back to reykjavik, iceland (10)
Halló visitor.
Today was a very bizarre and very tiring day. Let's address the elephant in the room. I got another flat tire. Don't ask me how. I was driving on normal Reykjavik roads at a speed that wasn't crazy; I guess it's just bad luck. But it's not all bad, because when I pulled into a Bonus parking lot to use the WC and examine the damage, a guy wearing a mechanic shop jacket pulled in right next to me. I shit you not, there were 5 mechanics in the car, and they just pulled in at that moment, and changed my tire for me. Roadside assistance costs $280 if the tire shop is closed, even in Reykjavik, so I paid the mechanics 5,000 ISK ($40 USD) for their service.
Pictured: Flat tire. This time it was the passenger side rear tire.
The tire replacement will run me a minimum of $160 tomorrow morning, and up to about $450 depending on whether the rim itself is cracked or not. I drove on the flat for like, 10 miles, so I don't have very high hopes.
Anyways, the rest of today was alright. I woke up in Akureyri, got another espresso and mocha from Kaffistofan and a bagel across the street, and left for Reykjavik. My original plan was to hit Kolugljúfur Canyon on the way to Reykjavik, but I googled it and it seems fairly dangerous, and I've had enough adventures this trip. So it ended up being a 5 hour drive with only one stop for gas. It was an utterly agonizing drive towards the end, because Iceland doesn't really have bathrooms anywhere when you're driving. I couldn't take it anymore and navigated to the nearest gas station, and even they didn't have a bathroom, which pissed me off to an insane extent.
I noticed the flat shortly after leaving that gas station, so I pulled into a Bonus, and that whole fiasco happened. Afterwards, I set off and arrived at ASKA Hotel in Heiðmörk, Reykjavik. It's a very nice hotel. There aren't any annoying ass attendants to deal with or any cards or keys to lose. You just have a code that they send you. As I'm typing this, I'm feeling quite stupid, because I forgot that the code for building entry is the same as my room code, and I opened the door for some sketchy Turkish couple. So, fingers crossed they don't come in my room while I sleep and take all my shit. Anyways, the room is pretty nice and clean. It's a no-frills place for sure, but it has everything you need.
Pictured: ASKA Hotel. Those are blackout curtains, which is a really nice touch. The place is $140 a night for a nice large bed. Quite a deal.
I lied in bed and doomscrolled for an hour, then hit Sky Lagoon. I didn't have a great time here; in fact, I can definitely say I liked Forest Lagoon better. Sky Lagoon was $200 total, while Forest Lagoon was $120. The main gimmick at Sky is their spa therapy thing called The Ritual, where you do 7 steps like a sauna, scrub, steam room, etc. It was a pretty cool experience, no doubt, but very awkward for me personally, because you're walking around half naked and engaging with the staff, who wear suits. So, you feel a bit like a zoo animal, especially when you're alone and have brown skin. Not great.
The lagoon itself is incredibly gorgeous, with a crazy view of the horizon on the sea. And the sauna, my goodness, it was absolutely stunning... the zen sounds they play in there, the lack of outside noise, and the peaceful view of the sea — definitely something you shouldn't miss in Iceland. Again, Forest Lagoon was better for me, but Sky definitely has its own luxury experience sort of charm.
Pictured: Sky Lagoon at 9:42 PM. I wish I could take a picture from inside the sauna, because that's where the real views are at.
I left after only about an hour. I then spent about an hour and a half trying to score some food — not an easy feat after 9 PM in Iceland. I finally found a shawarma place. I got a really unexpectedly delicious burger here. I also grabbed a hot dog from Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. I had to; it's probably the best food item I had in Iceland.
I'm sitting in bed, hoping the Turkish couple doesn't steal my stuff or kill me or whatever. Tomorrow, I'll fly back to Newark. Goodbye!
Bless bless,
Ayaan