Confessions of a Wandering Gypsy Princess

Regret Nothing!

Sherrie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:50:34 +0000

Having wrote that last post, one day stuck inside without much to do is a small price to pay for everything we have seen on the trip so far. And the weather, that is just part of Iceland charm!

Just like the ogres!

How pretty it is when the sun shines!

Rain In Iceland…

Sherrie — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 18:37:10 +0000

Rain in Iceland is nothing new! We have had about 4 days of actual sunshine and the rest has been cloudy, overcast, and with a smattering of drizzle. BUT as of yesterday I was nearly blown off the road, and with wind at almost 20 m/s we decided not to drive today. Instead we are staying inside where it is warm and cozy and playing on the Internet.

And then I look over and I notice that the guy next to me in the little common kitchen (hurray for campsites with common kitchens!) is playing what looks like fruit machines and I just asked if he was indeed playing in an online casino?

And it turns out he is, I asked if that was safe or not, and he said he found an online gambling portal that allows him to find reputable online gambling sites.

I find that even giving my credit card number out makes me a little queasy, and how many hours could I spend gambling away my money on a day like today? Where I do not even want to venture outside because of the weather, but the internet provides much needed distractions.

Of course coming to Iceland in August was a gamble in and of itself!

2 Faces

Sherrie — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:50:56 +0000

Icelanders are among the most friendly people we have ever met. They almost always have a smile, they always want to help, and while we were in Reykjavik we were allowed to park our motorcycle in a private driveway to avoid paying for the meters. So you can imagine my shock when this friendly attitude evaporates as soon as they get behind a wheel of a car! Then these otherwise wonderful people become maniacs on the road intent only on blood. I guess because they lack cheap auto insurance companies they figure they might as well get their money’s worth. Whereas we have fantastic insurance and we want to keep the low rates and happy service, we prefer not to try to run people over on the road, and of course to avoid the wildlife…

My Monkey

Sherrie — Mon, 06 Sep 2010 12:40:48 +0000

I am in a cafe taking refuge from the rain and trying to upload pictures and let my mother know that I am safe (4 days without internet makes both of us antsy, all 3 if you toss in the German as well). And I am noticing that almost all my pictures of Patrick involve him climbing over something to hang off it to take videos. This is a theme that I am not convinced I entirely like…

Iceland Is However Expensive

Sherrie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:54:48 +0000

Although a breathtakingly beautiful country, it is not a cheap one to say the least. I was looking at jewelery and clothes and looking at getting a few presents and souvenirs for myself, and I am thinking its a no go. I just can not bring myself to pay 400 for a sweater that I can get at home for 200, and certainly not 80 for something I can get for 10! Nope I can and will wait for when I get home and then go crazy buying wholesale apparel and telling myself I am actually saving money the entire time! Nature is free and I will just enjoy that!

In Other Adventure News…

Sherrie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:48:16 +0000

Tomorrow we head towards Geyser (the one which has since caused all others to in fact be called Geyser!) as well as the other delights of the Golden circle of Iceland. Given that the whole of Iceland is one beautiful tourist attraction after another, I can only imagine just what this is going to be, since it is where you go when you have no time to see anything else in the country!

Thinking About Dubai…..

Sherrie — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:41:01 +0000

Recently the Dubai worm was put into my head by a friend. A fellow teacher, she was actually giving English lessons to a man about to relocate his entire business to Dubai, and he wanted to get his English into tip top shape as he figured his German native language was not going to be of much help. She then mentioned how she too was thinking about taking an English position in the country, as the money was a lot higher than what she could earn here, and all the talk about Dubai jobs and moving there started to get me thinking.

The big thing is I would like not just to visit another country again, but I would love to live and work in another country. I am slowly accepting that it looks like Germany is a place where I have put down roots (not that it is a bad place, its just that the thought of putting down roots terrifies me) and yet I still want a little more adventure. And though I teach English and can find a job anywhere, my developer partner is a little more hesitant to move.

However that was until I found out that Dubai engineering jobs are in fact available, and people are even looking for them there. And as my partner is in fact a trained engineer, perhaps a move would be possible. In fact they even help you move there, with assistance in finding a place and culture adjustment.

Not beyond the realm of possibility after all…

If You Going To Visit The Middle of Nowhere, Have Your Stuff With You!

Sherrie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:26:27 +0000

If you read over at Unleash Your Adventure as well you know that Iceland is not really as isolated in the interior as people have you believe. For sure you will not find a lot of Icelanders themselves. They tend to let the place be, after all only crazy tourists want to risk flat tires and empty gas tanks (and apparently young Icelandic men, but another story for another time!). However one thing I have to give those who brave the interior in their cars is that they are READY for it. With their filled thule rack with everything they will need (or even think they will need), even if a problem does arise they are ready to deal with it. Especially since in 20 mins the next adventurer fully loaded down with everything they think they will need is about to show up!

One Thing You Do Not Want In Iceland

Sherrie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:24:24 +0000

Is an Enduro helmet. At the very least not when the end of August arrives. BITTER cold on your face, even at 50 and on a dirt road! So trust me, leave your Enduro helmet at home (even with your goggles it will just not be fun) and instead ride with a helmet that has a visor. Less temper tantrums will ensure… (and you wont find yourself buying a new helmet in Iceland!)

Iceland Camping Card Rocks

Sherrie — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 20:20:44 +0000

So far we have used our Iceland Camping Card almost every night since we have arrived in Iceland. There were 2 nights just outside a national park where we were beyond any camping sites and another 2 were a bed was a better idea than a sleeping bag in the tent. But truthfully, even if the camping card was not such a great deal (which it is, for 100 Euro 2 adults and up to 4 kids can stay at the participating sites for up to 4 nights consecutively and return as often as they want!) but also the quality of the campsites (though they vary) astound me. Almost all have internet (except for in the west fjords!) and they have hot showers, nice patio sets with patio furniture covers , kitchens that you can use (even use their dishes) and sometimes even free washer and dryers! (Again though this varies, some places have a green space and a toilet, and another wanted 15 Euro to wash and dry our clothes!). But all in all very happy with the campsites so far!