Going home to Iceland...

[Sateema Lunasi]

My plane leaves the 12th, and I am pining for home. I was just thinking that I know I am fascinated by other countries and cultures, so I figure I will post pics of my homeland and information you might find interesting and I encourage you people to post pics of where you are from and tell me of your customs and interesting bits of things.


So...Iceland.

I am leaving on the 12th to Iceland to visit my sister for a full month. I might stay longer. I only bought a one way ticket.

I am headed toward Arakur, and will spend some time in Krafla as well.

Some pictures:

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

And Krafla...

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Gylmur is right next to the village my sister lives in. We can walk there.

 

[Starfire]

Iceland...

Spectacular pics, Sateema ........

Closest I have got this is the very north of Norway and Finland.

 

[QuickDuck]

I have to admitt that I have always been interested in Iceland, mainly because i know so little about it.

The photos you have posted are amazing!


As for where I call home.... well let me just tell you a bit about this place called Australia (sorry for the length of it) .....

Australia is a very confusing place, taking up a large amount of thebottom half of the planet. It is recognisable from orbit because of many unusual features, including what at first looks like an enormous bite taken out of its southern edge; a wall of sheer cliffs which plunge deep into the girting sea. Geologists assure us that this is simply an accident of geomorphology and plate tectonics, but they still call it the "Great Australian Bight" proving that not only are they covering up a more frightening theory, but they can't spell either.

The first of the confusing things about Australia is the status of the place. Where other land masses and sovereign lands are classified as either continent, island, or country, Australia is considered all three.

Typically,it is unique in this.

The second confusing thing about Australia are the animals. They can be divided into three categories: Poisonous, Odd, and Sheep. It is true that of the 10 most poisonous arachnids on the planet, Australia has 9 of them. Actually, it would be more accurate to say that of the 9 most poisonous arachnids, Australia has all of them. However, there are curiously few snakes, possibly because the spiders have killed them all. But even the spiders won't go near the sea. Any visitors should be careful to check inside boots (before putting them on) under toilet seats (before sitting down) and generally everywhere else. A stick is very useful for this task.

Strangely, it tends to be the second class of animals (the Odd) that are more dangerous. The creature that kills the most people each year is the common Wombat. It is nearly as ridiculous as its name, and spends its life digging holes in the ground, in which it hides. During the night it comes out to eat worms and grubs.

The wombat kills people in two ways: First, the animal is indestructible. Digging holes in the hard Australian clay builds muscles that outclass Olympic weightlifters. At night, they often wander the roads. Semi-trailers (Road Trains) have hit them at high speed, with all 9 wheels on one side, and this merely makes them very annoyed. They express this by snorting, glaring, and walking away. Alas, to smaller cars, the wombat becomes an asymmetrical high-speed launching pad, with results that can be imagined, but not adequately described.

The second way the wombat kills people relates to its burrowing behaviour. If a person happens to put their hand down a Wombat hole, the Wombat will feel the disturbance and think "Ho! My hole is collapsing!" at which it will brace its muscled legs and push up against the roof of its burrow with incredible force, to prevent its collapse. Any unfortunate hand will be crushed, and attempts to withdraw will cause the Wombat to simply bear down harder. The unfortunate will then bleed to death through their crushed hand as the wombat prevents him from seeking assistance. This is considered the third most embarrassing known way to die, and Australians don't talk about it much.

At this point, we would like to mention the Platypus, estranged relative of the mammal, which has a duck-bill, otter's tail, webbed feet, lays eggs, detects its aquatic prey in the same way as the electric eel, and has venomous barbs attached to its hind legs, thus combining all 'typical' Australian attributes into a single improbable creature.

The last confusing thing about Australia is the inhabitants. First, a short history: Some time around 40,000 years ago, some people arrived in boats from the north. They ate all the available food, and a lot of them died. The ones that survived learned respect for the balance of nature, man's proper place in the scheme of things, and spiders. They settled in, and spent a lot of the intervening time making up strange stories.

Then, around 200 years ago, Europeans arrived in boats from the north. More accurately, European convicts were sent, with a few deranged and stupid people in charge. They tried to plant their crops in Autumn (failing to take account of the reversal of the seasons when moving from the top half of the planet to the bottom), ate all their food, and a lot of them died. About then the sheep arrived, and have been treasured ever since.

It is interesting to note here that the Europeans always consider themselves vastly superior to any other race they encounter, since they can lie, cheat, steal, and litigate (marks of a civilised culture, they say) - whereas all the Aboriginals can do is happily survive being left in the middle of a vast red-hot desert, equipped with a stick.

Eventually, the new lot of people stopped being Europeans on Extended Holiday and became Australians. The changes are subtle, but deep, caused by the mind-stretching expanses of nothingness and eerie quiet, where a person can sit perfectly still and look deep inside themselves to the core of their essence, their reasons for being, and the necessity of checking inside your boots every morning for fatal surprises. They also picked up the most finely tuned sense of irony in the world, and the Aboriginal gift for making up stories. Be warned.

There is also the matter of the beaches.

Australian beaches are simply the nicest and best in the entire world. Although anyone actually venturing into the sea will have to contend with sharks, stinging jellyfish, stonefish (a fish which sits on the bottom of the sea, pretends to be a rock, and has venomous barbs sticking out of its back that will kill just from the pain) and surfboarders. However, watching a beach sunset is worth the risk.

As a result of all this hardship, dirt, thirst, and wombats, you would expect Australians to be a dour lot. Instead, they are genial, jolly, cheerful, and always willing to share a kind word with a stranger, unless they are an American. Faced with insurmountable odds and impossible problems, they smile disarmingly and look for a stick. Major engineering feats have been performed with sheets of corrugated iron, string, and mud.

Alone of all the races on earth, they seem to be free from the 'Grass is Greener on the other side of the fence' syndrome, and roundly proclaim that Australia is, in fact, the other side of that fence. They call the land "Oz", "Godzone" (a verbal contraction of "God's Own Country") and "Best bloody place on earth, bar none, strewth." The irritating thing about this is they may be right.

There are some traps for the unsuspecting traveller, though. Do not under any circumstances suggest that the beer is imperfect, unless you are comparing it to another kind of Australian beer. Do not wear a Hawaiian shirt. Religion and Politics are safe topics of conversation (Australians don't care too much about either) but Sport is a minefield. The only correct answer to "So, howdya' like our country, eh?" is "Best {insert your own regional swear word here} country in the world!".

It is very likely that, on arriving, some cheerful Australians will 'adopt' you, and on your first night, and take you to a pub where Australian Beer is served. Despite the obvious danger, do not refuse. It is a form of initiation rite. You will wake up late the next day with an astonishing hangover, a foul-taste in your mouth, and wearing strange clothes. Your hosts will usually make sure you get home, and waive off any legal difficulties with "It's his first time in Australia, so we took him to the pub.", to which the policeman will sagely nod and close his notebook. Be sure to tell the story of these events to every other Australian you encounter, adding new embellishments at every stage, and noting how strong the beer was. Thus you will be accepted into this unique culture.

Most Australians are now urban dwellers, having discovered the primary use of electricity, which is air-conditioning and refrigerators.

Typical Australian sayings

* "G'Day!"

* "It's better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick."

* "She'll be right."

* "And down from Kosiosco, where the pine clad ridges raise their torn and rugged battlements on high, where the air is clear is crystal, and the white stars fairly blaze at midnight in the cold and frosty sky. And where, around the overflow, the reed beds sweep and sway to the breezes, and the rolling plains are wide. The Man from Snowy River is a household word today, and the stockmen tell the story of his ride."

Tips to Surviving Australia

* Don't ever put your hand down a hole for any reason whatsoever.

* We mean it.

* The beer is stronger than you think, regardless of how strong you think it is.

* Always carry a stick.

* Air-conditioning.

* Do not attempt to use Australian slang, unless you are a trained
linguist and good in a fistfight.

* Thick socks.

* Take good maps. Stopping to ask directions only works when there are people nearby.

* If you leave the urban areas, carry several litres of water with you at all times, or you will die.

* Even in the most embellished stories told by Australians, there is always a core of truth that it is unwise to ignore.


See Also:
* "Deserts: How to die in them",
* "The Stick: Second most useful thing ever"
* "Poisonous and Venomous arachnids, insects, animals, trees, shrubs, fish and sheep of Australia, volumes 1-42"

 

[Starfire]

Wow ...

.. some post, QD!..

I live the north of England ... the following pic is almost on my doorstep ... (we call them Lakes and Mountains ... they are probably Ponds and Hills in the States! )

 

[QuickDuck]

Yeah sorry about the length of my post, but, well i felt it was all needed and that i shouldn't edit it

Starfire, if that is out your front door...... gawd i love it!

I have always had a fascination with England, possibly because my god parents live in Wales and my ancestors are Scotish.

/wave
QD

 

[scylis]

well, those pics are great and all, but, damnit, i was hoping the poster of them would be in 'em!

 

[Sillyman]

Bjork is from Iceland. I like Bjork. Hence, that would be my entire knowledge of Iceland. It's to bad most of the really nice places on earth nothing much really happens, so they don't get a lot of attention.

Thank you for your very informative post Quickduck. I am taking you seriously and I hope to God this isn't some funny little Aussie way of screwing with my head, but you sound sincere.

Now would anyone like to make an equivalent post about New Zealand? I can't go through my whole life thinking they're the same way you know.

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Awesome!

Thanks so much QD, w4e laughed our asses off over here. And we learned some interesting things too.

 

[QuickDuck]

Thank you for your very informative post Quickduck. I am taking you seriously and I hope to God this isn't some funny little Aussie way of screwing with my head, but you sound sincere.

Now would anyone like to make an equivalent post about New Zealand? I can't go through my whole life thinking they're the same way you know.

*chuckle* unfortunately, alot of it seems to be true... its just good to laugh at ourselves at times

As for New Zealand, to some extent i think they are similar, just take out the bits about the deserts and add in horizontal rain.

hmmm maybe i should hide after that comment, just incase some of them try to beat me with a stick

Sateema: unfortunately I cannot take claim for writting it, merely the cutting and paste

I think I saw this originally posted on the BBC's website of traveler's tips.

It has alot more truth than i think i want to admitt though

/wave
QuickDuck

 

[WhiteRose]

Beautiful pics, Sateema! Iceland's like one of those rare gems that most people never think about visiting because they assume it's nothing but icy glaciers, they get it mixed up with Greenland, and they think nobody actually lives there

We did a whole section on the Icelandic volcanoes in one of my college geology courses, and it really is a beautiful country. Wish I knew more about the culture and history though. I'll have to do some reading.

 

[QuickDuck]

Beautiful pics, Sateema! Iceland's like one of those rare gems that most people never think about visiting because they assume it's nothing but icy glaciers, they get it mixed up with Greenland, and they think nobody actually lives there

We did a whole section on the Icelandic volcanoes in one of my college geology courses, and it really is a beautiful country. Wish I knew more about the culture and history though. I'll have to do some reading.

I totally agree!

I think I have just found a place i can add to my "want to visit" list.

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Quick info on Iceland

Names: Icelanders have a paternal naming convention. In other words, my brother and I have different last names. You take your father's first name and add daughter or son to it, which is dottir or sonn.

So if Anne is the daughter of Bjorn, she is Anne Bjornsdottir and her brother is Victor Bjornsonn.

So you all have Icelandic names too.

****************

Iceland has the oldest Parlaiment in the world.

Iceland has a population of around 280,000 and most people live in the coast belt in the South, near Reykjavik and the "burbs" or "bergs" as we call them.

Iceland has more waterfalls than any other country on Earth.

Gullfoss (Gull Falls) is the most powerful waterfall in Europe and is three times more powerful than Niagra.

We are known for our horses, and since Iceland has not allowed importing horses since 930 AD, we have the purest bred horses on Earth.

We eat blood pudding.

Iceland has the highest literacy rate in the world.

Glaciers cover over 10% of Iceland.

It is not as cold as you think. It is kind of like Ireland or London's climate.

Some people think the Blue Lagoon is the "fountain of youth."

You can swim in warm water in a lake full of ice.

In the early 1960's a volcano erupted and made the newest island on Earth in Iceland.

When a person says "I am from Iceland" they know someone will respond "yeah, Bjork is from Iceland too, huh?"

Main staples of Icelandic diet are fish and lamb.

Most Icelanders speak both Icelandic and English.

We have a pagan festival each year that draws over 60,000 people. Some pregnant women go to the festival to give birth there. They think it makes their babies lucky.

 

[QuickDuck]

hmmm skip the "blood pudding" part and it all sounds pretty good to me *squeemish tummy*

 

[WhiteRose]

*now really wants to go to Iceland* Well, except for that blood pudding part I prefer chocolate.

 

[QuickDuck]

*now really wants to go to Iceland* Well, except for that blood pudding part I prefer chocolate.

hmmm rose, you and i posted that at about the same time *giggle* want a travel partner? we can avoid blood pudding together *lol*

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

Blood Pudding- I was subjected to it as a child and always considered it a karmic punishment.

 

[QuickDuck]

Blood Pudding- I was subjected to it as a child and always considered it a karmic punishment.

thanks goodness it isn't the "staple diet" then

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

In the Northern parts of Iceland, blood pudding IS a staple in the diet. Around Reykjavik it is a bit more cosmopolitan than that. We just eat seal blubber there.

 

[Monazwx]

Sateema

Thanks for the info. on Iceland. I thought that it was just barren wasteland. I was like, "Who the hell lives there?" But I now I want to visit for sure. The pics are gorgeous.

Think I was mixing up Iceland for Greenland as Whiterose hinted. What's up with that? Damn the person who mixed up the names and confused future generations.

Have a great summer. I can't wait to get back home either.
P.S. Think I prefer the blood pudding myself

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

I run into a lot of people that say "Oh, you are from Iceland? Wow, that must be freezing and barren and..."

But it really isn't. It is cold, but not freezing unless you are in the North.

I am going to visit my sister for a month. She and her boyfriend bought a nice horse ranch and they live in a nice little village in the South belt. They are going to give me riding lessons. And the lake near their house has great jet skiing, so they want me to come along.

 

[RhumbRunner13]

SL.....

"I am going to visit my sister for a month. She and her boyfriend bought a nice horse ranch and they live in a nice little village in the South belt."

I hope you will post daily during your trip! Keep us updated, and please include lots of pictures of the Icelanders as well as the scenery. I've heard that the women are the most drop dead gorgeous in the world! Show us!

RhumbRunner

 

[Sillyman]

I run into a lot of people that say "Oh, you are from Iceland? Wow, that must be freezing and barren and..."

Actually, before all this I did know that Iceland was in fact not that bad, and that it had a nicer general climate than Greenland in fact it's just they wanted more people to come to Greenland when it was named.

 

[Sateema Lunasi]

I will post a regular thread while I am away and I will try to include lots of pics, though I don't know if my sister has a scanner or not.