Day 3 Iceland- Volcano, Glacier Hike, Waterfalls

On Day 3 of our Iceland adventure, we fell victim to jet lag. We woke up late (at the time we were supposed to be downstairs for our shuttle pickup) and got ready in a record 5 minutes. The travel Gods seemed to be on our side. Our shuttle was running behind schedule and we found it down the street at the next hotel.

One word to the wise. If your bus stops for a restroom break, take advantage! Many of these bus tours are a whole day and there may be limited access to a restroom. There is no bathroom on the bus. On the pit stop, I also took advantage by buying a sandwich to put in my backpack. Pack snacks, energy bars, and food and water if you can. Sometimes there will be no option for a food break or rest break during these tours.

Our first stop on the way to our glacier hike was the Eyjafjallajokull volcano. This volcano erupted in 2010. We caught a glimpse of the farm that withstood the eruption. We were also able to touch the ash remnants of Eyjafjallajokull.

Eyjafjallajokull Volcano

Farm

Volcanic Ash

Once we got to the Solheimajokull glacier, we put on our safety gear and got a quick lesson on how to walk on a glacier and follow your crew. We were given crampons and an ice axe for better grip on the glacier. We had our snowboots on (Timberland and Sorel). I recommend a good hiking boot or snowboot when you go on the glacier hike. If you only have sneakers or other improper footwear, the tour company is well equipped to lend you a pair of hiking boots.

Safety Lesson

While hiking Solheimajokull is for "beginners" I would say it is a little intense and can be difficult at times. Walking in bulky winter gear up a hill with the sun in your eyes can be challenging. Definitely get in shape before doing this. With that said, the hike can really be done by a beginner but it is not a cake walk.

Layers of ice upon ice

Going up!

Solheimajokull

The glacier hike tour was very educational. We learned about ice tunnels, the effects of global warming, the history of the glacier, and how to maneuver on a glacier. Did I mention on top of it all, the glacier is beautiful? It's massive and the ice crystals have the most amazing colors.

Learning how glaciers change and evolve.

Moulin

Ice

One with the glacier.

After the glacier hike, our bus stopped at two waterfalls: Skogafoss and Seljalandfoss. Skogafoss was my favorite waterfall of all the waterfalls we saw on our trip. You could walk up close to it and it was massive. The water gave way to rainbows and to the side on the hill you could see some Icelandic horses. Seljalandfoss was a smaller waterfall that you could walk behind to catch a view of the running water. At the time we went it was winter and the water on the ground had turned to ice. We had to hold on to the chained path to avoid slipping. I was looking from a different vantage point and slipped by the bridge. Be careful out there.

Skogafoss

One of my favorite moments in Iceland

Seljalandfoss

Photography Credits: Desmond Chow and Roxwriting

Icelandic Mountain Guides

Rijsttafel in Amsterdam

Sama Sebo Restaurant

When in Amsterdam, it is essential to try Indonesian food. I found Sama Sebo restaurant through the Fodor's guidebook. 

Reservations are highly recommended for rijsttafel (an Indonesian banquet) dinners. A traditional rijsttafel meal consists of a plate of rice with a variety of side dishes to accompany it. These dishes can be noodles, stew, various meats, vegetables, and egg rolls. Basically anything that has different flavors, sauces, and textures to create a meal out of the rice plate.

We did not have reservations for dinner and were lucky to secure the last two seats in the house (at the bar) at Sama Sebo. We were seated around 9:30 PM. The couple next to us in line were told that the kitchen had closed. I couldn't believe we arrived at the restaurant just in time. We were this close to drinking beer and eating peanuts for dinner. It was a rainy night, late, and all the decent restaurants were packed.

Bar scene at Same Sebo

The rijsttafel we had originally come for was 31.50 euro per person. After going over the menu and realizing we wouldn't care for half of the options, I went a la carte and ordered a few dishes to build our own custom rijsttafel. My menu reading skills served us wisely and what we ordered turned out to be the perfect amount and the right combination of food for us. We had a little bit of everything from beef and pork to goat and tofu. We ate everything with noodles and had the obligatory vegetable dish (which turned out to be really good). All of the flavors and sauces were fantastic. We had crunchy textures, savory meat, sweet sides and a topping that just went well on everything! Coconut! Our meal turned out to be half the price of the tasting menu since each dish ranged in price from as low as 3 euro to as high as 8 euro. 

Our rijsttafel spread

Custom Rijsttafel at Sama Sebo:

Serundeng (fried coconut)
Bami (Noodles)
Pisang goring (fried bananas)
babi sateh (pork skewers)
Kambing sateh (goat skewers)
Gado-Gado  (vegetables)
Daging Madura (meat in madura sauce)
Tahu Goreng (fried tofu)

Sama Sebo
P.C. Hooftstraat 27
1071 BL Amsterdam

Snacks in Amsterdam

It's very easy to get the munchies in Amsterdam. Even if you don't partake in the cafe culture, there is plenty to snack on in Amsterdam. Here are a few treats we came across on our trip.

Grocery store ice cream sandwiches.

Apple Taart from Winkel 43. Wash it down with mint tea.

Frozen Yogurt

Bloodsinaasappel (blood orange) sorbet

Hot dog with sauerkraut, fried onions, and bacon

Stroopwafel

Photography Credits: Roxwriting, Desmond Chow

Scenes from Amsterdam

Amsterdam is one of the most beautiful cities I have visited. It's also one of the most interesting. I loved the vibe of it all and could see myself living there if I had a choice. Here are some pictures we took along our daily walks.

Skinny and tall houses

Bicycle parking along the canal

Cheese everywhere

The Tulip Museum

Moving day.

Large pieces of furniture are moved in through windows or doors not on ground level.

Bubblegum Pink Fiat

View of the outside from the inside of a houseboat.

I amsterdam

Clogs

Photography Credits: Roxwriting, Desmond Chow

Amsterdam- Go for Van Gogh

Street Mural

The Netherlands is proud of Vincent Van Gogh. He was Dutch and throughout the city there are many murals and artwork dedicated to him. Since he was Dutch, it is noteworthy to know that the Dutch pronunciation of Gogh sounds more like "hoff". 

Amsterdam is home to the Van Gogh Museum. The Museum houses the largest collection of Van Gogh's works in the world. Here are some helpful tips in visiting the museum.

Plan Ahead: 

The museum closes at 5 PM. If you arrive at 3 PM, it may be too late! The Van Gogh Museum has high traffic at all hours of the day and they close down admission when the museum reaches full capacity.  Go first thing in the morning or buy tickets online for a reserved visiting hour. The line to get in is long regardless. The average wait time  in line is about 45 minutes.

Tickets

Friday night boasts extended hours. The museum is open late night and has more of a party atmosphere. There is a dj spinning music until 10 PM.

The Floorplan:

Despite the large and busy crowd, you should have no problem viewing the works of art. The museum is separated by periods of work and divided through a few floors. There is enough space that you could view Van Gogh's self portraits, The Potato Eaters, The Bedroom, and still life paintings in comfort. Make sure not to miss his early work, sketches, and artifacts. His journal, letters to his brother, and easel with paint have also been preserved and are on view.

De aardappeleters, 1885

Journal

Writing and Drawing Tools / Materials

Experience:

The museum is interactive. There are wall sized prints of Van Gogh's work that serve as an excellent backdrop for picture taking. If you want to test your own art skills and paint in the fashion of Van Gogh (grids), there are computers and overhead projections so that you can see your own drawing come to life. The museum is great for children as it is hands on in some areas. See the paintings through a microscope to check out the technique in stroke and materials. There is much to see and do at the museum.

Photography Credits: Roxwriting and Desmond Chow

Van Gogh Museum
Paulus Potterstraat 7
Museum District Amsterdam

Amsterdam- Borough of Noord

One of the best tips we got from our Amsterdam guidebook was a one sentence description about the free ferry system. The NDSM-Werfveer line is a 15 minute ferry ride that runs every 15 minutes on weekdays. As New Yorkers with the Staten Island Ferry, we were confident that getting on the NDSM-Werfveer was a pretty safe gamble to see and experience something new and very local about Amsterdam.

We followed the signs to the ferry behind Centraal Station. It's a short walk and a clear path with little room for error to get lost. Once we got to the pier, we were greeted with an electronic clock that counted down the minutes until the next ferry arrived.

The boat was comfortable and spacious enough to fit everyone from the crowded dock. The ride was smooth and we saw a nice view of the city and the EYE Film Institute Netherlands. Before we knew it, the ferry had landed on NDSM, the largest shipyard in Amsterdam. The borough of Noord is a growing city of residents, bars, art space, and creative markets.

We were clueless and knew nothing about Noord. What we found was a peaceful and desolate area home to some wild graffiti. There were a few people hanging out, taking pictures, and drinking at a local outdoor bar. We wandered into an empty warehouse that is transformed during the weekends into a giant market. The Noord is a great area to explore if you love something edgy and raw.

Netherland Shipbuilding Company Building

Directions

Like A Rocket

Post Industrial

Hanging Out

Lake

Across the IJ

Noorderlicht

Photography Credits: Roxwriting, Desmond Chow

Woonbootmuseum, Amsterdam- Life on a Boat

Canals of Amsterdam, Woonbootmuseum

Amsterdam is known as the Venice of the Netherlands. They have more canals than Venice and not only are they used as roads for transportation but they are also prime real estate. Houseboats are plentiful in Amsterdam and just as popular as apartments.

It's not any cheaper living on a houseboat than living in an apartment. Some houseboats cost just as much as a house and are much smaller. Each one is unique and charming in its own way. The houseboats in Amsterdam have been adapted to modern living standards. They have heat, electricity, and modern plumbing.

If you ever wondered about the ins and outs of a houseboat and what it looks like inside, stop by the Woonbootmuseum in Amsterdam. It is located on Prinsengracht nearby many tourist sites such as the Anne Frank House and Bible Museum.

Entrance to Woonbootmuseum

One of the plusses about the Woonbootmuseum is that there is no line, something almost unheard of in Amsterdam since the lines at the Van Gogh Museum, Old Church, and Anne Frank House are upwards to an hour waittime. The admission fee is just 3.75 Euro.

The museum is self guided. Each patron is handed a laminated floor plan with descriptions of each room.The museum never gets too crowded and there is a little play area for children. The boat is less museum like and has more of a feel like popping into a friend or neighbor’s house.

Floorplan

Livingroom

It’s quite interesting inside and much different than you’d expect. There aren’t conventional bedrooms but two “cupboards” where people climb into to sleep. This boat had one bed for the parents and another for the children. It is a small space almost coffin like measuring about five feet by six by three. I learned that back in the early1900’s people were a lot smaller back then and this space was perfectly adequate.

The houseboat had a decent sized kitchen with plenty of skylights which allowed the natural light to pour in. Onward to the living room, this space was very large and had nice seating, a table, desk, television, and library. The back of the boat led to more rooms, a children’s playroom nook, another sleeping area, bathroom with shower, and storage area. The houseboat was nicely decorated and displayed many dioramas and models of what other houseboats looked like. There was also a video played about houseboat life and a mural on the wall explaining how houseboats float in relation to sea level.

Kitchen

Children's Playroom

Examples of different houseboats.

The Woonbootmuseum is educational and fun. It is amazing how the space is used and I could relate coming from a New York perspective. The deck of the boat was even turned into a garden and patio. Check out the Woonbootmuseum and experience this slice of life of Dutch culture.

Woonbootmuseum

Prisengracht 296K

1016 HW Amsterdam