Reykjavík Grapevine - 12.12.2016, Page 42

The R
eykjavík G
rapevine
Iceland A
irw
aves Special 20
16
42
This is my second Airwaves. I’m not a
veteran, but it’s one of the best weeks
of the year in Reykjavík. There’s so
much to do. People to meet. Parties
to crash. But, like I said, this is only
my second Airwaves—I’m not qual-
ified to give an authentic guide to a
festival that is close to the hearts of
so many. I’ve only lived in Iceland for
just under two
y e a r s — w h i c h ,
b y my c o u nt ,
brings the num-
ber of hangovers
I’ve endured and
overcome in this
country to exact-
ly 109 (at time of
writing). So one
thing I am a vet-
eran of is hang-
overs.
Hangovers are about routine.
Psychologists have proven again
and again that routine is good for
the mind. All the best athletes, en-
tertainers and top performers have
routines—systems for letting their
bodies get ready unconsciously. Fol-
lowing this simple guide will not
only help you get the most out of your
time here, but also give you a taste of
how great it is to live in Iceland.
Pitfalls and
Things To Avoid
The wave and fade: Everyone who
drinks has experienced this phe-
nomenon. The massive calorie intake
from a night of drinking gives you
a sudden burst of morning energy.
You wake up earlier than expected,
foolishly thinking you’ve been spared
the consequences of your nighttime
revelry. THIS IS A DELUSION. Your
hangover hasn’t started. Go back to
bed. In order for any hangover cure to
work, you have to have stayed in bed
for as long as possible. This is easy in
Iceland in November. It’s dark.
Waterlogged: You get up and chug a
bunch of water. That will rehydrate
you, right? Wrong! It’s hard on your
stomach and can result in pain, or
worse: vomiting. You need to drink
water slowly over a couple of hours.
Another water-related mistake is a
cold shower. If the shock doesn’t in-
stantly give you a headache, the clari-
ty will only be momentary.
You’re a witch: There are no potions
that cure hangovers. You’ve just read
too many P.G. Wodehouse novels.
Hair of the dog: It doesn’t work, un-
less you’re still drunk—but then it
just leads to a wave and fade. If you
smoke, or decided to smoke the night
before, avoid smoking almost all day.
The Routine
1. Baptism: After you’ve slept as
long as you possibly can, you need
to get to a hot pot at one of Iceland’s
geothermal pools as soon as possi-
ble. I recommend going to an outdoor
pool such as Laugardalslaug or Ves-
turbæjarlaug. You’ll need about thir-
ty minutes in one of the lower-tem-
perature pots; then grab a drink of
water from the fountain, go to the
steam room for seven minutes, grab
a drink of water, go in a hotter pot for
five minutes, grab a drink of water,
go to the hottest pot for three to five
minutes, grab a drink of water, then
go into the regular pool, or leave.

*If you have a bit of money, and this is
a holiday, try the Laugar Spa (located
at in the same building as Laugardal-
slaug). Follow a similar system and take
your time.
2. Break Bread: Now it’s time to eat.
I would say there are four options:
Snaps, Coocoo’s Nest, Prikið, and
Jómfrúin (pictured above). Snaps has
a great brunch menu, atmosphere
and downtown location. Coocoo’s
Nest is for those who are staying fur-
ther west, near the Grandi area. You
were probably in Prikið at some point
the night before—they have a Hang-
over Killer breakfast, and standard
fare like eggs, bacon and pancakes.
Jómfrúin has a wide menu of Dan-
ish-style rye bread sandwiches.
3. Resurrection: The final part of
the routine is one of the most psycho-
logically beneficial. Go back to where
you are staying and get changed.
Take your time. The act of getting
ready and listening to music will
have you in tip-top shape for grab-
bing cocktails or beers. The trick is
to go slow. Once you’re dressed, it’s
time to get back on the horse: grab a
cocktail at Bar Ananas or a craft beer
at Mikkeller and Friends.
The hardest part of a hangover is the
metaphysical hangover. Be social and
laugh. You need to get excited for the
new night of music and fun. Life is
not as futile as it felt when you first
woke up and, bonus, you look and feel
great. Be at one with humanity—at
this point, you’re basically Jesus.
Airwaves
Hangover
Guide
Words York Underwood
Photo Art Bicnick
You get up and
chug a bunch of
water. That will
rehydrate you,
right? Wrong!