Business/Pleasure trip to Reykjavik, Iceland

So back in feb i go to a meeting with a Icelandic Bank to try and secure an engagement (with the help of a colleague) that would result in a business trip to Reykjavik, Iceland. I never thought it would happen (despite me telling everyone and their mothers the moment that the deal was sealed that I was going to rekjavik). As the project came to a close, we started to organize meeting dates with the bank's marketing partners. It was proving difficult to get on everyone's schedule. This meant one of two things: meeting in London or conference call. Neither of which were acceptable in my opinion.

So I turned up the pressure and went straight to the client. In a day the meeting was set for June 1st. And thats where the story begins....

Friday - June 1, 2007

Wake up around 4am to shower and be ready for my taxi that would be picking me up at 4:45am (my flight was at 7:30). Given that, i know im in for a long long day cuz on the other side im sure to be going out for a few drinks after the meeting. Reykjavik is know for its party atmo, never ending sunlight, and beautiful women. 2 out of the 3 would prove to be overstated in the end. So, after sleeping the entire plane ride, apart from the 5 min convo with the American guys sitting in my row. They in college at Stanford (in California) and here on some study abroad deal at Oxford. They similiarly woke up quite early. They had to catch a 4am bus from oxford to the airport...needless to say the conversation was a short one as both of us were passed out within minutes of take off....

Not waking up until the 5 mins before the plane landed at around 10:30, i got about a 2 hour nap in before the meeting. Nice. So i catch the first cab to the hotel room to refresh before the meeting at 2pm. Get into a chat with the cabbie and he tells me a few interesting things: 1 - iceland is the richest country in the world (them and norway), 2 - water from the blue lagoon is pumped throughout the city to provide the citizens with hot water, 3 - the girls will be chasing me like puppy dogs, 4 - all the girls are beautiful. The latter 2, of course, i was most interested in as i heard this place was party central.

After a $100 cab journey, I get to the hotel and try to check in and notice that point 4 is off to a good start - The 2 girls checking me in are probably 8s. From there its a downturn, my room is not ready so i sit in the lobby for the next 2 hours getting ready for the meeting (aka playing on facebook) until Steve, my colleague, finishes his nap. He landed at 6am on the red-eye from nyc.

Around 12, i meet steve and we head to a restaurant near our clients office and grab lunch. Iceland is known for its food (it is an island people) and especially its whale steak, puffin, sheep, and shark. While Steve decided to venture into the realm of the native cuisine. He orders a Whale Steak special....i preferred to ease into things and ordered a ham and cheese sandwich, which ended up also having a fried egg in it (i really wasnt that hungry).

After lunch, we walked to the meeting, enjoying the 40 degree overcast and windy icelandic weather. Get to the meeting...blah blah blah, very pleased and satisfied with the results, blah blah blah, little follow up, blah. After the meeting the our client's marketing group that we worked with invited us on a tour of thier office. We spent over an hour there talking to members of the company, including the CEO who is ready to host a celebration of sorts (the sister company from Norway is in town and starting to flood the room we are in. A room that over looks the atlantic ocean and had it been a sunny day we would be able to see the mountains in the background). Over a beer, we talk about the progress of the firm. Seems like a summary of what he is going to say in his upcoming speech. After the beer, we make a smooth exit and head back to the hotel to get ready for the night out. YES.

Steve and i head to dinner at a locally loved restaurant and from there we plan to hit up the nightlife. This time at dinner i go for a little more of a local dish, but not too much of a stretch to what i would normally eat. I had lamb and have had it before and unfortunately had better. Was good but not great...

Now to the streets of Reykjavik and time to party...sort of. As of 9 o'clock no one is out yet. actually people are out, but they are more like the Happy hour crowd. Word on the street is people dont go out until about midnight. This is for a couple reasons as i will soon find out: 1 - Iceland is bloody expensive. 2 beers cost the equivalent of $22. 2 - it doesnt get dark in iceland in the summer. Seriously. At midnight, its as light as it was at 3pm. At 1am, it looks like sun is starting to set . At 3am, the sun is starting to rise again. Never ever dark. Awesome. See below for an example:

This is 2am as we walk home




When midnight did come around, the place started to fill up, but we had been at the same bar for about 2 hours and were getting bored. We moved on to a bar down the street, but not before getting a pic with a couple of locals:



The stop at the next bar isnt anything special. Well except for steve making me dance with a really, really, really, really, really, really, drunk girl. So drunk in fact that she slipped her camera in my pocket as we were dancing. When i got bored of seeing her fall over herself - which happened very quickly i might add, i decided it was time to go (plus i was with a 40-year old married guy whose late-night partying days were well over). About 100 yards outside the club i realize i still have this girls camera!! I run back into the bar and find her. Yep, still wasted. I tap her on the shoulder and she pushes me away and turns around as if she had never seen me before. I tap her again, insisting that i have her camera (mumbling under my breath about what a stupid drunk she is) and point to the camera. She realizes its her phone (or could have been a piece of hardened dung she was so drunk) and takes it and again turns away from me. Drunk people are stupid so i just laugh. I doubt she got home without incident. As for me, i got back to the hotel, ordered a pizza (dominoes, not pizza hut but it will do) and passed out very happily. Had to rest up for the the next day's whirlwind sightseeing.

Saturday - June 2, 2007

Highlights of the day

Rented a car - The car company was based out of some room with a desk and 2 guys who dont know what they are doing. Including a guy dressed in a stained tshirt and jeans, probably still drunk from the night before (think barney from the Simpsons). Professionalism is not this company's strong point, but price is. The rent for the day is cheaper than a cab ride to they airport. this is probably why:



Driving to the sights: Driving outside the city is an adventure in itself. Every road in the city is paved and nice, like any developed city. Outside the city is completely different. All the roads are full of rock and molten lava (the entire country is made up of this type of terrain) surrounded by mounds of the same thing. In our little buggy of a car the drive wasnt the smoothest to say the least. The sights seen are

1. Geysir - A geyser (pronounced GEEZER) that gets taller than yellowstone
2. Gulfoss - A waterfall
3. Glacier - Barely saw it off in the background

4. Thingvellir National Park - Basically a big lake
5. Divide between Two Continents - Where the North American and European plates are separating. Apparently you can snorkle between the two. I didnt.
6. Blue Lagoon - a body of water with unique source of geothermal seawater that originates in Iceland's extreme environment.

In between sights, i dropped off steve at the airport so i was on my own visiting the last two sights...and yes i did get in the water. Was hot but the place smelled like rotten eggs due to the sulfur

That night i ended up going out with a group of iceland natives to a private party for a computer games company celebrating their 10 year anniversary. I was an invited guest of the husband of one of the ladies that i worked with in managing the project. It ended up being a great night surprisingly or probably not surprisingly. I can have a good time anywhere, anyplace, w