Connection confusion

Phew! I thought I might be going through this trip without my usual connections. It all started when I tried to get into Blogger from the wireless hot spot at the Blue Lagoon. I could access Google, I could access Gmail, but Blogger? Nope. I could read my blog, but accessing it to write was blocked. So weird...

I had to ask someone to translate the message on the screen since it was shown only in Icelandic. I ended up chatting with one of the managers at the Blue Lagoon. He translated the message, but it didn't make any sense to him either, something about blocking personal blogs and web sites. How odd. He called his IT guru who said that the ISP had blocked Blogger from hot spots for a reason no one understands. Access is (obviously) OK from my B&B - but I suppose if I'm ever relying on a hot spot my blog updates might be delayed. There apparently are 3 ISPs here; who knows if the other two have followed in the weird behavior I saw today.

Then I tried to use my ZapTel account to make a phone call. Somehow one key number was missing from the instructions I had. I had the right toll-free phone number, and I had my PIN. What I didn't have was a required access code. Oops! They provided two toll-free numbers to reach suport; one works in the US, and the other works somewhere else in Europe, not in Iceland. Yikes! Now what? I sent support an email without high expectations of getting a timely response. Within an hour I had an email back with instructions and the access code.

Success! I'm connected again...