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It was dawn when my plane touched down in Iceland. I don’t remember sleeping much on the plane because it was light most of the time…and there must have been a baby aboard. By dallying around the airport a lot I missed the first Flybus out.
The Flybus is more or less the only way from the airport to Reykjavik. They come in frequent intervals for a period after planes land, but if you miss those rounds, it may be a long wait until the next one. It costs about 1950 ISK or $17 CAD. Flybus also offers in between trips to Blue Lagoon for people wanting to go there right after landing or just before boarding a flight. It’s also a good pamper spot on stopover journeys.
The airport is a great place to stock up on all the information pamphlets you need, and will prepare you for later if you’re going all around Iceland. A small tourist desk will also give you a few travel tips. One thing I learned is how much my Frommer’s guide beefs up small cities. I had originally intended to go and check out Keflavik before catching the Flybus into the capital, but as I spoke to people around me, learned that Keflavik is essentially just an airport city…and that the sites listed in my book are literally squeezed out to make the place sound more interesting. Now, I will never know the exact truth since I didn’t end up going into Keflavik, being a rather expensive taxi ride out, but I’d like to think I don’t regret it much.
I got my first taste of Icelandic scenery on the ride to Reykjavik.
Snow. And rock.
I remember panicking slightly at the sight of the snow, thinking that I perhaps underestimated the spring weather. As it turned out, the snow was the last of the season, and was there mostly because in the midst of barren lava fields, there wasn’t much activity that would disturb or melt it.
Upon arriving at the BSI terminal, I felt like I had to reassess my opinion that all Icelanders are extremely friendly people (as said in my guidebooks, online and wherever else). The bus driver snubbed me when I tried to ask him a question, and drove off without any further instruction of where I was supposed to go. Feeling a little put out, standing outside the bus terminal with a heavy rucksack, disoriented, I meandered indoors and proceeded to prod every worker there on where the heck I was and where was I supposed to go.
If you are not dropped off at a hotel by the FlyBus (extra cost), then the next stop you should take – and the one I took – is to ask for directions to the main Tourist Information Centre. After having directions drawn out on a Reykjavik map, I walked there. It’s only 15 minutes, and while seemingly daunting upon entering a new city, it’s straightforward and saves money on transport. The main Tourist Information Office is on Adalstraeti 2 (Tel. +354-590-1510), and looks like a charming, beige, box-like farmhouse structure which is reminiscent of Danish architecture as far as I know. There are a number of other centres around the city but I liked this one the best, and used it as a base of all my information needs.
Main Tourist Info Centre (right)
It was at the information centre where I contacted Katla, my first couchsurfing host on this journey. After a short rest, I took another walk toward the west of the city where her apartment lay. Katla was a warm and generous host with a darling toddler son. I didn’t get a chance to speak with her much since she was on her way out, but she was kind enough to give me run of her place. I think I was pretty spoiled by her since I was allowed to use her internet, given keys, everything that was needed to make me feel right at home. Because it was Monday, many museums were sadly closed, but it was for the best… When I sorted out the contents of my rucksack a bit, I was dismayed to discover I had forgotten my waterproof pants. So I ended up spending the afternoon searching for a pair, because like I said in my previous post, absolutely necessary if hiking Iceland.
In a nutshell, I ended up visiting the edges of Reykjavik Harbour where the outlets lay, looking for a pair of pants. While I did manage to stock up a bit of food, no rain gear. Let me a take a moment to say that fruits and vegetables are really expensive! Furthermore, not very fresh…most of that is due to the reliance on imported produce, although with the growth of geothermal greenhouses on the rise, I’m excited to say that Iceland should soon have an increase in local produce.
In the end, I had to go back to city central and visit the larger brand stores. You can find these stores on Bankastraeti or Laugavegur (the shopping street). Two of Iceland’s largest outdoor gear stores are:
- 66o North - Super expensive! It was nearly $500 for a pair of pants! This is the uber brand name of outdoor gear. I’m sure their things are great…but as a backpacker, I certainly had no money for that luxury. (www.66north.com)
- Cintamani – I didn’t visit this one, but I’ve seen enough people wear it to know that it’s another top brand. What I have heard is that it’s the upstart competitor of 66 North. (www.cintamani.is)
The one I visited after a mad dash out of 66 North was ICE Wear (www.norwear.com), right across the street. Feeling a little rush as the stores were about to close, I settled to purchase the still expensive but more reasonable $200 pants that they had. For what it’s worth, they were pretty geared up with many interesting and useful accessories such as hooks to attach to boot laces, which sealed up the cuff around the boot. In addition, their guarantee extends internationally. What drew me to make the purchase was the fascinating salesperson, Cyprian, a documentary film maker from Kenya. Iceland has been a rest stop for him while he was finalizing papers to gain entrance to Somalia for his next film. He has taken this time to even learn some Icelandic, what a guy.
(At this point…I realized that WordPress failed to save my last draft…and now I’m behind on my writing. I really dislike rewriting things, so forgive me that the following details may seem more bluntly written)
Reykjavik City Centre
I had a bit of social time once I finished shopping, and met with Sven, a guy from Belgium doing a journalism piece on the one year anniversary of the 2010 eruption. A very fascinating traveler – he actually hitchhiked to London from Belgium, and then flew from there! I was very impressed by his ambitiousness of traveling cheap. It’s not the most epic that I’ve heard to date, but certainly impressive nonetheless. One great story I heard is about a girl who hitchhiked around Europe, and would work to make enough money to continue traveling. When she was up north, while working at a dock, she met a boat sailing to the US, and she ended up going to the States with them. Amazing.
Going for coffee, I started to understand just how small this country is. Over this trip, there are many coincidental meetings and encounters that will illustrate the population size. Let me elaborate. A month before my trip, I was in communication with a girl who told me of her roommate whom worked at a cafe. While at the cafe, Sven asked around to see if there was a couch he could surf on for the night. Upon asking the waitress, she goes and tells me about how her colleague’s roommate does couchsurfing. Putting together the pieces, I realized it was the same girl! What a coincidence.
There are strangely many Canadians in Reykjavik right now. When I stopped at the hostel where Sven was staying, I met a guy from Guelph working at the hostel, and a few travelers from Ottawa and Toronto. I also met these four German girls who did a four month world journey as a graduation celebration. It seemed to be an incredible deal that they got on their flights- European Airlines certainly do better deals than Air Canada.
When I parted with Sven a couple hours later, I didn’t think I would see him again so soon. The walk back to Katla’s place was a very quiet one. With a third of Iceland’s population in Reykjavik, there is still only about 120 000 people. The city was very silent in the evening, and I was pretty amazed by how few people I saw walking about, even in the city centre. Back at Katla’s place, she shared her couchsurfing experiences with me, and also told me about some of the other hosts of the city. One of them had offered to host me, but I was not keen to accept based on her references, and Katla backed them up. I won’t spread names, but this woman has reputedly the most dirty place, allows loads of people to come and go as they please, and guests’ things have been stolen. Moreover, she has once put guests up with her ex husband, because she didn’t have space! Did I mention that he was not exactly willing either? Dear oh dear…
Sven, in the meantime, had submitted a request to Katla without my knowing (since she hadn’t responded yet), and she agreed to host him, having traveled to Belgium before. Again, small country…same faces.
So that night, it was a little party of three that night of exhausted travelers and a gracious host.
For those who have been subjected to my oral stories of Iceland, and perhaps yearning to hear a bit more, it’s coming! But from my experience, going to Iceland requires patience and planning (unless you are full of awesome). I’m a last minute person, and despite my best efforts, I had a few kinks that led to panicked troubleshooting even before stepping on the plane. So allow me to impart a bit of what I learned. I will not bore you with the basics, but I will give you some foundations to work on.
My fundamental belief is that if you are planning to venture anywhere outside Reykjavik, arm yourself with a copy of Frommer’s Guide or Lonely Planet (look for the latest publication). A third known guidebook is Rough Guide, but I have heard from some Icelanders that it’s currently rather inaccurate (feel free to say otherwise!). I have found inaccuracies in the other books as well, but both books were widely used by fellow adventurers. Decide for yourself which one you prefer based on research and reviews. My book was Frommer’s.
Secondly, prep your clothing. These attires will be keeping you cozy for the next days/weeks/months, so you will not want to mess this up. Iceland is a beautiful country, but a tough country with unpredictable weather. A large part of that weather is windy, heavy rain. If you are planning to do outdoor activities, you absolutely have to be waterproofed. Head to toes. I have braved rains of Northern Ireland whilst living there, but Iceland during the off season can beat you about with its brutal winds. Forgetting the weather, anyone wanting a close look at a waterfall will certainly want waterproofing.I met so many tourists in my travels whom were inadequately dressed on this trip and they regretted it. Trust me, super wet jeans with a knife cut of wind is not pleasant to watch on a poor woman.
Without sounding too naggy, waterproof yourself. Head to toe. If you forget your goods or discover this information after arriving, I will be listing some stores in my next post which gives an overview of Reykjavik.
I think the worst insult, is that despite being a stickler for detail, I still overlook something and pay the price. This was the moment when the man-skills part of me failed, and that was in the art of shoe shining.
I was so proud of myself when I waxed my shoes, not the night before, but a whole 2 days before leaving for Iceland. My boots have miraculously survived harsh weather without a drop of wax on them for many years. While they are tough hiking boots, and took care of my feet, not even the best boots can keep all water out. So with some time to spare, I decided to fully waterproof them for this trip. I got down and dirty, scooping liberally amounts of wax and rubbing it vigorously into the crevices and seams of my boots. I followed (to my belief) all the instructions listed in the tin’s lid, proud of my first effort, and left the wax to cure on the boots for its required minimum of 24 hours. Imagine how proud I felt when I knew I would leave the wax for not just 24 but 48 glorious hours!
Fast forward a couple days when I am trudging through the airport. I am staring at my boots skeptically because the wax did not seem to have absorbed into the leather like I thought. In fact, everything it touched left a horrible and irremovable residue behind. This is not pleasant when its victims were prized items like my brand new shoulder bag and socks. I’m thinking, “Am I going to have to be this paranoid of not touching my boots to anything on this trip?!”
Now, I am beginning to doubt my waterproofing job. I start attacking my smartphone with vigour, hoping to find some online information. I discover, with some difficulty due to cruddy phone, my overlooked step in the waxing process. I was supposed to buff the excess wax off the buggers. Worst of all, I couldn’t even ignore the error because (even ignoring the residue), too much excess wax on boots will pick up dirt and debris. Feeling really frustrated, and with my boarding time nearing, I dash madly around the airport with my bags, looking for a shoe shiner. Customer service people were happy to show me where they were (all on opposite corners of the airport of course), but failed to tell me how none of them were open.
Huffing and puffing, I finally resolved to buff the wax off myself. With no cloth handy, and not willing to sacrifice any clothing, I spent the next wondrous hour in the bathroom, toiling over my boots with paper towel. It was a horrendous process with a lot of paper ripping, wasting, sweat and being stared at by people. Meanwhile, I was grunting with huge effort, working as fast as I could before my plane boarded. I literally finished in the nick of time.
Don’t be caught in my silly situation. I’m certain most people know how to wax and waterproof boots, but as I clearly demonstrated, not everyone does. And instructions on tins are deceiving…
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I’m a tad ashamed. I realize that despite my extremely joyous sounding post in January detailing the excitement of a New Year, etc. I actually haven’t been very successful in accomplishing much. The winter blahs attacked me full force this year, and left me in a state of stress, exhaustion, poor physique and finally in a few rounds of incapacitating illness.
Slowly, I am wriggling out of it now with the coming of spring, and I’m going to try my darn best to keep this blog more frequently updated, for the readers I have out there.
Which brings me to my latest bit of excitement: My two week journey to Iceland!
It was probably the most amazing and maddening adventure I’ve had to date, and I plan to document every moment of it, while also offering tips to potential travelers of this wondrous country.
The reason why I’m writing this as a “Prologue” is that I’m wondering whether to make a new blog specifically for Iceland, or a separate category. I was hoping to keep everything in this blog, since it’s supposed to be one of a Jacques of Trades, but for organization purposes, perhaps something more specialized will be more appealing? I will mull on this. I need a few days of recovery before I start writing, since I’m completely exhausted. So til then, this traveler will rest!
It was a rainy and cold day, I wasn’t well dressed and was wimping about in the weather. However, that did not deter the large numbers of people that showed up in Wellesley for its great Apple Butter and Cheese Festival. In my last post, I was raving about the local treasures that the Waterloo region has; this festival is one of them.
The tractor ride to the Cider Mill
Only 15 minutes away from Waterloo, this festival comes once a year to share apple goodness with people. Fritters, dumplings, pies, fresh, with toffee, candied, jellied and of course as a butter and cider… the possibilities made with one of K-W’s greatest bounties are endless. And we cannot forget the morning pancakes and German specialties such as schnitzel roasting happily to warm the tummies of the chilled patrons.
In the afternoon, I managed to battle my way to some of the top attractions. No trip to Wellesley is completely without seeing its cider mill. We journeyed there in the back of a tractor, a novelty in itself. Nearly 100 years old, this sucker works the old fashioned way and people prefer it that way. Thousands of pounds of apples go through its press to create delicious cider. It’s an amazing process, really. Free cider samples weren’t shabby either.
Each box contains 800 lbs of apples!
Becka and I had the perfect vantage point on the tractor trailer as the antique car and tractors paraded by at noon. Shown as part of the festival, it is the best time to relive the good ol’ days and classic action films through these vehicles. One can see the dreams of the antique car designers when they created the machine, their visions of the future car apparent in their creations.
One must never forget the marketplace, which took place outside and inside the Wellesley Arena. People gathered from all over to check out local and distant artisans of both crafts and food. Here are some of the people I visited.
Nudge Nudge Fudge – Nudge nudge…here’s the fudge! A cute logo and very tasty looking fudge in an array of sizes. They ensure their products are nut free (although not vegan yet), and they introduce clever flavours depending on the season. I bought their pumpkin fudge for Thanksgiving. 
Truly Canadian Eh? – (trulycanadianeh@gmail.com) Not only do their company name boasts Canadian heritage, but they make the most awesome cars, trucks and airplanes from beer and pop cans. It’s absolutely fabulous and the details are unbelievable. It’s a must have for any toy collector or child (the edges are all rounded).
Accents - (accents@idirect.ca) They don’t really create their works, but they bring in some very snazzy pieces at great prices!
idea garden creative - (jf_beckner@yahoo.ca) One of two ceramic artists, these guys specialize in lovely Celtic creations. For any fantasy lover.
Carol’s Pottery & Crafts – A set of very solid pottery from this artist. They had a very interesting French butter dish that I bought for my mother (yet to try). You put the butter in the “lid” and flip it upside down into the container, which has an inch of water. People have sworn this is the best way to store butter for hundreds of years. How fascinating. But outside of that, they have great traditional pottery.
All Pine Woodcraft – Nothing like some beautiful, rustic wooden furniture. This man has great prices for great pieces. Not just typical furniture though. You can get the best set of desk drawers or mini cabinets that you can help to organize corners of your room from that scattered jewelry. I can’t wait to order something.
Antique car show
We did not get our curly fries, having been sold out by the time we decided to indulge, but the home-style fries were pretty awesome. There was also an award winning cheese team from Thornlea of which I cannot remember the name. If I find out, I will update this post, since the cheese I gave to my friend as a present had her swooning.
We battled rain and chills all day. I will do it again, and again. What a great day. What atmosphere and what attractions. Even the drive out there opened the doors into land that I have not seen in my own backyard.
That awesome little nameless band playing outside their house.
I probably should have written this prior to the event, in order to encourage more people to leave their homes and see some local sites that weekend, but I suppose I wanted to see for myself how good this program was before singing is praises.
The Snider Flour Mill now houses many independent shops in St. Jacob's
Well, I will sing its praises now. Doors Open Ontario is one of the best events ever to promote local tourism. Sometimes we just don’t know the treasures that exist in our own city! We rave about traveling to some unknown country, or even to another city – Toronto for us K-W folk – in order to experience some sense of adventure. In doing so, we have completely forsaken the very cities where we grew up. So many of us are eager to fly the coop the moment we can, and for what? More opportunities? Perhaps, but I have to say as a working artist, I have found more paid work in Kitchener Waterloo than I have in Toronto so far. So one point to my home city.
Back to Doors Open. It is a heritage event where on various days of the year, different cities open the doors of their prized hot spots to visitors for free. Even if the site itself is already free, Doors Open is a chance for that place to be advertised to the public. What better way to see a city than on this day, when all its treasures are on display?
I had the opportunity to take advantage of Doors Open Kitchener-Waterloo this year, and I urge anyone who hasn’t to partake next year. I amaze myself at how I have not seen these local spots for so many years. Places like the William Lyon Mackenzie King house are so close by, and for my entire life I never even thought about visiting. We zip off to the ROM or heritage sites worldwide for a taste of history and culture, when it’s all here!
The dining room of the King family's Woodside House
Amongst some of the well known places of St. Jacob’s, like the Snider Flour Mill that have been converted into a unique shopping centre, I also got to visit the famous inn in the village – the former Jakobstettel, which is currently named Evenholme Estate and Spa. I had my birthday party at the Estate a couple of years ago and always ogled the place, jealous that I could not see the rest of the house outside the tea party room since it was reserved for guests only. So what a joy I had in being allowed to wander the place free of charge during Doors Open Waterloo.
I am reminded of when I lived in Northern Ireland. Something about “living” versus “visiting” the city made me overlook its stunning setting and treasures, and I merely focused on getting by day by day. I always have regretted missing out on all the possible experiences I could have had in that nation. Don’t do that to your own hometown. Get out. Get around. There are so many things available if you took some time to explore.
The stunning estate in St. Jacob's
People like to say that Kitchener-Waterloo is a hole. Torontonian friends often tell me how much they want to go back home. I’m always hearing how there is nothing to do here. You will never hear that from me. I have pride in my city. We have a history. We have a culture. Just open your eyes and look.
For more great places to visit in the region, please check out a sister blog – The Waterloo Insider.
It’s been awhile since returning from my month long trip around the world, but now I am finally sufficiently recovered to begin my array of journal entries about China. Hopefully you, dear readers, will find the stories inspiring, entertaining, and perhaps informative.
And why not start with the Great Wall? World wonder extraordinaire. Visible from the moon with the naked eye. And my first stop (figures) on my trip in Beijing.
For some reason, these details (and pictures) still did not give me a clear enough image of just how large this wall is. It’s stretches all across China. So…it’s HUGE. For the experienced hiker, conqueror, adventurer, it’s another mission to scale its lengths across crests and valleys. Fortunately, the everyday tourist can enjoy cable cars to designated zones and enjoy a somewhat leisurely walk and take photographs of the stunning scenery. Believe me though, if you intend to walk, it isn’t for the fainthearted. And for god’s sake, wear p
roper walking shoes, comfortable clothing and sunscreen (especially in the summer). I passed a girl in high heels and a sundress skittering daintily along as if the Great Wall was perhaps a stroll down lover’s lane. Passing her again on the way back, she was crouched in the shade of a station, looking rather agonized.
The Great Wall
Now, I went in the summer so I do not know how cold it gets in the winter. But here are things that you should definitely bring with you:
- WATER (or feel free to buy it from vendors on the wall for unfair prices)
- Walking shoes
- Light, comfortable wear
- Mini face towel (to clean that sweat off your face)
- Sunscreen
- Sunglasses
I did the “casual” thing of wearing a giant purse, but a backpack definitely would have been a better option.
There are 3 main areas that people normally choose to attend on the Great Wall. Your choice determines what kind of environment you like.
Badaling – This is the most touristy version of the Great Wall and is option packed with people. If you are seeking beautiful, naturesque shots, this may not be the place for you. The good thing about Badaling is that the climb is somewhat easier, and more tourists usually also means better protection, security and care.
Mutianyu – This is the section that my family and I visited. It is kind of an in between between Badaling and Jinshanling. There are tourists, but not anywhere new as much as Badaling. There is walking (and breathing) space. It is more hilly though from what I know about it, including a 50 near vertical set of steps between stations 19 and 20. Stations 21-23 are not closed to the public because a couple fell and died last year. Not to say that people don’t walk on it; I saw a number of people venture past the “Off Limits” sign to continue their adventure. Feel free, if you don’t mind not being found for a long, long time if you got injured and stuck. There’s a tale about how men will travel to this area of the Great Wall to climb stations 19-23. To succeed would be to call yourself a men. So men, book those plane tickets.
If you decide to walk down to station 6 instead of taking the cable car at 14, you can take the opportunity to ride a toboggan down the rest of the way (for 50 RMB). By toboggan, I mean a precarious ride on a little metal trolley down nothing more than a shallow metal trough for a good few hundred metres. You can’t miss it. Fortunately, you don’t go too fast so you won’t get injured as much as you think a ride like this would.
Apparently, it’s a wilder section of the Mutianyu wall as well that is unserviced and not restored. I did not see this myself but I have heard that if you want a bit more adventure, you can go there. I suggest some research first.
Jinshanling - This is the least touristy spot of the sections on the Great Wall (not including all the really wild parts). If you want some really serene, people free time, this would be it. I don’t know many details on this place (another reason why it’s so untouched), but my aunt said she really enjoyed the place. She’s an average tourist and was with her son, so it seems to be pretty family friendly and reasonably safe. The downside of visiting this part of the wall is that it would have to be a singular day trip. The other two are close to other attractions such as the Ming Tombs, so it’s more convenient. If you have the time though, check this place out for sure.
At the end of all of this, there are stalls upon stalls of vendors at the base of the walls eager to just sell you their wares. If you don’t speak Mandarin, you are doomed for prices unless you are amazingly good and aggressive at bargaining. We had a guide with us who helped with prices as well my as grandma who speaks a mix of Mandarin and Shanghainese. Having a guide is actually useful because then you don’t have to worry about how to get there as well. The company we used had a driver, and we booked a private tour for three days for a ridiculously good price. I would definitely say it’s worth the investment. For anyone interested, we used Beijing Travels. Not the best website, but their service was really good.
All in all, the Great Wall is worth the hype. For some, I think only an hour or two is sufficient enough adventure for picture taking. But if you want more, and loving the challenge, it’s certainly one of those wonders to tackle before you die. Good luck and good climbing!
