Iceland hot dog mania

Even road signs tell you where to get a hot dog.

You wouldn't think it, but Icelanders are crazy about hot dogs. The best place to eat one, I was told, is at Bæjarins Bestu in Reykjavik. The dogs are so good that Britain's Guardian newspaper named the place "the best hot dog stand in Europe."

I didn't eat one there, but at a drive through restaurant in Selfoss. Afterwards, I learned that most Icelanders order the "works," which means with their dog smothered with all the stuff. I opted only for mustard, which I would describe as sweet mustard. So I guess I missed the true Iceland hot dog experience. Next time. Still, it was delicious.

Ordering my dog at the drive-thru.

So from now on, don't think the good ol' USA has market cornered on tasty hot dogs, because up there in the Atlantic, just a bit northwest of the United Kingdom, they serve 'em up and they serve 'em up mighty tasty.

The Iceland language: Not so easy. . .

One thing in Iceland you will likely find challenging is the language. For me, it's impossible to speak, read and understand. Yes, there are a few words that sound the same or close to English. For example, "Hello" sounds like "Hello," with the e sounding a bit like an "a," as in "hallo. But most words are not so familiar

You needn't worry much about speaking or understanding Icelandic because nearly all Icelanders speak fluent English. I don't think they have much choice if they want to get along in the World. Outside Iceland, population 320,000, nobody speaks the language unless they grew up there and moved away. The language is close to old Norse, which was spoken by the Vikings. Present day Icelanders can read the language from the 12th and 13th century without difficulty.

So now go ahead and try to pronounce the words on the road sign. Good luck!

Roadkill in Iceland different than in USA

After you drive a couple hundred miles in Iceland you figure something out: the roadkill here is different than back home. There are far few familiar critters -- no rabbits, snakes, possums, armadillos, racoons, deer (there are reindeer) coyotes or squirrels. Now, some of these might be here, but I never saw any, dead or alive. Once you get outside Reykjavik there is so little population you don't even see squashed house cats.

There are a couple trillion sheep, of course, and cows and horses, but I didn't see any dead on the road.

What you do see are flattened birds, almost all seagulls. They must be stupid or unaccustomed to traffic because they barely get out of your way when you approach. That, of course, is why they end up dead, no brainer there.

I saw two live seagulls right on the road. I stopped at the second one, curious if it was resting or hurt. The little fellow looked up at me with very sad eyes and squirmed enough to reveal a broken foot and wing. "Help me Mister," I think he said, but I am not sure. I wanted to pick him up and take him to a bird hospital. But I didn't think there was anything like that. And I couldn't pack him in my suitcase for my flight home a few days later. So I left him and drove away. I felt like a heel, but what could I do?

The Northern Lights in Iceland

One thing we DID NOT see in Iceland were Northern Lights. Summer is not the time. But I found this video on YouTube and wanted to share it with you. This is what we missed!

How to say four important words in Icelandic

Sverrir Thorsteinsson of Happy Campers of Reykjavik explains to foreign visitors how to pronounce for important words in Icelandic.

One eyed cars

In Iceland it's the law that you must drive with your headlights on at all times, even in the middle of the day. But what is incredibly odd is that at least 10 percent of the cars only have one working headlight. I noticed this early in the trip, and thought maybe it was just a fluke. But as I continued to pay attention to approaching cars, I kept seeing the one-eyed cars. I asked a half dozen Icelanders for an explanation, but none knew. In fact, most of them had never even noticed.

The ratio seemed lower in the big city of Reykjavik. But on one stretch of rural road, out of about two-dozen cars that passed, half had only one headlight.

My best guess was that with no auto parts stores in rural areas, headlights might be hard to come by. But one native I asked said that most gas stations sold headlights.

Back a few decades in the United States, there was a informal custom that if you and your sweetheart passed a car with one headlight, you had to kiss. If that custom was common today in Iceland they'd be kissing all the time.

Gas stations not so rare

The smallest N1 station I saw.

There are many gas stations along the 830-mile Ring Road. The most popular are N1 stations. The picture to the side is the smallest one I saw. It was pretty much all by itself in the countryside. I believe it was automated -- insert your credit card and pump. Many stations operate this way. I don't think I was ever 60 miles from a gas station.

Grocery store at an N1 station

The N1 stations in towns -- and by towns I mean any place with 100 residents or more -- has a grocery store and a cafe. I was told before I left on my trip that they all had free WiFi, but I never found it.

An average sized N1 station

The stations offer a surprisingly good selection of groceries including fruits and veggies -- plus sundries, auto supplies, stationary, beer and wine, bug sprays, toys, clothing, even shoes. For folks who shop there it's the only place to buy anything for perhaps 50 to 100 miles. The N1's cafes offer hamburgers, hot dogs, coffee and whatever you can buy on the store shelves (a microwave and small electric grill is usually available to heat up sandwiches) and may be the only restaurant for miles around. They can be hoppin' places with locals seeking an evening on the town.

The stores accept cash, but credit cards are probably used more in Iceland than in the United States. When I was there (Sept. 2011), the price of gasoline and diesel was about $7.50 a gallon.

Sheep, sheep, sheep!

Once you leave the big city of Reykjavik, you will soon learn that sheep outnumber humans. Everywhere you look you see sheep. They roam the country more-or-less freely, eating lots of tasty grass, and consequently when they grow up and get fat they make for yummy meals for we humans. Iceland is famous for only two types of food fare: lamb and fish. I was not able to get a photo of a Cod, just sheep.

Road signs warn of sheep on the road, and indeed they do show up there. When you approach in your vehicle they might run or they might just stand there and stare at you. The fellow in this ten-second video just chewed whatever he was chewing and stared at me. I think he was more curious about me than I was of him. One day his owner will round him up and at that point he'll either lose his coat or end up as lamb stew. Maybe both. He's lucky he doesn't know his fate.

"Full hookup" not the same in Iceland

A full hookup campsite in Iceland means you can plug into 16-amp electricity. RVs don't have big power-hogging devices like air conditioners, so they don't need much power. Water and sewer hookups are not available.

All but the smallest camper vans have fresh water and gray water holding tanks. It's also okay to just drain your gray water right from your sink. I'm not sure about from the shower. There are no toilet black water tanks like we have in North America. Instead, the RVs have cassette tanks below the toilet. They are kind of like built-in but removable porta-potties. When the cassette tank fills up, empty it at the dump station. The small motorhome I rented in New Zealand a few years back had such a system. It worked, but was not as streamlined as ours in the USA and Canada.

Dump stations in Iceland are different from ours, where we insert our sewer hose and then pull a lever to get rid of the waste, all out of sight. Dump stations in Iceland have a wider hole in which to dispose waste. There is usually a nearby water hose to fill your tank.

I didn't use a dump station with my small campervan, which had no holding tanks, and I did not observe the process in action. You can see what a dump station looks like in the photo.

Three useful items when RVing Iceland

Here are three items that will come in handy while RVing Iceland.

The strangest statue in Iceland

I think this surely must be the oddest statue in all of Iceland. It's at Geysir Hot Springs, across the street from the geysers, just outside the hotel. If there is a plaque explaining it, I could not find it.

I asked one person who works in the huge gift shop about it, and she was clueless. I eventually learned that it's wrestlers. The statue honors the sport, which used to be a very big thing in the country. I think soccer is bigger now. Anyway, this statue was totally bizarre to me when I saw it, and looking at the picture now a week later, it's still bizarre. To me, it looks like one guy is holding up another guy with the upside down guy trying to cop a feel of the standing guy's underwear.

And, really, why a statue honoring wrestlers in a place famous for geysers?

Iceland money

The currency in Iceland is the Krona. More than one Krona is called a Kronur. Here are a couple of bills so you can see what they look like. A thousand Kronur is worth about $8 in U.S money. The handiest coin is 100 Kronur. I ended up with a pocketful at the end of every day. I tended to spend bills more often than coins because without putting on my reading glasses I couldn't tell most coins apart. The sizes sometimes don't make sense. A 10 Kronur coin is a lot bigger than a 50 Kronur coin. Half the time I didn't even know how much I was spending because I had to convert Kronurs to dollars in my head, and sometimes I was just too lazy. It was especially hard figuring out how much fruit and vegetables cost in the market because the weight is posted in kilograms.

Black mountains on Highway One

It was late afternoon on a moody day in northeast Iceland and I was driving on Highway One. As I often do, I glanced in my side mirror to see what was behind me. There is often a better scene or better light behind you than ahead, so it pays to look back. This time, I saw the black mountains. I slammed on the brakes and snapped this photo, which I like a lot.

The interesting statue near Akureyri

I spotted this status just about a mile from the crossing the bridge on Highway One that leads into downtown Akureyri. I'm not sure what it is or what it represents, but I liked it. If you know, please leave a comment.

RVing Iceland: A brief overview

In this eight minute report, learn about RVing Iceland -- the type of campervan we chose for our trip and its features, and then a rundown about RV travel in Iceland -- the roads, the people, the language, the scenic beauty. Please excuse some minor sound issues.

Iceland? Mars? Go ahead and guess. . .

Although much of the Iceland landscape is green, with waterfalls and rivers everywhere, there are parts that are downright alien. Can you tell which of these photos is from Iceland and which is a NASA photo of Mars? Not easy is it? Look close, though, and you should be able to tell.

 

The answer is below in the comments.

Notes from Iceland. . .

(FRIDAY MORNING): Time is going way too fast. I can see now that a week to explore Iceland is not nearly enough time. Three weeks would be much better.

Go ahead: Try to pronounce it!

The Icelandic alphabet has some different characters than we have in English. Some people have these characters in their names. I'm finding it almost impossible to pronounce some of the names of the people I have met, and pronouncing the names of places is equally challenging.

Here's a bit of trivia for you: there are no McDonald's restaurants in Iceland. I can't remember anywhere I have been where there was not a McDonald's. Actually, the restaurants were here for awhile, then in 2008 when Iceland endured a terrible economic crisis McDonald's was forced out of business. The law at the time was that McDonald's could not serve Iceland meat, so it needed to import beef. During the crisis, the price of imported beef rose so high that McDonald's had to raise its burger prices way up to cover the extra cost: the result was that customers stayed away. Goodbye McD's.

Everywhere you go, sheep. Even on the roads.

The fastest speed limit here is 90 kilometers per hour, which is about 60 mph. The Ring Road is easy driving -- excellent pavement and there is so little traffic that you can stop on the road whenever you want to snap a pic. But the one thing you need to look out for are sheep, which are everywhere. Some are afraid of humans and run away when you pass in your car. Others stand right on the road and seem curious about you. It's not pretty when you hit one, so you need to keep your eyes wide open. The only road kill you see are birds -- mostly seagulls from what I have observed.

It's expensive to dine out here -- you can easily spend $100 for two in a restaurant, and the price of alcohol is about double what you would pay in most of the USA. One very popular food item is the hot dog, which you can buy all over the place. They are very tasty, too. I will report the ingredients later.

I need to go now as I only have a little bit of internet time available. But I will be back. Be sure to read my newsletter this weekend to learn more about my trip.

Day Three: A quick report

Just a brief note for now. Internet access is hard to come by. I just paid $4 for 20 minutes at a public computer to catch up. Kathy and I just returned from a hike to the base of a magnificent glacier. In a few minutes we´ll hit the road. Nothing but small towns for the next day -- a gas station and maybe a few farms and houses. But the sun is peeking out today and the temperature is mild.

It was an incredible feeling this morning to wake up, look out my window and see a glacier. Our little campervan from Happy Campers is working out great. Small enough to go anywhere, but it has the basics for living. Actually, there are many RVs roaming the country, most class C´s about 20 to 22 feet. I have seen many trailers (caravans) parked by homes, but most RVs on the road now at the tail end of the tourist season, are motorhomes.

I hope to have a WiFi connection tonight (Thursday) and will post some photos. But it looks now that I will probably be home before I can post most of my photos, video and writing.

Lousy day in Iceland, incredible waterfall

My second full day in Iceland has been good and bad. It's so foggy that at times you can't see more than a couple hundred yards. Still, it's beautiful. Yesterday, was incredible, but I will have to report later because it is proving very hard to find internet access and even time to write. Right now I am in Vik, population 300, at the Hotel Lundi, which has free WiFi. So I am catching up. For the next four days I'll be traveling Highway 1 counter clockwise.

I have taken many photos and some video and when I get time will post it. But for now, here is a short video I shot earlier today (Tuesday) at a spectacular waterfall along Highway 1, about 20 miles or so west of Vik.

Day One: Reykjavik

My campervan and the "RV" section of the campground in Reykjavik.

It's 9 a.m. in the campground right downtown Reykjavik. Even though there is space for perhaps 40 or so RVs, there were only five last night -- three motorhomes about the size of what we would call small Class Cs, one small Class A motorhome and my campervan. A couple from a nearby town is in a choice spot in the corner of the campground in caravan, a 16-foot travel trailer. A Winnebago Brave was parked just outside the campground proper last night; it surprised me to see an American motorhome. Virtually all the RVs here are made in Europe.

The campground charges per person. Kathy and I paid about $25 (US) for our campsite and that was for no hookups. The nearby office includes a patio where you can log on for free to WiFi. The bathrooms are spacious with free showers. Last night when we returned from downtown, the patio area was buzzing with activity -- people drinking coffee or catching up with business on their laptops or iPhones. So far, everyone has been very friendly.

Services available at the campground

There is no language problem here: when you speak to a native, the minute they recognize you are an American they switch to English -- sounding more "American than English." In school the children are taught a more "English" English, but because they watch so much American television, their dialect gradually begins to sound American.

Our little Renault campervan from Happy Campers is much smaller than what I am accustomed to. It has a fold down double bed, which is surprisingly comfortable. The kitchen consists of a small sink with running water (the fresh water tank is about five gallons), and a portable one-burner stove. A small 12-volt fridge holds the basic stuff. There is no shower or bathroom or holding tanks: the kitchen sink drains to the ground, which is acceptable and legal.

Yet even though the tiny RV is cramped by what most of us travel with, it more than does the job. A solar panel and one deep cell battery are very effective -- the small electric heater keeps the camper toasty, and I'm told it will run virtually all night if someone needed so desired.

The only hookups are for electricity. I don't think there are any full hookup sites available on the entire island. Some of the RVs carry cassette holding tanks, which you dump much like a porta-potty. A sign at the campground office has directions to the nearest location, which appears to be a couple of miles away.

Kathy and I spent the evening in Reykjavik, population 200,000. It's an easy city to drive in, practically no traffic, at least after work hours. After being in England for the past two weeks (and driving on the left side of the road), this "big city" doesn't seem very big at all. The fact is, Iceland is about the same size as England, but has a mere 320,000 inhabitants compared to 51 million in England. After we pull out of Reykjavik today, we will begin to feel the sense of isolation we expected.

Downtown is "cute." I think that is the best description. There are few buildings more than a few stories tall and many are colorful. Not too far away there are skyscrapers, perhaps 25 stories the highest. You have never seen so many shops selling wool products -- sweaters, hats, mittens, etc: Iceland is known for its world-class wool. Kathy enjoys knitting, and browsing in the shops here must be like the "Superbowl of Knitting" to her. I think the prices are comparable to what you would pay in the states.

Fish and lamb are the two restaurant menu items recommended -- and nothing else is considered close. However, for our first night, Kathy and I opted for a small Italian restaurant in the heart of town. The Italian owner welcomed up and told us the building has been occupied since the 1880s, always as a hotel, restaurant or both. My meal was not outstanding, but tasty, so no complaints. We'll look for fish and lamb once we head into the countryside.

We're headed back into town this morning, and then are off to explore geysers at Gullfoss. Either today or tomorrow we will soak up the warm waters of the Blue Lagoon.

I'll write more again the next time I get a bit of time and an internet connection.

Days away from beginning of trip

Only two days until my travel partner Kathy and I fly from London to Reykjavik to begin our Iceland journey. We land at 3 p.m., Monday, Aug. 29, and will pick up our campervan shortly thereafter from Sverrir Thorsteinsson of Happy Campers. Our plan is to spend just a little time in the "big city" before heading off counter clockwise on the ring road around the sparsely populated island.

So, ready, set. . . and (almost) go. . .

Driving Iceland's roads

Driving Iceland's beautiful and rugged landscape can be a challenge and even dangerous, especially when driving on gravel roads and highways. In this video you'll get valuable advice about how to stay out of trouble.

Destination Iceland (by RV)

By Chuck Woodbury
editor, RVtravel.com

On August 29, 2011, my girlfriend Kathy and I will arrive in Reykjavik, Iceland where we will pick up a small campervan and then begin a one week roadtrip on the paved 831-mile-long Ring Road, Highway 1. The population of Iceland is only 320,000 of which 202,000 live in the Reykjavik or its suburbs, leaving a very spare population elsewhere. Our plan is to travel Highway 1 counter clockwise. That will leave the "big city" of Akureyri, population of 17,000, toward the end of our journey.

We will travel in a small campervan called a Happy 3 from Happy Campers in Reykjavik, which is furnishing the vehicle to us. Watch the short video in the right column of this page to see the Happy 3 in action. The Happy Camper people have been very helpful answering our questions as we prepare for our journey.

I plan to blog regularly before we begin our trip, and then every day during it. I'm told that WiFi is available throughout the island, sometimes at a lone gas station and market, of which there are many, commonly isolated from other civilization (see photo). A gas station chain called N1 advertises free WiFi at its 150 locations throughout the island.

Many campgrounds also offer Internet access. But, when it comes right down to it, there is a lot of "nothing" on the island. Of course, I mean civilization: there is plenty of magnificent scenery and countless geological wonders including the largest waterfall in Europe (Iceland is considered part of Europe).

There are many campgrounds. I'm told they range from very nice with all the amenities, to bare bones. Apparently the Icelandic people love to camp.

Considering all the wide open spaces along the road, Kathy and I are a bit apprehensive about traveling without a bathroom on board our RV. Seventy percent of Iceland is tundra, which means there are no trees to hide behind when doing one's duty. Alas, like those brave travelers before us, we will survive.

I'll write more as I learn more. If you want to be notified of each of my postings, enter your email address is the form at the top right of this page or sign up to receive my weekly newsletter RV Travel, where I will keep you posted.