Hakarl

Meeting the local people in a new country can be tough especially if you are in a big group of people from Northeastern. In the hostel, it is easy to get to know people from other countries who are also there. The locals on the other hand are harder to find. Many of the people in downtown Reykjavik are tourists as the locals do not venture down to the souvenir shops often. The best way to meet the local people are in at restaurants, bars, and local cafes. Going down to places on the weeknights that have Icelandic bands playing is a great way to meet those that love the native music.

Another way I have found to meet some locals is with the homestay that was included in our program. Our professors set all of the students up with a family that they knew for an entire weekend to stay with them and experience some typical days. This was great to see what the Icelandic people do and some interesting foods that they eat. In my homestay, I found that around 3 or 4 in the afternoon, my family usually has a bakery snack, kind of like having tea in England. I also got a taste of the popular Icelandic lamb. My host family cooked lamb with roasted potatoes and vegetables and salad. It was delicious!

While I have stayed in my budget here in Iceland, I have spent some money on cultural experiences, the most interesting being the rotten shark, hakarl. This is a delicacy in Iceland where the caught shark is cut up and allowed to sit underground and hung in a shack to ferment in its own urine. The shark has a very unique taste, similar in texture to a piece of cheese but has a taste of ammonia that burns your nose and throat when eaten. Needless to say, I don’t think I will be trying the shark again anytime soon.

Adjusting to the differences in currency and price of food and items is slightly difficult. Everything in Iceland is much more expensive than in the States, so I really have to limit myself when sticking to my budget. If I go out to eat, I know what my daily allowance is and I stay within that. In addition, I know that I won’t be able to eat out every meal, so I buy groceries in bulk to last me for a few weeks and then get smaller items if necessary. It’s shocking to see the prices of things, but I can assure those going to Iceland that it is possible to stick within a budget and still have fun.