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I am afraid I will get downvoted for this heavily. But in my experience Iceland (just like its name) is a desert with no vegetation and consequently has minimum

I am afraid I will get downvoted for this heavily. But in my experience Iceland (just like its name) is a desert with no vegetation and consequently has minimum biodiversity. No matter what is the carrot being hung, I would not wish to be in this land. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_f90pXw5sQ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u_f90pXw5sQ

darknavi 4y ago
I think it's really just a matter of opinion. Would I like to live there forever? No way. Would I work remotely there for 3-6 months to explore a unique,bio diverse island? Hell yea!
- Reubachi 4y ago
  As OP said, iceland is about as un biodiverse as it gets. I've been a few times and it's as close to the moon as possible. That said it is beautiful and kind of feels like....you're on a giant desert island surrounded by mountains that's very cold, and very expensive.
  - sidewndr46 4y ago
    My secondhand understanding of Iceland is that the entire island is grazed by herds of domesticated animals. It's like a small, cold, remote version of Texas.
    - rgmerk 4y ago
      Whatever floats your boat but Iceland is absolutely spectacular to look at as a visitor; Texas…is not (though I’m sure in a state that big there are going to be some scenic spots somewhere). As you say, the biodiversity is minimal, but the topology is stunning. Also, Reykjavik is an amazing little city. Yes, the weather is often terrible (the cold is bad, the grey skies and wind are far worse), but some people like that sort of thing. If I were a digital nomad I’d absolutely spend a few months in Iceland.
  - throwaway1777 4y ago
    Well not quite, Antarctica is a bit closer.
paul7986 4y ago
Have you visited it's such a cool/unique place and it's really not crazy cold there (20 to 45 F in the winter on average). The wind is intense, but the cold is not like something like Fairbanks, Alaska. Things I love about Iceland compared to the US - Almost zero crime - Police, I only saw three cars in nine days - No one can carry a gun - All citizens (free healthcare) well paid compared to US - Hot water from a faucet comes directly from the ground - Geothermal govt run bathhouses in each neighborhood for after work socializing. - Hike to an active volcano or to a hot river to bathe in - Beautiful outdoor scenery - The Northern Lights One negative is it's expensive i.e. a large pizza from a pizzeria here in the states will run you $12 to $15 while there it's $21 to $25.
- haliskerbas 4y ago
  where in the states? In LA, NY or SF, the Iceland price seems pretty on par for a large pizza
  - paul7986 4y ago
    Baltimore city and surrounding counties. Iceland is one the more expensive European cities for food at least.
    - sbradford26 4y ago
      As of late the exchange rates have made it less expensive versus US dollars. Also add on the fact that tax is included in restaurant prices and there isn't tipping it honestly is pretty close to a moderate higher cost of living area in the US. This is based off of my experience going in September of 2022.
      - paul7986 4y ago
        I'm talking about ordering a pizza and carrying it out as I did at durum.is. It's $21 for a large cheese pizza to pick up and carry out or $25 for a pepperoni pizza that's a lot more money than Baltimore city… Baltimore county and surrounding counties and York County Pennsylvania… Like $10-$15 more. I don't live in a big metropolitan city so only going based on what I know. A German friend I met who lives in Iceland says he can only eat dominoes because they offer cheap deals. .
micromacrofoot 4y ago
Do you normally decide where to travel based on the destinations biodiversity?
Quarrelsome 4y ago
> But in my experience Iceland (just like its name) is a desert with no vegetation and consequently has minimum biodiversity. Yes, although don't let the bus out from Keflavik fool you, the south west tip of the island is lava flats and it does look a bit like the moon. The rest of the country is a lot more interesting than that. However you _never_ go to Iceland for the biodiversity, same way you don't go to Bangladesh for the diarrhoea. You go for the pristine wilderness, the ice and glaciers, the volcanism, the aurora borealis, the perma-day in the summer, the people (they're amazing!), the partying, the new year celebration (most households fire a firework at 00:00) or the language which is as close to ancient norse as you can get. Also what is unique to Iceland is its size and culture, it is very Anglosphere, and a curious blend of European and American in culture (due to the legacy of the US base) Reykjavik has elements of both city and village life in a single spot and its an interesting test bed for services or products as a consequence.
seanhunter 4y ago
I could not disagree more. I absolutely love Iceland and would love to return. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. My experience was beautiful scenery (with plenty of vegetation), stunning glaciers and hot springs etc, and very friendly and welcoming people.
- atoav 4y ago
  But very high beer prices.
  - rnk 4y ago
    Wait a minute. How high is high? How much for a pint of something? $10, $20?
    - aembleton 4y ago
      $15 during happy hour, $20 the rest of the time.
      - rnk 4y ago
        Well that is pretty high, but it costs $10 to get a beer at my ski area in the US.
grecy 4y ago
> No matter what is the carrot being hung, I would not wish to be in this land Which is the incredible thing about this life. You are free to decide not do participate in things you don't want to participate in. Of course, there are about 10 billion things you don't want to, and that's cool!
mikkelam 4y ago
The funny thing is. Iceland used to have a lot more vegetation and trees. They were simply cut down for the population of humans to thrive. However there are some projects that are already having success in trying to bring forestation back to iceland such as shown in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-r2EetCtO0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-r2EetCtO0

darknavi 4y ago

I think it's really just a matter of opinion. Would I like to live there forever? No way. Would I work remotely there for 3-6 months to explore a unique,bio diverse island? Hell yea!

Reubachi 4y ago
As OP said, iceland is about as un biodiverse as it gets. I've been a few times and it's as close to the moon as possible. That said it is beautiful and kind of feels like....you're on a giant desert island surrounded by mountains that's very cold, and very expensive.
- sidewndr46 4y ago
  My secondhand understanding of Iceland is that the entire island is grazed by herds of domesticated animals. It's like a small, cold, remote version of Texas.
  - rgmerk 4y ago
    Whatever floats your boat but Iceland is absolutely spectacular to look at as a visitor; Texas…is not (though I’m sure in a state that big there are going to be some scenic spots somewhere). As you say, the biodiversity is minimal, but the topology is stunning. Also, Reykjavik is an amazing little city. Yes, the weather is often terrible (the cold is bad, the grey skies and wind are far worse), but some people like that sort of thing. If I were a digital nomad I’d absolutely spend a few months in Iceland.
- throwaway1777 4y ago
  Well not quite, Antarctica is a bit closer.

paul7986 4y ago

Have you visited it's such a cool/unique place and it's really not crazy cold there (20 to 45 F in the winter on average). The wind is intense, but the cold is not like something like Fairbanks, Alaska. Things I love about Iceland compared to the US - Almost zero crime - Police, I only saw three cars in nine days - No one can carry a gun - All citizens (free healthcare) well paid compared to US - Hot water from a faucet comes directly from the ground - Geothermal govt run bathhouses in each neighborhood for after work socializing. - Hike to an active volcano or to a hot river to bathe in - Beautiful outdoor scenery - The Northern Lights One negative is it's expensive i.e. a large pizza from a pizzeria here in the states will run you $12 to $15 while there it's $21 to $25.

haliskerbas 4y ago
where in the states? In LA, NY or SF, the Iceland price seems pretty on par for a large pizza
- paul7986 4y ago
  Baltimore city and surrounding counties. Iceland is one the more expensive European cities for food at least.
  - sbradford26 4y ago
    As of late the exchange rates have made it less expensive versus US dollars. Also add on the fact that tax is included in restaurant prices and there isn't tipping it honestly is pretty close to a moderate higher cost of living area in the US. This is based off of my experience going in September of 2022.
    - paul7986 4y ago
      I'm talking about ordering a pizza and carrying it out as I did at durum.is. It's $21 for a large cheese pizza to pick up and carry out or $25 for a pepperoni pizza that's a lot more money than Baltimore city… Baltimore county and surrounding counties and York County Pennsylvania… Like $10-$15 more. I don't live in a big metropolitan city so only going based on what I know. A German friend I met who lives in Iceland says he can only eat dominoes because they offer cheap deals. .

micromacrofoot 4y ago

Do you normally decide where to travel based on the destinations biodiversity?

Quarrelsome 4y ago

> But in my experience Iceland (just like its name) is a desert with no vegetation and consequently has minimum biodiversity. Yes, although don't let the bus out from Keflavik fool you, the south west tip of the island is lava flats and it does look a bit like the moon. The rest of the country is a lot more interesting than that. However you _never_ go to Iceland for the biodiversity, same way you don't go to Bangladesh for the diarrhoea. You go for the pristine wilderness, the ice and glaciers, the volcanism, the aurora borealis, the perma-day in the summer, the people (they're amazing!), the partying, the new year celebration (most households fire a firework at 00:00) or the language which is as close to ancient norse as you can get. Also what is unique to Iceland is its size and culture, it is very Anglosphere, and a curious blend of European and American in culture (due to the legacy of the US base) Reykjavik has elements of both city and village life in a single spot and its an interesting test bed for services or products as a consequence.

seanhunter 4y ago

I could not disagree more. I absolutely love Iceland and would love to return. I cannot recommend it strongly enough. My experience was beautiful scenery (with plenty of vegetation), stunning glaciers and hot springs etc, and very friendly and welcoming people.

atoav 4y ago
But very high beer prices.
- rnk 4y ago
  Wait a minute. How high is high? How much for a pint of something? $10, $20?
  - aembleton 4y ago
    $15 during happy hour, $20 the rest of the time.
    - rnk 4y ago
      Well that is pretty high, but it costs $10 to get a beer at my ski area in the US.

grecy 4y ago

> No matter what is the carrot being hung, I would not wish to be in this land Which is the incredible thing about this life. You are free to decide not do participate in things you don't want to participate in. Of course, there are about 10 billion things you don't want to, and that's cool!

mikkelam 4y ago

The funny thing is. Iceland used to have a lot more vegetation and trees. They were simply cut down for the population of humans to thrive. However there are some projects that are already having success in trying to bring forestation back to iceland such as shown in this video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-r2EetCtO0 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-r2EetCtO0