The Uncharted Territory

 In honor of our recent return and the start of our new travel blog, here are 10 things that everyone planning to visit Iceland should know:

1.  Iceland has the highest number of college degrees per capita in the world.2.  Please do not complain to the hotel when your shower smells like rotten egg fart.  It is called geothermal activity and everyone bathes in it.  Hotels hear hundreds… of these complaints.  If you really can’t stand it try the cold water chances are it comes from a glacier.

3.  J.R. Tolkien was so inspired by the Icelandic Sagas (mythological stories, many about magic rings) and the scenery, that it inspired much of the Lord of the Rings, his children even learned Icelandic.

4.  If you don’t like the weather, wait a few minutes.  It can quickly change from sunny and 50 degrees to below zero with snow and back again within a few minutes.  This also means that you should dress in at least six layers before leaving in the morning (the bottom layer should always be a swimsuit – natural hot springs and geothermal pools abound).

5.  There are four sheep for every one person in Iceland – that is why they seem to show up in all the photos.

6.  The most popular restaurant in Iceland is a hotdog stand.

7.  The national drink of Iceland is called “The Black Death” but locals know better than to drink it.

8.  Every Icelander can trace their genealogy to the original Vikings and settlers.

9.  The country uses 99% renewable energy!

10.  50% of Icelanders believe in Elves, 40% refuse to deny their existence (see #1).