Park/Celtic Cross Day
One day after I pre-celebrated Begga's Mom's B-day with Begga's close family members we went to a park with some friends and drank beer, etc. etc. At one point when it got really cold and Begga and I both had you use the bathroom we hopped into Torfi's car and went downtown to an Irish pub called the Celtic Cross because Jonsi said he felt like having a Guinness. We ended up staying out until the bar closed and from the time we got there to the time we left a lot happened! We met this crazy Sicilian Guy who was trying to conceal his smoking cigarettes from his angry looking Swedish wife sitting alone at the bar with a beer. This man was very talktative and drunk and some people at our table didn't like him, but Torfi stepped up to the plate and sat at the bar with the guy and talked with him while I sat at the bar with his angry wife and talked to her because she looked so upset I though she was going to cry! I ended up really getting along with her after she was rude for about 1/2 a minute because she was mad we were giving him cigarettes since he was supposed to stop since he was having surgery in 3 weeks. Eventually crazy Sicilian man dissapeared and she sent me to find him at the bar next door. I found him, but I wasn't able to escape his clutches - literally! He grabbed my hand and made me hold hands with this guy he was sitting next to at the bar who was reasonably attractive and paid me lots of compliments, but I was only interested in getting him out of there and back to his wife! I got stuck with a beer and some guys hand, then thankfully Torfi came in and saved me. Then, we were both stuck there, but at least we had each other! He and I talked to the bartender after she was done yelling at Sicilian guy for being handsy, it turned out she was a gypsy from Copenhagen who followed her one true love who wasn't evern her boyfriend yet to Iceland. Her gesture of love was successful and now they live together in Iceland and he's moving to Denmark with her soon. I thought the story was very bold and romantic - good for her! Finally, Sicilian guys wife showed up at the bar and after Torfi and I were done talking to an older gentleman who said he was an artist we went back to the Celtic Cross. A whiskey later the bar closed and Torfi, Begga, Jonsi and I went back to Jonsi's house and drank and hung out til early morning. The next day Begga and I were off on another mini-roadtrip, hungover...
At the Park Before Celtic Cross Talking
Me Swallowing the Sun
Random Bar Image
(Note: Unfortunately the debauchary of the night wasn't well documented!)
GeysersGeysers were pretty spiffy! I'd say the best part was watching all the people stand around them with their cameras ready to snap a photo waiting for it to errupt. It usually takes up to 20min, so you can wait for what seems like awhile. The water from the geysers was in little pools on water on the ground we walked on to get close to them and I could feel the heat through my sneakers! Also, it was kinda stinky cuz of the sulfur.
Behold the Natural Heat!
Waiting For it to Errupt
Damn - I moved out of the picture before it went off!
Small Hot Water Pond by Geysers
(No joke - it was this blue in real life.)
Most Powerful Waterfall in Iceland
Begga and I didn't stay here too long on account of our hangovers, but we snapped a few photos to prove we were here. Then, we decided tourist groups are evil as they spent forever taking a stupid group photo and blocked the only walkway back to the car! I must say, the waterfall was mighty...well mighty!
Big Powerful Waterfall
Begga and I "Watching the river flow" like Bob Dylan
Begga Giving the Wink and Gun
Mountain Torn in Two
This was pretty cool. I wondered if the mountain was torn in half because of Iceland being on 2 tectonic plates? Not too sure though. On the way to getting here it bucketed rain while we were driving on this teeny tiny dirt road (there was even lightning!) and Begga and I were a but concerned. But, we drove through the rain and made it OK. Once we arrived we walked around a bit and saw a little lake where they used to drown women - total bummer. Also, saw the oldest parliament (or something to that effect). When we finally left, we made a wish in a brook that I would be able to stay in Iceland an extra week - but, the stupid wish didn't come true! Oh well!
One Side of the Mountain Split
Me Standing Right in the Middle
Pond Where They Drowned People
Plaque Explaining How The Pond Used to Drown People
Named of Women Drowned
Parliament House Where They Were Probably Sentenced to Drowning
Icelandic Flag - Viva Iceland
On my final day in Iceland Begga, Torfi, Jonsi and I went to the Blue Lagoon, which is supposed to be like the Icelandic fountain of youth. It was pretty cool, but at the same time it seemed very commercialized. They had turned it into a spa/hotel type of thingy and you had to pay to get in. It didn't used to be like that, so I would have preferred to get to it before it was sold out and raped for all it was worth. We still had a great time though. Haha even though the bottom of the lagoon was super squishy and when Torfi, Joni, and I grabbed a handfull of the mud from the bottom it was laden with human hair! Ick!
After Blue Lagoon I went back to Begga's and packed and had a very nice dinner with her family. I said goodbye to everyone since my flight was at like 6AM the next morning and Begga's Grandma gave me a book of Icelandic folktales as a present - so sweet. Begga and I met up with Jonsi and Torfi after dinner and went to a bar called Sirkus, which is Bjork's favorite bar, and had some goodbye beers. It was nice, but I was sad and knew I had to get up early. I really really didn't want to leave, but I couldnm't extend my ticket. After Sirkus we went to Torfi's workplace to see his art, then he took Begga and I home. The goodbye to Iceland was tragic, I guess I kind of fell in love with everything about it...but i'll be back bitches!
