Buenos Aires - April 3, 2009

Billy and I left our place around 4:00 p.m. to head to the airport on Marta. Our ride to the airport was pretty uneventful expect for a short delay due to another train breaking down and only leaving one set of the rails open for north and southbound trains. Check-in and security were smooth. Since we were at the airport two hours prior to our fly, we just hung out near our gate.Our flight to Miami ran smoothly. Billy and I watched Bolt; it was the in-flight movie. It is a very cute Disney film. We were provided with drinks and a small snack of pretzels, sesame chips and cheese sticks. We landed in Miami and headed to our gate for Buenos Aires. There was not much in way restaurants, so Billy and I opted for Pizza Hut. The pizza was not spectacular, but it hit the spot. We were hoping not to stay awake for the inflight meal

We boarded our plane for Buenos Aires on time and took off after a short delay due to needing more time to load the baggage. As we took our seats, we noticed the unpleasant smell that permeated the entire plane…plane food. It has been a while since we have been on a flight in which they served meals. I fiddled with my in-flight entertainment system and decided to watch Marley & Me. I stayed awake long enough to see what they were serving for dinner (lasagna or chicken). Neither item seemed appetizing so I continued to watch the movie and fell asleep about halfway through it. I slept on and off for most of the flight. I woke up for good about 2 hours before we landed.

Breakfast was served about an hour before we landed. We received a croissant with yogurt and orange juice. It was quite tasty. I watched some more of Marley & Me, but then it was time to land so the movie stopped playing. Bummer…I guess I’ll just have to get it from the library to see the ending.

We were finally in Buenos Aires!

4th Floor Hotel Review - Reykjavik, Iceland

“Don’t do it – Definitely not worth the hassle.”

Review of 4th Floor Hotel by Billy. Also posted on www.tripadvisor.com

We stayed for the 4th Floor Hotel for five nights over the New Year’s 2008/09 holiday. I was originally planning on reviewing this hotel and giving two stars with the comment that it was half a step better than a hostel and that it wasn’t bad enough to leave, or else it would have gotten one stars. But not after the way I was treated at checkout.

The hotel is located at the far end of the shopping/dining district away from the center of town. The best part about the hotel was the OK breakfast, but show up early because they didn’t always replenish things that were eaten.

We are allowed to check in early, only after being argued with about how much our final bill was going to be. We were supposed to be there for six nights but our flight from Atlanta to Boston was delayed enough to missing the connecting flight to Reykjavik. As soon as we arrived back home I emailed 4th Floor and received this response, “Flight delayed noted. We will cancel the first night.” Great. On arrival though there was an disagreement about how to properly recalculate our total, although the amount was only about $6, I had wanted to divide and multiply to get the exact figure but the person working the desk only wanted to quote me a close enough number. I lost this disagreement, and it became the first of a long list of unhelpful, uncaring, aloof, and argumentative and disappointing interactions between both my wife and myself and the staff of the 4th Floor Hotel.
We booked a double room with shared facilities. I’ve done the whole three weeks backpacking in Europe thing and I’ve stayed in hostels with larger and nicer rooms than the 4th Floor hotel. (see my pictures) Looking at the floor plan, our room seems to be one of the larger ones, so I couldn’t have imagined being in a smaller one. There were no sheets on the bed, just a mattress cover and comforter. I thought we were staying in a hotel so we didn’t bring our own sheets. There was almost no storage. We wanted to put stuff on the upper left shelf but it was covered in a thick layer of dust. The two shared restroom facilities were small and never quite felt clean. Luckily my wife remembered to bring shower flip flops, which I hadn’t.

We booked the package that included the car rental. I originally booked the car because I didn’t fully know what to expect in Iceland, what are plans were for tours, and because we were originally planning on being there an extra day. It was also only about an additional $40-50 so I had decided to get the car package just in case. Because our trip was cut a day short, we only ended up using the car once in order to drive up to the Perlan and back. I figured about six Kilometers. Our package included 100km a day, for a total of 500km. But the staff had failed to both write down the mileage on the car from the person who had previously tried to check it and when I checked it out. Usually I snap a picture of the mileage when I get a rental car but this totally slipped my mind this time. At check out the staff tried to say that I had gone over the mileage allowance, and that they were planning to charge my credit card until they could further investigate. It took an extensive argument with the owner/manager to finally convince them we certainly did not go over the mileage allowance.

This final episode put the bitter icing on crummy 4th Floor Hotel cake, ending what was quite a disappointing stay. We had hoped a smaller facility would provide better service, but the only service and hospitality we received from the 4th Floor Hotel was quite poor.

Iceland Day 7 - January 2, 2009

On our final day in Iceland, we finished packing up and ate breakfast. We checked out of the 4th Floor Hotel and waited in the lobby for RE to pick us up for our Blue Lagoon/Airport Shuttle.
We had a relaxing afternoon at the Blue Lagoon. When you enter the Blue Lagoon facility, you are given a wrist band. The band provides you access to lockers, and I'm assuming that it keeps track of when you turn in your towels. The women's lockers were modern and clean. If you are modest, you should get over it quickly or decide to dress in one of the shower stalls. Women of all ages and sizes let it all hang out. Billy would have to speak about the men's locker room. You enter the Blue Lagoon by going through your respective locker rooms. Be sure to rinse off before going into the water.Billy and I met each other outside of the locker rooms in an enclosed area. There is an entrance to the water from inside or you can brave the cold and get into the water outside. We opted for the first option. It was quite shocking to get in and find the water was actually chilly. As we ventured outside, we soon found warmer pockets of water. There are areas where the heat comes from so you want to get as close to those areas as possible if you actually want to be warm. Being in the Blue Lagoon was surreal. The water is a milky blue and they is a constant layer of fog hovering over the water. To complete the experience you must use the silica clay as a face or body mask. If you plan on taking pictures, do it before you get in the water unless you would like to freeze. Billy and I opted to take pictures as we were exiting the water so we were able to enjoy all of the coldness in its glory.
After we got the obligatory pictures of our day the Blue Lagoon, we showered and got ready to head to the airport. Do not let your modesty get the best of you--there are no curtains or doors on the shower stalls. Do not worry about bringing toiletries to take a shower because they provide you with shampoo, conditioner and body wash. You are also given a small packet of lotion to use after your shower. Your handy dandy wristband is useful when you need to get back into your locker. All you have to do it hold it up to the sensor for a few seconds to regain access. There are also hairdryers in the locker rooms with a vanity area.

Billy and I once again met up outside our locker rooms and relinquished our wristbands and towels as we exited the locker room area. Since we had a little extra time, we browsed through the gift store. There are a variety of body care items available, but they are quite pricey. If you opt not to buy anything while at the gift shop, and then you decide you would like something on your way to the airport have no fear because there is a Blue Lagoon gift store in the airport.
Finally, we got back on to the bus which was bound for the airport. Once we got to the airport we were greeted with lines of people at the IcelandAir counter. Luckily it didn't take too long to get through the line. After we checked in, we got a bite to eat at one of the airport cafeterias and then I did a little bit of shopping. I ended up buying a Blue Lagoon gift pack for a friend's birthday gift, and then I got an ornament for Billy and me. After we got to our gate, I bought some KinderEggs at a duty free store. We then waited for our flight back across the Atlantic.

All in all, we had a great time in Iceland. The landscape and adventures were amazing. I would definitely recommend others to visit Iceland, but I don't know if it is somewhere that I would visit again unless I were too experience it during another time of the year.
Reviews for the day
Reykjavik Excursions - Blue Lagoon/Airport Shuttle - 4 stars
Pros: Convenient for the last day in Iceland, unique experience, modern and clean facilities at the Blue Lagoon
Cons: Lagoon is quite chilly on a cold, windy day

Keflavik Airport
Pros: Modern, clean, nice shopping area, very smooth process despite the long lines at check-in
Cons: Flights leave around the same time so all travelers have to check-in around the same time which means long lines, lack of food options

Upcoming Vacations

I'm so very lucky to have husband who loves to plan trips. We are going to some great places here in the U.S. in the upcoming months. At the end of June, we are headed out west to Seattle & Olympic National Park. Yay for National Parks! Too bad Death Cab for Cutie will still be on tour, or else there may have been some spying on the itinerary. Billy thinks that I'm going to fall in love with Seattle and never want to come home.

Over Labor Day weekend, we are going to the windy city...Chicago. I've always wanted to go to Chicago. I briefly looked at a travel book and was already overwhelmed by all of the things that I want to do and see. It sounds like a city we will definitely have to take future trips to.

At the beginning of October, we will venture back to Canada for my fall break, but this time we will be visiting Toronto.

I'm really looking forward to our upcoming adventures.