Have a happy Holiday in Iceland - hopefully helpful hints

[mojo1941]

Hi All drinkers NB Iceland is chilly & pricey so take a 1 L bottle of Scotch or ? Zips are mission critical on bags & clothes so take say 10M roll of cling film to make an instant repair...take some Icelandic Krona say £100 change at ? Post Office or a Bank NOT the Airport  where the cashiers have the grace to wear face masks as they rob u...Have a good trip but read below...


Grayline coach northern lights tour PM 7/12/2014 Passengers left in an unheated coach #5
Sirs
I wish to report to all concerned Authorities the subject life threatening situation for my wife and I - both elderly disabled pensioners ,we have pacemakers and mobility disability.

From memory our party of 3 UK Citizens mojo41 77 Mrs Mo 77 and Centre Son on mo were collected by mini bus from the Hotel Fron say 1930 and then boarded a Grayline large coach ? from memory # 5 at the main bus station - the windows were not clean.

The coach left the Bus Station for the un lit outskirts of Reykjavik with the lady guide explaining the science of the northern lights NL and Icelandic culture. The coach stopped several times when passengers left the unlit unheated with an open rear door coach to view NL sightings. On the last occasion the NL display was simply outstanding - my wife was too cold and tired to leave the coach and when I returned she was huddled and shivering in spite of adequate thermal underwear.

I found the Guide and demanded the coach was immediately heated - and the Guide left to find the Driver who on his return from the Lit shelter 70 M away started the engine and heating - he then took the trouble to inform me

It isnt cold I did not reply as he would not understand my slang English.

From a conversation I was told the Outside Air Temperature OAT was -13C wind-chill factor unknown. On my leaving the Coach the guide said It wont happen again - I hope so for the future health and safety of Grayline passengers on NL tours.

On return to the Bus Station were we taken back to our Hotel in the large coach which could not drop us off at the Hotel Fron - so we had to walk - with great care along the slippery icy pavements to our Hotel - fortunately my Son knew the way and we arrived safely at the Hotel Fron.

I wish and require that adequate Policy and Procedures are quickly implemented for the thermal safety of all passengers on say Icelandic Coach tours.

Perhaps the above was an isolated occurrence due to poor staff with no training in hyperthermia - and passenger safety and comfort.

Our Icelandic Tour to the geysers on Wednesday the 9/12/2014 PM with Reykjavik Excursions

Sadly our extraordinary NL tour was spoilt by the lack of customer care by Driver and Guide - who was unaware of the thermal situation for her passengers and the middle aged Grayline Airport driver 0830 dep Bus Station 11/12/2014 who seemed more concerned with his Bluetooth amusing conversation than the packed snow road ahead.

Wrap up points and links for readers..

- An idea for no show NL tours would be stage a suitable pyrotechnic / musical outdoor display WITH sheltered viewing for visitors Aurora Borealis NTSC 72 minswww.aurorexperience.com - see DVD plus 16 page booklet and for pyrotechnic public display
www.angelfire-pyrotechnics.com/pages.php/fireworks-displays/public-firework-displays/

Public Firework Displays. From Traditional November 5th Bonfire Night celebrations, to Christmas and New Year's Eve celebrations. Whatever your dream and ...
Public Displays - Angelfire Pyrotechnics
www.angelfire-pyrotechnics.com/.../fireworks-displays/public-firework-...
•
Angelfire Pyrotechnics: Your leading UK Fireworks, Lasers & Pyrotechnics DisplayCompany for all public events & occasions! Contact Us today.

HSE Explosives - Organising firework displays
www.hse.gov.uk › Guidance › Industries › Explosives › Fireworks
Our RE Geyser tour was booked at the Tripiceland office near the hotel fron tel [phone] www.trip.is the Manager noted my comments about the grayline NL
tour
www.re.is/day-tours/?gclid=CMuY8ufIv8ICFQiWtAodS1kA0w
www.re.is/day-tours/gullfoss-geysir-thingvellir-afternoon-tour

grayline NL mystery tour
grayline.is/tours/reykjavk/northern-lights-mystery-tour-8706_30

Keflavik international airport - disabled assistance most helpful
www.kefairport.is/English/

Hotel Fron - Highly recommend to any traveller has a warm atmosphere, very good food and comfortable bed with helpful Staff.
www.booking.com/searchresults.en-gb.html?aid=311076;label=hotel-98669-is-MQsHWEeUB0u3cg5qkgjx3wS11113102620%3Apl%3Ata%3Ap1%3Ap2%3Aa

www.fleetwaytravel.com/cheap_holidays/iceland/
Fleetway Travel UK Agents
Sadly the start of our visit was spoilt by incorrectly being left at the wrong hotel Koeffek with all our luggage crossing rutted icy pavements on arrival 7/11/2014 say 1230 - later taken to Hotel Fron - this was grayline in action - from start to finish with dirty coaches who blamed Fleetway for lack of organisation.

grayline.is/

Contact Gray Line Iceland
Sales Office / Bus terminal
Hafnarstræti 20
104 Reykjavik
Tel.: [phone]
Fax: [phone]
[e-mail]

Iceland Tourist Board (ITB)
www.ferdamalastofa.is/en/

The Director ITB
Sir
In conclusion Iceland and its visitors deserve much better service from all concerned at Director level above - who I hope will quickly react to the points of major impact on health and safety of Icelandic visitors

Best Wishes and Regards

Mr & Mrs mo1941

[Deleted]

I'm not too sure what it is you're complaining about Mojo. Surely going to Iceland in December you expect it to be cold and go prepared. I know I would.
Even here in the north east, at 57.7 degrees north, it gets cold in December, so going to Reykjavik at 64.1 degrees north, being that much nearer to the Arctic, you must expect it to be colder.
I'm pleased you got to see the Aurora as, presumably that was the point of the trip at this time of year. I get to see and photograph the aurora a few times a year and when I go out, I go prepared.

Winter draw(er)s on as they say

[duyuthinkysaurus]

Al,
Is the weather going to be favourable for the meteor shower tonight?

[Deleted]

100% cloud here !

[petersmyth1]

Dec 13, 2014 17:49:15 GMT mojo1941 said:

Hi All drinkers NB Iceland is chilly & pricey so take a 1 L bottle of Scotch

You shouldn't really have had to post that here because with my travel experience the closer you get to Arctic the more expensive the booze gets unless you are in a one time Soviet ruled country.

38 years ago I went to Copenhagen and paid nearly today's price here for a bottle of Carlsberg, I couldn't afford a pint.

Apparently the closer you live to the Arctic Circle the more aggressive alcohol makes you become.

That's why drink is so cheap in Spain, not counting the Costas, because they're a bunch of chinless cowards who just want their siesta.

[banjo]

I'm not sure that you'd have said that if your travel experiences had extended to include a trip to Spain during the Spanish Civil War Peter.

e&oe

[Ratae]

Dec 14, 2014 9:21:37 GMT banjo said:

I'm not sure that you'd have said that if your travel experiences had extended to include a trip to Spain during the Spanish Civil War Peter.

e&oe

'Ere BJ....just how old do you think that poor Smudger is?

[Deleted]

Dec 14, 2014 11:41:09 GMT Ratae said:

Dec 14, 2014 9:21:37 GMT banjo said:

I'm not sure that you'd have said that if your travel experiences had extended to include a trip to Spain during the Spanish Civil War Peter.

e&oe

'Ere BJ....just how old do you think that poor Smudger is?

Well his avatar makes him look like the last of the Mohicans with specs and a blue rinse.

[Ratae]

Dec 14, 2014 11:44:44 GMT @allachie9 said:

Dec 14, 2014 11:41:09 GMT Ratae said:

'Ere BJ....just how old do you think that poor Smudger is?

Well his avatar makes him look like the last of the Mohicans with specs and a blue rinse.

Well Al, I thought that it made him look like Confucius. However, Confucius apparently was a clever bloke, so perhaps your perception is correct!

[mojo1941]

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30500372

? type of passport = doombar by sharps www.sharpsbrewery.co.uk/ = just down the road 70 mls ...ASDA 4 bottles for £5....= drink quickly

? need yellow fever jab current to enter / exit cornwall??

[nob]

Doombar 8.2 miles down the road in a pub, or order online. Never tasted the stuff is it any good.

[Ratae]

Dec 19, 2014 15:42:37 GMT nob said:

Doombar 8.2 miles down the road in a pub, or order online. Never tasted the stuff is it any good.

On draught in my local, only had one pint of it and it is rather nice. However,my pal Shag, appears to be making a determined attempt to drown himself in the stuff!

Epic drown fail so far, but he does keep falling over!

[banjo]

T'was a novelty for those first few pints about three years ago, but there's so much better available. It's Hobson's choice these days with increasing frequency. (NOT Hobson's Brewery- "Twisted Spire" is a great pint) To be so ubiquitous they must be severely undercutting the competition (or maybe they just aren't as greedy?)

Do you remember about 30 years ago when Wadworth's 6X held the "get it everywhere" crown? At least 6X was a great pint (Best supped from the brewery tap in Devizes though, so perhaps the same is true of Doom Bar...) Even that old reliable standard London Pride depends heavily upon whether the cellar man has been on the Fullers training course. Anyone been on a Fullers brewery trip? Legendary "hospitality". How about a Jennings in Cumbria trip? Mean beyond description, and you can never seem to get "Sneck Lifter" in Jennings houses. Pffft.

Down in the South West where it comes from, I'd do a flippin' long round trip to neck some Spingo from the Blue Anchor, Helston in preference to Doom Bar any day, but it's not fair to compare chalk with (mouldy) cheese.

Doom Bar? no thanks then, but as usual there's no accounting for taste so YMMV.

e&oe

[nob]

There is only one ale worth a mention and that is John Smiths the smooth is top class and brewed in Taddy proper Yorkie ale. But don't tell Geoff cos that's cruel.

[Ratae]

Dec 19, 2014 23:20:31 GMT nob said:

There is only one ale worth a mention and that is John Smiths the smooth is top class and brewed in Taddy proper Yorkie ale. But don't tell Geoff cos that's cruel.

I do confess, the John Smith's Extra Smooth is my brew of choice. Even better when it's followed by a glass or three of the Glenfiddich, which after much research, is my malt of choice!