Quirky Iceland

As Paul noted, Iceland is unique in terms of both landscape and culture. During our stay, we learned a few interesting things about the country:

Tourism and fishing are their two largest industries.

Iceland is very expensive, and the value of the Icelandic Krona makes prices seem even worse. A cup of kaffi (coffee) costs about 5000 ISK - which equals about $5. A fishing license for certain rivers can cost as much as a 300,000 ISK ($3000) a day!

All the sheep and horses in Iceland are the same purebreds brought over by the Vikings. No other breeds of sheep or horses are permitted in Iceland.

A surprisingly large number of Icelanders believe in folklore characters - specifically trolls and elves. In fact, planning and research projects have to include a section on the impact of the project on elves! And, there are areas where elves are protected.

In the Thingvellir national park, you can stand on both the North American and European continents. Iceland grows about 2 cm a year as they separate.

Being a largely undeveloped country with uneven and unpredictable landscapes, Iceland is one of the few places in the world where jacked-up pickup trucks are actually practical!

Hot water for taps and radiators is heated centrally via geothermal plants and piped above-ground into homes and businesses. It's inexpensive - one of the only things that is - and there is no need for hot water heaters or furnaces.

Iceland is extremely active with many volcanoes around the island. In 2010, Eyjafjallajökull erupted causing major disruptions in Europe. The volcano Katla, is a much larger, more menacing volcano and is overdue for an eruption. Our quirky tour guide Jonas used this unique description to illustrate the difference: "Eyjafjallajökull is like chlamydia, Katla is AIDS."