Reykjavík Grapevine - Aug 2023, Page 39

39
WORDS Catherine Magnúsdóttir
IMAGE Art Bicnick
WHERE ARE THE PUBLIC
LAUNDROMATS IN REYKJA-
VIK AND AKUREYRI LOCAT-
ED?
When you do find a publicly accessi-
ble laundromat it’s usually incorpo-
rated into something else – because
laundromats are fucking boring
– like a café an entire hostel. That’s
how you might have missed them. If
you’re out and about camping, the
campsites should have some op-
portunities to clean your clothes or
you just keep doing the good ol’ four
sides switcheroo until you reach the
nearest unoccupied waterfall.
IF I GO TO AIRWAVES IN
NOVEMBER AND SLEEP IN A
VAN, WILL I DIE?
Depends. What do you think will kill
you first? The cold? Most rentable
campervans are equipped to han-
dle that – human popsicles don’t
give good reviews. Sleep depriva-
tion? Most people can go a while
without rest in a big bed, especially
when they’re entertained, though
you might get cranky. Other festival
goers? Now that’s another story.
There’s a chance you’ll have to bull-
doze your way onto the campsite,
Mad Max style, to get a spot. Other-
wise you and your van will be at the
mercy of Reykjavík night life and the
might of music maniacs pumped up
on new riffs and beats just waiting to
find their own little stage – say, the
roof of a van – to continue the party.
Also, parking is, like, super tricky
here even without major events, so
beware.
IS THERE A PLACE WHERE
YOU CAN RENT A MOBILITY
SCOOTER FOR TOURISTS?
PREFERABLY ABLE TO USE
ON HARD TERRAIN.
Okay, hang on, let me not be a bit
of a dick about this one. So, this is
one bumpy island and outside of
towns the terrain gets rough pretty
quickly. Even the capital city is super
uneven. There have been some
efforts to make a few buildings more
accessible for wheelchairs and
mobility aids, though the old ones
in particular tend to be very narrow.
Apparently you can contact tour pro-
viders (like Iceland Unlimited) and
locations ahead of time and they
can prepare to help out. Some of
the major sites have these wooden
deck paths that should help. But in
terms of renting (not buying) things
like mobility scooters, I can’t say I’ve
found much here. Hopefully, to be
continued…
Well, You Asked Bumpy Roads, Take Me
Home
You really should not have asked
Last Look IMAGE Art Bicnick
Visit the World’s Only Beluga Whale
and Pun Sanctuary!
belugasanctuary.sealifetrust.org
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