Seeking some rest and recreation in the hidden corner of Batam

Impian Monalisa-A little peace: Nongsa, on the coast of Batam Island, provides a place to get away from it all for a while, to enjoy comfortable resorts, water activites and restful ocean views. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.

Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.

And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.

As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.

Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.

The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.

Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.

Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.

Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.

The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.

One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.

The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.

The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.

Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.

Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.

Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions. /jp/Simon Marcus Gower

Seeking some rest and recreation in the hidden corner of Batam

Impian Monalisa-A little peace: Nongsa, on the coast of Batam Island, provides a place to get away from it all for a while, to enjoy comfortable resorts, water activites and restful ocean views. (JP/Simon Marcus Gower)

Let’s start by being brutally honest: At first glance, Batam Island does not really appear a great vacation proposition.

Parts of the island are best described as an eyesore, with highly utilitarian industrial and commercial premises stretching over large swathes of the land.

And let’s be frank about the land itself, too – flat for one thing, with soil – exposed through the island’s numerous excavations – in an unappealing orangey-yellowish color that looks infertile and grubby.

Now we’ve got that out of the way, there is one more thing to add: Better things lie ahead.

As you travel from the island’s Hang Nadim airport to the area known as Nongsa, the industrial and commercial buildings – and that grubby-looking soil – gradually give way to dense thickets of shrubs and low-lying plants.

Keep going. This unkempt shrubbery then gives way to something else – to signs of humanity taming this wilderness and making it into something lovely and fresh. You have arrived at the dreamy vacation area of Nongsa, Nongsa is in the northern coastal region of Batam Island, with attractive inlets and beaches that add up to an idyllic and tranquil setting for some rest and recreation. There are golf courses here for those so interested, but it is much more the coast, the beaches and the resorts along the waterfront that attract visitors.

The resorts at Nongsa range from the pristine and ultramodern to the more traditional and tropical made from timber and bamboo with thatched roofs. Some of the modern architecture is impressive but those who find all that concrete and steel clinical and cold with may prefer the more “traditional” architecture with its natural materials.

Regardless of the style of architecture, the common theme here is the sea and the Strait of Singapore that Nongsa looks out onto. The shores and skyscrapers of Singapore are visible in the distance – no prizes for guessing why Singaporeans account for many of the holidaymakers.

Singapore is but a 45-minute ferry ride away, making it all too easy for those city-dwellers to escape their crowded city-state for the tranquility of Batam’s resort, the ferry dropping them at the very well-constructed and -managed ferry terminal known as Nongsapura.

Thanks to Nongsapura, getting to and from the resorts is easy and comfortable, with ferries setting off at regular intervals to destinations in both Singapore and Malaysia. These speedy ferries deftly negotiate busy waters, weaving around the huge cargo ships and tankers that pass through the strait. Before all that, though, comes the Nongsa River.

The Nongsa River connects the island to the strait. Like much of the rest of Batam Island, it is surrounded by dense vegetation, which lends it a distinctly wild air. Trips upriver to view exotic birds and wild monkeys are possible, although most people find it hard to drag themselves away from the coast.

One of those coastal attractions is Nongsa’s impressive and expansive marina open to private vessels. Otherwise, there are plenty of watery activities to help while away the holidays: fishing, snorkeling, parasailing, water-skiing, jet-skiing and banana boating.

The downside of all these water activities is the water itself – or more particularly the clarity of the water. It is perhaps only to be expected that with this strait being a major marine thoroughfare – dozens of massive ships pass through the Strait and often time clouds of exhaust fumes can be seen belching from their enormous engines – the water is going to be on the murky side of pristine.

The problem of pollution is also evident in the work of the cleaners raking the beaches each morning, burying the less desirable offerings that have been washed up on the shore.

Never mind – there is no need to swim in the sea, as the resorts all have their own swimming pools replete with fountains and waterfalls, and a mix of depths to please everyone from children and the more serious swimmer. Given this, the sea may be better left alone as a backdrop for the resorts.

Otherwise, the environment in Nongsa is generally clean and well kept, creating great benefits for the local wildlife. In the thick lush forests, visitors can see exotic and colorful birds going about their business of foraging and nesting. At night, bats sweep across the sky, gorging themselves on the abundant fruit hanging from the trees.

Nongsa and its resorts may be quite different from the rest of Batam Island, but are created ideally for rest and recreation. The detail in the construction and management of the hotels and resorts means taking a vacation here can be very pleasing and satisfying – regardless of first impressions. /jp/Simon Marcus Gower

Buleleng to develop Lake Buyan

Impian Monalisa-Pristine view: A view of Lake Tamblingan, one of three lakes in central Bali being sought after by developers and investors as the island’s next potential tourism hotspot. Lake Tamblingan is part of a three-lake system within a massive caldera in Buleleng regency. The two others are the Buyan and Beratan lakes. JP/ALIT KERTARAHARJA

The regency of Buleleng may be getting another fancy tourism spot as the regent plans to invest money to develop Lake Buyan into an “ecotourism heaven”.

Buleleng Regent Putu Bagiada and investors from PT Anantara said both parties were ready to invest money into developing Lake Buyan into a “Buyan Ecotourism Heaven,” the area’s new name if the plan gets approved.

“We want to restore this area to its original grandeur, with its original culture and its original look,” Bagiada said at the Bali governor’s office Friday.

“This is the concept behind our plan to turn Lake Buyan into ‘Buyan Ecotourism Heaven.’”
Located in the Sukasada district, Lake Buyan is one of the triplet lakes situated within a massive caldera. A vast wild forest separates Lake Buyan from Lake Tamblingan on its west, while on its east lies Lake Beratan.

So far only the area around Lake Beratan has been developed into a tourist destination. Its close proximity with Eka Karya, the island’s largest botanical garden, has made Lake Beratan a favorite weekend getaway for the residents of Bali’s southern urban cities.

Lake Beratan also hosts Ulun Danu, one of the most important water temples on the island.
The three lakes have been getting shallower over the years due to sedimentation and were declared a priority for environmental damage mitigation by the State Ministry for the Environment last year.

Much of the blame for the sedimentation has been aimed at the construction of villas in the areas. Environmental groups say the villas take away water absorption space, causing mud to be carried along into the lakes.

The local agricultural practices, which use chemical fertilizers, have also been blamed for ruining the quality of the lake water.

When asked about what would change if Anantara were to be given the mandate to develop Lake Buyan, Anantara commissioner Liliah Sukoco said the company’s main concern was to maintain the area’s natural beauty.

“I understand the concern over further environmental degradation when a private company manages an environmental spot, but you have to understand that in order to maintain this lake, the local economy has to be improved,” she said.

She said Anantara’s plans to develop the 60-hectare area in and around Lake Buyan, which could absorb up to 1,000 workers, and that one of the company’s plans was to dredge the land under the lake bed to allow it to absorb more water and soil.

“But these are just plans, we are still waiting for the governor’s recommendation before we decide how we want to proceed,” she said.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika did not make any statement on Friday’s presentation, saying only he would consider the proposal.

“We will look into the possible benefits of PT Anantara’s plans,” he said.

Buleleng to develop Lake Buyan

Impian Monalisa-Pristine view: A view of Lake Tamblingan, one of three lakes in central Bali being sought after by developers and investors as the island’s next potential tourism hotspot. Lake Tamblingan is part of a three-lake system within a massive caldera in Buleleng regency. The two others are the Buyan and Beratan lakes. JP/ALIT KERTARAHARJA

The regency of Buleleng may be getting another fancy tourism spot as the regent plans to invest money to develop Lake Buyan into an “ecotourism heaven”.

Buleleng Regent Putu Bagiada and investors from PT Anantara said both parties were ready to invest money into developing Lake Buyan into a “Buyan Ecotourism Heaven,” the area’s new name if the plan gets approved.

“We want to restore this area to its original grandeur, with its original culture and its original look,” Bagiada said at the Bali governor’s office Friday.

“This is the concept behind our plan to turn Lake Buyan into ‘Buyan Ecotourism Heaven.’”
Located in the Sukasada district, Lake Buyan is one of the triplet lakes situated within a massive caldera. A vast wild forest separates Lake Buyan from Lake Tamblingan on its west, while on its east lies Lake Beratan.

So far only the area around Lake Beratan has been developed into a tourist destination. Its close proximity with Eka Karya, the island’s largest botanical garden, has made Lake Beratan a favorite weekend getaway for the residents of Bali’s southern urban cities.

Lake Beratan also hosts Ulun Danu, one of the most important water temples on the island.
The three lakes have been getting shallower over the years due to sedimentation and were declared a priority for environmental damage mitigation by the State Ministry for the Environment last year.

Much of the blame for the sedimentation has been aimed at the construction of villas in the areas. Environmental groups say the villas take away water absorption space, causing mud to be carried along into the lakes.

The local agricultural practices, which use chemical fertilizers, have also been blamed for ruining the quality of the lake water.

When asked about what would change if Anantara were to be given the mandate to develop Lake Buyan, Anantara commissioner Liliah Sukoco said the company’s main concern was to maintain the area’s natural beauty.

“I understand the concern over further environmental degradation when a private company manages an environmental spot, but you have to understand that in order to maintain this lake, the local economy has to be improved,” she said.

She said Anantara’s plans to develop the 60-hectare area in and around Lake Buyan, which could absorb up to 1,000 workers, and that one of the company’s plans was to dredge the land under the lake bed to allow it to absorb more water and soil.

“But these are just plans, we are still waiting for the governor’s recommendation before we decide how we want to proceed,” she said.

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika did not make any statement on Friday’s presentation, saying only he would consider the proposal.

“We will look into the possible benefits of PT Anantara’s plans,” he said.

Dollar goes a long way on winter trip to Iceland

Impian monalisa-We figured the driver taking us to a New York airport didn't know much about our destination when we said we were going to Iceland and he asked us to spell it.

"Oh," he said. "The bankrupt country."

Yes, the bankrupt country. Not the volcanic island south of the Arctic Circle with the near-lunar terrain that astronauts once practiced on. Not the home of a swinging Reykjavik nightlife, and other-worldly native musicians like Bjork and Sigur Ros. Not the land with spectacular scenery and bubbling geothermal pools.

The bankrupt country.

Our plans to visit Iceland with five other couples in December predated the onset of the nation's most crippling economic problems. They didn't deter us, since we figured Iceland's beauty wasn't going anywhere. And, hey, the drinks might be cheaper.

We booked rooms two months in advance as Iceland's currency, the krona, was collapsing. It was a bet: perhaps we could book later and find better prices, but since other tourists were sniffing for bargains we worried good rooms might be snapped up. Had we waited, the rooms would have been about $20 cheaper a night.

We made it up in one of Reykjavik's finest restaurants, the Seafood Cellar. The gourmet meal had waves of dishes that included moose carpaccio, tiny Icelandic lobster tails, char, tender lamb and multiple drinks — all for about $100 per person.

Iceland had 48,999 tourists from North America from January through November this year, down 13 percent from 2007. That was primarily due to the loss of air service between Baltimore and Iceland earlier this year, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.

But with the krona's value dropping, tourism began going up this fall, said Einar Gustavsson, the board's executive director for the Americas. One U.S. dollar was worth over 120 Icelandic krona at the end of 2008, double what a dollar was worth in Iceland in 2007.

One morning my wife and I ate breakfast in a tiny restaurant that looked liked a bookstore from the outside, with two men in the booth behind us. My curiosity got the best of me when one of the men went to the restroom and the other told someone on his cell phone that he was talking to a reporter.

Turned out it was The New Yorker magazine, in Reykjavik to do a story on how the country has been affected by the financial trauma.

There was a demonstration planned for a few hours later in front of the Parliament building down the street, they said. Check it out. The local scoffed at our intended destination, the Blue Lagoon geothermal pool outside of town. It's a tourist trap, he said. The water's not as warm as it used to be.

Yet we were tourists, and we disregarded the warning.

Rock formations tower over a man walking on the black volcanic sands at the beach at Reynishverif, Iceland. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Maybe the idea of a steaming pool of therapeutic water carved out of volcanic rock and heated with underground energy was old hat to him, but not to us. It was an experience not to miss, swimming in a huge outdoor pool of salty, soothing water as occasional squalls of snow and sleet pelted our face and winter's slow dusk descended. The facilities around the Blue Lagoon are sleekly modern and designed with efficiency in mind.

We also tried one of the many "pools" of thermal-heated outdoor baths sprinkled around Reykjavik, those that the locals use. It's a luxury that should be experienced as much as possible. We never realized how important it was to pack multiple bathing suits for a winter's visit to Iceland.

Reykjavik was lovely for the holiday season, the store windows and streets festive. Half-finished construction projects dot the skyline, however, signifying work that started before the economy went sour and may or may not be completed.

The capital's reputation for a marathon nightlife is no myth, as we found out with a fourth-floor window overlooking pubs and clubs. Fun 'til 4 or 5 a.m. is routine on the weekends. Loud fun.

One of our drivers, even as he outlined how much money his family had lost in the financial tumult, said that Iceland's people had not surrendered to sullenness.

"People are realizing what is important," he said, and they're spending more time with their families.

He drove our party on a tour known as the Golden Circle. Starting before dawn (since dawn was 11 a.m., there was no choice), we left Reykjavik for the Pingvellir national park and one of Iceland's most historic spots. Landscape made jagged by the intersection of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates was the site of the world's first democratic parliament in 930.

It has a stream into which visitors pitch coins and make wishes, the site of a tale told by our guide of a husband and wife who leaned over to toss their coins. The woman lost her balance and tumbled into the water.

"You don't often see wishes come true that fast," the husband supposedly said.

Other attractions include Gullfoss, a stunning double waterfall where water seems to cascade in every direction, and Geysir, a famed hot spot with pools and steam seeping through volcanic rock. The Great Geysir doesn't blow much anymore, but the Strokkur geyser shoots hot water every 10 minutes or less.

You can take a massive bus to these sites, but we preferred a Super Jeep ride. Our party rented three of the gigantic off-road vehicles, which gave us the freedom to book a snowmobile ride to the edge of a glacier and see chunks of blue ice the size of small cars. Our driver loved driving through rivers, too.

The temperature the day we toured was a few degrees shy of freezing, and there was a thick coat of ice on the ground frosted by a dusting of snow.

In other words, about as treacherous as you can get. Virtually everyone in our party slipped and fell at some point. It made you realize the difference between tourist spots in Iceland and, say, in the U.S. With these conditions, U.S. tourist spots would no doubt be closed, or the ice chipped, salted and sanded into messy oblivion.

Not in Iceland. You're responsible for your own safety. Gingerly heading down a path to get a closer view of Gullfoss, one woman slipped and if she hadn't grabbed a rope railing as she was sliding under it, she would have slid perilously close to the edge.

Tourists brave the weather to walk around the hot springs area at the site of Geysir, Iceland. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

At Geysir, you can walk so close to the volcanic pools that if you're silly enough to stick your hand in to see if it's really as hot as they say, you can. Watch the kids.

On our last day, we shook off the cobwebs of a late night out for a trip to a farm and a ride on Icelandic horses. The beautiful creatures are unique to Iceland, about the size of a hefty pony. Our driver said they are as revered in Iceland as the cow is in India. But only to a point.

"We love our horses," he said. "But we eat them, too."

And more often, lately: sales of horse meat — cheaper than beef — have been rising with the bad economy.

The horses were mild-mannered, easy even for beginners. At the end, their saddles removed and the day's work done, the horses ran off to play in a meadow, rolling around in mud.

Our only disappointment was a failure to see the aurora borealis, the so-called Northern Lights. The weather was changeable during our brief trip, never consistently clear enough for our drivers to say it would be worth a ride into the countryside.

Even though the name Iceland sends shivers, we were told Reykjavik in December felt much like it did in New York at the same time, and that proved to be true. It has an intoxicating beauty — just like its intoxicating nightlife — and for a U.S. resident is as easy as the trip from one coast to the next.

Dollar goes a long way on winter trip to Iceland

Impian monalisa-We figured the driver taking us to a New York airport didn't know much about our destination when we said we were going to Iceland and he asked us to spell it.

"Oh," he said. "The bankrupt country."

Yes, the bankrupt country. Not the volcanic island south of the Arctic Circle with the near-lunar terrain that astronauts once practiced on. Not the home of a swinging Reykjavik nightlife, and other-worldly native musicians like Bjork and Sigur Ros. Not the land with spectacular scenery and bubbling geothermal pools.

The bankrupt country.

Our plans to visit Iceland with five other couples in December predated the onset of the nation's most crippling economic problems. They didn't deter us, since we figured Iceland's beauty wasn't going anywhere. And, hey, the drinks might be cheaper.

We booked rooms two months in advance as Iceland's currency, the krona, was collapsing. It was a bet: perhaps we could book later and find better prices, but since other tourists were sniffing for bargains we worried good rooms might be snapped up. Had we waited, the rooms would have been about $20 cheaper a night.

We made it up in one of Reykjavik's finest restaurants, the Seafood Cellar. The gourmet meal had waves of dishes that included moose carpaccio, tiny Icelandic lobster tails, char, tender lamb and multiple drinks — all for about $100 per person.

Iceland had 48,999 tourists from North America from January through November this year, down 13 percent from 2007. That was primarily due to the loss of air service between Baltimore and Iceland earlier this year, according to the Icelandic Tourist Board.

But with the krona's value dropping, tourism began going up this fall, said Einar Gustavsson, the board's executive director for the Americas. One U.S. dollar was worth over 120 Icelandic krona at the end of 2008, double what a dollar was worth in Iceland in 2007.

One morning my wife and I ate breakfast in a tiny restaurant that looked liked a bookstore from the outside, with two men in the booth behind us. My curiosity got the best of me when one of the men went to the restroom and the other told someone on his cell phone that he was talking to a reporter.

Turned out it was The New Yorker magazine, in Reykjavik to do a story on how the country has been affected by the financial trauma.

There was a demonstration planned for a few hours later in front of the Parliament building down the street, they said. Check it out. The local scoffed at our intended destination, the Blue Lagoon geothermal pool outside of town. It's a tourist trap, he said. The water's not as warm as it used to be.

Yet we were tourists, and we disregarded the warning.

Rock formations tower over a man walking on the black volcanic sands at the beach at Reynishverif, Iceland. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Maybe the idea of a steaming pool of therapeutic water carved out of volcanic rock and heated with underground energy was old hat to him, but not to us. It was an experience not to miss, swimming in a huge outdoor pool of salty, soothing water as occasional squalls of snow and sleet pelted our face and winter's slow dusk descended. The facilities around the Blue Lagoon are sleekly modern and designed with efficiency in mind.

We also tried one of the many "pools" of thermal-heated outdoor baths sprinkled around Reykjavik, those that the locals use. It's a luxury that should be experienced as much as possible. We never realized how important it was to pack multiple bathing suits for a winter's visit to Iceland.

Reykjavik was lovely for the holiday season, the store windows and streets festive. Half-finished construction projects dot the skyline, however, signifying work that started before the economy went sour and may or may not be completed.

The capital's reputation for a marathon nightlife is no myth, as we found out with a fourth-floor window overlooking pubs and clubs. Fun 'til 4 or 5 a.m. is routine on the weekends. Loud fun.

One of our drivers, even as he outlined how much money his family had lost in the financial tumult, said that Iceland's people had not surrendered to sullenness.

"People are realizing what is important," he said, and they're spending more time with their families.

He drove our party on a tour known as the Golden Circle. Starting before dawn (since dawn was 11 a.m., there was no choice), we left Reykjavik for the Pingvellir national park and one of Iceland's most historic spots. Landscape made jagged by the intersection of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates was the site of the world's first democratic parliament in 930.

It has a stream into which visitors pitch coins and make wishes, the site of a tale told by our guide of a husband and wife who leaned over to toss their coins. The woman lost her balance and tumbled into the water.

"You don't often see wishes come true that fast," the husband supposedly said.

Other attractions include Gullfoss, a stunning double waterfall where water seems to cascade in every direction, and Geysir, a famed hot spot with pools and steam seeping through volcanic rock. The Great Geysir doesn't blow much anymore, but the Strokkur geyser shoots hot water every 10 minutes or less.

You can take a massive bus to these sites, but we preferred a Super Jeep ride. Our party rented three of the gigantic off-road vehicles, which gave us the freedom to book a snowmobile ride to the edge of a glacier and see chunks of blue ice the size of small cars. Our driver loved driving through rivers, too.

The temperature the day we toured was a few degrees shy of freezing, and there was a thick coat of ice on the ground frosted by a dusting of snow.

In other words, about as treacherous as you can get. Virtually everyone in our party slipped and fell at some point. It made you realize the difference between tourist spots in Iceland and, say, in the U.S. With these conditions, U.S. tourist spots would no doubt be closed, or the ice chipped, salted and sanded into messy oblivion.

Not in Iceland. You're responsible for your own safety. Gingerly heading down a path to get a closer view of Gullfoss, one woman slipped and if she hadn't grabbed a rope railing as she was sliding under it, she would have slid perilously close to the edge.

Tourists brave the weather to walk around the hot springs area at the site of Geysir, Iceland. (AP/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

At Geysir, you can walk so close to the volcanic pools that if you're silly enough to stick your hand in to see if it's really as hot as they say, you can. Watch the kids.

On our last day, we shook off the cobwebs of a late night out for a trip to a farm and a ride on Icelandic horses. The beautiful creatures are unique to Iceland, about the size of a hefty pony. Our driver said they are as revered in Iceland as the cow is in India. But only to a point.

"We love our horses," he said. "But we eat them, too."

And more often, lately: sales of horse meat — cheaper than beef — have been rising with the bad economy.

The horses were mild-mannered, easy even for beginners. At the end, their saddles removed and the day's work done, the horses ran off to play in a meadow, rolling around in mud.

Our only disappointment was a failure to see the aurora borealis, the so-called Northern Lights. The weather was changeable during our brief trip, never consistently clear enough for our drivers to say it would be worth a ride into the countryside.

Even though the name Iceland sends shivers, we were told Reykjavik in December felt much like it did in New York at the same time, and that proved to be true. It has an intoxicating beauty — just like its intoxicating nightlife — and for a U.S. resident is as easy as the trip from one coast to the next.