Country #1 - Iceland

I can now cross Iceland off the list of countries I've officially "visited" (see my prior post for my definition of "visited") as I had a couple of pints of Guinness as well as a pint of Gull at the Irish Pub in the town of Keflavik Iceland.   Keflavik is a sleepy little fishing village located about 10km  from the main airport and about a 30 minute drive to Reykjavik.

My flight from San Francisco to Keflavik was uneventful, but I do now have a better understanding of the term "budget airline" thanks to my WOW Airline flight.   The lesson began during the check-in process when there some sort of issue with how to tag the baggage.  I did the WOW internet check-in (which I recommend) which theoretically streamlined the check-in process allowing me to use the "internet check-in/baggage drop" rather than having to wait in the full check-in line.  However, due to the aforementioned baggage tagging issue, and WOW having more staff servicing the full check-in line than the internet check-in line, both lines moved at the same pace - which was slow.

The flight itself was uneventful but the plane did lack some of the create comforts I've come to expect on long-haul flights such as video monitors on the back each seat, wifi, food and beverage service, etc.  And the seats were uncomfortable!  Also, if my memory serves me correctly, there was only one beverage/snack run, which I missed, meaning I no water for the 8-hour flight.   I know this is a first-world problem, but still it made the unpleasant flight even more so.

Life got a little more stressful once I landed in Keflavik.  Customs and immigration was a breeze (especially compared to the US), however my bank card would not work, and I could not reach the hotel for the shuttle on my phone.  I spoke with a couple of airport service personelle and their solution was to buy a Icelandic SIM card for my phone.   Given the cost of everything in Iceland, and the fact that the last think I wanted to do was to crack open my phone and install a SIM card, I sought out alternatives - one of which was to use the one help call to my wife I've allotted myself.  I did manage to reach Stacy but she too was unable to contact the hotel.   I did consider spending the night at the airport as it was already 3PM and I flew out at 6AM the new day, but I managed to finally reach the hotel via Expedia's message system and they sent a shuttle.  It turns out that I think the phone number issue was due solely to me not adding a plus sign, which they had included in their original message, when I dialed the number.  Two lessons learned: 1) add a plus sign when the number you are provided contains a plus sign, and 2) call your bank and let them know your travel plans so they can unblock your card during that time period.

The shuttle drive was super nice and the hotel (Hotel Jazz) was great.  It wasn't much on the outside, but it was very modern on the inside, with a music theme.    The hotel did give me a call at midnight, via my TV and with my consent, to wake me up to see the Northern lights.  It was a neat experience being with a group of hotel guests at midnight, out in the chilly Icelandic air, seeing the lights.  I've seen them better in Canada, but it was still a great experience.

Keflavik itself is a sleep little fishing village which I assume will continue to grow due to it's proximity to the airport.  I walked the town, including the cliffs near the town, enjoying the few hours I was able to spend there.  Unfortunately the town's main attractions were closed (boat building museum and a cave),  but I think I managed to see everything else.   It's a cute town, but I probably would not spend more than a night there without a car.

I did not sleep well and was tired when a woke up after my 3:30 AM alarm when off.  However, the hotel breakfast was great, check-in was smooth (however I still can't figure out how to properly attach those baggage tags),  and the flight was short and uneventful.

Off to Scotland!