Saturday, April 6, 2013
Saturday, April 6, 2013
Iceland: the quirky home of Bobby Fischer, Björk and the Blue Lagoon
Posted on Fri, Apr 05, 2013
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Comments  (7)
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:34 AM, 04/05/2013
    They forget to mention that ring of massive volcanoes blowing off steam, ash and lava in Iceland that are ready to blow soon. You'll have nowhere to run and hide when they do. The place is too small. The first thing that will happen is that "Blue Lagoon" will rise to 1,500 degrees in an instant as the bottom opens up into a lava spewing cavern that gulps you down. It's hot for a reason. Say goodbye to anyone wallowing about in it when that happens. The steamy water is a warning, but people are stupid and take their chances like that. I'll pass.
    — MS. LOU.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:35 AM, 04/05/2013
    "The dollar goes further in Iceland than it did 5 years ago." Iceland is not cheap. Yes, now a pint of beer is only $9, instead of $15. Gas is $10/gallon and distances to sites outside Reyjavik are not short. Rental cars cost at least $1000 per week excluding gas, and if you want an SUV for the gravel roads, expect to spend a lot more. Dinners will easily set you back $75 - $100 per person without drinks, and that's not for gourmet food. The Icelandic currency appreciated against the dollear by more than 5% this week alone, so expect to spend a lot more as the summer tourist season draws near, particularly since the economy collapsed in 2008 and the Icelandic Central Bank is now seeking to squeeze every foreign tourist 'dollar' out of the summer season, on the pretext of holding inflation low. And, the party scene is lame compared to any medium-sized American city, just a lot more expensive. The scenery is beautiful outside the main tourist stops, but bring lots of $. A budget for a no-frills, self-drive vacation of 2 weeks will run you close to $10,000 for a family of 3.
    — Seaner
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 11:31 AM, 04/05/2013
    Seaner - Oh my Lord! No wonder the tourism stats are so low. That's ridiculous. Just to go float about in a community bath and catch a glimpse of Bjork in her S&M gear? Not worth it.
    — MS. LOU.
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 1:43 PM, 04/05/2013
    MS. LOU: It's a beautiful country. If money is no object, then I say go visit Iceland. But the suggestion in some of these articles that Iceland is inexpensive really misses the mark. Iceland is at least as expensive as Manhattan, and you won't have the same level of luxury food or accommodation. But if one is going to Iceland for the natural beauty of the countryside, then luxury may not matter. I think it's important that travelers to Iceland realize that it's not a budget location. The Blue Lagoon Clinic, for example, charges about $400 in the summer for an overnight, and that doesn't include food or drink. If you just want to spend the day at the pool, it's around $50 admission per person, a relative bargain.
    — Seaner
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:37 PM, 04/05/2013
    Iceland is awesome. You guys probably think Orlando is an exotic vacation.
    — DogfightingAficionado
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 3:52 PM, 04/05/2013
    Lol, Ms Lou. Iceland is a neat experience. Loved the food too. Unfortunately the weather didn't cooperate when I was there. I think the reality with traveling is that nothing ends up being cheaper than the US. Unless you are really going off the grid.
    — gho_matt
  • 0 like this / 0 don't   •   Posted 10:41 PM, 04/05/2013
    Ms Lou, you never answered my question. Do you know what a San Francisco Bird Feeder is?
    — Knuble


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