Civilization. Yay.
[ Posted by Janka ]
Hi I’m baaaack! It was a good vacation, and it was good to come back, and that is as it should be. I have been feeling really good the past couple of weeks, starting from the week before my vacation and still lasting even after all the unpacking and “what the hell is this work thing about again?” experiences. Enough so to have been mentally checking to see that I am not manic or anything, but so far I do not seem to possess megalomaniac thoughts or spend money recklessly or any that sort of thing (let me know if I am just delusional about this).
Some random hints for travelers:
In Iceland:- The Laugavegur hiking trail is awesome, but the first two days (coming from Landmannalaugar) are fairly tough, with a total elevation difference of 500 meters, and should be taken seriously.
- The hot pool in Landmannalaugar, the trail head, should not be missed, it is total pure awesomeness.
- The possibility of snow and/or high winds at the Hrafntinnusker is very real, which should also be taken seriously. Do not set out without proper rain gear, you will regret it. (We almost did, and praised our common sense of buying proper stuff several times on the way up.)
- The huts are often fully booked, especially the high one, but it still makes sense to ask for places every time before setting up your tent. People cancel often, and those places go on first come, first served basis. Wardens are awesome people and should all reserve hugs and free beers.
- Instead of ending the second day in Alftavatn, you can continue about 5 km to Hvanngil. This makes your next day fairly short and easy, in case you need a rest day, or makes it easier to press days 3 and 4 together, taking only a lunch break at Ermstur.
- In the city, take advantage of the Reykjavik Welcome Card. It includes public transport, entrance to many museums, and most importantly, to the pools. With free hot geothermal water, the local pools are awesome stuff. It takes just about 4 trips on the buses, or fewer + one entrance fee daily, for the card to be good value, and it is really nice and easy to use.
- The Saga Museum in the Perlan is worth seeing, despite not being included in the aforementioned card.
- The BSI bus terminal has a luggage storage for a minimal fee. The Reykjavik Excursions FlyBus to the airport will pick you up from your hotel, stop at the terminal, and proceed to the airport, so it is possible to pick up luggage on the way. Very practical for hiking gear or so that you do not want to drag around town.
- All food in restaurants and cafes is generally very good, but fish and lamb or mutton are the best choices, being fresh and locally produced. Local sheep wander the highlands freely during summer, and you can taste the benefits of that.
- Iceland is not a cheap country. Accommodation especially is seriously expensive. If you are on a budget, considering a workaround such as begging for friends of friends to let you crash on their couch, or CouchSurfing, or a house exchange plan, are recommendable.
- Buses that wade rivers are seriously cool stuff. Taking a bus to some nature reserve such as Thorsmörk is worth just to see that—and the nature is awesome too.
- The Blue Lagoon is exactly as it is pictured on the web: touristy, but still very much worth it. I really want to be on some winter-time flight with a long transit in Keflavik one day, just to see it in the dark.
- Going in the summer will make LA residents roll their eyes and tell you you are totally nuts. Go anyway. The heat is an experience.
- Going in a new car with an AC that can cope with 45+ degrees of C is a very good idea.
- Do not leave the car without water and sunscreen.
- Badwater is not just a point in the desert saying “lowest point here”, there’s actually stuff to see there. And even water, for some values of water.
- Having a shade for your tent for morning hours after sunrise really pays off. Those extra couple of hours of sleep every morning really are worth the hassle.
- Used sails make good shade structures, if (and only if!) you understand how to make stuff hold in the wind. They are also good for demonstrating where all the power that moves sailing boats comes from.
- Principle of anchoring stuff to the playa is this: triangular 3D structures of tension will hold. “Flat” structures will fall. It is not enough to fasten a tent or a shade structure to the ground from its corners, you need sidelines from each corner to some way away from the tent. For bigger structures and for poles holding up structures, you want two sidelines per corner/pole, angled away from each other.
- Hammering rebar into the playa is a matter of technique. 1) When you first think it will not sink further, the work actually starts. 2) Bend the rebar, and bend it so that the angle is sharp enough, not curved. Bending makes it less likely someone will hurt themselves on it, and the sharp angle makes it less likely it will bend instead of sinking when you hammer it in. 3) Use a piece of mat, a towel, or whatever, for padding between the hands of the person holding the rebar and the rebar itself (or between the feet of the person doing the job solo, and the rebar). 4) Place the rebar in roughly 45 degrees to the playa, away from the direction where you expect it to be pulled, not directly perpendicular to ground. When you hammer, stand in that direction, not “outside” of the rebar. This will make it less likely to bend instead of sinking. 5) When I say “hammer”, I mean a proper sledgehammer.
- Leopardy rocks. Highly recommended afternoon activity.
- Playa Info volunteering is fun, for some bizarre and probably braindead values of fun.
- Alcohol (or other such stuff) is actually not a very necessary part of the Burning Man experience. Morning coffee would have been useful.
- Dave is still the Prince of Black Rock City, and don’t believe him if he tells you otherwise. So there.
