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Mañana Mañana

Why are we speaking Spanish here????? because its Irina’s mother tongue 😉 yes biatch! I went to Amsterdam for a week to visit her, on top of that, celebrate New Years Eve together woop woop! #Happy

Arrived on 27th December, directly headed to Irina’s cozy apartment, greeted by her two Kater to whom I surprised since one is very skinny and one is the other opposite, no wonder Irina called him “Fatty” so beleidigung ehhhh haha at first I thought Fatty is not overweight, he’s just fat but still within the range of good fat, nope nope nope he’s obviously overweight, even the Vet had difficulties to find his organs haha Fatty you are so adorable!

Amsterdam is really cool taking into account how many Indonesian restaurants are there! Heimweh Heimweh! Excuse my French but Dutch food are fucking horrible! what the hell was that?!?! bread? dip? fried? Indonesian food to the rescue!

First dinner, Indonesian Imbiss, Warung Barokah. We texted Tereza if she interested to join. Aaaaa panic attack, I want to eat this, that aaaaa in the end I had “Nasi Campur”. During dinner, I had a revelation. From that day on, I’ll be having “Table for One” every time I visit Indonesian restaurant hahaha Irina couldn’t handle the spiciness 😀 Next, we opt for Western Desert at Neni Netherlands.

It’s my holiday I have no timetable whatsoever, I sleep in while Irina WFH. However, her ears so get used to hear even the smallest movement was happening, due to she always stopped Fatty to eat Salem’s food. Therefore while I was moving my body from left to right, Irina said “Ah Marlyn is turning around, finally she’s waking up” haha stop commenting, I’m on holiday!

It was raining, what a surprise, perfect day to visit Museum. Irina recommended the Resistance Museum. Boy oh boy, such a good one, very interactive, I can’t believe myself I easily spent 3 hours there! in short, I agree with her, really recommended this Museum.

Next morning, we went to Irina’s cat sitting job then city center to have a sugar bomb drink haha it’s full of sweet! visited a very typical Amsterdam shop 😉 In the evening, I joined the dark side walking tour. When the tour finished, it was around the same time Irina finished her shopping. We texted where will we eat, yet decided to go apart. I went to the “Indonesian / Suriname’s” restaurant while she had Thais. I wanted to have “Soto Ayam” in a place where Sekar recommended, although Irina told me this restaurant is not Indonesian moreover, had a bad rating. I went there anyway, once I stepped in, I realized it was a mistake. Why you’d ask? I was served by a white waiter, yep this place is not authentic at all. Lesson learned!

Failed to get a ticket to Anna Frank Museum, well what to do?….. I joined Walking Tour of the Jewish Quarter, WW2 and Anna Frank Story. Apropos Leute, suddenly just remembered something, for every walking tour you got to pay “Entertainment Tax” it is not expensive like 1,50 Euro per person aber trotzdem! the hell was that?!?! I thought Germany is already bad enough with all being taxed.

Okay back to topic, after the tour I decided to go to another Indonesian Imbiss mwahaha called Warung Made, ha! from the name I knew the owner must be a Balinese plus it must be 100% authentic, yes I was right! This place is wonderful! soooo good! The owner…. Made luckily was there he also ate at the same time so I got few pieces of Rendang and Kerupuk hihihi I even took “Empek Empek” to eat at home the next day aka tomorrow aka mañana 😉

Hmmm… I need to have some Dutch food ehhh, I opt for Stroopwaffle! yais this one is impossible to make it wrong!

Once Irina heard that I am dying to have a Pisco Sour, she promised to take me to a Peruvian Restaurant. Oh Pisco Sour, my favourite alcohol drink in the whole world! I am soooo content I can drink it again. The last time was when Brendan’s birthday in one of the bar / club in Shanghai that is not even exist anymore haha in fact I already forget what the place called, somewhere in The Bund #not helping either.

I was still full after Warung Made so we took half of the food home. During dinner we discussed about what will we do tomorrow, we could go shopping in the morning for our Raclette NYE, go to cat sitting, we still have time we could take train to another city called Leon and go back home. I told her I have the Empek Empek to fried at her place. When are you gonna eat that? ask her. “Tomorrow” “When? before or between after Leon before Raclette?” “Well, if tomorrow doesn’t work then the next day haha keep postponing it to another tomorrow” hahaha just like the Spanish, relax we do it mañana if not then mañana mañana 😀

I was having a doubt what will we do next, it was still 18:30 but as usual raining, cold, windy as well as already dark. Anyhow, I wanted to go to the Red Light District. Irina warned me that it wasn’t open yet, I insist I want to see the XXX workers. She said the tariff was 50 Euro for 15 minutes whaaaatttttttt?!?!? should I consider to change my job? hahaha well, she said “Marlyn, there wont be always a hot guy” okay okay, Im keeping my job 😉 We saw some…only to my opinion they weren’t cute, we…well I need to find the cute one. Irina said “I don’t know Marlyn, I am not working here, I don’t know where the cute one” we find her eventually therefore we can move on…. to the next activity! haha

We visited Peep Show, Im so “proud” of myself, this is the thing, I have a goal, need to achieve it, although I have no coins because…… I gave it to the walking tour for Entertainment Tax. For a Peep Show we need to gave coins, I aint have cash neither does she… okay, lets ask people for 2 Euro hahaha. Hello, excuse me, do you have coins? I asked a couple on the outside of one of the Peep Show, I can give you per PayPal, the lady said “dont worry, here is for you, enjoy” haha Irina might be ashamed right there and then but heyyyy, think of the bright side we got to see it…for freeee 😉 No fotos on that area as you cant do it, privacy yo!

On the last day of year 2022, Zeus made us cancelled the plan to Leon due to disruptive wind along with many train not operates like normal, being stuck in another city on NYE is not an option at all, besides I still slept in haha by the time I officially wake up, rise and shine and ready, it was too late to go to another city so we just chill at home while Irina prepare the food. How about me? what did I do?… avoiding Fatty to step on my thigh again hihi

Rene arrived first, he brought board games. We played Pandemic while waiting for Barbara. She brought Hogwarts Pajamas, me and Irina were the “Party Animals” yes with quote while all people are getting sexy in NYE, this is our sexy! Bunny and Cats! Btw all these times the Dutch already light up fireworks, it was every damn where every damn time, even when it was still like 4 hours before midnight. Salem was scared because of it, he had so hide under the blanket, poor cat! We started our Raclette, watch TV for official countdown, watching NYE fireworks from window, forgot to eat grapes while doing countdown. Irina said “fuck!!! the grapesss!!! we need to eat 12 of it”

At around 2 AM we decided to play the wrong game at the wrong time. Rene tried to explained it and lured us into “its not that hard” yes it wasn’t a hard game but considering the time, it was! although in reality you only need to do a slight thinking yet my brain refused to work at that hour. At the end of the game probably only Barbara and Rene who played it haha I am for sure already out, Irina was half out. We called it a quit after that, Adios Muchachos!!!!

Before I headed back to Amsterdam Central bound to Dortmund, we walked around Irina’s place to see some “farm” with sheep, goat and playground. We went to Supermarket on Sunday, amen! being an adult, you realized, it’s always the little things that makes a difference like Supermarket open on Sunday! heaven! We had Sushi at home and….. Adios Amiga!

Irina said besides my sleep-in, I am a really good guest and I welcomed at her place any time. Damn yeah I’m gonna come again 🙂

Happy 2023 folks, may we achieve what we want, if not, move your ass to work it out 😀 such a motivational word to welcome the new year haha

Bring it on year 2023!

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Calling

We reach the bottom of the story! The root of why I went to Brussels is caused by a simple question from Louise triggers another question to Anu triggers another question to Irina then to Helene, it’s a domino’s effect. “Do you want to go to Harry Potter things?”

The hell I want it, my inner child is calling, so does Irinas. Great! who’s living in Brussels? maybe Helene and Alex wants to join too. Helene said yes, Alex said no as she’s not a hardcore fans. No worries! we three will make it.

Damn right we did! Irina came just for the day, I met her after I finished with Gent. We went first while Helene join after she finish working. We took the non direct bus which means, 20 minutes walk to the forest is needed. We felt like we were in Hagrid’s home 🙂 outside of Hogwarts. By the time we were about 300m from the forest we could hear some music. Run! we don’t want to be late! Professor Mcgonagall is gonna kill us!

We only arrived no more than 15 minutes before Helene, safe to say we all made it on time.

About the same time when we were there, there was a mother and her son who were so nice, she kept helping us taking our pictures. Apropos, we helped her too, just in case someone questioning our behavior 😉

Harry Potter snacks welcomed us, not for free though 😉 Without a doubt, their price were ridiculous, take an example when you’re a child you’re ripping off your parents for asking them to buy you stuff, now the circle is closing, only you rip off yourself. It is all connected #confession, I binge watch Manifest lately. Just like in the series, you had to follow the Calling, you’re inner child is having the joy of their life now 🙂 Quote from Irina “take my money!” That bitch wasn’t even a Harry Potter fans she binge watched the whole movies before going to the forest.

Here comes the introduction of the forest that I have not the slightest understanding whatsoever because it was in French…. thought they will repeat it in English, hell no they didn’t! #meh -_-

Irina wanted to borrow someone’s wand for a picture, she asked a couple “where did you get the wand” from all languages that we speak (be in mind Indonesian, Mandarin, German, English, Spanish, French, Dutch), we need to ask a Russian couple hahaha suddenly we remember the mother’s kid has a wand with him! Find them!

We were so happy when we found a Butterbeer stand! This is on our agenda, we need to drink it! They both are amateur cannot get the moustache thingy pffff

On that Butterbeer stand we made our DIY wand, actually we didn’t do nothing apart from asking “can we get this straw?” the guy on the opposite side was “yes, you can have it more too” “no we need to save sea turtles, we will take turns on our Expecto Patronum spell”. Thanks God we don’t need to use it, they provided the wand for us.

Continue walking through the forest, we met Centaur, Niffler, Buckbeak. Another interactive session that I have no clue about. Hagrid’s half brother Grawp, Aragog..Hagrid, is that you? We heard the music of Durmstrang when Viktor Krum entering The Great Hall #ugh! 很 man! I remembered I went crazy about this specific scene.

Still walking until there was a battle light between Harry and “you know who” and that bitch Irina Avada Kedavra-ing me while I’m not even ready! I shouted shut up bitch shut up bitch, she ain’t give a damn! Avada Kedavra, Avada Kedavra, dieeeee! The final scene in Harry Potter is the final scene in the forest experience. Our Harry Potter experience has comes to an end 🙁

Here is a clip videos that I can make from all videos that Irina and I took. Of course it didn’t do the justice of the whole experience in the forest but it has our memories 🙂

Because we just experienced Harry Potter, we need to Manifest it to our names….. what could be our names in Harry Potter? hmmmmm… HA! found it!

Good bye for now from: Heleres Umbridge, Draco Marfoy and Rinald Weasley 😉

#Portus

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Surroundings

You are the sum of who you surrounds yourself with. Therefore be careful about your surroundings #Remember (sounds effect of Mufasa talking to Simba please)

I had been wanting a Chicken & Waffle for a long time, ever since Anu posted the picture on her Insta Story. As matter of fact is not even that long only like 3 months, nevertheless dramatic spice were needed. There are always a lot of vivid things going on in Düsseldorf, new restaurants, good deals, more than in Dortmund although we are only 1 hour away. Which means both Anu and I are one hour apart however it was so hard to find the time to meet as that bitch is a frequent traveler, she’s constantly away, living life to the fullest hey 😉 #you have a jealous bitch on the other side

We settled on 6th of November, through rain and wind, we made it! to her place first haha had a sip of wine (second reason), first reason is because I need a scarf haha brrrr mir ist kalt!

This restaurant named Hitchcoq, their specialties is by having first Sunday each month Chicken & Waffle with 5 level of spiciness. Anu recommended level number 3 so we can taste the spice in enjoyable manner instead of number 4 which is already cross the limit and more to the direction of just hot. She’s Indian so I trust her, thanks God I did 🙂 Then we had a cheesecake Ferrero boah, mamamia, lecker, I really enjoyed both of it!

After we tank ourselves unfortunately the weather was very unfriendly and made it impossible to walk around the city. What did we do next? going back home haha purpose solved!

She posted me on Insta story that give me an idea to proof if my surroundings knows me or not haha by making a poll. I was hoping for some faith that someone will pull it out. In a moment of despair (another dramatic spice here) someone did pull it out, thank you Memel! Now I can sure that faith in humanity restored 😉

Anu gave me goodie bag full of snacks also returned the book I lent her a year ago haha she said “here is for you, it’s not something from Germany because you live here, in a way that you can buy it yourself, this is from Edinburg and somewhere else (like I said that bitch is a traveler)” my response was “this is not the one that already lay for 6 months and you don’t want to eat it anymore right?” she was like “wtf” hahaha

I’m indeed surrounding myself with good people 🙂

before you think I’m the villain here, think again… haha our bitchiness is the same 😉

Until next time biiiittttccccchhhhhh #wink wink

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Marlyns Spectacles

Small Iceland bitches reunion! Why small? because the big reunion happened back in April for a Tulip festival where unfortunately I was Corona positive one day before the trip, thus I missed it. Where? In a theme park in Germany called Europa Park! One important truth in life, bitch always comes unexpectedly, one of our friend broke her legs about one week before the trip causing her not to be able to drive 🙁

Feel threatened that even this plan will fail…. I stayed silence during the whole discussion if the girls will still keep it, who will drive and so on. I am the only one that lives in Germany, obviously I still want to go, I can take the train therefore they don’t need to count me in on their car’s space. Odds are in my favor, my bold bitch Irina make sure the plan still on! yaiss girl! you rocks!

They started around 3PM from Amsterdam, picked me up in Köln Hbf around 18:30, arrived in Rust at 00:15, all done by Irina. While Me and Lina slept on the car, Tereza and her keep awake all the time, that is respect yo!

Mind you, I just came back from Milan, whole day on the way, arrived at the hotel at 00:15, they put our keys in the Briefkasten. My brain literally was no where near functioning, grabbed two envelopes, didn’t even bother to ask why there are two, opened one of them, took out the card key, saw the number, okay let’s go to room number 10.

Beep! door opened, saw two shoes, “oh girls I think they haven’t clean the room” to my surprise there is a girl at the bed! She was for sure shock as well however she still managed to politely say “Hi! I think you are in the wrong room”….. hmmm, my spirit starting to come back one by one….I couldn’t even remember what I replied her, should be somewhere along the line…. “how do you know?” “it’s not your name” heeee? she continued “it’s my name on the envelope” first I was amazed she can read her name written on the envelope from that 2 meter-ish distance, second my whole spirit were already back at my body, “oh I’m really sorry, I didn’t check the name” “can you please put the key back?” “yes, I will, good night! bye” We were laughing like wtf, how come the Germans put all the keys in one Briefkasten! Imagine if I’m a bad person! Irina was also puzzled when she said “it’s not your name?” well, how do you know my name? haha Little did I knew, Lina or who else I don’t know had the correct envelope with our name written on it, we were totally at the wrong floor at the wrong room at the wrong time haha the circle of mistakes couldn’t be more round than this #facepalm

We found where we should belong, into our family room (4 beds in one), arranged ourselves to rest, had a really long day #snooze out zzz zzz

Breakfast done, drove to Europa Park, the weather was bad at the beginning, but it gets better during our day there.

We literally just enter the park only to found out that I already dead! #dead inside

We tried the attractions that doesn’t have a long queue first, I thought we just need to sit down but nope we need to pedal the bicycles so it moves faster! we didn’t believe Irina at first when she said we need to pedal after few minutes of confirmation she said “let’s go bitch, don’t tell me you didn’t move faster when you pedal” woah what an exercise in the morning.

We did Moulin Rounge together then we got separated because Lina and Irina doesn’t want to ride Silver Star whereas on the opposite side, me and Tereza were waiting in line for first row! the feeling was amaaazzzinnggg!!!

We had lunch at a restaurant called Food Loop simply because they will deliver us our order via a roller coaster thingy, see this pictures and videos so cute eh!

From the website it’s written they closed at 18:00 near the closing time, we took the deceiving no waiting line roller coaster, yes no waiting line because we come out wet like wet! Credit to German efficiency, directly after we came out there is a dryer machine 🙂

Seeing people still walking around, we took one more attraction, not roller coaster, just the one where our job was to sit and enjoy the view. We could finally relax because at this point I already have a back pain haha #getting old, the struggle is real.

This Europa Park imo is very much interesting than Disneyland or Universal Studios because the place itself is not so big anyhow they really maximized all the usage, all attractions are close to each other, there are toilets everywhere. It’s not like Disney where you need to wait in line for each attraction followed by wait in line for the toilets. The attractions itself are more for adults, there are of course kids and family suitable roller coaster. We know the character of Disney and Universal studios more but Europa Park just like the name, we are in Spanish part, Italian part, Greece part, or the animal “character” that they used is like dinosaurs etc.

So, if you want to be in the whole Europe, go to Europa Park haha

Check out day, I was the last one who use the bathroom, ready to had breakfast… until…. where is my glasses? where my damn glasses! Texted the ladies if by chance they saw it even though my second thought was “how could they?”

Sure as hell I couldn’t find it that time, anyway, went to had breakfast while all the 3 ladies moved around my bed, their bed, checked their bags, went to the car, talk to the receptionist etc (they had breakfast before me, I’m not acting like a diva here hihi)

OK. I was made to believe that I lost it in the park pfffffff I still have my sunglasses though, it has prescriptions too. We were doing some sightseeing in a French city near the border of Germany, called Alsace-Riquewihr. As you can see from the pictures, we didn’t see the sun (aka ‘was raining), nevertheless, I’m wearing it haha!

When in France, have a pancakes….. don’t forget ciders! We versehen Cider at the drink menu, we all ordered Apfelschorle or sth like that, luckily Tereza saw it combined with Irina speaks French, so we all get our beloved ciders 🙂

After that Irina drove me back again to Köln, not a surprise DB got delayed so my arrival at home is the same as their arrival in Amsterdam haha! so severe ehhhhh. In the middle of no energy left, loaded my clothes to the washing machine when out of the sudden a booster energy erupted, there’s my glasses!!!

The trip that ended happily 🙂 just like driving back to Köln after Riquewihr, all through the rainbow.

I am really glad to see you again, yes you bitch with the addition of my new two bitchessss 😀 you’re the best!

#GGI

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Iceland 101

I just finished a legendary 9 days in Iceland with Girl Gone International (GGI) Facebook group. To my surprise many of my friends want to go there too and seeing the Northern Lights is one of the dream for them. Therefore here what I want you to prepare for Iceland, but most important among all is MONEY! in form of debit / credit card. I don’t suggest you to exchange your Euro / USD into ISK because they accept payment with card everywhere, only though check with your bank because mine has 1% fee every time I use outside Germany.

First thing first, Iceland is VERY EXPENSIVE! For this 9 days I spend almost 3K Euro (2925,43 Euro to be exact) and I’m already flying from Germany btw, just imagine if you fly from outside Europe, the fee will be fantastic for surrreeee. Did I expect it will be this expensive? No. Did I blow it out of proportion? Big time. Did I think it’s worthy? Absolutely! We can always earn money but the opportunity to see what I saw, to experience what I did, I’m not sure I will get it again.

Here are all the Marlyn’s insight 🙂

What to Pack

Always always wear thermal undergarments as your first layer, it can be Heatech from Uniqlo (I wore this), or sth similar from Jack Wolfskin, National Geographic or other brand. Buy the waterproof hiking pants that has fleece inside (I got one from Quechua-Decathlon), mine is only waterproof hiking pants some other girls wear waterproof skiing pants. Bring 2 gloves, because even Forclaz gloves from Decathlon that is fit for skiing or outdoor activity will get soaked, you can also buy in Iceland I’ll recommend you some shop. Bring lots lots lots of socks! any thickness as I always wear double socks. Wear hiking winter boots, will be better if it’s waterproof too. Scarf, hats and the things to cover your mouth not using scarf, like a headband but for mouth or face also necessary. Use body butter, handcreme, lipbalm and eye drops because the weather will make your skin and eye dry.

For bottom part: undergarments + jeans. If the weather will be raining or windy + waterproof Quechua-Decathlon. For glacier hike only undergarments + waterproof Quechua-Decathlon is enough.

For upper part: undergarments + sweater + winter jacket (I wear the one that is blubblubblub like a Baby Michelin style you know what I mean). If you have a winter jacket that is also waterproof is even better. However I do recommend a vest from Ororo it cost around 150 USD depends on which time you bought it maybe would be wise to buy it during Black Friday, had I knew it earlier I would’ve bought it. Please use my link to buy it so I might get a points 🙂 http://ororo.refr.cc/marlynpraseli

Dana wore this, while we were freezing she was just fine and act like the cold don’t bother her, I asked her why and she explained that her vest has a rechargeable battery so it can warm your body for 8 hours.

What to Eat

Oh my, here all the foods are amazing especially fish soup, lobster soup or any seafood-food, if you don’t eat seafood I think the lamb also good but I don’t eat lamb so…… I just keep eating fish soup even though I also not a big fans of fish. However, you need to download the app Dineout because you need to make a RSVP always. Btw, they do serve water for free yeay! And they won’t judge you like cheap if you just order food and drink water 😉 Good to know that Icelandic tap water is one of the cleanest water in whole world, no need to spend money on buying bottled water.

Here all the places that I went to, I definitely force you to eat at Potturinn og Pannan and Messin. And the rest, you can just have a look if it’s what you’d like 🙂

Potturinn og Pannan. I had a Langoustine soup and Chicken breast sth, they all are good but the Langoustine soup oohhh! blew me away. Total meal I had is ISK 6400 = EUR 43,59.

Messinn. I had an Atlantic Wolffish, if you google Wolffish it is a weird one but trust me, also blew my mind! Price is ISK 3880 = EUR 26,50. Besides that fish, what is top favorite is Creamy Lobster Soup. Katey and Jemima had it, I tried but I really don’t like it because the smell is very pungent which is very strong times 1000! Other girls like it and said it is how lobster soup suppose to be….hmmmm….But Jess ordered Icelandic Plokkfiskur with Bearnaise Sauce and oh my it is delicious!!! Anyway if you don’t want to try, just eat the Wolffish and you’re good 🙂

Forrettabarrin. It is like a tapas place. Just order 2 portion and it’s enough. I had again Langoustine soup-it’s good! and cocktail shrimps & scallops-the scallops is great but I didn’t read it carefully that they put wasabi so I don’t enjoy it. The meal I had is ISK 3700 = EUR 25,40.

Saegreifinn. This place is small and not a proper dinner, the menu is only what on the display and they will just grill it. I had a salmon it’s not bad but they have a blow your mind Lobster soup! When you sit on the second floor be careful there is a “creepy stuffed man” this place is rather weird because it’s all full with stuffed animals. Total meal I had is ISK 2540 = EUR 16,9

The other food I ate was Fish and Chips, Ribs, Pizza and not a special Icelandic so it’s just OK. The other recommendation that you can try is Skal, ROK, SeaBarren, Islenski barinn. Don’t forget do it all through Dineout app.

What to Do

First, download the buss app Straeto and put your credit card there, one way ticket is ISK 490, nope they don’t have 24 hours ticket, daily ticket, group ticket or whatever ticket. Btw, you need to wave your hand, body, feet etc when your bus came because the driver won’t stop! You need to make sure the driver see you and make a sign that you wanted to get on that bus or else he/she will pass you by. Second, download Aurora App, this is the app you can use to predict if you can see Northern Lights or not! Oh yeah, the exciting part! See the green part, percentage and cloud coverage. If the percentage is 8% and above then there is a big probability that you can see it.

According to my experience, Northern Light Tour starts at 21:00 and you go to somewhere that doesn’t have a light, far from city center and what worse about it is you have to just stand outside for at least 2 hours. Why is that? Because the Northern Lights is always moving! For 15 minutes you only see one line, you were already happy then it’s gone from your sight for 10 minutes however it moves due to the cloud coverage then it’s re-appear from behind you and stays there for 25 minutes then last thing you know, it all around the sky and you are so glad you didn’t go back when it seems like the end of it. This pictures and video are taken with a mobile phone and this also how I see it with my bare eyes, maybe only 1 level lighter green but still green!

The important thing we can’t forget about Northern Lights is that it is a nature phenomenon, no matter how good the App on predicting it, it still can go wrong (not appear). So my suggestion is if you want to see it, better not make a special trip solely to Iceland-or else you might get or be ready for a disappointment, make it if you want to travel to some countries in Europe then have a stop in Iceland, be flexible with your return ticket. Let me remind you again, it is not always there. I am very lucky that I saw it 3 days in a row while the group that went before me they see nothing. One girl-Dana from the last group extend her staying by one more day and she got a chance to see it with my group on our first day of the tour.

Simply contact @nicetraveliceland, ask for a tour guide Christina or Magnus and make your deal with them. Since I went with 18 other girls we got a mini van for us. I’m not sure if you are only like 4 people group or so, for sure they can manage it only maybe the fee are different.

Here is our itinerary with @nicetraveliceland arranged by GGI. Day 1 from 21:00-Northern Lights in the evening. Day 3 from 08:30 until 18:30-The Golden Circle, including Thingvellier National Park, Geysir & Haukadalur Geothermal Area, Gullfoss – The Golden Waterfall, Kerid Crater Lake, Secret Lagoon (bring your own towel or else ISK 700 to rent there). Day 4 from 08:30 until 20:30-The South Coast, including Seljalandsfoss & Gljufrabui Waterfalls, Skogafoss Waterfall, Solheimajokull Glacier (please do additional activity Glacier Hike for 1,5 hours the cost is EUR 80, it’s a super easy hike and they gave you the safety equipment and spikes, it’s worthy!) and Reynisfjara Black Beach. Day 5 from 08:30-19:30-The Snaefellsnes Peninsula including Ytri Tunga Seal Colony, Black Church Budakirkja, Arnarstapi fishing village & sea arches, Londrangar Cliffs, Black Beach of Djupalonssandur, Kirkjufell (Arrowhead mountain, Game of Thrones). Wondering what happened with my Day 2? It wasn’t with @nicetraveliceland, we did Reykjavik City Walking Tour.

The total trip from GGI including hotel is EUR 1406. The Hotel that we stayed called Oddsson Hotel + Aurora Airport Hotel on my last day, it’s not bad, it’s a self check in hotel but if I may suggest please just look for a hotel / hostel really in downtown or walking distance to downtown. Because from Oddsson it take 30 mins bus ride and when the weather is so windy, you don’t want to stand still waiting for the bus.

What to Add

Besides the tour, I also suggest you to do additional activity such as:

Blue Lagoon. Ask them to pick you up from your hotel because the location of Blue Lagoon is really far, ofc with additional fee. Blue Lagoon is very expensive but again it’s worthy! The cost is ISK 15980 = EUR 107,89. You don’t need a towel as they provide it or even flipflops because it’s not necessary, you will walk barefoot anyway. If you are 11 people together you can book their Blue Lagoon Tour where they will explain something about it, with additional fee, you can ask their customer service for this. Book from their website https://www.bluelagoon.com/book/guests

Horse Riding Tour, I did from Laxnes. I know seems horse riding is not so special but mind you that this is Icelandic horse, you won’t see it anywhere because if Icelandic horse leave Iceland, they can’t go back. It is very special experience, the cost is ISK 14900 = EUR 100,46. Book from https://laxnes.is/laxnes-special I forget if there is additional fee for pick up or already included.

What I was disappointed is with the Whale Watching Tour, not with the tour but it’s a whale, we can’t control them if they want to jump or not. So I didn’t really see anything and it’s expensive ISK 14190 = EUR 94,35. They do their best to keep searching for the whale, dolphins etc but again I only saw the tip of the whale. Let me say it clearly, I’m not disappoint with elding, if you never do any kind of this activity before then you can make your own experience and decide if you still want to do it in the future or not. I can only recommend you to not choose their pick up service because it’s located somehow not so far from city center, you can easily take a bus that cost ISK 490 other than pick up like me that cost ISK 2200. I do it with https://elding.is/reykjavik-classic-whale-watching Attention guys you can also do Northern Lights on a boat but my suggestion is NO NO NO! You don’t want to be in a middle of ocean, with bumpy sorry very bumpy waves, cold water, nope you don’t want to get sea sick NO NO NO! Do it on the road! ask @nicetraveliceland and you’re good.

Volcano Hike. Book from https://troll.is/tour/geldingadalur-active-volcano-tour/ If I’m not mistaken it’s including pick up service, if not, just add it. You can rent a hiking shoes with them but please email them separately because they need to know your shoe size, the tour guide will bring it to you, you can’t choose on the spot. If you didn’t email them your size the guide won’t bring it for you. Happened to me and they refunded my hiking shoes fee, lucky I came with my winter boots if I came with flipflops goodbyeeee. The price is ISK 11310 = EUR 75,21. The hike imo was easy only if you don’t carry stuff, leave everything on the bus because it’s a 4 hours full of walk.

Where to Shop

Iceland can be very cold even with all the preparation you make. If the cold is very very unbearable. You can go to store 66 degree or Icewear, it’s everywhere. But, if you want to shop and do charity at the same time, you can go to Thorvaldens Bazar. It is a small boutique located in the city center and organized by a lovely 2 old ladies aaawwww, if we buy something there some portion will go for charity, I don’t want to say how many % because I forget, our walking tour Nana knew about it andddddd it’s all handmade! I didn’t buy mittens or hats because I had enough but the girls who bought it there said it’s really warm. Also if you buy ISK 6000 at one store, make sure you ask for a tax refund. Alcohol is very expensive here even more expensive then when I was in Shanghai, forget about alcohol in Germany it cost nothing. I suggest you to buy it in the Airport Duty Free before you fly there. If you want to go for a supermarkt, choose Bonus because it’s the cheapest one haha

Okay, I think I gave already what I know about Iceland, you can always reach me if more information needed 🙂

Make sure you do have at least 3K Euro for a 9 days trip! Happy saving and happy traveling 😉

A gentle reminder:

Super true but super worthy too!

Stories about my trip: Just Have a Little Faith-Part 2 Be Cool! Train Strangers In Paradise Films Addition and Subtraction

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Strangers In Paradise

I’ve just done my legend… wait for it…trip in 2021 so far in a legend… wait for it… country, the combination of ice and fire, Iceland! we were 18 girls (including me) plus one leader in total. All of us are girls that was born in one country and yet live in another country or has been everywhere so the question of where do you come from indeed became a really hard one that need a further explanation 😉 Nevertheless, I am so glad I met you all, this trip won’t be the same without you <3

Here to show what a togetherness of 19 strangers looks like 🙂

Kicking of with dinner at BrewDog. Our Northern Lights Tour scheduled for the second day but according to the weather forecast, on 30th Oct it will be better so we changed it. I remembered we were kind of in a rush of eating, just order Burger because it’s easier and faster to make, said Kimmy. No way! I ordered ribs 🙂 haha, it was confirmed by the waiter that if only one of two person order it, it won’t slow down the process. Jesslyn and I ordered it.

(right after this pic was shared, I know we have a professional photographer @tracyrusso)

Not only we have Magnus from @nicetraveliceland that took picture of us in the beginning where the lights started to appear.

We also have @tracyrusso who stays for the next two hours and took a silhouette picture with a more crazier Northern Lights!

What a relief feeling to achieved your only reason to travel to Iceland on your first day 😀 Northern Lights, checked! More story about it just click here Just Have a Little Faith-Part 2

We started our second day with chill because we’ve done the most important thing already last night 😉 Today will be solely dedicated for Reykjavik City Walking Tour.

Nana explained it all so detailed but sorry not sorry I couldn’t care less, I care more about how to not freeze to death! We finished our walking tour with a Lamb Hotdog, I don’t eat Lamb but since it’s in Iceland so I had one, it was so so, eatable. I think it suppose to be a famous lamb, I don’t know the name, just look for Radisson Blue Hotel and across that there is the lamb’s stall 🙂

We went separate way before we met up again for dinner. Anu, Helene, Alex and I stick together because we don’t want to go back to Hotel and came back to city center for dinner, so we went up to Hallgrimskirkja (the church) so see the beautiful view there. It is beautiful but the wind was also beautiful, my hands are freezing.

Right after this, we needed to warm ourselves us in Cafe Loki where I met….. a very…. interesting waiter that I couldn’t resist, I need to have a picture with him 😉 It is Halloween and he is very dedicated for it! He showed us how he showed up for work that day but his boss asked him to remove the make up. Nevertheless, I think he is still dedicated, his eyes were really shocked me. But Hey! me, Irina, Sarah and Jemima also wear something for our Halloween dinner 🙂

Our third day is my favourite, The Golden Circle Tour 😀 Not only “Down To Earth with Zac Efron” had a scene there, we also went way more than him. HA! Take that Zac! Ofc the must see Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Haukadalur Geothermal Area, The Golden Waterfall Gullfoss, Kerid Crater Lake and Secret Lagoon.

The bonus, an ice cream stop in a remote upland farms and as if that’s not enough, we got a stop and pet Icelandic horse!

Thanks to @tracyrusso who snapped a beautiful picture for us 🙂

A good way to close this tour is with one and only Icelanders know well, diving ourselves into a warm Secreet Lagoon!

@jemimaabu
@tracyrusso

Fourth day with GGI is called The South Coast tour where I translated it as the many waterfall days tour 🙂 We went to see Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui Waterfalls, Skogafoss Waterfall, hike Solheimajokull Glacier and entertained by Irina’s Stand Up Comedy in Reynisfjara-Black Beach.

I think somewhere before we went to Reynisfjara-Black Beach, we stopped to see the kind of house that using nature aka rocks! So the house is actually small but it located under a rock, it is very interesting but Christina said no one want to lives here because it symbolize poverty.

Oh here is the proof that we hiked the Glacier. Bravo Erin!

We’ve done many activity today, we deserved some alcohol. Did I tell you that two of our girls having a birthday while on this trip? Yes they are Anu and Sarah. This is how we celebrate it 🙂

Happy birthday to both of you 🙂

Fifth day is our last day with GGI and we went to The Snaefellsnes Peninsula. This is the day where the weather is really not compromise with us, you have no idea what is the meaning of cold and windy until you come to Iceland. This is the place where the so-called waterproof and windproof clothes really got tested 😉

We went to Snaefellsnes Peninsula, Ytri Tunga Seal Colony, Black Church-Budakirkja, Arnarstapi, Londrangar Cliffs and Black Beach of Djupalonssandur. Not that I care but I am more concentrating of how not to fall down from the cliff due to super heavy wind and rain, we were all soaked wet. Ugh, unbelievable.

More story about this day is on Films

Then came the sixth day, the separation day oh nooo 🙁 some of the girls will extend for few more days but some already said goodbye. Thank you girls for the laugh, food, pictures and stories that we shared together.

We were all strangers living in whole around the world who somehow happened to take GGI opportunity and create our own paradise in a country that foreign for us all, Iceland. I really had a great time and I will never feel Iceland as cold as it was before because of you all.

Thanks to Kimmy our leader who never raised her voice to any of us and never late with information of what to expect from the next day, respect! I wish I can be like Erin every time I go to my home country I will take a first class ticket! and make sure I got serve a Champagne from a silver glassware 😉 Followed by a hope that I can adapt to coldness like Susie, just got on board ready without any layers haha. Sarah as the only person who got many ISK money, I asked her “in which currency will we gave a tip to Christina?” She said “Icelandic” “do you have the cash” “a lot” whoah! haha Jessica who by the end of the trip I still don’t know why I got a feeling that I met her before, this will be my forever homework. Jesslyn my Malaysian lady who not only mistaken a fork with a chicken bones and almost put it inside a glass, she did a heroic thing such as let me know her room code so Jemima can’t stop me from getting in 🙂 I don’t like when I see Jemima is in peace I need to come and bother her haha Louise who’s not only the Viking but she has the most complete Insta-story ever, seems like nobody need to go anywhere, just follow her IG and you will know exactly what to expect from any place she visit 😉 The very beautiful Alya, look almost in every video she never realized the camera or say hi but the camera loves her, she can definitely be a supermodel. The very humble and nice Helene, I will never forget how you explain everything what we’ve done to a girl that keep pressing our elevator up to the Church, while I said “don’t press” and you just asked her to join us from Church sightseeing to Cafe Loki and to dinner. Alex, the very right person to ask what time the bus will pick us up, guys, always go for the Germans, they know everything! The very genuine person Katey who is OK with us ‘almost’ cancelling the last visit to Arrowhead Mountain due to the weather is not promising while she was the hardcore fans of GOT, she said during lunch “if I’m the only person who wants to go then we can just cancel it” no way! I’m not a fans of GOT but I objected! We have a couple of girls that has a high sense in fashion, I’m talking about Katie and Tracy, not only these two seems to change their clothes everyday, they changed it from head to toe, it’s always matching and good looking and Tracy also taken picture of us with professional camera 🙂 Ana who gave me an insight of starting my side-job doing something with the Internet such as content creator or something, I always want to do that and you challenged me for it, thank you, I’m up for it! Dami who eats a lot of protein while everyone have a light breakfast, she’s having chicken already, yes girl! Irina who always put up with my bullshit and I really think the picture will just do the justice 🙂 Anu, my demanding roomate who moved her body butter from her bed to her table-lamp so I couldn’t just use it when I needed, the one who force me to get up and have breakfast in Airport hotel, the nerve you got Anu!

Kimmy
Anu
Us
Alya
Irina

Not forget to mentioned that I thank you to Violet for bringing the idea to make a GGI trip to Iceland.

Iceland is legend… no need to wait for it anymore… dary, legendary! XOXO

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Addition or Subtraction – Part 2

Since Anu and I arrived Iceland 2 days earlier than our official tour, we got a chance to do some activities that is not included in the tour. I have to confess that I do feel a bit of FOMO if I didn’t put myself into doing it all simply because it’s Iceland! A country name Ice and Land together? doesn’t seems to be a country that I would like to have a repetition visit, you know what I mean 😉 Therefore any available options out there? I’m doing it! Even if I have to sell my kidney or eating grass until New Years? be it!

When we landed Iceland the first time, it was already in the afternoon and it took us almost 1,5 hours from Keflavik Airport to Oddsson Hotel. Both of us decided to just eat KFC and go to sleep because the next day we have our Whale Watching Tour 🙂 I do believe it was the right decision to relax on our first arrival day.

Morning came, get ready to see the whale! or so I thought. There were some girls from GGI too that went one week before us who also extended their staying like Anke, Sissy, Violet, Linke, Dana so we went to do the whale watching tour together. It was a 3 hours tour because the boat needs to go somewhere far away from the shore to catch where all of these dolphin and whale lives. It was so cold and very very very very bumpy! I had to take a motion sickness pill to make sure that I didn’t throw up during the ride. On our 1,5 hours way we only see birds but on our 1,5 hours back we did see dolphins and whale. Was it beautiful? hard to say because I saw more when I was in Maldives. Did I see a whale? Yes but the whale didn’t jump, just the tip of the whale from a very very far distance. If I knew I would only see what I saw, I would not do this trip, it was rather disappointing imho. But again, I said disappointing because I went to Maldives before ofc I didn’t see whale there but I “don’t see” whale here either….so…… However, there always be a lesson to learn from everything and what I take from this experience is, I won’t do whale watching activity ever again 😉

Btw! they also do Northern Lights Tour from the boat, mark my word, NO NO NO NO NO! Don’t ever do that! do the normal one, on the road, you can see and enjoy it better because Northern Lights must be somewhere between 21:00-00:00 you don’t want to be in the middle of the ocean at that time! NO! You’re welcome 🙂

We finished around 12:30 so we still have time to add another activity which I loveeeeeeee and it is riding an Icelandic horse, they are adorable! It is not a Pony! yes it’s smaller than a so-called “normal horse” but never ever ever called it a Pony, it’s a big insult for the Icelanders. You will smell like a horse with this activity but it worthy! No matter how ready you are with your clothes, still wear their clothes on top, it’s a new fashion line 🙂

I’ve told them that I never ride on a horse before so they gave me a small one named Sleeping Beauty. Awwww my heart! I love her already! We went to a lot of places, through the water, muddy road, grass, thank you my Sleeping Beauty!

I am very happy with my additional horse riding activity even though I came back with somewhat of a back pain (gezzz! I’m old!). But I really enjoy it, sure it feels a bit shocking when Sleeping Beauty suddenly decided to eat a grass, I need to bend myself towards it or when she decided to run I feel ticklish haha. Nevertheless, I will do it again, the experience was wonderful, those horses are beautiful 🙂

Next day, our official GGI Tour starts in the evening with welcoming dinner plus Northern Lights. Still, we got plenty of time during the day to add one more activity. This time, more girls from our tour started to arrive, I am talking about Kimmy the leader, Irina my bitch and Louise the Viking Lady. We decided to go to….. drumrools….

Blue Lagoon is such an amaazinngggggggg place! Okay, here is the deal with this place, you need to take shower before you enter the lagoon, DO NOT put your hair on the water because it will make your hair dry, don’t do what the Instagram Influencer or James Bond girl coming inside out from water etc nope nope nope, you definitely need a plastic cover things for your phone because there is no place to put it on the lagoon-bank or whatever place you called it. It is very steamy 38 degree Celcius, don’t wear your glasses because either way you can’t see, don’t wear any accessories or else it might get black. You get one drink for free, if you’re rich you can buy again but we were poor peasant haha so we hold on to that cup and just drink water afterwards 🙂

Then, we got one silica mud mask and after 10 minutes just wash it with the same water that we were in haha

See it is very steamy therefore it wasn’t so easy to take picture but it will be one of the experience you won’t forget, I am sure about it! The Lagoon is not deep, just in case you are wondering, for tall people they might need to crawl to make sure the water cover their chest which not a problem for me at all I can walk with my feet touch the ground all the time 🙂

It’s expensive but so worthy! The guy there said that we can also see Northern Lights from Blue Lagoon because it’s really far from the city center, the bus ride took us 1,5 hour or so. I think this will be such a cool experience while everyone freezing outside you will just chill in the lagoon, damn! Now I really want to do that 🙂

They also have Blue Lagoon shop where everything is just crazy expensive, my credit card is not ready for that 😀 I need to have a buyer for my kidney first so I can shop there mwahaha sounds extreme but the price is really extreme guys! Nevertheless, I like it so freaking much! and no matter how pricey it is, go there and it will be the best 4 hours you could do to yourself before you buckle up with your winter clothes again 🙂

Bottom line….. if you have more days in Iceland…. add horse riding and Blue Lagoon activity but substract whale watching. Just my two cents, don’t blame me if one of your friend do the whale and really saw it jumping. I just tell you what I experienced, you will still be in charge for your own decision 😉

Iceland is really a Niceland <3

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Films

Remember I told you we had a bad weather during our second day when we did Reykjavik City Tour, well this is the second bad day. Unlike the first which only super windy, on our fifth day we hit a jackpot, windy and rainy. Best combination we could ever asked for O.O

We called our fifth day tour as “The Snaefellsnes Peninsula” we were warned by our @nicetraveliceland tour guide Christina that we will have a rainy day so dress warm. However, we greeted by a very nice sunrise that made us to stop by to enjoy our last chance before the Icelandic rain welcomed us, yes people it was not like any normal rain I ever had before 😉 gear up!

There are two famous films that had their scene taken here so no doubt about how beautiful this Snaefellsnes Peninsula must be.

First film / movie is Journey to the Center of the Earth, I had to admit that I didn’t really pay attention about this as we started to wear our waterproof clothes, it was really rain on me! The combination of rain and wind is something that you simply can’t do anything, plus the fact that I wear glasses that leads to a direction that I actually see almost nothing 🙁

I think this pic either taken by @tracyrusso or by Christina and Tracy edited it

It did went down when we went to next destination that’s called Ytri tunga Seal Colony. The Seals are visible from a verrrryyyyyyyyy distant, they were just chilling on top of a rock, what a life 🙂 In this place there also a skeleton of a whale that was unfortunately die, @tracyrusso captured it but I can’t stay too long there because the smell is still somewhat strong, hurry, crossed the small bridge with Louise but still managed to get one shot from Tracy, always have a time for pose haha

Then we headed to Black Church Budakirkja. It is a veeerrrrryyyyyy small church but people from all over the world come there to get married. What famous about this Budakirkja is because it was built by a local woman despite the church authorities not being very interested in having a church there….surrounded by nature and seals, to me it didn’t sounds so bad.

@tracyrusso

Then we visited Arnarstapi which has the marvellous sea arch of Gatklettur, the “Rock with a Hole”. The coastline is very beautiful color combination with black lava rocks and, green and bright yellow mosses, wow! However I can’t say that I enjoy being there, I enjoy seeing it yes for sure and I think this video will do the justice.

Yes it was really hard to walk on so I just keep some distance, don’t want the wind to carry me and fall from the cliff, that will be just dramatic! The same thing happened when we went to Londrangar Cliffs and Black Beach of Djupalonssandur. In the Djupalonssandur they have the famous “Lifting Stones” unfortunately the road there was closed due to some construction site but if you are there you will see 4 stones called Fullsterkur (more than 150kg), Halfsterkur (100kg), Halfdraettingur (54kg) and Amlodi (23kg). Advice from Christina @nicetraveliceland, do not even try to carry the 54kg because it’s a stone! and you will break your bones, not worthy! better safe than sorry, we don’t need to proof that we are able to go fishing with the Vikings, just accept that we can’t hahaha! so encouraging, I know 😀

But on our last stop to Kirkjufell, the rain has stopped! it was the most photographed mountain in Iceland and why is that? Because Game of Thrones was shot here! Known as Arrowhead mountain 🙂 Woaaaaa! Even though I didn’t watch the series, I was super excited due to no rain and I can see something again!

Ofc @tracyrusso is ready with her professional camera and GOT opening song!

I still think this Snaefellsnes Peninsula or translates as “Snow Mountain Peninsula” Tour is actually a really good one, still second to my first Golden Circle Tour though, but if we had a beautiful weather I might not be able to chose which one is my fav 🙂

Despite all of the rain and wind disruption, Iceland is still legend…… wait for it 😉

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Be Cool!

Marvel movies have a fictional superhero, sometimes it comes in solo or in a team, all of them has a purpose to help other people. Life, on the other hand, is ain’t like any Marvel movies but it doesn’t mean we can’t help each other.

Without further due, I introduce my own “Fantastic Four!” 😉

Oh?! What is that cool place behind us? To answer that we need to get a little bit backwards 🙂

On our last day of the trip, some girls (read: many of them) are joining the Fagradalsfjall Volcano hike. However, few days prior, they started to cancel it, one by one….to the point it was only Me, Alex and Helene. We were the only 3 that still stick to the plan and simply give it a try until Jemima ma lady started to join the club. I was quiet surprise especially when she kept saying the whole time during our glacier hike “why would I do this to myself? I like the relaxing part of the trip like staying warm in a lagoon and bla bla bla” 8!tch its a half day trip, you sure what you’re doing?!

The morning came, we had breakfast in our hotel, some girls are waiting for their pick up bus to airport, check-out to another hostel and so on until our New Zealanders friend Jessica came to us, gave us her Gin….? Hmmm, we are going to do a volcano tour, Gin is literally the last thing we need? She took no responsibility of it aaannnnnddddd just put it on our table. See, our hotel is a self hotel means no receptionist, we need to clean our table right after breakfast, yes sure we have people for emergency purpose and prepare the meal but these people are somewhat invisible.

Our pick up bus arrived, I was the last person that still eating, so I put my plate to where it belong, when I turn around, Alex and Helene already not in my sight only Jemima still there therefore I say to her “Yo, the Gin! you left it there” that bitch shouted at me “Be Cool!” then walk towards the door, left me speechless. Wtf be cool supposed to mean? Being an obedient citizen, I don’t fucking litter so I took that Gin to the bus! This is my “Cool!” When I get into the bus, I repeated myself “yo, here is the Gin” and all three of them were laughing, Jemima just puzzled “Marlyn, why would you bring it here? I told you to be cool, why don’t you leave it there? Jess-the owner doesn’t want it anymore?” Well, bitch, I don’t read between the lines! Say that I have to leave it there then I’ll do it! that is why. Arrrgghhh now we stuck with a Gin and don’t know what should be do about it…… (yet)…..

Back to the real topic which is hiking the volcano that I already forget the name haha okay it’s…. scroll up, copy paste, here it is…Fagradalsfjall.

Let’s get started bitcheeessss 😉

We started really good, not so far behind therefore we can stop by, make few pictures and send it to the girls who missed it! boyyahh! It was not so hard we only need to keep walking a lot….for 3 hours or so, the hike not necessarily incline up but just keep walking! It is a volcano….rocky, dusty are expected. Hiking shoes is really necessary, I ordered from them but they forgot to bring it pffff lucky me I wear my hiking boots, imagine if I come with flipflops!

There was an erruption on Fagradalsfjall unfortunately we didn’t see it because it happened 5 weeks earlier, what we saw was the ex-lava that already become black, it is still steamy though. If you stay too long yes I think the smell can really bother you.

The main attraction for Fagradalsfjall volcano is that black ex-lava things, we got 40 minutes or so to walk around the area before we go back. Since I don’t have Irina who always do whatever bullshit I asked her too, now that position belongs to Jemima and she got IPhone 13! yeahhhh btw forgot to mention, our Polish tour guide from Troll expedition, Roman-not Arturo Roman 😉 gave us a Lava chocolate and it’s good!

In my opinion, it was an easy hike, not super easy, just easy. The things that could bother us was only if we carry a heavy back pack because we were walking all the time so it will be just strenuous. Me and the girls were glad that we did it, especially Jemima, with ice and fire, she’s done with Iceland 🙂

Fantastic Four, we’ve done it! We are not saving the world but we help each other by encouraging each one of us to keep going before and during the whole hike! To me it counts as saving my world 🙂 plus, we also saves Jess’ Gin!

We are legend……. still have to wait for it 😉

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Train

Remember about 10 years ago (gosh I’m old!) there is a band called Train with their solo hit “Hey Soul Sister” yep that’s the one sentence you need to remember from them and it’s enough for this story 🙂

It all started way before our Iceland trip via FB, since me and Anu were the only two that lives in Germany we wrote each other first, discussed about what additional activity we wanted to do etc. Then she wrote in FB group about our plan to see who else is interested, Anu is a believer of ‘The More The Merrier’. Coversation got heated up but one girl stick to my mind.

Yep, Irina is with us all the way, my number one 8!tch 😉 I think I will like her.

Fast forward to when the trip actually happened, we are 18 girls (including me) I’ve never meet many new people with different background at one place ever since BC – Before Covid (fiuhhh long time ago!) hence it was quiet hard for me to remember each of the girls name, thanks God I’m not the leader haha.

On our second day in Reykjavik, we did a walking tour. One girl stood in my mind, I don’t know her name yet, we started our so-called ‘telepathic’ conversation by taking each other picture until we stumbled into one statue that was so special because clearly we both have no idea what it is all about. We decided to use it as our props 🙂 First and foremost, we don’t mean to offend any statue sculpture out there. Next thing I know is…. her name duh!… and we all 3 always find something for pictures 🙂

Please noted that we, at least me, really tried to actually paid attention to what Nana (our walking tour guide) explained but our second day was one from two days in which we experienced such a bad weather, by all means super windy, I can’t just stand still and listen, I need to move! and the Universe heard me, found this running track in one of the city center’s road. Can’t believe Irina won haha according to her, Susie let her win 😉

On our third day we did “The Golden Circle” tour, weather was super awesome! Thingvellier National Park is actually the same place from Netflix series “Down To Earth with Zac Efron” where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet, but we can’t stretch our feet in both plates, is far, if someone told you they can do that, it’s a lieeeeeeee biatch! See this gap where I can “fall down” yep that’s not the plate 😉

Thingvellier National Park is so pretty, I really like the stones, landscapes of lake Thingvallavatn. Calling all Game of Thrones fans #ring ring, the shot some scenes here!

Did I took picture with Susie and Irina? Hell yeah I did!

The Golden Circle tour continues for Geysir and Haukadalur Geothermal Area, Gullfoss Waterfall, Kerid Crater Lake. The Geysir is really “wonderful” if you stand in the right place. Me, Irina and Helene went there, saw ahhhh too many people on that area, let’s stand here here, it erupted every 4 minutes or so.

Did I tell you that when it errupt, it can be high, so high that if you stand on the wrong side of the wind, it will carried away and might or might not splash you, which exactly what happened to us! The smell though puuuhhhh now we get it why many people standing on the other side of the Geysir, well, we learned the lesson in a hard or should I say smelly way 🙂 I was mesmerized by it until….hmmmm I think the water is going to my direction…. or? ruunnnn!!!

Since I’m Indonesian, the waterfall for me just okay. We have many beautiful waterfall but with my Soul Sister and the fact that we are in Iceland everything is exciting.

Oh, we also got additonal member Jesslyn! my Malaysia girl. Second Oh! yes I like the waterfall here especially because….. we have @tracyrusso (her instagram) that took a beautiful picture of meeeeee! haha and the waterfall 😉

What I like the most from The Golden Circle tour… besides Thingvellier National Park is the Kerin Crater Lake. It has bright red volcanic rock and green blue lake at the bottom, super!

Few sneak peak of what me and my bitcheeeesssss done for our fourth day where we do “The South Coast” tour, we visited…..waterfalls….. again….. Seljalandsfoss, Gljufrabui and Skogafoss Waterfall, you’re welcome, bet you will forget any of these name in 5 4 3 2 1 HA!

After that we did a Solheimajokull Glacier! it is a 90 minutes walking in a Glacier, no place to go just walk around. We need to walk like a troll, landed with our feet flat. It’s walking on a glacier, not on the moon but not on a normal ground either, most important is DONT SIT! why you ask? because we don’t have spikes on our bum!

Then we closed our wonderful weather day with Reynisfjara Black Beach 🙂 No bikini girls, we are all layer after layer girls. Although we were quiet tired, nothing can stop us from one last pictures of the day 🙂 See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil. Picture taken by do no evil-Jesslyn haha

Thanks to my Soul Sister I had a great memory of this trip. I like Irina because she always put up with whatever 8ull$h!t I asked her to do 😀 Susie because either she adapt to Irish cold or come under-prepared, she walked without cramps on and no layers. Ofc Anu is one of my soul sister even though she’s demanding hahaha nooooo, joking 😉 she is the best roomate I could ever ask for but this 8!tch is never want to be on the picture! Unless…..for a glacier, she asked me to be in the picture with her! ofc we take one, I’m ready all the time, just like how Barney Stinson always ready for a picture 🙂

Iceland is legend…… wait for it!……

you really need to wait for it though ’cause more story is about to come 😉