First 24 hours in Iceland...

After spending most of yesterday getting my bearings, I'm getting a chance to write this post. I landed in Iceland yesterday and so far things have gone as smoothly as can be expected. The first few hours after arriving to a new place is always very stressful until I get my bearings. It's scrambling for lodging, food, exchanging money, establishing communications (cell phone, internet), and trying not to get lost. Of course, I forgot some items. I need a heavier jacket as I am not use to this 50 degree weather after spending the past several weeks in 100+ degree Texas heat. I also need to get a sleeping bag, and a bath towel.

The international airport is about 50 km outside of Reykjavik. The ride is was pretty barren. There were only a few very small tow, but mostly a desolate landscape.

Reykjavik is a really small town. I mean it's REALLY small. It feels like the size of Round Rock or Cedar Park, or some sleepy suburb in New Jersey. I arrived around 9 am and there were just a few people walking around on the streets. When I asked the tourist information guide about where all the people were, she said that it was only 9:30 and they were either sleeping (?) or at work. The entire country is really small. There are only 300K people and well over half of them live in Reykjavik. There seem to be almost as many tourists on the street as people who live here. They seem to be mostly Europeans, but I did see some Asians and Americans as well.

Reykjavik definitely has a unique look to it. They seem to use pastel colors here for the buildings. There are no modern skyscrapers and there doesn't seem to be any buildings that are over 4 stories tall.

I spent the last day using my Xootr to scoot (xoot?) around. It's been a great way to get around, but we'll see how well it works in the rest of Europe, especially in countries that have more cobblestones. I went to their largest shopping mall, which looks like any other Simon shopping mall in the US. I had to go there to get a US to Europe adapter plug. The restaurants seem to serve a lot of hot dogs, pizza, pastas, and fast food. There are also several American and Mexican restaurants. Since Iceland is known for its fishing, I had to try some seafood here. Restaurant Reykjavik has a great (albeit expensive) all you can eat seafood buffet.

I will be here until Sunday morning, when I will head to Paris. For the next few days I plan to hit the many local museums, look for the local hot springs, and check out the night life (if any). Today, I need to buy a heavier jacket, a sleeping bag, and a towel.