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Thursday 3 August 2023

Trip to Iceland - Day 1 - Reykjavik

 We arrived in Reykjavik yesterday. That is 24th of July 2023.  Until now, I only knew of Björk, the Icelandic singer. The first thing I noticed was the lack of trees, similar to the Greek volcanic islands of Mykonos or Santorini. Compared to the lush green landscapes and forests of Sri Lanka, it feels like a luxurious dream here. Additionally, there's hyperinflation, leading to sky-high prices for everything, except lamb and fish, which they produce locally. To give you a comparison, in London, one can get fish and chips or kebab for 6-7 pounds, while here, it would be around 15-30 pounds.

The buildings are depressingly grey in color. We came here to see glaciers and hot springs, which I'll talk about tomorrow. The population is only about 400,000 people. Our Icelandic tour guide mentioned that if he lines up five Icelanders, one should be related to him. He jokingly called it his bizarre '1 in 5' is a relative theory. He said this as a fun fact, so don't take it seriously.

I googled it and apperantly it's true. moct icelanders are related to each other. They have app so they don't end up commiting incest. 

The beachside of the Atlantic Ocean is beautiful. Another interesting fact is that they talk about Norse gods as their own, like Odin, Thor, and Loki. The original inhabitants were from Norway, and there is a Viking ship wreck to confirm this. For comparison only, the main bus station is smaller than Edmonton bus station in London or Colombo Fort bus station.

People here are very nice and open, but they say they get depressed during winter times. As a result, the government gives them expenses-paid holidays to warmer destinations.

Here are some pictures of the capitl city of Iceland. It's population is around 123000 people. 

 Bus station

Atlantic Ocean




magma stone





rotating Perlan glass dome





tiny icelandic coast guard










city council worker 

 city council

 main street

- Ajith Dharmakeerthi

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