{"id":2833,"date":"2015-02-23T07:29:45","date_gmt":"2015-02-23T15:29:45","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/?p=2833"},"modified":"2019-08-28T13:52:17","modified_gmt":"2019-08-28T21:52:17","slug":"iceland-day-1","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/?p=2833","title":{"rendered":"Iceland Day 1: Well, All White, then"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-youtube wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Iceland Trip 2015\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/nAz5RVpo4Eo?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><figcaption>compilation of our entire trip to Iceland<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">I was not able to sleep on the flight to Iceland at all. We landed at 8am in Iceland (midnight in California). We ate a large lunch in Seattle but nothing on the flight so we were both hungry. After going through customs we saw the Iceland equivalent of a 7-11 by the airport exit and we couldn&#8217;t resist the hot dogs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Hot dogs are a very special thing to Icelanders and so they put a lot of things on them. There was no relish, but there were 5 types of sauces &nbsp;(including mayonnaise, &nbsp;but not yellow mustard), potato salad, fried onions and minced onions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our rental car was in a lot outside of the airport. So we walked for ten minutes with our luggage in the pre-dawn darkness through the ice and a howling snowstorm to the Thrifty shop. Our suv (a Ford Kuga) was nice enough but smelled like diesel inside.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Our airbnb wouldn&#8217;t be open until 2pm so we headed to the nearby and world famous <a rel=\"noopener noreferrer\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bluelagoon.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">blue lagoon<\/a>. The snow was blowing so hard we had to creep through it at 10 kph sometimes, but in a short while we arrived. We blindly braved the short hike up the lagoon with snow licking our eyeballs and wind screaming in our ears. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/qzPzoH\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8564\/16135289393_6f6a8df0d7_c.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1322\" width=\"530\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rujdgW\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7640\/16729334396_c0c55dba84_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1343\" width=\"640\" height=\"405\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">When we arrived we were told that the spa was sold out already (it was 10 am) but we could take pictures if we wanted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/ruj8Pu\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7590\/16729319406_a101f8bf7d_c.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1313\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>This is what &#8220;sold out&#8221; looks like in February.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">So we went up to the famous rooftop lookout, only to have our hats blow off in the powerful wind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rdhwVa\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8592\/16547942947_c14f1f5622_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1297\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We decided to give up and make our way to Reykjavik. Many parts of that drive were blizzard conditions as well, but it still didn&#8217;t take more than an hour to get to the city. Once there we headed to the big church tower, Hallgr\u00edmskirkja. We didn&#8217;t go up as the queue was very deep. It was a special Sunday mass crowd. We decided to have lunch across the street at the famous Cafe Loki.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rujhYG\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7287\/16729350216_06c7d61670_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1409\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">We ordered $50 of food and ate less than half. Everything <em>sounded <\/em>good, it just didn&#8217;t live up to the expectations. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rfa71z\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8623\/16569126369_75a73d35b1_c.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1390\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">All the meat was strongly smoked. I like bbq smokey taste but this was a different kind of tree, one with a bitter aftertaste that ruined everything you ate the rest of the day. I couldn&#8217;t place the taste until later when I sniffed second hand cigarette smoke and realized it was similar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">However, nothing could compare to the terribleness of the fermented shark. Every culture has its own disgusting thing that they acclimate to out of necessity and tourists eat for a joke or dare. This fermented shark is Iceland&#8217;s <a href=\"http:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Balut_%28food%29\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">balut<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After lunch we crossed the street to a now more empty church and went right to the top.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rfadLZ\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/7618\/16569149129_d195ff3642_c.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1451\" width=\"533\" height=\"800\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">After checking into the airbnb we went our to do Sam&#8217;s favorite vacation activity: foreign grocery shopping!<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rwveAR\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8677\/16754118081_2a593c88cc_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1485\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Daim, girl &#8211; you got some&#8230;<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rujy4b\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8654\/16729400936_53ba46684a_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1490\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><figcaption>Mad Kulor!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Okay, that was pretty corny&#8230;. but so is this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed-flickr wp-block-embed is-type-photo is-provider-flickr\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<a href=\"https:\/\/flic.kr\/p\/rwvdtR\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/live.staticflickr.com\/8746\/16754114311_fdac7da5c1_z.jpg\" alt=\"_DSC1481\" width=\"640\" height=\"427\" \/><\/a>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>I was not able to sleep on the flight to Iceland at all. We landed at 8am in Iceland (midnight in California). We ate a large lunch in Seattle but nothing on the flight so we were both hungry. After going through customs we saw the Iceland equivalent of a 7-11 by the airport exit [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":99,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2833","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/99"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2833"}],"version-history":[{"count":5,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4591,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2833\/revisions\/4591"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2833"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2833"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blog.andrewlorenzlong.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2833"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}