Iceland

In August 2011, I took a dream vacation to Iceland.  

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Located in the north Atlantic Ocean, the entire country has a population of 320,000 (just for comparison, NJ has a population of 8,791,894) and an area of 39,769 sq miles. 

The main purpose of my visit was to see the capital city of Reykjavik, which houses two thirds of the population.  Reykjavik is colorful, charming, and safe.  There are no train or subway systems, but the city is easy to walk around.

The graffiti seen here is lyrics from the band Sigur Ros, who, along with Bjork, are are two of the most well known Icelandic musicians.  Below is a popular Bjork music video:

Fans of Bjork can see her perform at Harpa, a music hall and conference center, seen below.

 

  

Another notable spot is Hallgrímskirkja, the largest church in Reykjavik.  The church is also used as an observation tower.  For a small fee you can go to the top and have a great view of the city.

In 2010, comedian and former punk rocker Jón Gnarr, was elected as the mayor of Reykjavik.  Gnarr was elected because of the people's frustration with the political situation in 2008, when Iceland's banks collapsed.   The Icelandic economy took a turn for the worse, with the value of their currency, the krona, having a significant decline, and unemployment tripling.  However small, the citizens of Reykjavik wanted a change.  "Voters were further upset by a report that detailed extreme negligence, cronyism and incompetence at the highest levels of government.  They were ready for someone, anyone, other than the usual suspects" said Professor Kristinsson, political science professor at the University of Iceland. (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/26/world/europe/26iceland.html)

Having no background in politics, he was elected on a platform of building a Disneyland, having free towels at pools, and putting a polar bear in the Reykjavik zoo.  He has posted a holiday video wearing a Darth Vader mask and a Santa cap, as well as dressed in drag for a gay pride parade (below).  He is quoted as saying, “The mayor unfortunately could not attend himself. … This is what happens when the people elect a clown as a major" (http://www.queerty.com/reykjavik-mayor-jon-gnarr-gay-pride-drag-queen-20100806/)

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Although a recent poll suggests that 62% of Icelanders are not happy with the work of Gnarr, he continues to keep the people on their toes as his antics continue.

Another stop on my vacation was the Blue Lagoon.  It is located only 8 miles from Iceland's major airport, so many people will go during layovers.  The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal spa that consists of a large lagoon whose water is heated by a nearby geothermal power plant.  The water temperature is between 98–102 °F, so visiters can come here all year round.  The water is said to be great for skin, even fixing problems like psoriasis.  Around the lagoon are boxes with free silica mud that people generously put on their faces.  I can't attest to it working any miracles, but it did make my skin soft!

 

 

Another attraction in Iceland is Geysir, which is one of the names of the shooting hot springs located roughly 105 km east of the center of Reykjavik.  While Geysir has been inactive for decades, only having some action after an earthquake in 2000, a smaller geyser named Strokker keeps people flocking to this location, as it is active about every 5 minutes.

While these photos were all taken during the day, they could have easily been taken during the evening, as the sunset in Iceland in August during my visit was roughly 9:30 P.M.  In June, Icelanders have 21 hours of sunlight, with the sun rising around 3 A.M. and setting around 12:00 A.M.  In December, however, Icelanders have an average of four hours of sunlight.  If I was to travel to Iceland again, I would try to brave the cold and the darkness and go in the winter, when there is the best chance of seeing the northern lights, which are a real sight for everyone who is lucky enough to see them