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Iceland

Reykjavik

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Having been to Iceland, and specifically Reykjavik, in June last year we had already hit most of the big ticket items that were on offer. The obvious was the Hallgrimskirka (big church), Harpa (concert house), Laugavegur (rainbow street) and the Sun Voyager (sculpture) and of course the Blue Lagoon. Our first foray saw us wandering all around town and taking in all of the pretty buildings and the tourist sights.

Having done that we were at a loss as to what was left to see on our two day stopover in Reykjavik. A bit of research revealed the existence of the Reykjavík City Card which offers free entry to a selection of the lesser museums and galleries, all swimming pools in Reykjavík, and free unlimited travel by bus within the Reykjavik Capital Area. The card also gives discounts on various tours, shopping and services.

The card did not include the expensive attractions (averaging $100 entry each) but for about $100 we got access to all (16) of the lesser attractions, free bus transportation and a way to see a bunch of stuff that we would not usually go to on a limited timeframe.

Being us, we titled it the ‘piss weak world‘ card. In hindsight this was an overly harsh description for what was a really good two days of exploring.

DISCLAIMER: I will state up front that modern art, contemporary art and performance art museums are absolutely not my thing. And without wanting to demean their existence, I am certain that I will, and will rank them highly in the piss weak category.

Our first entry was to the (Hafnarhús) Reykjavík Art Museum.

The blurb says that the permanent collection is of works by Erró, one of Europe’s most notable pop artists while the temporary shows tend toward the progressive and experimental, emphasising works from established contemporary artists.

Bearing in mind the disclaimer above, this was dog shit and 30 minutes of my life that I will never get back. Here are a few photos of pretty buildings as we left the art museum and headed to the next place on the list of piss weak worlds.

The next stop was at the Settlement exhibition which was immediately better.

Interesting displays of the evolution of culture and how Reykjavík grew from a farm
to a city.

This one was a really good place to visit.

The Listasafn gallery was next and might have been ok but it lost me when I walked into a gallery and found a bunch (about a dozen) of millennials laying or sitting on the floor in frozen poses.

I am sure that there is some deep contemporary art meaning to this, but to me it just screamed trust fund kids with nothing better to do.

Pass on this one.

The National Museum (Thjodminjasafn) is the oldest museum established in Iceland. It offered a variety of exhibitions illustrating the story of Iceland’s past, from
the Viking age to modern times. Excellent.

The next was the House of collections which was excellent again. This one aimed to bridge the gap between visual arts and science.

After this we were off to the Reykjavík Maritime Museum. Built in the old fish processing factory it was an odd sort of mix between museum and old school fish and chip shop.

We looked at the flyer for the Reykjavík Zoo to find that their cover image had cows on it. Having seen cows before, I figured that this zoo was more like a small Chinese dog (a Shih Tzu) so we skipped it.

That evening we made our way to one of the local swimming pools (Sundhöllin), with our dinner buddies Mark and Curtis.

Sundhöllin is a series of pools and saunas of varying temperatures that are very popular with the locals and offer an insight of the local lifestyle.

People of all ages were hopping from the 2 degree ambient temperature into the hot pool (39 degrees) and then plunging into the 12 degree pool or doing laps in the 20 degree pool. Others were heading straight from the really hot saunas, into the plunge pool and back.

I did the hot / cold / hot plunge and had a tingling sensation all over my body for the next few minutes. From here I settled in the hot pool for the next 20 minutes until it was time to get out into the 2 degree night air and race inside for hot shower and getting changed.

The next morning it was up early and off on the local bus into the outer suburbs of Reykjavík to visit the Árbær Open Air Museum. Now this truly was excellent. This is a historical village displaying tiny houses, as they existed over various periods of Icelandic development. The oldest versions had the turf roofs and stables inside with ingenious cooking and heating systems. As time progressed, so to did the build type and quality. Apart from the fact that it was a 3 degree summer’s day with a howling gale force wind, it was a truly excellent place.

Long story short, our piss weak world park pass was great value and I cannot recommend it highly enough. Yes there was some stuff that was not to my tastes, but there was plenty more that was. And the best bit was the free bus pass for the duration of the ticket. This gave us the opportunity to explore the city and see things well off the beaten path.

Our dinner buddies (Mark and Curtis) were super eager to see the volcanoes that Iceland had to offer. There had been recent volcano activity and while we went on our day one piss weak world tour they took a $500 (each) helicopter ride over the lava fields. The ride was nice but did not deliver on the sought after lava flows. That night we all headed to the pool for the hot swim and on our return to the ship were told by our favourite staff member (Fabio) that the Blue Lagoon trips for the next day had to be cancelled due to the eruption.

Eyes widened and the next morning they were up early again and had negotiated yet another $500 (each) helicopter ride. This time they hit pay dirt and were kind enough to share these images with us.

And as good as the stills are, the video was far better and you can zoom in and watch spouting geysers of flowing lava. As you can imaging, I pouted because I missed it.

Well I thought that Iceland would be a once in a lifetime experience and as it happens we have now been here twice in the last 15 months.

I must admit that we enjoyed both trips and while the place is seriously expensive and damages the budget, it really is worth making the effort to come and experience it.

USA

Hawaii

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Hawaii is an island state of the US that lies about 3,200 km off (southwest) the US mainland. The state is made up of 137 volcanic islands that comprise almost the entire Hawaiian archipelago.

There are eight main islands (Niʻihau, Kauaʻi, Oʻahu, Molokaʻi, Lānaʻi, Kahoʻolawe, Maui, and Hawaiʻi) with the biggest of the islands (Hawaii) giving the area its name. However Hawaii (the island) is more commonly known as the “Big Island” or “Hawaii Island” to avoid confusion with the state or archipelago.

The islands were originally settled by Polynesians sometime between 1000 and 1200 CE. In 1778, British explorer James Cook was the first (recorded) non-Polynesian to arrive at the archipelago prompting an influx of European and American explorers, traders, and whalers. This led to a virtual decimation of the indigenous community.

Cost

The first thing that we were told (and then were told repeatedly throughout our time in Hawaii) was that everything in Hawaii is 40% more expensive than it is on the mainland as everything must be shipped in. The cost of landing a container into LA is $6-700 but this balloons to $1200 to land it in Hawaii. As such, you are paying a premium for almost everything around.

This became evident while travelling around, not so much from the prices (which were high) but from the lack of staff. People could simply not afford to live there so had migrated to the mainland. Lower paying jobs were advertised everywhere we walked. Shop workers, waiters, cleaners, housekeeping and hospitality staff were needed everywhere.

Weed

As with almost everywhere in northern America weed is everywhere. You cannot walk down the street (anywhere) without being hit by a waft of weed at least every 10 minutes and more often than not, way more frequently.

Oahu (Honolulu), Hawaii

Oahu is the third largest of the Hawaiian Islands and one of the most popular tourist destinations. It is best known for its beaches (notably Waikiki Beach), lush tropical forests, and culture. The northern shore of Oahu is considered the mecca of surfing, attracting professional surfers worldwide.

Probably the most important thing about Oahu is that it holds Pearl Harbour a site of immense historical significance in the US and the trigger event for the US to join WWII. On December 7th, 1941 at 7:48 a.m. the Japanese Navy launched a surprise attack on Pearl Harbor. All 8 of the US warships in Pearl Harbor were damaged, and 4 of them were sunk. The raid damaged a total of 21 ships and resulted in the death of many people.

The next most famous is “Waikiki Beach”. While generally just described as Waikiki it is actually a series of beaches stretching the bay and covering around 3.2 km of the shoreline. The place is lined with hotels, packed with tourists and is obscenely overpriced. My memories of this place (from way back in 1996) was that it was the Gold Coast with shitty beaches. Interestingly, Jill’s impression of Waikiki was pretty much identical.

Our foray saw us landing on a Sunday to a very quiet and clean city that seemed highly functional. The roads were wide, clean, with footpaths and a well functioning public transportation system (albeit at reduced intervals being a Sunday). Bus number 20 runs right past the cruise ship terminal, through the heart of Waikiki and on to the famous Diamond Head Crater.

This volcanic remnant is one of Hawaii’s most recognised landmarks and covers about 475 acres. Common practise is to do the steep 3 km hike up to the top for the views.

I am not common.

Iolani Palace is the only royal palace in the US. It was built between 1879 and 1882, and was once home to two monarchs of the Kingdom of Hawaii.

Having been locked on a ship for a few sea days in a row, we were keen on getting off the boat and stretching our legs. So off we went hugging the shoreline and taking in the beautiful Ala Moana Park. After a nice hike, we ended up at the Ala Moana shopping Center which is the world’s largest open-air shopping center. Here we found a Yum Cha restaurant and had a much needed Asian food fix.

Hilo, Hawaii

Hilo is a town on (the big island) Hawaii and is mostly known for being the home to the Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. If you are lucky (which we were not) this is where you can see the flowing and glowing lava.

Being very keen to see this we paid top dollar to join a tour that would take us to the National Park and more specifically to the Kilauea and Mauna Loa volcanoes. The Kilauea volcano last erupted in September 2023 and recent (minor) earthquake activity had been measured in the area raising the likelihood of opening some fissures and providing the magic views that we were after. But sadly, we were just met with moonscape type scenes as we stared over lava fields and the caldera remnants.

The Wailuku River State Park was our first port of call to take in the Waianuenue, or Rainbow Falls. The Rainbow Falls cascade 80 ft over a lava cave that, according to legend, is home to the ancient Hawaiian goddess Hina, the goddess of the moon. A morning visit will let you see the rainbow effect.

The Boiling Pots are a series of cascading waterfalls along columns that were formed from the slow cooling of basalt lava, these pools appear to be bubbling – almost as if they were boiling.

Next stop was to the Thurston Lava Tube which was formed 500 years ago when when low viscosity lava formed a hard crust that thickened and formed a roof over the still-flowing lava. This lava tube is paved and lighted providing a safe and easy way to visit.

The tube itself is around 200m long and is a short stroll from the road. The access is down a steep path and the return involves some steps and a bit of an uphill hike.

Our timing for this (highly priced) tour was not ideal, but the biggest issue that we faced was the age and mobility of our fellow travellers. Despite clear descriptions of the levels of activity involved, there were at least 40% of our group who were not up to the walking, stairs and terrain that was involved.

This meant that it ran REALLY slowly, with excess time allotted for the old and infirmed. This also created major traffic jams behind the slow and doddery and meant that some of the more interesting items we were simply told about, as we were forced to drive past them without stopping due to the time and mobility of those on board.

King Kamehameha is credited with uniting the Hawaiian Islands into one royal kingdom in 1810 during a time of increasing western influence (Captain Cook).

His legendary strength and ferocity as a warrior was tempered by his diplomatic skill and his love for the Hawaiian people.

As you would expect, the tour finished at a series of obscenely priced trinket shops but not before stopping at some natural vents where the water meats the thermal rocks and produces steaming vents. This was of course billed as the location for your own private facial.

Kauai (Nawiliwili), Hawaii

Kauai is another of the Hawaiian islands that has been nicknamed “the Garden Isle” thanks to the tropical rainforest covering much of its surface. The dramatic cliffs has made it a popular destination for the filming of many Hollywood movies.

While there was not too much here to play with, it was the prettiest of the islands that we visited and would top the list of places to go back to in Hawaii. We bounced around the local township (Nawiliwili) and checked out the local beach.

Further examination revealed that if we had gone a little further afield there was the usual Hawaiian activities of snorkelling, sailing, kayaking, waterfalls and rafting all on offer.

On the whole our adventures in Hawaii were nice. The scenery is beautiful, the people are friendly and the beaches are OK. Being Aussies we are spoilt for beaches and our level and idea of what makes a good beach is considerably more elevated than most.

Americans and Guns

This is a bit of a sideline more than anything else. While sitting on our incredibly overpriced and slow tour of Hilo with the oldies there were a bunch of people smoking in the National Park (mostly weed). So one couple next to me queried me as they thought that it was illegal to smoke within the national park. At this point they went into a long diatribe about how bad it was and that the rangers should stop it.

Their solution was that the rangers were highly armed, so they should be able to stop the smoking within the national park. At this point I turned around and looked directly at them and asked if they really believed that the park rangers should wander about shooting people for smoking. Their response was that the rangers had guns. I then asked if they seriously thought that that was reasonable.

At this point I turned away from them and made a loud statement that I was so glad that we lived in Australia if this was the American attitude towards responsible gun use. They did not talk to me again.

Costa Rica

Costa Rica

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Costa Rica is a central American country of around five million people

It is bordered by Nicaragua to the north and Panama to the south. It shares a maritime border with Ecuador.

Costa Rica is a democratic and peaceful country that has not had an army since 1948. The government invests funds that it would have spent on an army into education, healthcare and pensions. Making it consistently one of the happiest places in the world. It also boasts an average life expectancy of 80 years.

Coffee was first planted in Costa Rica in 1808, and by the 1820s, it surpassed all else as the (tobacco, sugar, and cacao) as the primary export. Coffee remained the main export well into the 20th century, creating a wealthy class of growers, known as the Coffee Barons.

The Central Valley has the ideal conditions for producing coffee: altitude above 1,200 meters (4,000ft); temperatures averaging between 15°C and 28°C (59°F and 82°F); and the right soil conditions. By the mid-1800s an oligarchy of coffee barons had risen to positions of power and wealth, for the most part through processing and exporting the bean, rather than by actually growing it.

Education

Costa Rica has no military. In place of this, it has (until fairly recently) been investing all of the money it would have spent on education. Children spend 205 days in school every year and it is 100% free and mandated. For those of lesser means, lunches are provided by the government and corporate sponsorships cover backpacks, bags and equipment.

This spending resulted in Costa Rica having the highest literacy rates in most of the Americas, even surpassing the USA.

The previous government reduced this expenditure (from 8% to 3%) and the literacy rate visibly dropped.

So they were voted out at the first opportunity and the funding reinstated.

Green Credentials

Costa Rica’s real story is about how it managed to successfully grow its population and economy without destroying its natural resources. In the 1960s Costa Rica’s government realised that it their land use practices were not sustainable. In the late 1980s, they employed and implemented a National Conservation Strategy for Sustainable Development. This strategy made decisions based on input about the economy, demography, industrialisation, agriculture and energy. It had 5 main pillars:

  • a system of national parks,
  • debt reduction through land conservation,
  • development of ecotourism,
  • sustainable forestry practices, and
  • collaborations between government and industry to develop valuable natural pharmaceutical products.

Biodiversity – Once upon a time up to 90% of the country was covered by forests. Today only about 28% of the forest remains, but this is now in protected areas. There are 12 ecological zones and over 100 national parks, reserves or refuges. Costa Rica is the most biodiverse country in the world, with a whopping 500,000 species of wildlife (900 of which are birds) many of which are classified as rare or endangered. 

Volcanos – Costa Rica is part of the Pacific Ring Fire Circle and has over 200 volcanos tracing back over 65 million years. Around 100 show any signs of activity and only five are classified as active. the five active ones are Arenal, Poas, Rincón de la Vieja, Irazu and the Turrialba. The last one is currently active and should not be visited.

Interesting Eco Facts

  • Costa Rica is 98% deforestation-free.
  • They generate 99% of their electricity from renewable sources, such as hydro, wind, and solar power.
  • 80% of their renewable energy generation comes from hydroelectricity.
  • Costa Rica recycles 60% of its waste. T
  • All students in Costa Rica take sustainability courses from elementary school through university.

Sloths

We saw virtually none of the town (to be fair there was not really that much to take in) as Jill had booked us on a tour. The tour was to take in the local sloth rescue facility, a banana plantation and a boat ride through the jungle canals.

To say that sloths are a long term favourite of mine is an understatement and the opportunity to see them up close was awesome and, as our day panned out, we even got to see some in the wild.

The sanctuary specialised in rescuing sick, orphaned, abandoned or injured sloths. Particularly like my 3 armed little buddy in this video.

The sloth sanctuary got us up close and personal with about a dozen sloths (both 2 and 3 toed) while giving us the threatened habitat speech.

The talk even took us into the evolution of the sloth-type spiel which linked them to 4-5 meter tall prehistoric ancestors.

After the sloths came a local banana plantation (the second biggest earner of Costa Rica). To say this was interesting would have been a stretch. It was a small plantation, with some leaf cutter ants, and some bananas and that was about it. Jill did get to see some hummingbirds, but those little suckers are quick and were long gone before cameras could come out. But it was an ok way to kill an hour while staring at overpriced tourist trinkets.

From the banana plantation, we were off to a jungle cruise through the canals that act as the main transportation system of the country. As the roads are so poor and the ground is pretty wet, the inland canals provide the main means of transportation of both people and goods.

Our first sight getting on the boat was a small (maybe a metre) Caiman that was right near the launching site. From here we putted slowly along the canals looking for wildlife, which we found. There was a nice array of birds and lizards about with the odd sloth or two and some shagging monkeys in the trees.

We topped off our boat trip with some fresh fruit (pineapples, banana and watermelon), there was a table with some unidentifiable local fruits, but they were not on offer and then off to the ship for a speedy departure.

Turtles

As you would have worked out by now, turtles have become one of my favourite animals, having had the opportunity to swim with them. Well Costa Rica is home to some of the most important turtle nesting beaches in the world. Both the Pacific and Atlantic coasts have nesting sites, representing five of the world´s seven species of turtles. These are the: olive ridley turtle, giant leatherback, green, hawksbill and loggerhead.

Costa Rica is incredibly progressive in many ways, but as a random visitor, it seems pretty primitive. The houses are mostly run-down huts, and the sheer volume of razor wire in place is always troubling (although Jill did raise the option that it may be keeping the monkeys out). It does however seem like there is a distinct difference (in this region at least) between the Pacific and Atlantic (or Caribbean) coasts. The Atlantic coast settlements around the Caribbean are pretty basic and infrastructure is sparse.