Well, today we completed the Ring Road. After just over 2000km in our car, we arrived back in Reykjavik. Over the past week and a half, Teri and I have traveled around a thoroughly beautiful place unlike any other we have been to. You've seen the pictures. The geological diversity is unmatched anywhere for such a small place. We have 8 rolls of film and 300 digital photos. Don't worry though. You won't be asked to look at them unless you want to. We took the one above earlier today at a turnoff just off the Ring Road. It's barely mentioned on the map of the region we were in. But there it was, a 70m waterfall into a stream with rainbows in it.
It's odd that the natural marvels occur in a place with so few citizens. Nature creates the beauty here for itself. And maybe for the sheep and horses. The volcanic activity and glacial movements assure the view is always in flux. And though the towns we have passed through have been populated by 1000 people, or 800 people, or if it is big, 6000 people, I still find it striking that there are only 300,000 Icelanders. That's the size of Toledo, OH. When they told us Iceland's silver medal in handball was the smallest country ever to medal in a team sport, it was weird to think that Iceland had such a small population, and yet we had traveled through almost all of her towns. Yes, 70% of the country is uninhabitable. Yes, the weather is fairly harsh, even in late summer, but after driving through it, Iceland seems like it would be a country of a few million. Back in Reykjavik, it just seems that across the entire land we were playing in, more than Toledo, OH existed.
Here's an example to explain. Teri and I were wandering through the botanical gardens today in Reykjavik. and stepped into a cafe. Sitting at the table with her friends was Bjork. Now she's not that famous, but she's probably the most famous person in Iceland since Leif Ericksson. She's the joke everyone made when they heard we're heading out here. "Say 'hi' to Bjork" was EVERYONE's joke. The ridiculousness of it all compounded when we ran (near literally) into her again, walking into a book store on Reykjavik's busiest shopping street. Is Iceland this small? Do people routinely see Bjork or Magnus Ver Magnusson in cafe's or shopping?
Another example: everyone is listed in the phonebook. Including the Prime Minister. Probably Bjork too. I can call them right now. Then I can walk up to the parliament building and walk in and say hi. The building itself looks like an small educational building at liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere. I'd say DePauw, but my school's buildings were larger than this. Hell, DU was nearly as large as this building. It's just a striking realization to the country's actual size when things like this smack you in the face. And you can tell Icelanders enjoy this aspect immensely.
It is an entire country as a small town. No one locks their doors. Every driveway and farm along the Ring Road has a sign marking what it is. Not an address or street sign, but a sign like you are entering a town; reflective and official. Strollers - with babies - are left outside a cafe while the person pushing it grabs a quick coffee. There is an incredible trust/respect for personal space and belongings that you only find in places where everyone knows each other.
Some other quirks:
** Is it racist to say that all Icelandic children look alike, yet none of them look like their parents? Teri has really blonde hair. But hers looks brown compared to these kids' mop tops. Every physical stereotype about Scandanavians presents itself in Icelandic children. White, White, White, hair, and bright, bright, bright, blue eyes. Large physical traits and clearly homemade clothes. (Though by the time they are teenagers, I'd say half have turned goth - probably also fulfilling a stereotype). Here's the thing though. There are shockingly few toe headed adults. The adults still have the Viking traits of high cheek bones, sharp chins, and prominent brows, but everyone has brown hair.
** The above mentioned phonebook lists people by their first names. (Therefore, the J section, for Jon, is very long - but not too long, because the country only has the population of TOLEDO!). This is because the way people are named here is different than most western countries. When two are married, the woman does not take the husband's surname (in fact it used to be against the law). However, when the child is born, they get a unique first name and their last name becomes the first name of the father + son or dottir. Hence, Thor Bjornson is Thor, son of Bjorn. And Anna Sigurdottir is actually Anna, daughter of Sigur. This probably is why genealogists love this place. It becomes very easy to track lineage. And this also means everyone addresses each other by their first name. Even the Prime Minister. There is no Mr. or Mrs.
There are others, but you will have to discover them on your own when you visit. And when you do, find Teri and I to talk about the trip. I think we both came to the conclusion that it would be hard to live here (not that we ever really wanted to), despite all of the convenient perks. The dark winters would be tough to get through. The smallness would probably become pretty apparent. And if you lived outside of Reykjavik, the simplicity of life might not be totally enjoyable. But it is appealing. There is plenty still to discover so we really hope to come back sometime. We didn't even get up on a glacier. I never tried whale or shark or puffin. We never visited any of the islands off the coast. We left the great park Asbyrgi unexplored, and we easily could have spent a few more days hiking in the southern and eastern coasts.
However, we leave tomorrow totally happy with this trip. Breathtaking. Unique. Friendly. Even Little Yoder had a great time. S/he kicked his way all the way around the Ring Road. S/he'll have to join us the next time we come out. We have one last trip to the famous Blue Lagoon and it's hot springs on the way to the airport. tomorrow. An afternoon of warm baths and soothing mud to cake on our skin before getting on a plane for 5 hours at 5pm. All part of the loving good bye Iceland leaves you with. It was a lovely time, but Big Papi probably misses Teri.
It's odd that the natural marvels occur in a place with so few citizens. Nature creates the beauty here for itself. And maybe for the sheep and horses. The volcanic activity and glacial movements assure the view is always in flux. And though the towns we have passed through have been populated by 1000 people, or 800 people, or if it is big, 6000 people, I still find it striking that there are only 300,000 Icelanders. That's the size of Toledo, OH. When they told us Iceland's silver medal in handball was the smallest country ever to medal in a team sport, it was weird to think that Iceland had such a small population, and yet we had traveled through almost all of her towns. Yes, 70% of the country is uninhabitable. Yes, the weather is fairly harsh, even in late summer, but after driving through it, Iceland seems like it would be a country of a few million. Back in Reykjavik, it just seems that across the entire land we were playing in, more than Toledo, OH existed.
Here's an example to explain. Teri and I were wandering through the botanical gardens today in Reykjavik. and stepped into a cafe. Sitting at the table with her friends was Bjork. Now she's not that famous, but she's probably the most famous person in Iceland since Leif Ericksson. She's the joke everyone made when they heard we're heading out here. "Say 'hi' to Bjork" was EVERYONE's joke. The ridiculousness of it all compounded when we ran (near literally) into her again, walking into a book store on Reykjavik's busiest shopping street. Is Iceland this small? Do people routinely see Bjork or Magnus Ver Magnusson in cafe's or shopping?
Another example: everyone is listed in the phonebook. Including the Prime Minister. Probably Bjork too. I can call them right now. Then I can walk up to the parliament building and walk in and say hi. The building itself looks like an small educational building at liberal arts college in the middle of nowhere. I'd say DePauw, but my school's buildings were larger than this. Hell, DU was nearly as large as this building. It's just a striking realization to the country's actual size when things like this smack you in the face. And you can tell Icelanders enjoy this aspect immensely.
It is an entire country as a small town. No one locks their doors. Every driveway and farm along the Ring Road has a sign marking what it is. Not an address or street sign, but a sign like you are entering a town; reflective and official. Strollers - with babies - are left outside a cafe while the person pushing it grabs a quick coffee. There is an incredible trust/respect for personal space and belongings that you only find in places where everyone knows each other.
Some other quirks:
** Is it racist to say that all Icelandic children look alike, yet none of them look like their parents? Teri has really blonde hair. But hers looks brown compared to these kids' mop tops. Every physical stereotype about Scandanavians presents itself in Icelandic children. White, White, White, hair, and bright, bright, bright, blue eyes. Large physical traits and clearly homemade clothes. (Though by the time they are teenagers, I'd say half have turned goth - probably also fulfilling a stereotype). Here's the thing though. There are shockingly few toe headed adults. The adults still have the Viking traits of high cheek bones, sharp chins, and prominent brows, but everyone has brown hair.
** The above mentioned phonebook lists people by their first names. (Therefore, the J section, for Jon, is very long - but not too long, because the country only has the population of TOLEDO!). This is because the way people are named here is different than most western countries. When two are married, the woman does not take the husband's surname (in fact it used to be against the law). However, when the child is born, they get a unique first name and their last name becomes the first name of the father + son or dottir. Hence, Thor Bjornson is Thor, son of Bjorn. And Anna Sigurdottir is actually Anna, daughter of Sigur. This probably is why genealogists love this place. It becomes very easy to track lineage. And this also means everyone addresses each other by their first name. Even the Prime Minister. There is no Mr. or Mrs.
There are others, but you will have to discover them on your own when you visit. And when you do, find Teri and I to talk about the trip. I think we both came to the conclusion that it would be hard to live here (not that we ever really wanted to), despite all of the convenient perks. The dark winters would be tough to get through. The smallness would probably become pretty apparent. And if you lived outside of Reykjavik, the simplicity of life might not be totally enjoyable. But it is appealing. There is plenty still to discover so we really hope to come back sometime. We didn't even get up on a glacier. I never tried whale or shark or puffin. We never visited any of the islands off the coast. We left the great park Asbyrgi unexplored, and we easily could have spent a few more days hiking in the southern and eastern coasts.
However, we leave tomorrow totally happy with this trip. Breathtaking. Unique. Friendly. Even Little Yoder had a great time. S/he kicked his way all the way around the Ring Road. S/he'll have to join us the next time we come out. We have one last trip to the famous Blue Lagoon and it's hot springs on the way to the airport. tomorrow. An afternoon of warm baths and soothing mud to cake on our skin before getting on a plane for 5 hours at 5pm. All part of the loving good bye Iceland leaves you with. It was a lovely time, but Big Papi probably misses Teri.
No comments:
Post a Comment