It's the end of the month once again, so let me share with you my great music of August so far!
Great Music of August:
- La Prima Estate by Erlend Oye
- 1901 by Phoenix
- Nilakhanta Dharani (The Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit) by Imee Ooi
- Whole of Asgeir album in Icelandic
La Prima Estate is a song by Erlend Oye, who's one of the duo from Kings of Convenience. Although he's a Norwegian, he spent some time in Italy and wrote the song, in Italian! Love the vibe to this song, makes me want to travel to Italy haha. Reminds me of summer and the alleyways of Italy or something. I think Erlend is a very talented songwriter and musician! :)
1901 is not really a new music I discovered. Ironically I discovered this song through Birdy with her softer and more mellow cover to this great song by Phoenix. Discovered this song again through a video on Youtube and I just fell in love with it again hah.
Nilakhanta Dharani or the Great Compassion Mantra in Sanskrit by Imee Ooi is a very nice rendition of the mantra by her. I think it's a great music, because the mantra itself is very long but Imee Ooi has made it into something pleasing to the ear, and I enjoy it listening to it very much. Makes me feel calm and well I'm trying to learn the mantra but it is quite difficult since it's very long. I will try my best haha. The past few days I've been into Buddhist chants, I don't know why. And I have a huge admiration to musicians who can create beautiful music from mantras.
Bought Asgeir's Icelandic album "Dýrð í dauðaþögn" when I was in Iceland. Although I already owned the English version of the album, I kinda prefer the Icelandic version. Well I suppose because it reminds me a lot of Iceland haha. I hope I can catch him live one day.
Anyway I have like a pile of Icelandic albums to listen to. But my laptop's CD reader is being wonky and I can't listen to CDs in peace. You know what, transferring Asgeir's album inside took me like 5 tries I think. Pretty annoying, I'm getting an external CD reader soon, and would love to get myself a nice CD player if possible. I enjoy listening to CDs.
Talking about music, I've been having this weird feeling of suddenly wanting to listen to a particular song/artist. For example after my Iceland trip I have this urge to listen to Kings of Convenience. And then after that I just fell in love with Lana Del Rey again. So weird. But hey actually this problem has been with me since forever. That sudden wish of listening to a particular artist. Now I am currently hooked with Buddhist chants haha.
Sad to say, I've been avoiding my favourite Icelandic music after I reached back home. Before my Iceland trip, these songs are my source of hope and joy to go to Iceland. After the trip, they make me sad because they remind me of my days there. But well at the same time, they are also a sweet congratulatory reminder for me that I've been there, that I went there. Pretty bittersweet feeling to be honest, but hey, I'm glad I did it! They're in my memories now, forever!
Alright, here's to more great music discoveries ahead.
Saturday 30 August 2014
Tuesday 26 August 2014
Wars
Been wanting to blog but I've been feeling really under the weather since Saturday. Was having rather a bad flu the past three days but feeling much better today. On Friday afternoon I started sneezing like 20 times in 30 minutes. I thought it was just a normal sneezing spasm, or maybe it was an allergic reaction or something. But then at night I started sneezing occasionally and then my nose got blocked so yeah I knew I was falling sick. And my condition deteriorated on Sunday and yesterday with fever and more running nose. I'm feeling much better now!
I hate having flu cause of the blocked nose. And also the fact that most flu medicines contain paracetamol which is something my body hate a lot. Just hate going to bed with a stuffed nose and there's nothing I can do about it. And that malaise feeling of having a fever is just bleargh. And I'm guilty cause now my parent are like having running nose too oops.
Anyway I have been contemplating a lot about changing my blog name... Yes sounds pretty weird because I was actually planning to just stick with this name forever. But sometimes I realised how cheesy my blog name can be HAHAHA. Well afterall I chose this name when I was in secondary 3 and how mixing up life and symphony sounds like an awesome idea. Well of course the meaning behind it is awesome. But just the cheesiness of it is a bit... Questionable.
Since I've hit 1000 posts here, I'm thinking that this change is going to be a fresh beginning I suppose? Maybe I should change name every 1000 posts heh.
Anyway to end of this post, gonna write something I thought about yesterday...
"Sometimes I feel that I've lost the war even before I entered the battlefield. But then again I ask myself, if I should enter this battlefield. If I want to enter this battlefield. Not all wars in life are worth fighting for. Sometimes we just gotta fight in the war we choose to fight. But most of the time, we are being thrown inside wars we don't want to fight. But have no choice but to struggle inside. To fight in a war, we feel not worth fighting for"
I hate having flu cause of the blocked nose. And also the fact that most flu medicines contain paracetamol which is something my body hate a lot. Just hate going to bed with a stuffed nose and there's nothing I can do about it. And that malaise feeling of having a fever is just bleargh. And I'm guilty cause now my parent are like having running nose too oops.
Anyway I have been contemplating a lot about changing my blog name... Yes sounds pretty weird because I was actually planning to just stick with this name forever. But sometimes I realised how cheesy my blog name can be HAHAHA. Well afterall I chose this name when I was in secondary 3 and how mixing up life and symphony sounds like an awesome idea. Well of course the meaning behind it is awesome. But just the cheesiness of it is a bit... Questionable.
Since I've hit 1000 posts here, I'm thinking that this change is going to be a fresh beginning I suppose? Maybe I should change name every 1000 posts heh.
Anyway to end of this post, gonna write something I thought about yesterday...
"Sometimes I feel that I've lost the war even before I entered the battlefield. But then again I ask myself, if I should enter this battlefield. If I want to enter this battlefield. Not all wars in life are worth fighting for. Sometimes we just gotta fight in the war we choose to fight. But most of the time, we are being thrown inside wars we don't want to fight. But have no choice but to struggle inside. To fight in a war, we feel not worth fighting for"
Monday 18 August 2014
Adhi in Helsinki
Right, so as you know I had two transits in Helsinki during my trip to Iceland, that is the day I went to Iceland and the day I was going back. Although it wasn't a full-day transit, I am glad to have a few hours in this city! I've always wanted to go to Finland and its capital. Well it's deemed as one of the best countries in the world so I am very curious about that. Well, I love Helsinki! It is just sad that I didn't have a chance to have a chat with the locals about the culture and life there.
So my first transit was on the 1st of August. My flight from Singapore was supposed to land at 6.30 AM but somehow we landed at 6 AM! So early. I went through immigration etc and I was out at 6:45 I think. I reckon that it was too early to head to the city so I bought a cup of Chai from Starbucks at the airport and just waited for time to go by. Besides I was feeling rather tired from the 10 hour flight so that cup of Chai was so good and it helped me to boost myself.
I took the Finnair city bus to Helsinki. Love how the bus is located right outside the terminal and it will stop at the city centre. I was planning my transit, where to go how to go etc but... When I looked at the map of Helsinki, I felt pretty confused haha. Okay well first of all I'm someone who is bad with maps. And I must say the Finnish language is a bit... Interesting. So well, I just told myself lets see where my feet will take me, trusted my guts and the power of agaration.
The bus stops beside the central railway station. I went around the station and found a square with a cool cathedral. In front of the cathedral is a museum. Since I will be having another transit on the way back, I told myself that I would just be visiting a few places today. My plan was: The Uspenski Cathedral > Market hall (outdoor) > Kauppahali (the old market hall) > Sibelius monument > Airport. But then I realised my flight to Iceland is located at another terminal so I decided to go to the airport earlier, and so Sibelius monument is out for that day.
The Uspenski Cathedral is really really beautiful. Probably my favourite place in Helsinki. I love the design of the cathedral from the outside. The golden domes and the orange bricks. But when I stepped inside of the cathedral I was blown away even more. There was a mass going on, and a chorus was singing. And the inside of the cathedral is really really beautiful and inspiring. But as a sign of respect I didn't take a photo of the interior. It was the first time in my life that I got goosebumps upon entering a cathedral (or can I say a church?). Very beautiful!
From Uspenski I went down to the harbour for the open air market. There are a lot of stalls there from fruits, berries, vegetables, food, handcrafts, souvenirs and so on. But well since I don't wanna go to Iceland with a lot of stuff I didn't buy anything. Just looking around and eating haha. I wanted to get the awesome looking berries but don't think I can finish a box of it by myself!
Near the open air market was Kauppahalli which is the old market hall. Just found out it was just recently reopened after a renovation work. Hmm I reached here at 10 AM and most of the stalls were not opened yet! I was rooting for this soup restaurant as advised by Tripadvisor but it is only opened at 11. So I decided to have brunch at another restaurant.
I got myself smoked salmon and shrimp salad, both on rye bread! I'm so happy to be in Scandinavia cause it means awesome salmon haha. The salmon was so fresh and good. Not too smoky, so you can taste the freshness of the meat. And the shrimp was great too. The drink you see is an organic lemon soda which is produced locally as well. What I love about this market is that the stall owners are passionate about their food. Like for example the lady in this stall was explaining to me about that soda drink and the salmon etc. So passionate of them really! :)
By the time I finished eating it was 10:45 so I decided to make my way back to the railway station. I walked by lots of interesting sights in Helsinki from small gardens in the middle of the city, beautiful buildings and also the intricate but organised Helsinki transport system like the bus and trams. My first impressions of Helsinki is that the city is very clean, the air is fresh and the city itself is very bustling and lively. And I really love the city trams. Everything somehow runs smoothly there.
My flight was at 3:30 PM but I decided to reach the airport an hour earlier (12:30 PM) so yup. That's the end of my first transit in Helsinki.
My second transit happened in the afternoon, so it was a great chance to see another side of the city since my first transit was in the morning. On the 6th of August I landed in Helsinki at 2 PM and took the Finnair city bus again. Reached Helsinki at 3-ish and for my second transit, my plan was: Helsinki Cathedral > Kauppahalli for lunch > Sibelius Monument > City Centre > Airport.
Okay so actually on my first transit I was looking for the Helsinki Cathedral but... In vain. And on my second transit I tried my luck again to look for the cathedral. I was just walking around and well eventually I found it. And I was rather annoyed to realise that I was actually nearby (on my first transit) the cathedral and it was rather obvious! Oh well nevermind. The Helsinki Cathedral has a really fine architecture, and the interior is pretty beautiful too. But the interior of the Uspenski Cathedral is more beautiful in my opinion The Helsinki Cathedral is located beside the senate square which is an open square where a lot of people hang out.
I wanted to join the hop-on-hop-off bus tour thingy since I think it's a great idea to see the city (plus I got 5 Euro discount!). But then I just realised it was 3:45 PM and there was only a bus left for the day, which means I will hop on a bus and... There won't be any bus to return to. That will be a waste. So I decided to go to the Sibelius monument by myself via public transport! But before that I went back to Kauppahalli to get my lunch at the soup restaurant.
The soup was indeed very good. I got myself the seafood soup which is very taste and has a generous portion. Also there's free flow bread where you can dip it inside their homemade dipping oil (made with mint and a few other herbs) and the soup itself. They only have 3 soup options per day. When I was there I was left with 2, the chicken and the seafood one. I got myself the latter because I think chicken is too mainstream hahaha. Highly recommended!
So after lunch I made my way to the Sibelius monument. I realised the monument is located nowhere near the city centre. Thankfully I found a visitor information centre and asked for directions. The lady was clear to give me instructions and was even kind enough to used some app on her phone to check when the bus will arrive. I went over to the bus stop as I only had 8 minutes to go heh. I made it in time, but there was a problem: I didn't know where to stop.
I was just staring outside the bus window all the time trying to spot the monument. The sceneries outside the bus was beautiful cause it was a sunny summer day. But somehow there was no air-conditioning inside the bus so it was mad hot. I was sweating like a dog and everyone was staring at me. Super embarrassing. I feel the bus is kind of similar looking as the ones we have in Singapore! It was Volvo and yeah the seats look the same too. An interesting observation is that dogs are allowed on board (small ones I think) and a great thing about the bus is that: the bus captain can give you change, so don't worry about having to pay exact fares! :D
And also here's how it works. So I took the bus at 3:52 PM. I paid 3.50 Euro (if I'm not wrong) and that ticket works for one hour. So if I take another bus within 4:52 PM, that ride can be paid using the same ticket. The ride to the monument was quick, about 15 minutes. And I made it within that one hour rule. So yay! Two bus rides for the price of one. Oh and it works for both buses and trams. So yep, pretty convenient rule I suppose.
The Sibelius monument is located inside a beautiful park. After being inside that hot bus for 15 minutes, the walk along the park with the summer breeze was pretty welcoming. The monument is a very interesting one. There are different pipes and each pipe resonate to a different sound. I thought I was alone so I was singing inside the pipes to try which note resonates in which pipe. Then I found out there were 3 other people nearby. Oh gosh it was so embarrassing.
From the monument, to go back to the city centre, you gotta walk a bit further to the east to another street. As I was trying to fit in that one hour rule, I went over quickly after snapping a few shots. So after walking, trying to follow the map, I somehow landed myself in a totally wrong street. That's where the fun begins! Hahaha. I asked help from a local and thankfully this kind lady showed me the right way to that street. I gotta walk a bit more further down to reach it.
This time round I took a tram back. Similar to the bus, not knowing where to stop. But thanks to the logic I learned in Singapore where "if there's a lot of people dropping off the bus, it should be a famous landmark/area", I just followed my guts. Another interesting observation is that... I found out that some people were able to board the tram without tapping their cards/paying the tram captain. I almost did that, because I entered the tram from the back door (yes you can do that). I saw some locals beside me just stepping inside without going in front. But I was being a guai kia (as always) so I went in front and showed my ticket. And I was good to go.
I just spent the rest of the evening walking around the city centre. Went inside a few malls but didn't get anything. I went to Stockmann department store to look around, and I went inside the music area. It's amazing how they have quite a large collection of classical music from operas to symphonies and concertos! Usually it is the pop/rock music that dominates, leaving a small part for classical music. Well I am in Europe after all. So yeah.
I won't leave a country without doing something: Checking out their grocery store/supermarket! Haha. There was a supermarket opposite the railway station and I was just walking inside. They have a great selection of delicatessen, fresh meat and vegetables. I wish we can have such a complete selection here! And also at Stockmann, there is like this take-away store where you can choose pre-packed food that is made on the same day (I think) for you to take home and eat. and the food there look so damn good. I wanted to get one but I remember I don't carry a microwave oven with me.
After that I went back to the airport. It was 8 PM when I took the bus back to the airport. Thanks to the midnight sun it was still bright outside! Heh. My flight was at 23:55 PM. But I decided to chill at the airport again, eat, and buy drinks etc. Well it was kind of a wrong move. Because most of the shops at the airport was closed (damn!). But thankfully there were a few cafes still open so I got myself some food to eat there. It was a sad day for me because my adventure was coming to an end. But then I realised I killed 2 birds with one stone in this trip by visiting Helsinki so no complaints!
Helsinki is the first city which I explore without much use of maps. Because I find it confusing to be honest, so I ditched it at just trusted my guts there! And it's worth it I suppose :P Getting lost in a beautiful city is always a great thing to do. I really love the architecture of Helsinki. A touch of the past merged with cosmopolitan and modernity. The friendly locals made my transits really wonderful. I hope one day I can explore the city, and country for days and not just hours. It's a beautiful city, and I am very sure the country is even more beautiful too.
Kitos Helsinki! Till we meet again.
So my first transit was on the 1st of August. My flight from Singapore was supposed to land at 6.30 AM but somehow we landed at 6 AM! So early. I went through immigration etc and I was out at 6:45 I think. I reckon that it was too early to head to the city so I bought a cup of Chai from Starbucks at the airport and just waited for time to go by. Besides I was feeling rather tired from the 10 hour flight so that cup of Chai was so good and it helped me to boost myself.
I took the Finnair city bus to Helsinki. Love how the bus is located right outside the terminal and it will stop at the city centre. I was planning my transit, where to go how to go etc but... When I looked at the map of Helsinki, I felt pretty confused haha. Okay well first of all I'm someone who is bad with maps. And I must say the Finnish language is a bit... Interesting. So well, I just told myself lets see where my feet will take me, trusted my guts and the power of agaration.
The church near the railway station
The bus stops beside the central railway station. I went around the station and found a square with a cool cathedral. In front of the cathedral is a museum. Since I will be having another transit on the way back, I told myself that I would just be visiting a few places today. My plan was: The Uspenski Cathedral > Market hall (outdoor) > Kauppahali (the old market hall) > Sibelius monument > Airport. But then I realised my flight to Iceland is located at another terminal so I decided to go to the airport earlier, and so Sibelius monument is out for that day.
The square in front of the church, and that's the museum
The Uspenski Cathedral is really really beautiful. Probably my favourite place in Helsinki. I love the design of the cathedral from the outside. The golden domes and the orange bricks. But when I stepped inside of the cathedral I was blown away even more. There was a mass going on, and a chorus was singing. And the inside of the cathedral is really really beautiful and inspiring. But as a sign of respect I didn't take a photo of the interior. It was the first time in my life that I got goosebumps upon entering a cathedral (or can I say a church?). Very beautiful!
Uspenski Cathedral
From Uspenski I went down to the harbour for the open air market. There are a lot of stalls there from fruits, berries, vegetables, food, handcrafts, souvenirs and so on. But well since I don't wanna go to Iceland with a lot of stuff I didn't buy anything. Just looking around and eating haha. I wanted to get the awesome looking berries but don't think I can finish a box of it by myself!
Open air market near the harbour
Near the open air market was Kauppahalli which is the old market hall. Just found out it was just recently reopened after a renovation work. Hmm I reached here at 10 AM and most of the stalls were not opened yet! I was rooting for this soup restaurant as advised by Tripadvisor but it is only opened at 11. So I decided to have brunch at another restaurant.
Kauppahalli. I was too early hah
I got myself smoked salmon and shrimp salad, both on rye bread! I'm so happy to be in Scandinavia cause it means awesome salmon haha. The salmon was so fresh and good. Not too smoky, so you can taste the freshness of the meat. And the shrimp was great too. The drink you see is an organic lemon soda which is produced locally as well. What I love about this market is that the stall owners are passionate about their food. Like for example the lady in this stall was explaining to me about that soda drink and the salmon etc. So passionate of them really! :)
My lovely simple brunch
By the time I finished eating it was 10:45 so I decided to make my way back to the railway station. I walked by lots of interesting sights in Helsinki from small gardens in the middle of the city, beautiful buildings and also the intricate but organised Helsinki transport system like the bus and trams. My first impressions of Helsinki is that the city is very clean, the air is fresh and the city itself is very bustling and lively. And I really love the city trams. Everything somehow runs smoothly there.
One of the many trams of the city
My flight was at 3:30 PM but I decided to reach the airport an hour earlier (12:30 PM) so yup. That's the end of my first transit in Helsinki.
A statue at a garden in the middle of the city
My second transit happened in the afternoon, so it was a great chance to see another side of the city since my first transit was in the morning. On the 6th of August I landed in Helsinki at 2 PM and took the Finnair city bus again. Reached Helsinki at 3-ish and for my second transit, my plan was: Helsinki Cathedral > Kauppahalli for lunch > Sibelius Monument > City Centre > Airport.
Okay so actually on my first transit I was looking for the Helsinki Cathedral but... In vain. And on my second transit I tried my luck again to look for the cathedral. I was just walking around and well eventually I found it. And I was rather annoyed to realise that I was actually nearby (on my first transit) the cathedral and it was rather obvious! Oh well nevermind. The Helsinki Cathedral has a really fine architecture, and the interior is pretty beautiful too. But the interior of the Uspenski Cathedral is more beautiful in my opinion The Helsinki Cathedral is located beside the senate square which is an open square where a lot of people hang out.
Helsinki Cathedral looking fine
I wanted to join the hop-on-hop-off bus tour thingy since I think it's a great idea to see the city (plus I got 5 Euro discount!). But then I just realised it was 3:45 PM and there was only a bus left for the day, which means I will hop on a bus and... There won't be any bus to return to. That will be a waste. So I decided to go to the Sibelius monument by myself via public transport! But before that I went back to Kauppahalli to get my lunch at the soup restaurant.
The soup was indeed very good. I got myself the seafood soup which is very taste and has a generous portion. Also there's free flow bread where you can dip it inside their homemade dipping oil (made with mint and a few other herbs) and the soup itself. They only have 3 soup options per day. When I was there I was left with 2, the chicken and the seafood one. I got myself the latter because I think chicken is too mainstream hahaha. Highly recommended!
The awesome seafood soup
So after lunch I made my way to the Sibelius monument. I realised the monument is located nowhere near the city centre. Thankfully I found a visitor information centre and asked for directions. The lady was clear to give me instructions and was even kind enough to used some app on her phone to check when the bus will arrive. I went over to the bus stop as I only had 8 minutes to go heh. I made it in time, but there was a problem: I didn't know where to stop.
More tram rails
I was just staring outside the bus window all the time trying to spot the monument. The sceneries outside the bus was beautiful cause it was a sunny summer day. But somehow there was no air-conditioning inside the bus so it was mad hot. I was sweating like a dog and everyone was staring at me. Super embarrassing. I feel the bus is kind of similar looking as the ones we have in Singapore! It was Volvo and yeah the seats look the same too. An interesting observation is that dogs are allowed on board (small ones I think) and a great thing about the bus is that: the bus captain can give you change, so don't worry about having to pay exact fares! :D
Inside of the bus
And also here's how it works. So I took the bus at 3:52 PM. I paid 3.50 Euro (if I'm not wrong) and that ticket works for one hour. So if I take another bus within 4:52 PM, that ride can be paid using the same ticket. The ride to the monument was quick, about 15 minutes. And I made it within that one hour rule. So yay! Two bus rides for the price of one. Oh and it works for both buses and trams. So yep, pretty convenient rule I suppose.
The Sibelius monument is located inside a beautiful park. After being inside that hot bus for 15 minutes, the walk along the park with the summer breeze was pretty welcoming. The monument is a very interesting one. There are different pipes and each pipe resonate to a different sound. I thought I was alone so I was singing inside the pipes to try which note resonates in which pipe. Then I found out there were 3 other people nearby. Oh gosh it was so embarrassing.
Sibelius monument
"cues brass entrance for Finlandia"
From the monument, to go back to the city centre, you gotta walk a bit further to the east to another street. As I was trying to fit in that one hour rule, I went over quickly after snapping a few shots. So after walking, trying to follow the map, I somehow landed myself in a totally wrong street. That's where the fun begins! Hahaha. I asked help from a local and thankfully this kind lady showed me the right way to that street. I gotta walk a bit more further down to reach it.
Helsinki has a lot of cyclists! And they have a bicycle path too
This time round I took a tram back. Similar to the bus, not knowing where to stop. But thanks to the logic I learned in Singapore where "if there's a lot of people dropping off the bus, it should be a famous landmark/area", I just followed my guts. Another interesting observation is that... I found out that some people were able to board the tram without tapping their cards/paying the tram captain. I almost did that, because I entered the tram from the back door (yes you can do that). I saw some locals beside me just stepping inside without going in front. But I was being a guai kia (as always) so I went in front and showed my ticket. And I was good to go.
I just spent the rest of the evening walking around the city centre. Went inside a few malls but didn't get anything. I went to Stockmann department store to look around, and I went inside the music area. It's amazing how they have quite a large collection of classical music from operas to symphonies and concertos! Usually it is the pop/rock music that dominates, leaving a small part for classical music. Well I am in Europe after all. So yeah.
I won't leave a country without doing something: Checking out their grocery store/supermarket! Haha. There was a supermarket opposite the railway station and I was just walking inside. They have a great selection of delicatessen, fresh meat and vegetables. I wish we can have such a complete selection here! And also at Stockmann, there is like this take-away store where you can choose pre-packed food that is made on the same day (I think) for you to take home and eat. and the food there look so damn good. I wanted to get one but I remember I don't carry a microwave oven with me.
After that I went back to the airport. It was 8 PM when I took the bus back to the airport. Thanks to the midnight sun it was still bright outside! Heh. My flight was at 23:55 PM. But I decided to chill at the airport again, eat, and buy drinks etc. Well it was kind of a wrong move. Because most of the shops at the airport was closed (damn!). But thankfully there were a few cafes still open so I got myself some food to eat there. It was a sad day for me because my adventure was coming to an end. But then I realised I killed 2 birds with one stone in this trip by visiting Helsinki so no complaints!
A building in Helsinki with the window reflections from the opposite buildings
Helsinki is the first city which I explore without much use of maps. Because I find it confusing to be honest, so I ditched it at just trusted my guts there! And it's worth it I suppose :P Getting lost in a beautiful city is always a great thing to do. I really love the architecture of Helsinki. A touch of the past merged with cosmopolitan and modernity. The friendly locals made my transits really wonderful. I hope one day I can explore the city, and country for days and not just hours. It's a beautiful city, and I am very sure the country is even more beautiful too.
Kitos Helsinki! Till we meet again.
Sunday 17 August 2014
1000th
Arnastapi. Favourite place in Iceland so far
So after 6 years of blogging... I have finally reached my one thousandth blog post! Happy 1000th my dear! Thank you for being such an awesome friend to talk to every night. Thank you for helping me to write my daily happenings. Thank you for writing my memories. And sorry that I can be a bitch at times when my mood isn't great and stuff. But I'm glad to have you, and even more glad that we've been together for 6 years, and many more to come! :)
Well my goal is to reach the 1000th post before I turn twenty five. Because well last year I thought I won't be able to reach it, so I gave myself an extra time to hit this goal. But hey I did it! Not sure if I can reach the 2000th post in the next 6 years. Because I'll probably get busier as the year goes by. But I am going to try to keep up with the 100 posts at least every year. Which is my resolution this year too, and looks like I'm on the right track so far.
Today is the 17th of August and it is Indonesia's independence day! Wishing my beautiful country a wonderful 69th birthday! We may not be awesome throughout these 69 years, but I am very sure we are going to be awesome in more years to come. We may be far from other countries but we are beautiful in our own unique ways. Don't give up Indonesia, you can do it, we can do it. Though we have a long way to go, so will we walk forward the bright future days!
Right, since it's my 1000th post... I'm going to dedicate this post to my recent trip to Iceland. Since I've finished blogging about my days there, I'm now going to talk about my thoughts about the trip. My thoughts about traveling, to be exact traveling alone. And well about life.
Going to Iceland has been a dream of mine ever since I discovered how beautiful it is through the my favourite band, Sigur Ros. Listening to their songs, make me imagine the beautiful landscape the country has. And watching their documentary film, Heima, makes me really determined to go there. I've kept on telling myself to go there "before I die" or in "one day". But of course I realised this one day will never arrive if we never decided when is this one day.
So I told myself last year that I have to go there in 2014. Before I forget the existence of this one day, as life and time slowly consumes me. This "one day" will just turn into a day where I will forget about this dream of mine. A day, where this dream will turn into dust inside the depths of my memories. I wouldn't want that to happen. So I decided to go to Iceland this year, I started searching for possible dates etc. All these happened a year before.
As the days go by, many things come to my mind. Doubts, fears and many more. All of the things that were trying to make me choose another "one day" to go to Iceland instead of the one I planned to go to. I tried to calm myself down, and I toughened myself to jump past these hurdles. I just went ahead to book my tickets and accommodation, I went to the Danish consular service to get my visa done. And then when I received my passport, with the Schengen visa pasted on one of its pages, I just asked myself "am I really going to Iceland now?"
I have to say it wasn't an easy journey. But I am so glad I did it all.
It felt so surreal to finally be on the flight I've been dreaming of getting on. It felt so surreal to land in Keflavik airport, to walk around Reykjavik, and to see the rugged and different landscapes of Iceland. The past four years Iceland was just in my dreams and in my mind. The only way I can see it is through photos and videos in the internet, or through Instagram (recently). Do you know that I've been searching for #reykjavik on Instagram every night before I sleep the past one year or so? That's how badly I want to go there. Sounds silly, but it's real.
So yes, it feels weird that 2 weeks ago I was in Reykjavik taking photos on my Instagram and putting #reykjavik in my photos. And to see the sights I've been seeing through the photos of other people, with my own eyes this time round.
Iceland is the first country that I traveled alone to, without knowing anyone. Well I traveled to Bali alone last year. But Bali is part of my country. The people there speak the same language as mine. Iceland is definitely my biggest wanderlust journey. To be in a totally new place I've never been to, and where I know nobody. It was an adventure, a pretty fun one.
Perhaps I'm thankful of my experience, being a foreign student in Singapore. That 2 years or so of living alone in Singapore have given me so much independence, that traveling alone doesn't appear to be a problem for me. In fact, I enjoy traveling alone. There are a lot of perks you can get from traveling alone. Sure it may seem daunting and sad and emo at the same time to think of traveling alone. But well, only if you tried it once, you'll understand why.
Traveling alone allows you to be yourself. You go to a new place where no one knows you and you know no one. You are truly being yourself in this case. You know how sometimes we behave differently to people we know well and to strangers. To me traveling alone is one of the times in this life where you feel the world doesn't own you anything (well it doesn't actually, anytime).
And by being yourself, traveling alone allows you to know yourself better. You have no one accompanying you, only yourself. This is the perfect time to get to know yourself better. You'll have conversations with no one but yourself. You will eat with no one but yourself etc. We spend so much time with other people, we neglect who we truly are.
Traveling alone allows you to forget about life. It feels like you have entered a new place, out of your comfort zone. Whatever you left behind will be forgotten for a while. Sometimes you get so busy trying to keep yourself safe, or to enjoy the moments of your travel, you truly forget what life is!
I love traveling in particular. It is my biggest bucket list item to travel around the world. Not necessarily in one shot. I feel that well we're the citizen of this planet. Wouldn't it be such a waste to not explore it? To see its beauty and the different cultures and places it has in offer? Surely I feel that the wilderness outside my home is more comforting than the warmth of my house. Like what Gandalf said to Bilbo, the world is not in the maps or books, the world is out there.
Traveling allows you to forget about life. It allows you to see that there is still beauty in this world, despite of the problems and worries we dwell inside every day. As you see the sights of this world and how beautiful it is, there's more to life than all these problems we have. It is important to take a break from our daily lives. Get out there and see the world. It will change you. Like the words of Prophet Muhammad, don't tell me how educated you are, tell me how much you've traveled.
I've always believed that I will gain something from traveling. And I will lose some too. I will gain the great experiences, and learn some of the things that the locals of the country I traveled to do in their daily lives. The good lessons, I will try to implement it in my life, and hopefully in the lives of others, to make our lives better. The bad ones, I will avoid doing it to myself and others.
There are so many things that we can learn from other countries. So many things we can try to implement in our country that might make a positive change!
But like I said, I lose some too in my travels.
This trip to Iceland has taught me that traveling around the world is a difficult thing to do. You have to be willing to sacrifice some things. And you have to give your heart and soul to it. I realised during my travel that people who were currently backpacking to many places are either: someone who quit their job to travel, someone who has retired, or a student who is having a holiday. I never meet anyone who's having a job, backpacking to many places. Because traveling is kind of a job already. And you have to choose one! Can't have best of both worlds heh.
You know Avicii's song "Wake Me Up" hit me really hard when the lyrics go "Hope I get the chance to travel the world, but I don't have any plans". That line was a true representation of me last year. How I kept on telling myself I want to go to Iceland, how I hope that one day I will go to Iceland, but I didn't even make a single plan to achieving this dream of mine. Well thanks to this song, I was even more determined to make this dream of mine a reality.
I am not ditching my dream of traveling around the world. However now I know that it is rather a difficult task to do. But not impossible. I am going to rephrase "the world" to "places I want to go". Well I think we all have out own definitions of "the world". Sure we can be ambitious to travel to every country in this world. Maybe some of us focus more on regions or continents. Or maybe capital cities. Well I'll leave it up to you to define your own world!
This trip to Iceland however has taught me how wonderful it feels like to realise you've accomplished the dream you've been dreaming of, and holding on to, for years. And it definitely drives me more to accomplish and satisfy more of my wanderlust hunger! I was feeling sad and empty the moment I left Iceland. But then again my hearts was also empty of one thing, and that is the fear that I will never go to Iceland, because I did! And it's a wonderful trip!
A lot of people asked me why I spent such a short time in Iceland, when I should have spent like two weeks there. Well to be blatantly honest with you it is because 6 days is all I have, now, to travel to Iceland. And I suppose that's the art of traveling? To make full use of the duration you're given for your travel. Yes I do wish I can spend months in Iceland. But I know I enjoyed myself in that 6 days and I'm happy with that. Besides I'm coming back to Iceland. That's for sure!
It's been really a wonderful 4 days reminiscing about the trip. And to be honest I feel like I'm not myself every since I left Iceland. Perhaps I left part of my soul there or something. I feel sad to leave but more happy to have spent 6 days there. Feels weird to be the Adhi that has now been to Iceland, unlike the Adhi who wished he could be there.
I'm definitely a changed person after this trip.
Saturday 16 August 2014
Adhi In Iceland - Day 5
This is the last day of my trip in Iceland and it's one of the saddest days of my life. Okay not that sad but well, couldn't bear to leave this wonderful city! I've decided to make my last day a pretty easy and chill one. No tours nothing. Just a walking tour in Reykjavik and just spending my day walking around it! You know what I was so sad about leaving this city that I was feeling rather moodless. Most of the photos taken in this day were taken using my phone as I kept my camera in my bag, and just walked aimlessly around Reykjavik. Well my trusty S4 takes good photos!
Although I slept late the night before, I started my day early. Had breakfast at the hostel again, cause I bought some food-stuff previously from 10-11. Then I set off at 8 AM walking around Reykjavik. Alas, I realised not many shops were opened, and I was also waiting for the post office to open. So after exploring some unexplored parts of the city, I went to 10-11 again to get an orange juice and sat down by the window while reading the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper which is basically news and happenings around Reykjavik (and Iceland). And watch people go by too.
After that I went to the post office which is located beside 10-11 to send my postcards. Thankfully it was a very easy process of just getting the stamps and then giving it to the post office people and voila. I did some shopping at 10-11 before this and then I went back to my hostel to put it down because it's kinda heavy. Imagine carrying bags of liquorice and chocolates around Reykjavik! Haha. After that I went to Hallgrimskirkja again to go for my I Heart Reykjavik (IHR) walking tour!
The lady behind IHR is actually Audur, an awesome Reykjavik-ian who is really passionate about her city and her country (check out her website here). So we met at Hallgrimskirkja, there were umm 10 of us in total I think. Audur began by sharing with us the history of the church and also a bit of Iceland history. She's very informative and she answers our questions about the country too. Then went to the Einar Jonsson sculpture park which is located near the church. It's a pretty serene park that has this inspiring vibe to it. The sculptures created by Einar Jonsson is pretty inspiring to look at too. And he also created several sculptures around Reykjavik!
After that we went around a few neighborhoods in Reykjavik and Audur gave us a bit of information about life in Reykjavik. I'm so enthralled by the colours and paintings and murals of the city. I wish my hometown can be filled with such beautiful murals too, instead of random graffiti and words that don't even make sense hah. I definitely learned a lot about Iceland and Reykjavik in particular in her tour. And all of my answers about this city were answered in the tour. Like I wondered why I see baby trolleys left outside cafes with the babies still inside! Well apparently it's a norm to do that in Iceland, a pretty eye-opener for me because here we're super protective of babies.
The tour continues on down along Skolavordustigur and we arrived in Arnarholl hill for a stop, where Audur gave us a small Icelandic lesson. And the tour continued on to the old parts of Reykjavik where she gave us the history and how the city progresses. The tour ends at around 12:30 I think, it was a pretty awesome tour and the thing I love about it is that the tour is by a Reykjavik-ian and I get to know the life and culture of the city. Not just notes and facts about famous landmarks that the city has. So takk fyrir Audur for the awesome tour! I highly recommend IHR to everyone visiting Reykjavik. Gotta book to check for availability before your trip though! :)
And guess what I stupidly forgot to gave her an Indonesian postcard that I bought from here! And to take a photo with her arrgghhh. Oh well nevermind I guess.
After the walking tour my plan was to go to the famous Blue Lagoon! Since I had some spare time before the bus leaves, I went to get a sandwich before heading off. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal pool that has sulphur and silica contents in it! Took a dip and went to swim around it, definitely a once in a lifetime experience I suppose. I thought the water is going to be hot but well uhh it's warm. Some parts of the lagoon is hotter than the other though.
Although there's a debate I read on internet to whether the blue lagoon is a tourist trap or not. Hmm okay the entrance fee is not cheap I must say. In my opinion you go to the Blue Lagoon for the experience. Because well, when else can you swim around a geothermal pool right. Well maybe in Japan or New Zealand or something. Besides, the place is very beautiful too. But if you ask me if it's a must to go when visiting Iceland? I'm fifty-fifty about that.
I went back to Reykjavik from the Blue Lagoon. It was 6 PM when I arrived back and I went haaaaaard of Reykjavik hah. I walked around Reykjavik again, visiting some places I went before and so on. I went to a shop called Fotografi which sells a lot of awesome photographs of Iceland and Reykjavik! I think most of the works (or all, not sure) are by a photographer called Ari Sigvaldason. I bought a photo of this guy in an astronaut suit in front of Hallgrimskirkja. I don't know why I was so attracted to it. Actually I saw it on the day when I arrived in Reykjavik but I was contemplating to get it or not but since I got some spare money I decided to get it! :P
And in the shop there was a drawn-postcard of the same photo. I bought it as well, and when I was about to pay it, turned out it was the shop keeper, Julie, who drew that postcard! I was so amazed by it too because it looks awesome and almost similar to the photo (in an artistic way of course). Glad that she's happy that I bought it, she even took a photo of me with the postcard haha.
After that I walked along Laugavegur again, wandering to see what I'm going to have for dinner. While here, an old British lady stopped me and said hello. I was a bit shocked to know like omg someone knows me in this city haha. Turned out she was the same lady I shared a table with at the Sea Baron on Sunday! She remembered my face haha. She told me that she has retired and is exploring around Iceland. I'm so envious of her and at the same time admired her bravery. I told her I'm going home tomorrow, but gonna do the same as her when I retire heh. And she wished me safe travels and we parted ways. Man, she's like an inspiration to me!
For dinner I decided to eat at Prikid which is the oldest cafe in Reykjavik. I over-did my dinner seriously. Ordered this huge burger, but I didn't expect it to be thaaaat huge. Couldn't finish the bun and fries, but I washed it all off with a pint of beer. Which somehow I got a bit tipsy after that while walking around Reykjavik hah. I ended my day at a cafe nearby called Kaffitar. Pretty awesome cafe with a nice ambience. I was just writing my journal again, and feeling really sad that I'm about to leave this city in hours! But well I felt happy too, it's a dream come true.
Months ago I was back at home watching the music video of Retro Stefson song "Glow", which is shot around Reykjavik. And I was wishing so bad to be there and to walk around the city listening to the song. Well to realised I was doing exactly that gave me a smile on my face really :') I went back to my hostel to pack my bags, bathe, and then with a lot of sadness I went to sleep. It was like 12 AM I think. And I had to wake up at 2:30 to catch my flight.
And I woke up late! I woke up at 2:50 instead. So I rushed like mad and then went off to check out and this and that. But I ended up early. Suppose to catch the 4:00 bus but I was at the terminal at like 3:10 I think. So I was just sitting down, enjoying my time of solitude in this city before I left. It was a pretty sad morning. Totally moodless. Didn't listen to music, I was just staring outside the bus window in emptiness. But well, all good things must come to an end.
So I went to the airport, checked one of my luggage and walked around the airport before I flew back to Helsinki and made my way home. That's the end of my adventure here!
I really love Reykjavik. I fell in love with it before I came here, and I fell in love with it more after. I just love everything about the city. The people, the culture, the colours and the architecture. Walking around Reykjavik was once a dream, but not it is no longer one. I feel extremely sad the day I left Reykjavik but I knew deep inside, how happy I was to know the dream you've been holding on to for years has now been realised by yourself.
Takk Fyrir Reykjavik and Iceland. Till we meet again :')
Godan Daginn Reykjavik
Although I slept late the night before, I started my day early. Had breakfast at the hostel again, cause I bought some food-stuff previously from 10-11. Then I set off at 8 AM walking around Reykjavik. Alas, I realised not many shops were opened, and I was also waiting for the post office to open. So after exploring some unexplored parts of the city, I went to 10-11 again to get an orange juice and sat down by the window while reading the Reykjavik Grapevine newspaper which is basically news and happenings around Reykjavik (and Iceland). And watch people go by too.
Favourite drink over there which is orange, lime and ginger!
After that I went to the post office which is located beside 10-11 to send my postcards. Thankfully it was a very easy process of just getting the stamps and then giving it to the post office people and voila. I did some shopping at 10-11 before this and then I went back to my hostel to put it down because it's kinda heavy. Imagine carrying bags of liquorice and chocolates around Reykjavik! Haha. After that I went to Hallgrimskirkja again to go for my I Heart Reykjavik (IHR) walking tour!
Pretty red wall with flower pots
The lady behind IHR is actually Audur, an awesome Reykjavik-ian who is really passionate about her city and her country (check out her website here). So we met at Hallgrimskirkja, there were umm 10 of us in total I think. Audur began by sharing with us the history of the church and also a bit of Iceland history. She's very informative and she answers our questions about the country too. Then went to the Einar Jonsson sculpture park which is located near the church. It's a pretty serene park that has this inspiring vibe to it. The sculptures created by Einar Jonsson is pretty inspiring to look at too. And he also created several sculptures around Reykjavik!
Favourite sculpture in the park
After that we went around a few neighborhoods in Reykjavik and Audur gave us a bit of information about life in Reykjavik. I'm so enthralled by the colours and paintings and murals of the city. I wish my hometown can be filled with such beautiful murals too, instead of random graffiti and words that don't even make sense hah. I definitely learned a lot about Iceland and Reykjavik in particular in her tour. And all of my answers about this city were answered in the tour. Like I wondered why I see baby trolleys left outside cafes with the babies still inside! Well apparently it's a norm to do that in Iceland, a pretty eye-opener for me because here we're super protective of babies.
One of my favourite murals in the city!
The tour continues on down along Skolavordustigur and we arrived in Arnarholl hill for a stop, where Audur gave us a small Icelandic lesson. And the tour continued on to the old parts of Reykjavik where she gave us the history and how the city progresses. The tour ends at around 12:30 I think, it was a pretty awesome tour and the thing I love about it is that the tour is by a Reykjavik-ian and I get to know the life and culture of the city. Not just notes and facts about famous landmarks that the city has. So takk fyrir Audur for the awesome tour! I highly recommend IHR to everyone visiting Reykjavik. Gotta book to check for availability before your trip though! :)
And guess what I stupidly forgot to gave her an Indonesian postcard that I bought from here! And to take a photo with her arrgghhh. Oh well nevermind I guess.
After the walking tour my plan was to go to the famous Blue Lagoon! Since I had some spare time before the bus leaves, I went to get a sandwich before heading off. The Blue Lagoon is a geothermal pool that has sulphur and silica contents in it! Took a dip and went to swim around it, definitely a once in a lifetime experience I suppose. I thought the water is going to be hot but well uhh it's warm. Some parts of the lagoon is hotter than the other though.
The un-swimmable part of the Blue Lagoon haha
Although there's a debate I read on internet to whether the blue lagoon is a tourist trap or not. Hmm okay the entrance fee is not cheap I must say. In my opinion you go to the Blue Lagoon for the experience. Because well, when else can you swim around a geothermal pool right. Well maybe in Japan or New Zealand or something. Besides, the place is very beautiful too. But if you ask me if it's a must to go when visiting Iceland? I'm fifty-fifty about that.
I went back to Reykjavik from the Blue Lagoon. It was 6 PM when I arrived back and I went haaaaaard of Reykjavik hah. I walked around Reykjavik again, visiting some places I went before and so on. I went to a shop called Fotografi which sells a lot of awesome photographs of Iceland and Reykjavik! I think most of the works (or all, not sure) are by a photographer called Ari Sigvaldason. I bought a photo of this guy in an astronaut suit in front of Hallgrimskirkja. I don't know why I was so attracted to it. Actually I saw it on the day when I arrived in Reykjavik but I was contemplating to get it or not but since I got some spare money I decided to get it! :P
Awesome shop with awesome photographs
And in the shop there was a drawn-postcard of the same photo. I bought it as well, and when I was about to pay it, turned out it was the shop keeper, Julie, who drew that postcard! I was so amazed by it too because it looks awesome and almost similar to the photo (in an artistic way of course). Glad that she's happy that I bought it, she even took a photo of me with the postcard haha.
After that I walked along Laugavegur again, wandering to see what I'm going to have for dinner. While here, an old British lady stopped me and said hello. I was a bit shocked to know like omg someone knows me in this city haha. Turned out she was the same lady I shared a table with at the Sea Baron on Sunday! She remembered my face haha. She told me that she has retired and is exploring around Iceland. I'm so envious of her and at the same time admired her bravery. I told her I'm going home tomorrow, but gonna do the same as her when I retire heh. And she wished me safe travels and we parted ways. Man, she's like an inspiration to me!
Skolavordustigur. And the best record shop in the world 12 Tonar
For dinner I decided to eat at Prikid which is the oldest cafe in Reykjavik. I over-did my dinner seriously. Ordered this huge burger, but I didn't expect it to be thaaaat huge. Couldn't finish the bun and fries, but I washed it all off with a pint of beer. Which somehow I got a bit tipsy after that while walking around Reykjavik hah. I ended my day at a cafe nearby called Kaffitar. Pretty awesome cafe with a nice ambience. I was just writing my journal again, and feeling really sad that I'm about to leave this city in hours! But well I felt happy too, it's a dream come true.
Kaffitar
Months ago I was back at home watching the music video of Retro Stefson song "Glow", which is shot around Reykjavik. And I was wishing so bad to be there and to walk around the city listening to the song. Well to realised I was doing exactly that gave me a smile on my face really :') I went back to my hostel to pack my bags, bathe, and then with a lot of sadness I went to sleep. It was like 12 AM I think. And I had to wake up at 2:30 to catch my flight.
To realise that you're doing what you always dreamed off is just... Priceless
And I woke up late! I woke up at 2:50 instead. So I rushed like mad and then went off to check out and this and that. But I ended up early. Suppose to catch the 4:00 bus but I was at the terminal at like 3:10 I think. So I was just sitting down, enjoying my time of solitude in this city before I left. It was a pretty sad morning. Totally moodless. Didn't listen to music, I was just staring outside the bus window in emptiness. But well, all good things must come to an end.
My hostel dorm! Guess which one is my bed :P
Enjoying my last moments with the city in Solitude
So I went to the airport, checked one of my luggage and walked around the airport before I flew back to Helsinki and made my way home. That's the end of my adventure here!
I really love Reykjavik. I fell in love with it before I came here, and I fell in love with it more after. I just love everything about the city. The people, the culture, the colours and the architecture. Walking around Reykjavik was once a dream, but not it is no longer one. I feel extremely sad the day I left Reykjavik but I knew deep inside, how happy I was to know the dream you've been holding on to for years has now been realised by yourself.
Takk Fyrir Reykjavik and Iceland. Till we meet again :')
Friday 15 August 2014
Adhi In Iceland - Day 4
Let's go to Day 4 of my trip. So this is the 2nd last day of my trip and well it was a sad day, but definitely the sadness was traded off with the beautiful and scenic drive along the South Shore of Iceland! Although I was having quite a bad sore throat and an irritating flu where my nose got blocked for the whole day. Anyway yup I went for the South Shore day tour with Reykjavik Excursions again! It was an early day, got picked up at 7 in the morning. Well I understand why.
The south shore route is a pretty long route away from Reykjavik. So to ensure we won't arrive back in Reykjavik at like 12 AM or something, we had to start early. I truly enjoy the drive down because Iceland is just beautiful. Every turn, every 30 minutes or so, you will see a new landscape and a unique one. So yeah it was a pretty amazing route indeed.
Our first stop was Skogafoss! Skogafoss is a waterfall located near the town of Skogar. A pretty big waterfall and somehow, maybe cause we arrived early, it was really really really cold. Like when I stepped out of the bus my hands just turned cold. Maybe it was the spraying water. There were a few people who thought it was warm and ran out only with their sweater, only to go back inside and take their jackets haha. But the cold is worth the sight I suppose!
Legend has it that there was a treasure chest behind the waterfall put by the vikings. The locals attempted to pull the chest out but failed, only retrieving the handle of the chest. And then the handle was used as the door handle of a church in Skogar. Quite cool huh. When I see the waterfall I always imagine that there's a door behind the water which will lead us to the treasure chest or some sort of secret hiding place of the vikings haha. There was hills surrounding the waterfall which make the area pretty beautiful too. But the wind was killing me so I didn't spend much time outside.
From Skogafoss we gotta drop off some people who were doing the glacier walk. I wanted to do that really but then again, time didn't permit so next time I suppose. The place was before a place we stopped for lunch. Along the way to the glacier walk place we got the chance to stop beside this super cool lava field which is covered with moss. Took the chance to take photo of an empty road too! Reminds me of Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Icelandic roads are beautiful.
Like I said above, the thing I love about Iceland is the different landscapes that we will encounter. Every turn we make, we'll be greeted by a new landscape. Along this route itself I passed by lava rock fields, moss fields, grasslands, a black field from the recent Eyjafjallajokull eruption's ashes (repeat after me: Eya-fyatla-yokul) and even a glaciers from Vatnajokull or Eyjafjallajokull! I love Iceland and its ruggedness really. It's nature and its rawest finest beauty.
Anyway after lunch there was a long drive away to Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. The lagoon is formed by the melting glacier from Vatnajokull. And the ice floating on the lagoon also break away from the same glacier. This was my first time seeing icebergs and I was pretty amazed and awed to be honest. When I saw the icebergs floating from a bridge, my heart just gasped and well I was pretty happy. I didn't expect myself to see icebergs with my own eyes and I did so yeah :)
I decided to take the boat and explore the lagoon, I wanted to skip this but I'm thankful I didn't! I was put in an empty boat like 10 people (of the usual 25) so the guide has ample time to talk and interact with us. She's very informative and also keen to answer our questions. I was a bit shocked that the lagoon is actually like more than 200m deep. Can't imagine what happen if we fall inside there. We got a special treat of eating slices of icebergs which may be 1000 years old so that was a pretty cool thing to do.And it's the best ice I've ever tasted.
Jokulsarlon is the place I've been wanting to visit in Iceland. Well I discovered it from Tumblr a few years back I think, I thought Iceland was like Jokulsarlon everywhere, until I see that meme about Greenland and Iceland haha. But well it was rather overwhelming to be in Jokulsarlon. To be surrounded by icebergs, and how serene the place was. To realise your dreams and imaginations slowly turning into a beautiful reality. Pretty overwhelming. During most of the boat ride I just sat down and admired the beauty around me. That such beautiful place exists on earth.
Anyway from Jokulsarlon, which is like located on the other end of Iceland from Reykjavik, we made our drive back to the capital. The drive back was a pretty sad one... Realising that I only had one more day left then. But then oh well I told myself that I should be happy because I finally went here! We actually had two more stops before Reykjavik.
The first stop was Vik, which is a town located near the beach. Which is also our dinner stop. Vik is a nice quaint little beach town. From afar we can see black basalt formations further from the coast line. The tide was rather high so I didn't dare to go near the water. The houses of Vik are also lovely too. I love the church in Vik! A beautiful red building in a sea of green grass. I wish I could stay longer in Vik and explore this small town. Or even stayed there for a while! :P
Our last stop for the day was Seljalandsfoss. Smart of Reykjavik Excursions for making this the last stop because since it was late, the fall was empty and also the sun was setting which makes photos of the fall beautiful haha. Seljalandsfoss would be my favourite "small" waterfall that I visited (since you can't compare it with Gulfoss! Heh). There was a rainbow forming as well. And I don't know, I feel that the way the water falls from the top is just pretty and... Beautiful. Like it just falls so effortlessly beautiful to the ground, and along into a stream.
You can walk behind the fall too. Well warning, be prepared to get your jacket wet, your camera wet (like drenched), and everything wet. Please walk with care too cause it was quite slippery. But you know what, it's worth everything to go behind it! It's a pretty cool experience and I got some awesome shots behind the fall as well as the fall is facing west, which means the sun will be in front of it! :) Was a bit worried with my camera but I have faith in her.
And then yeah, that's the end of out adventure along the south shore. We arrived back in Reykjavik at 21.30 and I was hungry and I was also sad about the next day being my last proper day here. So I just went all out and walked around the city until 11 PM haha. I went to get the awesome hotdogs from Baejarins Bezstu Plysur (which translates to best hotdogs in town if I'm not wrong). Well what can I say, best hotdogs in town and best hotdog I've had!
Then went to 10-11 again to get some Skyr (Icelandic yoghurt) and drinks, and was hunting for things to bring back home as well. I reached my hostel at 11 PM ish and went to bed at like 12 I think. Surprised that my dorm mates were not back haha. Except for another Korean lady who reached back a few minutes after me. I was so hesitant to sleep. I feel like walking around Reykjavik until late but I was pretty tired and I was still having that stupid cold urgh.
The South Shore was an amazing route to be honest. Very scenic, very unique and raw. Passing through different landscapes while listening to stories about the locals and about Iceland as well. If not, I would be listening to my favourite Sigur Ros songs and just have an eargasmic moment really. I was feeling sad to know I was leaving this beautiful island very soon but well like I said, I was feeling more happy to be there and experiencing all these by myself.
The south shore route is a pretty long route away from Reykjavik. So to ensure we won't arrive back in Reykjavik at like 12 AM or something, we had to start early. I truly enjoy the drive down because Iceland is just beautiful. Every turn, every 30 minutes or so, you will see a new landscape and a unique one. So yeah it was a pretty amazing route indeed.
Our first stop was Skogafoss! Skogafoss is a waterfall located near the town of Skogar. A pretty big waterfall and somehow, maybe cause we arrived early, it was really really really cold. Like when I stepped out of the bus my hands just turned cold. Maybe it was the spraying water. There were a few people who thought it was warm and ran out only with their sweater, only to go back inside and take their jackets haha. But the cold is worth the sight I suppose!
Skogafoss - trust me the weather is killer
Legend has it that there was a treasure chest behind the waterfall put by the vikings. The locals attempted to pull the chest out but failed, only retrieving the handle of the chest. And then the handle was used as the door handle of a church in Skogar. Quite cool huh. When I see the waterfall I always imagine that there's a door behind the water which will lead us to the treasure chest or some sort of secret hiding place of the vikings haha. There was hills surrounding the waterfall which make the area pretty beautiful too. But the wind was killing me so I didn't spend much time outside.
Close up of the fall
What's behind it I wonder :P
From Skogafoss we gotta drop off some people who were doing the glacier walk. I wanted to do that really but then again, time didn't permit so next time I suppose. The place was before a place we stopped for lunch. Along the way to the glacier walk place we got the chance to stop beside this super cool lava field which is covered with moss. Took the chance to take photo of an empty road too! Reminds me of Secret Life of Walter Mitty. Icelandic roads are beautiful.
The secret life of Adhi Mitty!
Featuring moss field on the sides
Like I said above, the thing I love about Iceland is the different landscapes that we will encounter. Every turn we make, we'll be greeted by a new landscape. Along this route itself I passed by lava rock fields, moss fields, grasslands, a black field from the recent Eyjafjallajokull eruption's ashes (repeat after me: Eya-fyatla-yokul) and even a glaciers from Vatnajokull or Eyjafjallajokull! I love Iceland and its ruggedness really. It's nature and its rawest finest beauty.
Just breathtaking isn't it. For someone who has never seen glaciers before
Anyway after lunch there was a long drive away to Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. The lagoon is formed by the melting glacier from Vatnajokull. And the ice floating on the lagoon also break away from the same glacier. This was my first time seeing icebergs and I was pretty amazed and awed to be honest. When I saw the icebergs floating from a bridge, my heart just gasped and well I was pretty happy. I didn't expect myself to see icebergs with my own eyes and I did so yeah :)
The serene yet majestic Jokulsarlon
I decided to take the boat and explore the lagoon, I wanted to skip this but I'm thankful I didn't! I was put in an empty boat like 10 people (of the usual 25) so the guide has ample time to talk and interact with us. She's very informative and also keen to answer our questions. I was a bit shocked that the lagoon is actually like more than 200m deep. Can't imagine what happen if we fall inside there. We got a special treat of eating slices of icebergs which may be 1000 years old so that was a pretty cool thing to do.And it's the best ice I've ever tasted.
Best Ice Ever
Jokulsarlon is the place I've been wanting to visit in Iceland. Well I discovered it from Tumblr a few years back I think, I thought Iceland was like Jokulsarlon everywhere, until I see that meme about Greenland and Iceland haha. But well it was rather overwhelming to be in Jokulsarlon. To be surrounded by icebergs, and how serene the place was. To realise your dreams and imaginations slowly turning into a beautiful reality. Pretty overwhelming. During most of the boat ride I just sat down and admired the beauty around me. That such beautiful place exists on earth.
Thankful for this whole experience
Anyway from Jokulsarlon, which is like located on the other end of Iceland from Reykjavik, we made our drive back to the capital. The drive back was a pretty sad one... Realising that I only had one more day left then. But then oh well I told myself that I should be happy because I finally went here! We actually had two more stops before Reykjavik.
The black basalt formation in the distance
The first stop was Vik, which is a town located near the beach. Which is also our dinner stop. Vik is a nice quaint little beach town. From afar we can see black basalt formations further from the coast line. The tide was rather high so I didn't dare to go near the water. The houses of Vik are also lovely too. I love the church in Vik! A beautiful red building in a sea of green grass. I wish I could stay longer in Vik and explore this small town. Or even stayed there for a while! :P
Church of Vik
Our last stop for the day was Seljalandsfoss. Smart of Reykjavik Excursions for making this the last stop because since it was late, the fall was empty and also the sun was setting which makes photos of the fall beautiful haha. Seljalandsfoss would be my favourite "small" waterfall that I visited (since you can't compare it with Gulfoss! Heh). There was a rainbow forming as well. And I don't know, I feel that the way the water falls from the top is just pretty and... Beautiful. Like it just falls so effortlessly beautiful to the ground, and along into a stream.
Pretty Seljalandsfoss!
You can walk behind the fall too. Well warning, be prepared to get your jacket wet, your camera wet (like drenched), and everything wet. Please walk with care too cause it was quite slippery. But you know what, it's worth everything to go behind it! It's a pretty cool experience and I got some awesome shots behind the fall as well as the fall is facing west, which means the sun will be in front of it! :) Was a bit worried with my camera but I have faith in her.
At this moment my camera was wet
Still managed to take a nice shot though hah
And then yeah, that's the end of out adventure along the south shore. We arrived back in Reykjavik at 21.30 and I was hungry and I was also sad about the next day being my last proper day here. So I just went all out and walked around the city until 11 PM haha. I went to get the awesome hotdogs from Baejarins Bezstu Plysur (which translates to best hotdogs in town if I'm not wrong). Well what can I say, best hotdogs in town and best hotdog I've had!
Best plysur ever!
Plysur = hotdog
Then went to 10-11 again to get some Skyr (Icelandic yoghurt) and drinks, and was hunting for things to bring back home as well. I reached my hostel at 11 PM ish and went to bed at like 12 I think. Surprised that my dorm mates were not back haha. Except for another Korean lady who reached back a few minutes after me. I was so hesitant to sleep. I feel like walking around Reykjavik until late but I was pretty tired and I was still having that stupid cold urgh.
The South Shore was an amazing route to be honest. Very scenic, very unique and raw. Passing through different landscapes while listening to stories about the locals and about Iceland as well. If not, I would be listening to my favourite Sigur Ros songs and just have an eargasmic moment really. I was feeling sad to know I was leaving this beautiful island very soon but well like I said, I was feeling more happy to be there and experiencing all these by myself.
Thursday 14 August 2014
Adhi In Iceland - Day 3
Continuing with day 3, I went for the Golden Circle tour with Iceland Horizon this time! Golden Circle is like probably the most visited route/sights by tourists in Iceland. It consists of three places, Geysir, Gullfoss Waterfall and Thingvellir National Park. I've decided to try Iceland Horizon cause of the awesome reviews I read from Trip Advisors and well, they are really good! I'm sorry but I forgot my guide's name but I think it starts with W. Willy? He's a really great guide though, informative, fun, he has lots of Icelandic jokes too and he's always happy to answer your questions :)
So anyway I got picked up at the hostel at 8.30-ish. I went with a few people too, three Americans who were also in Reykjavik and then the other six were people from a cruise ship which was sailing from Norway, Faroe Islands and England! Damn I would love to cruise in that route one day. Seems like an awesome retirement plan. I didn't get the chance to know the names of the Americans but they were fun people and also the only people I talked with during the whole day hah.
Our first stop was Geysir which is a geothermal area. The area consists of hot springs and a few geysers. Some are still sprouting hot water but there are also a few which no longer do. There is also a hill where we can climb up to see a great view of the area. It reminds me of Tangkuban Perahu back here! I kinda realise how Iceland and Indonesia are quite similar heh.
There's the famous Strokkur Geyser which sprouts water at like 20 metres high. And it sprouts every 3-10 minutes-ish. I counted like it sprouted at the 3rd minute and then the 10th minute after the previous explosion. This makes it difficult for us to record/take photos of it sprouting hahaha. I was holding my phone on my left hand and my DSLR on my right. Whenever it sprouted I was trying to record on my phone and shoot on my camera. I failed at taking a proper video of it sprouting but I managed to take a few continuous shots of it sprouting so... Win win!
After Geysir was Gullfoss waterfall. I would say it's the 2nd grandest and most beautiful waterfall after Niagara! Although Niagara is big, there's something about Gulfoss that makes me feel really awed by its power and structure. There are actually two water-falls in Gulfoss (you can see it in the photo later). In the past there was a foreign investor who wanted to use it as an electricity generator but thankfully they failed to do so. Such natural beauty! I'm so glad it is protected now.
You can walk pretty near the waterfall. Almost froze my ass off there cause it was freaking cold due to the spraying water. And I was only wearing like 2 layers heh. You can also take a walk up from the waterfall area to have a higher point of view of the waterfall. It was a pretty windy day and it was quite cold but I enjoyed walking and admiring Gullfoss :)
After Gullfoss was our last stop which is Thingvellir national park. When I arrived there I knew that some scenes of Game of Thrones were shot there! It looks pretty similar indeed. Thingvellir was the site of the world's oldest parliament, when the first settlers to Iceland from Norway came in the late 800 AD. It is a truly scenic place and a lovely area to take a walk and enjoy nature's beauty.
Thingvellir to me is an amazing place too cause it's a place where you can walk along tectonic rifts! Before we arrived there we were driving along the Eurasian tectonic rift. And then when you arrive there you'll be walking near the American tectonic rift. And these rifts grow apart 2cm per year! As I walk along the rifts and touch them with my hands... I feel so amazed by earth really. Such wonder happening right in front of my eyes. Our world is so beautiful!
After Thingvellir we made our way back to Reykjavik. Thankfully we can choose where we wanna be dropped off. So since it was still like 4.30 PM I decided to explore more parts of Reykjavik and I got dropped off at the Harpa concert hall. So thankful to our wonderful guide, and the lovely 3 Americans I met for the lovely day! I highly recommend Iceland Horizon to those who are visiting Iceland. They also offer other tours, not just Golden Circle :)
Harpa Concert Hall is located at Reykjavik Harbour and it's one of the most beautiful concert halls I've seen. The design is really unique and the interior design is just wow! Modern and artistic. Sadly I didn't get the chance to see the hall itself, just walking around the inside of the building. Pretty shutter happy inside there. Lots of people were taking photographs as well.
About an 8 minute walk from Harpa, along the coastline, there's the famous Solfar or The Sun Voyageur sculpture facing the sea. It is created by Jon Gunnar Arnason and I really love how it is located near the sea, in fact facing it. I don't knoww why but the sculpture reminds me of Of Monsters and Men song "Little Talks" where the lyric goes like "Cause though the truths may vary, this ship will carry our bodies safe to short". Pretty nice place to sit by and watch the sea. However it was a pretty windy day that Sunday and I just want to get out of the harbour for a nice hot drink haha.
Walking along the Harbour I went to find a nice restaurant as recommended by my Lonely Planet Iceland Guidebook called the Sea Baron, famous for their lobster stew. After walking along the harbour I found it! The restaurant was full when I entered but thankfully as I placed my order, a few customers left. I shared a table with a lovely British lady. The restaurant is super cosy and you eat with other people on long tables so I love the communal feel to it. And yes, please try their lobster soup cause it's super awesome especially after walking in the cold weather! :P
It was 6 PM when I finished eating so I spent the rest of the evening walking along Reykjavik once again. I just love that city and exploring its nook and crannies make me happy. I walked along Laugavegur which is like one of the two main shopping streets in Reykjavik. Reykjavik on Sunday was rather empty. Quite a lot of shops closed at like 6 or 7 PM. There were not as many people as the day before or when I arrived (Saturday and Friday). Still loved the walk though!
I ended my day at Cafe Babalu, also mentioned in my LP Guidebook. Love the inside of this cafe which makes you feel at home. And oh gosh they serve the best carrot cake I've had so far. So good that I da-baoed it back to the hostel for breakfast the next day. And also I wrote my postcards at the cafe. I wish I could stay longer there but I felt guilty for hogging the place for too long. Although to be honest you won't wanna leave that awesome cafe heh.
My third day in Iceland was such an earth-mazing day. Seen so many wonders that our planet has and the places I went to were breathtaking. Also, walking along Reykjavik was just sweet and lovely. To be honest this third day wasn't much planned (except for Golden Circle). So without any plans, I just let my feet take me anywhere after dropping off at Harpa. Well I always feel that sometimes having no plans is the best plan of your trip! :)
Alright see you on the 4th day!
So anyway I got picked up at the hostel at 8.30-ish. I went with a few people too, three Americans who were also in Reykjavik and then the other six were people from a cruise ship which was sailing from Norway, Faroe Islands and England! Damn I would love to cruise in that route one day. Seems like an awesome retirement plan. I didn't get the chance to know the names of the Americans but they were fun people and also the only people I talked with during the whole day hah.
View from on top of the hill at Geysir
Our first stop was Geysir which is a geothermal area. The area consists of hot springs and a few geysers. Some are still sprouting hot water but there are also a few which no longer do. There is also a hill where we can climb up to see a great view of the area. It reminds me of Tangkuban Perahu back here! I kinda realise how Iceland and Indonesia are quite similar heh.
Bubbling hot, you can like feel the heat nearby!
There's the famous Strokkur Geyser which sprouts water at like 20 metres high. And it sprouts every 3-10 minutes-ish. I counted like it sprouted at the 3rd minute and then the 10th minute after the previous explosion. This makes it difficult for us to record/take photos of it sprouting hahaha. I was holding my phone on my left hand and my DSLR on my right. Whenever it sprouted I was trying to record on my phone and shoot on my camera. I failed at taking a proper video of it sprouting but I managed to take a few continuous shots of it sprouting so... Win win!
Strokkur!
After Geysir was Gullfoss waterfall. I would say it's the 2nd grandest and most beautiful waterfall after Niagara! Although Niagara is big, there's something about Gulfoss that makes me feel really awed by its power and structure. There are actually two water-falls in Gulfoss (you can see it in the photo later). In the past there was a foreign investor who wanted to use it as an electricity generator but thankfully they failed to do so. Such natural beauty! I'm so glad it is protected now.
Don't mess with Gullfoss
You can walk pretty near the waterfall. Almost froze my ass off there cause it was freaking cold due to the spraying water. And I was only wearing like 2 layers heh. You can also take a walk up from the waterfall area to have a higher point of view of the waterfall. It was a pretty windy day and it was quite cold but I enjoyed walking and admiring Gullfoss :)
Froze my ass off taking this photo. Super cold!
After Gullfoss was our last stop which is Thingvellir national park. When I arrived there I knew that some scenes of Game of Thrones were shot there! It looks pretty similar indeed. Thingvellir was the site of the world's oldest parliament, when the first settlers to Iceland from Norway came in the late 800 AD. It is a truly scenic place and a lovely area to take a walk and enjoy nature's beauty.
A walk at Thingvellir :)
Thingvellir to me is an amazing place too cause it's a place where you can walk along tectonic rifts! Before we arrived there we were driving along the Eurasian tectonic rift. And then when you arrive there you'll be walking near the American tectonic rift. And these rifts grow apart 2cm per year! As I walk along the rifts and touch them with my hands... I feel so amazed by earth really. Such wonder happening right in front of my eyes. Our world is so beautiful!
Walking along these was just amazing
After Thingvellir we made our way back to Reykjavik. Thankfully we can choose where we wanna be dropped off. So since it was still like 4.30 PM I decided to explore more parts of Reykjavik and I got dropped off at the Harpa concert hall. So thankful to our wonderful guide, and the lovely 3 Americans I met for the lovely day! I highly recommend Iceland Horizon to those who are visiting Iceland. They also offer other tours, not just Golden Circle :)
Harpa Concert Hall
Harpa Concert Hall is located at Reykjavik Harbour and it's one of the most beautiful concert halls I've seen. The design is really unique and the interior design is just wow! Modern and artistic. Sadly I didn't get the chance to see the hall itself, just walking around the inside of the building. Pretty shutter happy inside there. Lots of people were taking photographs as well.
Inside Harpa
About an 8 minute walk from Harpa, along the coastline, there's the famous Solfar or The Sun Voyageur sculpture facing the sea. It is created by Jon Gunnar Arnason and I really love how it is located near the sea, in fact facing it. I don't knoww why but the sculpture reminds me of Of Monsters and Men song "Little Talks" where the lyric goes like "Cause though the truths may vary, this ship will carry our bodies safe to short". Pretty nice place to sit by and watch the sea. However it was a pretty windy day that Sunday and I just want to get out of the harbour for a nice hot drink haha.
Solfar // The Sun Voyageur
Walking along the Harbour I went to find a nice restaurant as recommended by my Lonely Planet Iceland Guidebook called the Sea Baron, famous for their lobster stew. After walking along the harbour I found it! The restaurant was full when I entered but thankfully as I placed my order, a few customers left. I shared a table with a lovely British lady. The restaurant is super cosy and you eat with other people on long tables so I love the communal feel to it. And yes, please try their lobster soup cause it's super awesome especially after walking in the cold weather! :P
Saegreifinn AKA Sea Baron
It was 6 PM when I finished eating so I spent the rest of the evening walking along Reykjavik once again. I just love that city and exploring its nook and crannies make me happy. I walked along Laugavegur which is like one of the two main shopping streets in Reykjavik. Reykjavik on Sunday was rather empty. Quite a lot of shops closed at like 6 or 7 PM. There were not as many people as the day before or when I arrived (Saturday and Friday). Still loved the walk though!
Laugavegur! Love the colourful ground
(Not all of the street ground is painted though heh)
I ended my day at Cafe Babalu, also mentioned in my LP Guidebook. Love the inside of this cafe which makes you feel at home. And oh gosh they serve the best carrot cake I've had so far. So good that I da-baoed it back to the hostel for breakfast the next day. And also I wrote my postcards at the cafe. I wish I could stay longer there but I felt guilty for hogging the place for too long. Although to be honest you won't wanna leave that awesome cafe heh.
Cafe Babalu. Must try their carrot cake!
My third day in Iceland was such an earth-mazing day. Seen so many wonders that our planet has and the places I went to were breathtaking. Also, walking along Reykjavik was just sweet and lovely. To be honest this third day wasn't much planned (except for Golden Circle). So without any plans, I just let my feet take me anywhere after dropping off at Harpa. Well I always feel that sometimes having no plans is the best plan of your trip! :)
Alright see you on the 4th day!
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