Exploring Reykjavik and the Golden Circle

We woke up bright and early on Saturday morning, ready to check out the sights of Reykjavik. I think we may have woken up a bit too early, as the streets were almost deserted when we ventured out.

We walked from Austurstraeti to Laugavegur and of course, we had to pose with the standard tourist fare on offer.

A polar bear (one of many) adorning the shop fronts.

I found this a bit strange, since Icelanders shoot them on sight if one happens to make it on shore. Understandably, it's not considered a good thing to have a ravenous, powerful wild creature on the loose, but it did make me a bit glum since polar bears are my favourite.

A special mailbox to Icelandic Santa.

I also found this a bit odd since Icelanders have the Thirteen Trolls of Christmas instead of the typical Santa, which I find a lot more intriguing. Thirteen trolls visit your home, one at a time, on the thirteen days leading up to Christmas day, and they all cause trouble according to their wont. There's the sheep-worrier, spoon-licker, etc. Children leave their shoes on the window sills, and they get a little treat if they've been good, but they find either potatoes or salt if they've been bad. I think J wouldn't mind being bad - baked potatoes for brekkie!

We were really lucky with the weather - it was the first sunny day in Reykjavik! J and I alternated with taking our coats off and on throughout the day as we explored more of the main drag.

One thing we noticed about Icelanders - they're really helpful and dead honest.

It wasn't long before we hit the end of the street, and we decided to turn our way toward the most famous sight of Reykjavik, the Hallgrimskirkja. Believe it or not, we actually managed to learn to pronounce it while we were there - it only took a week!

It's a very modern church made entirely of concrete and built in the 1940's. Unfortunately, the church was closed due to rehearsals for a concert later that night. They have a massive organ with 5,000 pipes that I would've have loved to hear.

In any case, we snuck in upstairs and managed to get a look at the interior.

We had just about finished when we realised that it was time to meet up with our tour to check out the Golden Circle route. By this time, the city had really and truly come alive, and you could see all the locals out and about eating ice creams and in short sleeves while I was still bundled up in my many layers. I felt like such a wimp - what happened to my badass days surviving Michigan winters?!

The Golden Circle tour encompassed Thingvellir, Geysir and Gullfoss. First up, Thingvellir, the place where the Vikings would meet in their thousands to hold their Parliament. They would hang out for a few weeks, party it up all night since the sun never set, and talk about everything. The key meeting points were marked with the Icelandic flag flying high.

You can also see the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which is happening at a pace of 2cm every year.

We didn't hang out for long but continued on our drive to the site of Geysir, the father of all geysers. Geysir is no longer active after a recent earthquake, but there are two other geysers that still attract the crowds, mainly Strokkur. It was a bit odd to see a smoking landscape!

We rolled up to Strokkur, taking care to stay upwind of the boiling water and waited for the geyser to go off.

It felt like we were waiting for a while, but it was definitely worth it when it went off.

We checked out some of the other inactive geysers, and I couldn't get over how clear the water was!

Our last sight of the day was Gullfoss, a beautiful waterfall not too far from the geysers. It was amazing, and the even more amazing part was how close we managed to get to the waterfall. If you can make them out at all, the tiny colourful dots in the picture are people!

We were thoroughly wet and cold from getting so close to the powerful waterfall, but it was worth it. The water was really clear and the sheer force of the water was wonderful to see. Definitely the highlight of the tour for me, and the pictures really couldn't do it justice.

The tour ended at 10pm, and the sun was finally starting to set as we started the long drive back to Reykjavik.

It literally was a long, long day!

The Big Getaway - Iceland!

Every August, most of Europe goes on holiday, which means that things slow down enough at the office enough for J to take a proper holiday. We had originally planned on going on safari, but with my recent trip to Namibia combined with sky-high prices, we decided on going to Iceland instead!

We landed in Reykjavik in the middle of the day on Friday and boarded the bus to take us to the Blue Lagoon, which are the go-to geothermal pools. I heard that it was quite touristy, but it seemed like something we should at least try once, and the prospect of playing in mud while soaking in hot water sounded pretty appealing. No pics since I didn't want to take my camera in the water, and no one wants to see us in our bathing suits!

Once we arrived, we stored our luggage in the baggage lockers and headed to our respective locker rooms to shower and change into our bathing suits. The Blue Lagoon doesn't use any anti-bacterial chemicals in their water so they require everyone to undergo a good scrub down before entering the water. 

The first thing that strikes you is the colour of the water. It's this other-worldy milky blue, and the water is extremely salty. I heard the mineral content does a number on your hair, so I made sure to coat every strand with conditioner before I went in. The second thing is the heat. That water is hot! Once J and I entered the water, we made our way to the swim up bar and ordered some cold drinks. I got a Krap slushie that gave me the giggles due to its name.

I was ready to play in some mud, so J and I found the wooden vats full of silica mud and proceeded to slather ourselves with it. J was a little squirmy, but he eventually gave in to me smearing mud all over his face. Then we soaked and soaked and soaked. Truth be told, there's not much else to do.

We stewed in the water for an hour and a half before we decided to finally head into Reykjavik. Our first impression of Reykjavik wasn't great - it looked a bit run-down and there was ugly graffiti everywhere. However, the city seemed to perk up as we got closer to the centre of town. Even the graffiti got prettier!

And although I had read about it in my guidebook, I wasn't prepared to see how many buildings were covered in corrugated iron. It must have been at least 75%! Apparently, the material withstands the weather quite well, and the Icelanders do paint it to make it look a bit nicer.

We were staying at the City Center Hotel for the first part of our trip, and it was a pretty chill hotel with everything we needed. I had been warned that hotels in Reykjavik weren't that great, so we really weren't expecting much. The best part was its location on Austurstraeti, which is right by the main shopping drag. It's also a short walk to the harbour, and we headed towards the water in search of Icelandic Fish and Chips where we had the best fried fish of our lives. The chips weren't great, but the fish alone is worth going for. 

We stopped by an IDA, a Icelandic book shop, for a quick coffee for J and a hot chocolate for me before heading back to the hotel. We were tired and full, and I think the sun was still up when we went to sleep!

Giving Away My Little Brother

Another big event that happened in the recent past - on June 22, 2013, my little brother married the love of his life.

I only had a week after I came back to London from Namibia to get sorted for a trip to LA for my brother's wedding. I was bringing the wedding favours and was part of the groom's party so I was pretty busy up right up until my flight to LA.

I spent most of the time before the wedding weekend with my family and decorating over 500 cookies for the wedding favours! They were a ton of work, but they turned out better than I expected. If for no other reason, this marriage had better stick as I am NOT ever doing that again!

J was swamped at work, but he still managed to fly in for the weekend. We booked ourselves into the Island Hotel in Newport Beach, which is right by a large outdoor mall, Fashion Island. The location was really convenient since I got some errands at the mall out of the way, and we got a chance to stroll around outdoors to enjoy the amazing weather.

It was awesome being part of my brother's wedding, and everything's so much more enjoyable when it's not your own! My brother and a groomsmen crashed our hotel room to get ready for the wedding, and we all headed over to the venue to meet the other groomsmen. They all had bowties, but no one knew how to tie one. Thank goodness for Google!

The bride and groom were doing a "first look" and I got a chance to catch a glimpse of the bride before she went out to meet him.

She looked absolutely stunning, and the dress... wow.

We actually got to peek at them from behind the curtain during their first look, and they made such a beautiful couple.

After their photos, we all got a chance to join in on the fun.

We wrapped up when it looked like most of the guests arrived, and then the wedding got started. I thought my parents made a very handsome couple.

It was fun strolling down with a bridesman. We ended up swapping flowers, and he rocked that bouquet down the aisle! I think I was smirking at J in the picture - he had warned me not to bully the poor bridesman. Oh well.

And eventually, the bride made her way down the aisle.

I think my little brother was a bit stunned by how beautiful she looked at that moment, and one of the groomsmen had to remind him to "go get her" when she reached the altar.

They had the same officiant that J and I did for our wedding, and I got sentimental hearing some of the same words again after nearly four years of married life. As before, he did a wonderful job of mixing sweet and funny moments into the service.

Husband and wife!

Welcome to the family, sis!

I swear, our family gets bigger and bigger every year!

The venue was beautifully decorated, and can you believe the bride's mom handmade the table linens?! They were gorgeous!

After the wedding party made their entrance, the happy couple jumped right into their first dance.

As beautiful as it was, the cake had to be cut and smeared on the faces of the bride and groom.

The dancing began in earnest, and it turns out that you can't have that many Koreans in one room without an impromptu Gangnam Style flashmob breaking out.

Even my mom got into the swing of things. I give her major props in being able to get down in a traditional hanbok!

And they lived happily ever after...

As for J and I, we flew back home to London so J could get back to the office asap. I was so happy for my little brother and that he found such a wonderful partner to be by his side for the rest of his life. At the same time, I was a bit sad with the realisation that the three of us kids are growing up, scattering around the world, and starting families of our own. Spending time together will no longer be a given, but a negotiated process with travel, in-laws, etc. But at the same time, there will be more loved ones around the Christmas tree and more to celebrate, so on balance, I think we'll be more than alright.

Three Years and a Kitten

Somehow, three years have already passed since J and I landed in London for what was supposed to be a sixteen month sojourn. We recently got some great news that means we will be staying in London for the foreseeable future! We got our visas renewed, and we're finally able to make some plans now that we know we'll be here permanently.

First things first, get a kitten! Meet the newest addition to our family, Casper! He's a ragdoll kitten, and we got him from a breeder in Essex.

He's now about 3 1/2 months old, and he's a furball terror that seems more dog than cat. He follows me everywhere and gets into everything - including the candy I keep in a tin. Caught red-handed!

He's a regular angel when he's sleeping, but I get a little scared since he seems to grow while he's sleeping and he's already pretty huge.

By the way, this is what it looks like when you don't have a care in the world.

He's got loads of energy, and he gets pretty upset when I leave the house without him. He actually sits in front of the door to block my way! J and I tried taking him out for walks in the park on the weekends when it's a little less busy, and he took to it like a duck to water!

That leaf is going to get f*ed up!

We do get a few strange looks for walking a cat and he can sometimes draw a crowd. Most people think Casper's adorable and comment on his bright blue eyes.

It's really nice having a cat around again, and I'm looking forward to moving next year to a place that allows dogs! 

Neuras Winery

I dragged myself out of bed early on Saturday for our five hour drive to Neuras, the research arm of Na'ankuse. It was a pretty uneventful and bumpy ride, and we switched over to a 4x4 for the last hour of the drive. The resident dog, Noodles, got us to our new base camp in one piece.

We had time to unpack, and I foolishly volunteered to take the tent rather than be in the rooms with the others. But I think it was worth not being put in a room with others - I'm a light sleeper and I also tend to sleep-talk.

Neuras is a fully functioning winery and is also the driest winery in the world.

We got a quick tour of the place, and let's just say it's a lot, lot prettier than Na'ankuse!

There are fountains all about the property, and later in the week, I took a chance swimming in the largest of them despite the greenish bottom and the many fish swimming around in it. I figured, when am I going to get a chance to swim with weaverbirds again?

There wasn't time for much else that day, so we all piled into the trucks with a packed cooler for a quick drive to a nearby viewpoint to enjoy a "sundowner" - basically drinking as we enjoyed the sunset.

The night was much quieter than those at Na'ankuse, and I missed the roar of the lions in the night. Neuras is in the middle of nowhere, which means that you could see the stars clearly without any light pollution. I fell asleep looking at the clearly visible Milky Way through my tent window- pretty amazing.

Sunday was our first "official" day at Neuras, and we kicked it off with some GPS training. It was a bit like a scavenger hunt, with clues leading us to the next clue. It was pretty straightforward, and we had lots of fun making decoy cairns for the next group. We decided to fill the decoys with various facts and riddles. Teehee.

We checked on some camera traps afterward to collect memory cards and to ensure they were charged and working. After we returned to camp, we looked through the photos on the memory cards to see what animals we could identify.

After lunch, we all hopped on board the open game-viewer to go on a game count despite the threatening clouds that were gathering in the distance. Once we were out in the bush, the raindrops began to fall, but we continued on with our binoculars to record any animals we saw and to jot down the relevant details. We spotted some kudu, ostrich, springbok and a jackal or two. My vision is pretty terrible so I usually caught on to the fact that there was even an animal there only after someone pointed out exactly where I should be looking. But I did spot the rainbow all by myself!

The drive was nice, but I was glad to be warm and dry back at camp. We were enjoying the evening bonfire when the heavens split open and big, fat raindrops came down while the thunder and lightening gave us quite a show for the next few hours. It was honestly the most amazing thunderstorm I've seen in my life, made even more amazing by the fact that it normally doesn't rain in Namibia in May!