep since they were going to the airport at 4 AM. They were some of the nicest tourists I had met on my trip. My worst experiences were with the French and the Dutch- they were snooty and obnoxious, respectfully.
So sad to leave this unearthly land. Seeing darkness again will feel strange...
Image 1: An Alley of Birch Trees- Walking between the Botanic Gardens/Zoo back to the hostel, they were so beautiful
Image 2: Videy Island- after climbing up a large hillside, overlooking the Serra installation
Image 3: National Museum- geological section, I just found this fascinating
Image 4: Geothermal Beach, Reykjavik- strange, strange place I thought
Image 5: Reykjavik graffiti- they have some of the most amazing street art that I've seen
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