Issue link: https://bluemagazine.uberflip.com/i/25234
Talking with a Traveler Oz lubling, 29, an based photographer geysers, gods, of Iceland. Israel-born NYC- talks about the musicians and mystery blue: A lot of young, music-oriented nightlife travelers go to Iceland. Did you encounter the music travel scene? Oz: I did. I think a lot of attention has been generated because a few fairly influential people have been moving over there are setting up shop, so to speak, by sending different OJs and starting nightclubs. But, despite what you read in the international media, you need to understand Reykjavik is still a very, very small scene. Nothing like New York or London. But because Reykjavik is fairly small, there's a build-up of excitement when something happens there and people are very, very musically inclined, both listening and being involved themselves. But I WOUldn't say that it is a musical destination per se, although is recently talked about as such. If you want to meet the people who are making music there, the people who aren't signed by international record labels, you can go there and meet them easily. They are successful, but on a very small scale. blue: You've traveled all over the world, and recently you chose to go to Iceland. Why this destination? Oz: I have been fascinated by Scandanavia for a long time, and Iceland has been in the news recently as a result of certain music bands like Bjork. I heard it was a very unique place, so I wanted to see it for myself. blue: How would you descrIbe Iceland? OZ: Iceland is a land of natural phenomena. A land of geysers, glaciers, volcanoes, hot springs. Something is always evolving; something is always going on. Volcano eruptions don't happen every day, but, besides Hawaii, Iceland is the most volcanic place on the planet. blue: What are the geologIcal factors leadIng to this volcanic activIty? OZ: There is a lot of geothermal energy under the island, and it is from this energy that thermal hot springs emanate. Iceland taps into this geothermal power for electricity, so they are pretty much self-sufficient from an energy standpoint. They don't use a lot of gas or fuel. They have power plants, but they're so-called "natural" power plants that harness the power that comes up out of the water bursting out of the ground to provide electricity and hot water. blue: What was your most surprising dIscovery In Iceland? OZ: On an island with so few people, and in such a remote location, I would not have expected everyone I met to be so friendly and accessible--and so politically and socially aware of world events. They're Scandinavian, there's no doubt about it--very smart, very informed. blue: There are only about 200,000 people living on the entire Island. Did you flnd It difficult to meet people? OZ: I found it extremely easy. I didn't just go up to people on the street and start talking to them but, for example, even on the flight over there, I met some musicians who were traveling and found that we had very similar musical taste. They were from an electronic music band called Mum. Iceland has a long history of music. Bands like Sugarcubes, Bjork, and now a whole other scene of musicians. We had a long conversation on the plane and I ended up going to a party at their house. Everyone was very welcoming, to a degree of friendiness rare in other parts of the world. Some of them had recently done a fundraiser for the Palestine- Israel conflict (pre 9/11), to raise awareness and money. There's a general openness and a strong awareness of the outside world. It was great to interact with people in such a small community. Imagine if you went out to a place in New York City and all the same people were always there. The nice thing about going out in Reykjavik was the locals had a very small town feel but without a small town attitude. I met musicians, philosophy students, artists and others involved with a range of interesting projects. Some of whom were very young--early twenties--but they were very diverse. blue: Ninety seven percent of the population is of Icelandic origin--basically from the same gene pool. What do you mean by 'diverse'? Oz: The ancestry of the Icelandic population is generally from other parts of Scandinavia, mostly Denmark and Norway. There are also some Irish that settled there. Yesm Iceland is extremely homogeneous in terms of ethnicity, which I think, to an outsider is fascinating, but to an insider is boring. It makes for a very safe environment. Maybe it is part of the reason why the Icelandic people explore so many diverse interests. blue: What's the pOlitical mood? Oz: There's strong welfare and a socialist government, just like Sweden. Most people don't earn that much. It isn't a capitalist democracy. There're a lot of social ist undertones to the mood of the place. I would describe the people as patriotic but it's a patriotism informed by land and the physicality of the place. They are patriotic toward nature. Folklore and distinctive natural phenomenon inform their identity as a people. They possess a dreamlike, pure attitude toward most of the things around them. Iceland is the land of spectacular waterfalls, spouting geysers, erupting volcanoes, lava fields and glaciers. But it is the distinctive attitude of its people that makes a visit to Iceland a truly memorable experience. Iceland has it's own saga, similar to the Viking saga, about how the land was discovered and who they the first settlers were. A lot of that history was told orally, passed from one person to another. That attitude still exists. blue: How does that feeling come across to a visitor? OZ: I learned about the different gods that came out of the natural geography. The people have a real passion for passing on history, some of it is the art of storytelling, and some people just really dive in and want you to understand what the place is about. There's a real love for the land, not like a farmer, but simply they are humbled by nature. blue: When did you visit? Was it a good time to be there? OZ: I was there in May. Unless you are very interested in the glacier, winter landscape, I would recommend summer--the days are the longest and they have much more activity going on. But airfare and lodging are more expensive then. From September through April, they basically shut down and go into a bit of hibernation. It starts becoming dark more throughout the day so people stay indoors more. blue: How is that change observed In the nightlife? OZ: In that sense, it has the same effect. In the winter, people might spend a lot of time indoors. They look for creative outlets. blue: Iceland is rumored to be a little on the wild side, sexually. Did you see this? There's always been a myth that people in Scandinavia are sexually more open. I personally haven't experienced that. They do like to drink a lot, and I met people from parts of Europe who were there to go clubbing and things like that. blue: What would you say is the most unique aspect of the country? OZ: The most unique aspect is definitely the landscape, I worked to capture that in my photos. Sometimes it is a really weird special place. It's just so different. blue: Who is the ideal traveler to Iceland? OZ: Someone who is very interested in nature but not necessarily in a traditional "outdoorsy" way. Iceland's appeal is simply the beauty of the natural phenomena. There's not much vegetation. It's a whole new kind of beauty. blue: In light of recent events and concern about terrorism, would you recommend Iceland more so now? OZ: Yes. But I would always recommend that people go to Iceland. True, it has a low population density and is remote from terrorism, but that's not why I would recommend Iceland now. I'd go there to find nature, simplicity of life, to be aware of the world but, at the same time, distant. It's a very neutral peaceful place. There are very few human-made problems. And, technically, it ' s only five hours from New York. In a way, it's the closest remote place to go . • 45