Hmm.
Very strange. I sat up bolt-straight in bed at 5:15 a.m. this morning. I don't consider that freaking out, though. Freaking out is what a friend of mine did just before we caught a cab to the airport for San Francisco. He was a large man, and yet he emitted this girl scoutesque squeal of frustration and glee. Damn, man, it's only Frisco.
So I'm packed, I have a room tomorrow night in the center of Reykjavik, and my ride doesn't get here for another six hours. Looks like I'm going to have to find a way to amuse myself. I did just get the movie 101 Reykjavik from my Netflix, so maybe I'll throw that on before breakfast here. And I should probably head up to 7-11 to get a little coffee.
Hmm. I'm much more calm than I thought I'd be.
17.5 hours before the plane leaves from San Francisco to Keflavik.
Thursday, August 31, 2006
Wednesday, August 30, 2006
The first "Oh sh*t" moment of the trip
I'd been explaining to everyone who would listen about my epic trip.
"Yeah," I'd muse, "I take off from San Francisco at 11:30 PM on Thursday and get there at about 2 p.m. GMT (local time) on SATURDAY! Can you believe that?" I figured I must have had some crazy long layover in Minnesota.
I should have checked the itinerary more closely. Or at all.
You see, I don't do a lot with paper. I print about two pages a month at work, and I don't have a working printer at home. But tonight, I decided to check it.
It turns out I arrive in Reykjavik on FRIDAY afternoon, not SATURDAY.
This is great news for my trip, 'cuz I get an extra day, I thought. So I went to hostels.com and started booking a night at a (much more expensive) hostel in the city center. However, when I was just about to complete the booking, I got a message that stated, "We cannot verify availability for all nights you selected."
Well, shoot, I only selected one night!! Ut oh, I thought, but quickly formulated a plan. If I wasn't able to get into a hostel that first night (and wouldn't shell out $150+ USD for a 2-star hotel) I'd simply run the runtur. The runtur is the all-night party that happens every Friday and Saturday in Reykjavik that starts at 11:00 p.m. and doesn't end until the pubs close at 3, 4, even 5 a.m., and then it spills out onto the streets and continues until everyone's too blitzed to see straight. By that time, I would have been able to check into my hostel on Saturday.
This was not to be, however. Somehow, the gods of the Internet smiled on me, and the fourth time I tried to book the room, it worked. So I've got a place to land in the city now. Now I just need to figure out where this place is.
"Yeah," I'd muse, "I take off from San Francisco at 11:30 PM on Thursday and get there at about 2 p.m. GMT (local time) on SATURDAY! Can you believe that?" I figured I must have had some crazy long layover in Minnesota.
I should have checked the itinerary more closely. Or at all.
You see, I don't do a lot with paper. I print about two pages a month at work, and I don't have a working printer at home. But tonight, I decided to check it.
It turns out I arrive in Reykjavik on FRIDAY afternoon, not SATURDAY.
This is great news for my trip, 'cuz I get an extra day, I thought. So I went to hostels.com and started booking a night at a (much more expensive) hostel in the city center. However, when I was just about to complete the booking, I got a message that stated, "We cannot verify availability for all nights you selected."
Well, shoot, I only selected one night!! Ut oh, I thought, but quickly formulated a plan. If I wasn't able to get into a hostel that first night (and wouldn't shell out $150+ USD for a 2-star hotel) I'd simply run the runtur. The runtur is the all-night party that happens every Friday and Saturday in Reykjavik that starts at 11:00 p.m. and doesn't end until the pubs close at 3, 4, even 5 a.m., and then it spills out onto the streets and continues until everyone's too blitzed to see straight. By that time, I would have been able to check into my hostel on Saturday.
This was not to be, however. Somehow, the gods of the Internet smiled on me, and the fourth time I tried to book the room, it worked. So I've got a place to land in the city now. Now I just need to figure out where this place is.
On Learning Icelandic
I do so love learning a language that will maximize my communication skills in exactly seven types of situations:
1. When I'm in-between Vik and Hofn and I'm trying to order food or get directions.
...
Hmmm... ok, well, maybe only one situation. I've read and heard that pretty much everyone under the age of 80 speaks English over there, so I'm not really counting on having to use this new skill. However, I'm going to use it every chance I get. I've talked to people who have studied a language for years and then went to that country (Japan in this case) only to find they didn't understand word one. Japan's pretty different from Iceland, though. At least I think so anyway. I guess I'm about to find out.
28 hours until I leave for the airport.
1. When I'm in-between Vik and Hofn and I'm trying to order food or get directions.
...
Hmmm... ok, well, maybe only one situation. I've read and heard that pretty much everyone under the age of 80 speaks English over there, so I'm not really counting on having to use this new skill. However, I'm going to use it every chance I get. I've talked to people who have studied a language for years and then went to that country (Japan in this case) only to find they didn't understand word one. Japan's pretty different from Iceland, though. At least I think so anyway. I guess I'm about to find out.
28 hours until I leave for the airport.
Tuesday, August 29, 2006
Packing List
1 pair of jeans
1 pair of pants
3 T-shirts (colored)
PASSPORT
DRIVER'S LICENSE
CREDIT CARDS
1 t-shirt (white)
2 short-sleeved collar shirts
1 oxford
hoody
2 pairs shorts
bathing suit
5 pairs underwear
5 pairs socks white
1 pair socks black
extra shoes
sandals
raincoat
hat
bandana
coat
money belt
daypack w/ lock
first aid kit
swiss army knife
flashlight
lip balm
watch w/ alarm
towel
camera, batteries, charger
M3 (mp3 player) & charger cable
sports mp3 player & USB cable
extra batteries for sports mp3 player (also has Icelandic mp3s on it)
headphones
plastic bags
toilet paper
contact stuff
glasses
earplugs
passport
extra passport photos
photocopy of passport & driver's license
shampoo
conditioner
face scrub
hair stuff
toothbrush
toothpaste
melatonin (to fight the jetlag)
journal
pens
printout of friends' mailing addresses (for postcards)
printout of itinerary
Have I forgotten anything?
1 pair of pants
3 T-shirts (colored)
PASSPORT
DRIVER'S LICENSE
CREDIT CARDS
1 t-shirt (white)
2 short-sleeved collar shirts
1 oxford
hoody
2 pairs shorts
bathing suit
5 pairs underwear
5 pairs socks white
1 pair socks black
extra shoes
sandals
raincoat
hat
bandana
coat
money belt
daypack w/ lock
first aid kit
swiss army knife
flashlight
lip balm
watch w/ alarm
towel
camera, batteries, charger
M3 (mp3 player) & charger cable
sports mp3 player & USB cable
extra batteries for sports mp3 player (also has Icelandic mp3s on it)
headphones
plastic bags
toilet paper
contact stuff
glasses
earplugs
passport
extra passport photos
photocopy of passport & driver's license
shampoo
conditioner
face scrub
hair stuff
toothbrush
toothpaste
melatonin (to fight the jetlag)
journal
pens
printout of friends' mailing addresses (for postcards)
printout of itinerary
Have I forgotten anything?
Saturday, August 26, 2006
Itinerary
By popular demand, here's where I'll be and when.
Thursday, August 31 - SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) to OAKLAND CA(OAK)
Flight 1590 M
Depart SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) at 3:05PM and
Arrive in OAKLAND CA(OAK) at 4:25PM
Flight Icelandair FI670
From: SFO
Departure date: 31. August, 2006 Time of Flight: 23:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: KEF
Arrive at KEF 1:30 pm local time, September 2
September 2-3
Reykjavik City Hostel
Septebmer 4
Höfn Hornafjörður hostel, Höfn, Iceland
September 5
Vatnajökull Glacier, then to Vik, Iceland - Hotel Dyrhólaey
September 6
wake up, drive from Vik to KEF airport, on to Germany
Flight Icelandair FI212
From: KEF
Departure date: 06. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 13:15
Confirmation seat at check in
To: CPH
Flight Icelandair SK1677
From: CPH
Departure date: 06. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 19:30
Confirmation seat at check in
To: TXL
September 6-9 Berlin
Schlafmeile Hostel
September 9
hop a train down to Prague
September 10-14 (arrive morning)
stay at The Boat House south of the city center, right on the river.
September 14
hop a train down to Vienna
September 15-18
stay at hostel called Porzellaneum (arrive morning)
September 18
hop a train back to Berlin
September 19 (arrive morning)
back in Berlin with all of four hours to catch flight back home.
Flight Icelandair SK4724
From: TXL
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 12:25
Confirmation seat at check in
To: OSL
Flight Icelandair FI319
From: OSL
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 14:45
Confirmation seat at check in
To: KEF
Flight Icelandair FI657
From: KEF
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 16:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: MSP
Flight Icelandair F9667
From: MSP
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 19:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: SFO
and finally...
Wednesday, September 20 - OAKLAND CA(OAK) to SAN DIEGO CA(SAN)
Flight 1233 M
Depart OAKLAND CA(OAK) at 7:35AM and
Arrive in SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) at 9:00AM
You know, I think I could have probably packed more into this trip. Maybe I'll try to do the whole thing blindfolded to add some challenge to the whole thing. Oh, wait. That might defeat the purpose of seein' the world.
Thursday, August 31 - SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) to OAKLAND CA(OAK)
Flight 1590 M
Depart SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) at 3:05PM and
Arrive in OAKLAND CA(OAK) at 4:25PM
Flight Icelandair FI670
From: SFO
Departure date: 31. August, 2006 Time of Flight: 23:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: KEF
Arrive at KEF 1:30 pm local time, September 2
September 2-3
Reykjavik City Hostel
Septebmer 4
Höfn Hornafjörður hostel, Höfn, Iceland
September 5
Vatnajökull Glacier, then to Vik, Iceland - Hotel Dyrhólaey
September 6
wake up, drive from Vik to KEF airport, on to Germany
Flight Icelandair FI212
From: KEF
Departure date: 06. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 13:15
Confirmation seat at check in
To: CPH
Flight Icelandair SK1677
From: CPH
Departure date: 06. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 19:30
Confirmation seat at check in
To: TXL
September 6-9 Berlin
Schlafmeile Hostel
September 9
hop a train down to Prague
September 10-14 (arrive morning)
stay at The Boat House south of the city center, right on the river.
September 14
hop a train down to Vienna
September 15-18
stay at hostel called Porzellaneum (arrive morning)
September 18
hop a train back to Berlin
September 19 (arrive morning)
back in Berlin with all of four hours to catch flight back home.
Flight Icelandair SK4724
From: TXL
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 12:25
Confirmation seat at check in
To: OSL
Flight Icelandair FI319
From: OSL
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 14:45
Confirmation seat at check in
To: KEF
Flight Icelandair FI657
From: KEF
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 16:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: MSP
Flight Icelandair F9667
From: MSP
Departure date: 19. September, 2006 Time of Flight: 19:35
Confirmation seat at check in
To: SFO
and finally...
Wednesday, September 20 - OAKLAND CA(OAK) to SAN DIEGO CA(SAN)
Flight 1233 M
Depart OAKLAND CA(OAK) at 7:35AM and
Arrive in SAN DIEGO CA(SAN) at 9:00AM
You know, I think I could have probably packed more into this trip. Maybe I'll try to do the whole thing blindfolded to add some challenge to the whole thing. Oh, wait. That might defeat the purpose of seein' the world.
(pre) Vienna - Tips from my friend Joe at work (who's lived in Austria)
My friend Joe at work just got back from China. He had some tips for me, including the following sites:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Austria/Bundesland_Wien/Vienna-320332/Nightlife-Vienna-Grinzing_Heurigen-R-1.html
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Austria/Bundesland_Oberoesterreich/Hallstatt-329225/Things_To_Do-Hallstatt-BR-1.html
But the money tip, I think, was probably about Grinzing. Grinzing, from what I gather, is what they'd call "farther afield" from Vienna, but not so much. It's reachable by public transportation, although he mentioned it was the "last stop" on some rail line.
Here's the text of his email:
Getting to Grinzing on public transport is easy – ride the U2 metro line to Schottentor, and then get tram 38 or take bus 38A from Heiligenstadt (U4 metro). After dinner, ride the bus another five minutes uphill to the Kahlenberg viewpoint for panoramic views of Vienna. Whether in a car or on public transportation, an excursion to Grinzing and a stop in a heurigen is well worth it.
Thanks Joe!
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Austria/Bundesland_Wien/Vienna-320332/Nightlife-Vienna-Grinzing_Heurigen-R-1.html
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Europe/Austria/Bundesland_Oberoesterreich/Hallstatt-329225/Things_To_Do-Hallstatt-BR-1.html
But the money tip, I think, was probably about Grinzing. Grinzing, from what I gather, is what they'd call "farther afield" from Vienna, but not so much. It's reachable by public transportation, although he mentioned it was the "last stop" on some rail line.
Here's the text of his email:
Getting to Grinzing on public transport is easy – ride the U2 metro line to Schottentor, and then get tram 38 or take bus 38A from Heiligenstadt (U4 metro). After dinner, ride the bus another five minutes uphill to the Kahlenberg viewpoint for panoramic views of Vienna. Whether in a car or on public transportation, an excursion to Grinzing and a stop in a heurigen is well worth it.
Thanks Joe!
Friday, August 25, 2006
(pre) Berlin - Clubbing Tips from my Next Door Neighbor
My next door neighbor's very cool. She's led a pretty interesting life, and has lived in a lot of different places in the US and Europe. She went out of her way to find this information for me. She knew I was heading to Berlin, and contacted some friends in Germany for some advice on which clubs to go to.
____________________________________________________
Thanks, Jelena!
____________________________________________________
My friend gave me names of 3 clubs, hopefully that'll do it for you.
Sage Club, 90°Grad, and Cafe Moskow.
Those are the cool clubs I guess, so enjoy!
____________________________________________________Thanks, Jelena!
Wednesday, August 23, 2006
Yes, I speak Icelandic
Q: Name a language only 300,000 people in the world speak.
A: Icelandic.
Yes, I'm learning Icelandic. I bought two separate sets of book + CDs, and I've been carrying one with me (Teach Yourself Icelandic) ever since I booked my flight in June. The folks at work probably think I'm sneaking sips of it like a wino with cheap chardonnay, but the truth is, I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to enjoy the privilege and pleasure of joining such an exclusive club.
My pronunciation may be atrocious, but I'm willing to take that chance, as I'm drinking vodka-spiked beer and eating the local delicacy (rotten shark meat) that I'll strum at least a few heartstrings, albeit over $9 pints of Viking.
So what the hell am I doing in the most expensive country in the world?
Going broke, that's what :)
A: Icelandic.
Yes, I'm learning Icelandic. I bought two separate sets of book + CDs, and I've been carrying one with me (Teach Yourself Icelandic) ever since I booked my flight in June. The folks at work probably think I'm sneaking sips of it like a wino with cheap chardonnay, but the truth is, I haven't had as much time as I would have liked to enjoy the privilege and pleasure of joining such an exclusive club.
My pronunciation may be atrocious, but I'm willing to take that chance, as I'm drinking vodka-spiked beer and eating the local delicacy (rotten shark meat) that I'll strum at least a few heartstrings, albeit over $9 pints of Viking.
So what the hell am I doing in the most expensive country in the world?
Going broke, that's what :)
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