Day 2 Whalewatching and hanging around in Reykjavik

Another bad night sleeping. Maybe a minor jetlag, because at home we went to summertime and Iceland is now 2 hours later than us. So all in all missing 3 hours is the feeling. Iceland has no summertime. But probably that faulty salmon of yesterday came alive and kicking in my stomach. But I felt a craving for food and I simply love the breakfast in this hotel with house baked still warm bread, so much fresh fruits, pancakes, cookie and muffin buffet and anything else to make me happy.

So I was happy when it was time for breakfast. Very early I was there, and because the hotel was by far not as full as last visit, the situation was slight different, parts of the breakfast room closed, but all the goodies still there except for the pecans and maple syrup to go with the pancakes. Instead they had some sugar derivate which probably cant equal our own Dutch syrup or even maple syrup. So I went for the blueberry marmelade coming along with it. Delicious too I must say! I was quite hungry normaly I dont eat a lot at first mornings. But now I did, healthy things, lots of fruits. Until two fat Americans came sit next to me with their cardio arrest breakfast, stinking even more than the salmon I had last night. Time for me to go.... I already felt my stomach playing tricks with me for this smell.

The hotel offers s free buspass during your stay so I decided to take the bus to the center of Reykjavik. No big deal, it is only 5 minutes by bus, and do like the Icelanders, why walk if you can do it on wheels? Well I in the end had to walk because I missed the bus, and the one and only bus did not come even close to the area of the harbour. I would miss my boat if I waited for the next. So I went walking. Which is no big deal, it is only 20 minutes if you exclude the waiting time for trafficlights to cross Hringbraut, the Reykjavik ringway, which you should consider as an Icelandic highway. No you wont cross a red light, but if you do the 'sugarhouse' Landspitali  (nickname Sjukrahus) is on the other side. But I still want to do a lot of things. I decided to wait for the lights turning green.

I walked my way to the center, trying to figure last visits way, but I found out I was very close to Tjornin, Rekjaviks pond, so why should I take the touristic route if it can be faster? So along Tjornin I walked, duckies kept sleeping even if I almost stepped on them. Swans were trumpettening and some for me unfamiliar ducks had to be pictured. I know now they are eiderducks. In Reykjavik I loved to see crocus flower every where, and tulips sticking their first leaves above the ground. Even here they put some smiles and colors to the world.

When I found the company to do the whalewatch, it started to rain a bit. I had to wait because the boat was not here yet. Above me a raven flew over screamng. As if it was meant for me it got quiet when it passed in the distance. Not later I heard a raven again. Two were arguing above me on a rooftop. It is amazing to see raven, I was told they do not adapt to city life, but why did this two apparently do? I have seen quite some ravens in the time I am here. And to some people who might say they were no raven, yes they are, simply because crows and jackdaws dont live in Iceland. The two ravens took off to other skies, and it started to rain harder. I was glad at the same time we were allowed to board the boat. Sitting warm and dry.

Rosin, the Rose. A not too big ship for whalewatching.

The rule has no exception, we had to wait for a young Chinese couple. Just like it happened on the tours last year. I amaze myself that in any tour, any activity it is always Chinese we have to wait for.
The boat was full, and it was a nice choice choosing this one over Elding. This boat was much tinier, it was bloody fast and had an incredible stable move. Not a single moment to feel tossed by the ocean.

Waters splash up alongside the boat.

Because of the speed lots of water was being splashed up, and the back of the boat sometimes disappeared below the waves. After 30 minutes we reached deep enough waters for whales and dolphins. Soon we spotted a pod of whitebeak dolphins, but they were asleep so we only saw them surfacing to breath, not to catch fish. We stayed for 15 minutes before continuing. We didnt find anything else except for a harbour porpoise, which only a few saw in an eye blink. Though I expected it to be much colder, I went inside to warm up, and remained there, because there was nothing to see. It was still raining and the boat speeding up to return to Reykjavik made even more water come up. We had a no succes trip. And this was the only thing I disliked, and Elding would have been better. Elding would have given us a refund or a new tour if we saw just a few dolphins and no whales. We now payed to see a few sleeping dolphins, it is not a whale. So if I ever went again, I think I would not go with this company again. You can have bad luck, and see nothing its true, but make a policy, even if in this case you see few dolphins give some refund, even if it is just half. And not limit it to refund only if you see nothing at all. It makes me feel like they can just scream there is something at 1 o'clock of the boat, and than tell you to pay because we saw it but you didn't because you didn't look right. After all they made a cost to have this trip going, it should be payed somehow. But whale watching tours arent anything cheap, and chances that I would go again, and again with this company are very small. I will go to Husavik for a next tour.

So this is what I payed 40 euros for... seeing a fin from a sleeping Whitebeak dolphin. But at least I saw wild dolphins :-) Think positive!

After the tour I went to buy some food. Amazing to see how much Dutch things there are in the stores, fresh herbs, vegetables, fruits, drinks, pickwick tea, ricecrackers, our ecological brand Ekoland was also supplied. Main thing for me was skyr, lots of skyr. I took a sturdy box with me to take some home. In the event it would break it would be no problem. I also took natural skyr. I got a recepy in which you can make your own, but you need to have a real skyr 'culture' because making this yourself is almost impossible. If anyone wonders what skyr is, it is Icelandic cream yogurt. It has a taste that equals nothing, it is somewhere between creamcheese and milk and greek yogurt, a bit of all and of nothing. But most of all incredible healthy, for as we can call dairy healthy. I simply love it and now I take some happiness home. :-)

I went through some other stores, searched for the chocolate volcanos but I cant remember where that was. I will try again Friday. Because now I decided to go to the hotel to drop off my things, go for the hot tub and then Kringlan, shopping center. Because it still rained.

I love the hotels pool, but not the fact that Icelanders are custom to double shower before entering the pool. Once naked and once in suit. I showered in my room, so a quick turn would do. Because it is not a matter of just showering, you have to scrub the 5 points of 'interest'. And I hoped to be alone but I was not. Luckily the lady was Icelandic, that can make a difference if you find things like this uncomfortable. She understood and left so I could do it my own way. I do agree it is the way it shoud be, but in our culture we are taught to be ashamed of our bodies, and if showering naked, we will be kicked out, or called pedophile for no reason. We would have people who fancy to see others shower, staring unwanted at you, compare point and laugh. I still have traumas...
And I always try to remember who are the sane ones, the Icelanders who dont care and just do what is right and hygienic, or the other world who stares and laughs and jumps in with sweat between his/her bums.... I know the answer.... And hope by time and patience I can get used to it. I love to swimm, and keeping tied to our cultural shame would exclude me from cultural happiness here. It is not what I want. And like the Icelanders themselves say, the one who doesnt join will stand out. In other words, you will draw attention if not doing the same as all the others. It is very true. But it remains something yet 'unnatural' to do... but still I prefer the Icelandic way.

The pool is incredible tranquile. With geothermal water (they for some reason want to make believe it is salt, but its not...) aromatherapy, blue, pink and purple light it gives such a relaxed sphere. As well as some not annoying new age music. Spending time here in the 41 degree hot tub (whch is in Iceland usually square and big enough to hold over 12 people) is amazing, as well as floating around on the nibit sticks. The floating sticks put under your knees and arms, and you can just lay back and relax, taking care not to bump your head to the pools walls. But it has overflow system so it is rather harmless.
Later some Brittish girls and guys came, the girls had problems with the nude showering and Icelanders will point you that if they are aware, these people are in some ways very tight to the rules. Nobody was aware except me, but they arrived completely dry. With lots of noise, splashing, diving and they messed the changeroom and bathroom by continiously walking in and out. Time for me to leave, and left a message to the desk about them and the changeroom becoming a swimmingpool covered with towels on the ground and messy in general. I dont know what they did with this news, but sometimes Britts can be so invasive, not always, dont get me wrong... But it was time for me to leave.

After having relaxed a little bit I decided to go walk/climb up to Perlan, the old watercollector building of Reykjavik, which now gets water straight from the source in the volcanic mountains not far away. From the hotel the hill looks poorly planted, you expect a way up through some empty bushes Iceland would call proudly a forest. I did not go there with more then normal expectations, but returned home totaly mesmorised. It is an awesom piece of nature, silence, singing birds, boulders, moss, birchtrees and pinetrees. bigger hiking path running along side many many crosscountry biking routes. Those biking routes I found out were so much more epic than the hiking roads, so I soon followed those, climbing over huge rocks. The bikers must love a challenge to cross all these mossy boulders by bike on paths that can be tricky and steep.
 
I even found a huge hole in the hill, which I think must have been a water reservoir too in (ancient) times ago. Now nature has taken it over and some Icelandic guys were rock climbing there which it was very suitable for. If you take care of loose rocks that is. Paths circle all around Perlan. It was getting the famous time of 6.30 and just like at home, the Icelandic people head out on this beautifull evening for a walk with or without dogs, to go run, bike or just enjoy some time off. I reached Perlan almost completely out of stamina. A huge grassfield on top with wildered rabbits all over the place. I kindly call it rabbit hill now. :-)
I took a look inside of Perlan, the saga museum was closed and there was not much to do. Inside they had a Geysir demo model pouring out water every few minutes. Cold water, there must be a hot water one outside, which I went to next. It was not working. It is an artificial hotwater geysir only working in summer.

Artificial geysir next to Perlan

 Then I decided to walk my way down again back to the hotel. It felt like you could walk here for hours without crossing the same path twice or more. And it was so awesome beautifull! With the sun lowering down on the horizon it started to look mystical. I know the Icelandic Asatru group has its home on this hill too. And I think I found out one of their ceremonial places hidden in the forrest. A stone circle with a fireplace, sheltered by rocks and trees. At least I think it belonged to them, cant know for sure of course. But out of respect, I just looked and did not wander around or take pictures. I am carefull with the powerfull energies from here and from the hidden people alike.

During my walk, which I did on the bikingpaths rather than walkingpaths (which were straight plane and boring) I sometimes noticed people created paths straight through what I suspect be the homes of the elves. Sometimes I refused to continu the walk and found another way. It is weird but for me the only natural thing to do. See I do believe in elves and other creatures we cannot all see but defenitely will be aware of their existence one way or another. If you don't, they will do it themselves. I can know because the perks made some of my pictures vanish. They can be rather naughty ;-)

Finaly back at the hotel I bought a chicken wrap for dinner. But then I again started to feel sick. My stomach really is messed up and I didn't take my nux vomica with me. Instead I still had the cursed domperidon, which is said to have killed some people solely to the intake of it. Well... my positive attitude, then I at least die in the place I love. I took them anyway to feel a bit better. But again it would be a devastating night, and I just hope I would be fit enough for the big day tomorrow. Horseback riding!