We had a nice easy flight home. The customs lines weren't long at all and we got back to my parents about an hour later. I hopped in my car and headed for home and got a second wind on the way, so I actually went to bed at normal time. Which is hopefully good for any little lag I might have from such a short trip.
Occasionally I like to write down some notes to share and an inventory of interesting things. So here goes.
Iceland was far more European than I expected. Parts of the city looked like any street in Germany. The products are similar if not the same and the hotel was very European.
If you go to Iceland, do not leave home without your raincoat. No matter what time of year it is. It is the most important thing. Well that and waterproof shoes. There is a lot of water in Iceland in all forms.
Layers, layers, layers.
Even if it is the worst horrible rainy day you have ever seen outside when you leave in the morning, bring your sunglasses. The weather changes faster there than any place I have ever been.
There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe the intense beauty of Iceland. There are just not enough words for what I saw and experienced. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.
Inventory
Rainbow seen - 4
Rainstorms - 10-15
Hail Storm - 1
Times it snowed - 4
Times I looked at the sun to realize it was in the same exact spot hour after hour - 10
Glaciers visited - 1
Waterfalls visited/seen - 6
Divers getting ready to dive in what must have been the coldest water ever - 1 group
UNESCO Heritage Sites - 1
Mountains - too many to count
Times we saw the other women who were also traveling a similar schedule - 7
Bakeries visited - 2
Restaurants - 3
Times we got lost - 0
Iceland was far more European than I expected. Parts of the city looked like any street in Germany. The products are similar if not the same and the hotel was very European.
If you go to Iceland, do not leave home without your raincoat. No matter what time of year it is. It is the most important thing. Well that and waterproof shoes. There is a lot of water in Iceland in all forms.
Layers, layers, layers.
Even if it is the worst horrible rainy day you have ever seen outside when you leave in the morning, bring your sunglasses. The weather changes faster there than any place I have ever been.
There are not enough adjectives in the English language to describe the intense beauty of Iceland. There are just not enough words for what I saw and experienced. The pictures don't even come close to doing it justice.
Inventory
Rainbow seen - 4
Rainstorms - 10-15
Hail Storm - 1
Times it snowed - 4
Times I looked at the sun to realize it was in the same exact spot hour after hour - 10
Glaciers visited - 1
Waterfalls visited/seen - 6
Divers getting ready to dive in what must have been the coldest water ever - 1 group
UNESCO Heritage Sites - 1
Mountains - too many to count
Times we saw the other women who were also traveling a similar schedule - 7
Bakeries visited - 2
Restaurants - 3
Times we got lost - 0
Dear Blogger,
I hate when you eat good paragraphs.
Sincerely,
Person who can't get the paragraph back.
I hate when you eat good paragraphs.
Sincerely,
Person who can't get the paragraph back.
Monday (yesterday) was our last day in Iceland. We planned to do some walking around shopping downtown and then leave for the Blue Lagoon before heading to the airport. We thought the shops opened at 9 and a few did, but mostly they open at 10, which I guess makes sense when it doesn't get light out until 9am. We checked out, went to another little bakery for coffee and breakfast where I had one of the freshest croissants I have ever had. By the time we were done it was close enough to shop opening time. I suggested we split up to conserve time and we all got to do and go where we wanted. I went to a bookshop, a favorite pastime of mine in foreign places, well that and grocery stores. I always try to go in those two places wherever I am . Weird I know. This bookstore was lovely. I quite enjoyed it. I followed it up with a trip to an art shop, and another bookstore. Bookstores abroad are one of the best places to buy journals and pens, two things I am always looking for, but never really need.
We met back at the car and I drove to the Blue Lagoon. It is about 40 or so minutes from the center of town. You drive towards the airport and 15km before it you turn off and go 10km into the middle of nowhere among the mars rocks and moss that cover the area in between the mountains. Literally an earth laboratory. When you come around one of the bends you can see the steam, which is coming from some sort of industrial looking place next door. Then you turn off onto the road and almost at the lagoon you start to see the blue water and salt. It is unlike any other color.
Let me say that of all the things we were doing on the trip, the blue lagoon was the one I was the least amped about. Which I guess just tells you how awesome everything else was. I was sort of the mindset that if we make it there great, and if not no big deal. Like I wanted to go, and thought it would be interesting, but it wasn't a main focus at all for me. So, it far exceeded my expectations because it was awesome. I really enjoyed it.
We got there just a few buses did, so we had to wait in line. The bus groups actually weren't even in line so it was kind of strange. It also wasn't the most efficient system, no easy flow of traffic. It made me think of what high season must be like. But after a bit we got in. There are a number of packages you can choose, but we just got the basic one. You could spend a whole day there if you wanted to, getting treatments, massages, drinking and eating and relaxing.
When you walk in the locker room, there is a monitor that tells you which lockers are open. It's a good idea to look at it, it helps direct you to the proper section. There were not many lockers open when we walked in, but I eventually found one. The give you this plastic electronic bracelet when you check in. You are supposed to wear it the whole time. It is how you lock your locker, get drinks, food and treatments. They scan it on your way out and that is how you pay for your extras. Pretty great system, unless I guess you loose it in the lagoon, but it stays on pretty well.
We met back at the car and I drove to the Blue Lagoon. It is about 40 or so minutes from the center of town. You drive towards the airport and 15km before it you turn off and go 10km into the middle of nowhere among the mars rocks and moss that cover the area in between the mountains. Literally an earth laboratory. When you come around one of the bends you can see the steam, which is coming from some sort of industrial looking place next door. Then you turn off onto the road and almost at the lagoon you start to see the blue water and salt. It is unlike any other color.
Let me say that of all the things we were doing on the trip, the blue lagoon was the one I was the least amped about. Which I guess just tells you how awesome everything else was. I was sort of the mindset that if we make it there great, and if not no big deal. Like I wanted to go, and thought it would be interesting, but it wasn't a main focus at all for me. So, it far exceeded my expectations because it was awesome. I really enjoyed it.
We got there just a few buses did, so we had to wait in line. The bus groups actually weren't even in line so it was kind of strange. It also wasn't the most efficient system, no easy flow of traffic. It made me think of what high season must be like. But after a bit we got in. There are a number of packages you can choose, but we just got the basic one. You could spend a whole day there if you wanted to, getting treatments, massages, drinking and eating and relaxing.
When you walk in the locker room, there is a monitor that tells you which lockers are open. It's a good idea to look at it, it helps direct you to the proper section. There were not many lockers open when we walked in, but I eventually found one. The give you this plastic electronic bracelet when you check in. You are supposed to wear it the whole time. It is how you lock your locker, get drinks, food and treatments. They scan it on your way out and that is how you pay for your extras. Pretty great system, unless I guess you loose it in the lagoon, but it stays on pretty well.
Sunday morning we got up early and stopped at a small yummy bakery before getting on the road to the "Golden Circle." The Golden Circle is one of the most popular routes in Iceland. It encompasses the major attractions in the southwest corner of the country and loops you back to Reykjavik. It is around 300km or so they say. They also say it takes between 10 and 15 hours to do it, so a full day. I am not really sure where this estimate comes from, maybe if you do it with a tour in the summer because of traffic, but we did it in a nice solid 8 and 1/2. I guess just depends how long you spend each place. I do think the season had a lot to do with it though. Because of the wild weather, our walks did not turn into full blown hikes. The weather on Sunday can only be described as freakishly crazy yet awesome to watch.
Our first stop was Pingvellir, which the P is not really a P its a P with a top tail in Icelandic. It translates to Thingvellir. It is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is beautiful land surrounded by mountains and Thingvellirvatn, a gigantic lake. It was home to a sort of town-ish place called Althing. It was an open air assembly area when Iceland's first settlers made their settlement and settle disputes. There is a gigantic natural rock wall that lines the area. I mean a huge expansive wall running the whole length of the area. It was impressive and i'm not going to lie kind of reminded me of "the wall" in Game of Thrones.
A waterfall was running over a few spots in the wall and then another in a lower section of the area.
Our first stop was Pingvellir, which the P is not really a P its a P with a top tail in Icelandic. It translates to Thingvellir. It is a national park and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is beautiful land surrounded by mountains and Thingvellirvatn, a gigantic lake. It was home to a sort of town-ish place called Althing. It was an open air assembly area when Iceland's first settlers made their settlement and settle disputes. There is a gigantic natural rock wall that lines the area. I mean a huge expansive wall running the whole length of the area. It was impressive and i'm not going to lie kind of reminded me of "the wall" in Game of Thrones.
A waterfall was running over a few spots in the wall and then another in a lower section of the area.
After Skogafoss, we traveled about 40 minutes to the Solheimajokull which is part of Mydralsjokull. (kull means glacier). This glaicier is massive and we only hiked on the "tongue" of the glacier. Basically this glacier used to take up the whole valley in which it now sits. It has receded significantly. Our guide told us that for about five or ten years the glacier will be expanding and the for about five or ten years it will be shrinking, the difference is that in the last cycle, the decreasing was much larger making it abnormal. When you look at the valley and see how much has disappeared in such a sort time it is scary and makes you wonder where all that water could possibly go.
At out lunch stop were all fitted for "cramp ons" for our boots. They were so prepared they even had hiking boots, waterproof pants, and jackets for people to borrow in case they were improperly dressed. When we arrived at the glacier we walked right up to the ice and then had cramp on putting on and walking lessons so to speak. Then we were off. The cramp ons worked so well, you just stuck right into the ice. I sort of thought they were just going to go a little ways on the more flat parts and then have us come down but we were up there for about two hours treapsing around all sorts of terrain. It was magnificent. Since we had broken into smaller groups (12-15 people each) there was a lot of time to ask questions and such. We were with our bus guide Stefan and he was a wealth of knowledge and super relaxed. He explained a lot about the area, how glaciers form and crevasses. It was like being on a national geographic special. Awesome to say the least.
After this hearty hike, we came down and went for waterfall number two called Seljallendsfoss. This one is pretty famous and there are great views from all angles. In the summer you can even walk behind it. It was getting close to dark and getting pretty cold so we were only there a short time, but it was long enough to drink it in. The water was flowing off these falls with such force that it almost thundered as it hit the water below.
Once back on the bus Stefan told us that northern lights were a no go for sure. The forecast was mostly for the very north of the country and it was pretty cloudy in the south where we were. We drove a ways to a town on the water to taste the famous lobster soup. I did in fact try some even though I'm vegetarian. I basically drank the broth and gave the lobster pieces to my parents. It was a lobster bisque from everything I could tell. My parents who are a lot more meat and seafood experienced than I am claim they were small lobsters or even crayfish. All reviews were good though. It was tasty and properly spiced.
Since the norther lights weren't a go, at this point it was torrentially down-pouring, they sent us next door to the restaurant to a museum sort of place that had a northern lights video. However in order to get to the video, you had to walk through the troll museum, which was more like a dark troll cave. Trolls are a big part of the folklore here. The trolls you could easily not look at if they freaked you out, the problem was that there was also a recording of a baby crying on loop as part of the exhibit, and not a normal sounding one, it was creepy. Apparently there was also a ghost museum around the corner too. So we watched the video which had some stunning footage of the auroras and some decent information. No substitute of course but nice to watch.
By the time we got back outside to the bus sometime around 10pm the rain had increased even more and whipping winds had also started. The drive back to the hotel was treacherous as the rain turned to snow and then we passed through the mountains where the blizzard had been just an hour before. I played a serious amount of solitaire on my phone trying not to look at how much snow was on the road. I was in the second row of the bus so it was hard not to look at the snow, winding roads, and bus speed. The driver was a pro though and we didn't even seem to skid at all. We got back to the hotel exhausted and happy.
At out lunch stop were all fitted for "cramp ons" for our boots. They were so prepared they even had hiking boots, waterproof pants, and jackets for people to borrow in case they were improperly dressed. When we arrived at the glacier we walked right up to the ice and then had cramp on putting on and walking lessons so to speak. Then we were off. The cramp ons worked so well, you just stuck right into the ice. I sort of thought they were just going to go a little ways on the more flat parts and then have us come down but we were up there for about two hours treapsing around all sorts of terrain. It was magnificent. Since we had broken into smaller groups (12-15 people each) there was a lot of time to ask questions and such. We were with our bus guide Stefan and he was a wealth of knowledge and super relaxed. He explained a lot about the area, how glaciers form and crevasses. It was like being on a national geographic special. Awesome to say the least.
After this hearty hike, we came down and went for waterfall number two called Seljallendsfoss. This one is pretty famous and there are great views from all angles. In the summer you can even walk behind it. It was getting close to dark and getting pretty cold so we were only there a short time, but it was long enough to drink it in. The water was flowing off these falls with such force that it almost thundered as it hit the water below.
Once back on the bus Stefan told us that northern lights were a no go for sure. The forecast was mostly for the very north of the country and it was pretty cloudy in the south where we were. We drove a ways to a town on the water to taste the famous lobster soup. I did in fact try some even though I'm vegetarian. I basically drank the broth and gave the lobster pieces to my parents. It was a lobster bisque from everything I could tell. My parents who are a lot more meat and seafood experienced than I am claim they were small lobsters or even crayfish. All reviews were good though. It was tasty and properly spiced.
Since the norther lights weren't a go, at this point it was torrentially down-pouring, they sent us next door to the restaurant to a museum sort of place that had a northern lights video. However in order to get to the video, you had to walk through the troll museum, which was more like a dark troll cave. Trolls are a big part of the folklore here. The trolls you could easily not look at if they freaked you out, the problem was that there was also a recording of a baby crying on loop as part of the exhibit, and not a normal sounding one, it was creepy. Apparently there was also a ghost museum around the corner too. So we watched the video which had some stunning footage of the auroras and some decent information. No substitute of course but nice to watch.
By the time we got back outside to the bus sometime around 10pm the rain had increased even more and whipping winds had also started. The drive back to the hotel was treacherous as the rain turned to snow and then we passed through the mountains where the blizzard had been just an hour before. I played a serious amount of solitaire on my phone trying not to look at how much snow was on the road. I was in the second row of the bus so it was hard not to look at the snow, winding roads, and bus speed. The driver was a pro though and we didn't even seem to skid at all. We got back to the hotel exhausted and happy.
Yesterday was included tour day (part of the Icelandair package). It was billed as glacier walk & northern lights hunt. I will end the suspense right now and say we did not see the northern lights, with that said it was a spectacular day. We didn't see the lights because It was rainy and then in one area we went through there had been a blizzard the hour before. That's right I said the hour before meaning that the bus we were on went through the mountains with a still sizable amount of snow on the road. the weather has been wild to say the least. It has been cloudy each night, so no lights on this trip. The conditions to see them are pretty specific, very clear, cold night, away from city lights, hours between 11pm-2am. Another time.
Our bus picked us up at our hotel and our guide Stefan gave us the run down of the ten hour day. It was to go something like this, drive, stop for a quick bite, visit a waterfall, walk the glacier, visit a second waterfall, drive to lobster soup dinner, northern lights or not.
For the amount of people on this tour, three buses in total, 140 people ( a personal nightmare) it went swimmingly. I never felt like there were that many people. The buses split, so one went to the glacier while our two went the waterfall etc. The guides did an amazing job and it was wonderfully organized.
The first waterfall was called Skogafoss. The amount of water coming over the top was unbelievable. A rainbow appeared in the mist while we were there and the rain held off even though the clouds were threatening. The pictures won't do any of these waterfalls justice. The sound of the pounding water and the feel of the spray on your face wonderfully memorable.
Our bus picked us up at our hotel and our guide Stefan gave us the run down of the ten hour day. It was to go something like this, drive, stop for a quick bite, visit a waterfall, walk the glacier, visit a second waterfall, drive to lobster soup dinner, northern lights or not.
For the amount of people on this tour, three buses in total, 140 people ( a personal nightmare) it went swimmingly. I never felt like there were that many people. The buses split, so one went to the glacier while our two went the waterfall etc. The guides did an amazing job and it was wonderfully organized.
The first waterfall was called Skogafoss. The amount of water coming over the top was unbelievable. A rainbow appeared in the mist while we were there and the rain held off even though the clouds were threatening. The pictures won't do any of these waterfalls justice. The sound of the pounding water and the feel of the spray on your face wonderfully memorable.
Let's backtrack a bit. I was originally going to take this trip alone. I thought it would be a great way to decompress and start 30. That said before I went to actually book I decided to invite my parents and brother.They did a great job raising me, so I thought they might want to celebrate 30 in this way with me. My brother unfortunately had other obligations and could not make it. My parents didn't blink and said yes. So every time I say in a post about this trip to Iceland, that is who I mean.
After the dark drive in from the airport, we got to the hotel, checked in, regrouped, and set off to explore Reykjavik. The city only looks big for a second and then you realize it is rather small. The city/ greater Rekyavik area is home to about 200,000 people in a country with a total population of about 320,000. The church on the hill called Hallgrimskirkja, can be seen from everywhere in the city. It was our first stop.
It is a truly unique building, like something out of lord of the rings. It has a main spire and on either side this stone curtain looking thing creating a wide front facade. The inside is pretty plain but in a beautiful way. The arches and organ are huge. The sun just happened to come out and shine through the back windows when we were in there.
After the dark drive in from the airport, we got to the hotel, checked in, regrouped, and set off to explore Reykjavik. The city only looks big for a second and then you realize it is rather small. The city/ greater Rekyavik area is home to about 200,000 people in a country with a total population of about 320,000. The church on the hill called Hallgrimskirkja, can be seen from everywhere in the city. It was our first stop.
It is a truly unique building, like something out of lord of the rings. It has a main spire and on either side this stone curtain looking thing creating a wide front facade. The inside is pretty plain but in a beautiful way. The arches and organ are huge. The sun just happened to come out and shine through the back windows when we were in there.
We have safely arrived in Iceland! The flight was pretty uneventful and almost to short to sleep. It clocked in at four hours and twenty-six minutes. Our solid landing and quick taxi to the gate was followed by the fastest customs line of all time. It is officially easier for me to get into Iceland for the first time than it is to fly home to the states. The customs agent asked me exactly no questions at all and there was no entry card or form required. He looked at a few pages and then stamped me in. I don't even seeing him scan it.
The arrival time was somewhere around 6am local (they are on GMT). It was of course really dark out. It was also doing this it's snowing, it's raining, it's snowing thing. What followed was the darkest most desolate drive from an airport I have ever experienced. The rain/snow thing continued until arrival at the hotel where we got out of the car and realized that it was also out of control windy.
It started to get light out at around 8:45am and enough of the fog has burned off so that the mountains are visible (10:50am). The forecast isn't great for the short time we are here, but hey it's February in Iceland what can you expect. Out to explore!
So I'm having a pretty big week. I turn 30 tomorrow, I am going to Iceland on Thursday and today I am buying ticket to New Zealand.
This all baffles me a little, each piece in its own right, but I love it, and am trying to stay present as much as that is possible when pre-planning trips. I have to admit that I was on Google Earth yesterday looking at New Zealand and I could feel the excitement welling up in me. I normally don't get excited until I am on the plane, strange I know, but Google Earth did it this time. I've received numerous wonderful suggestions for both Iceland and New Zealand and I can't wait to go explore and take some pictures. That truly is my bliss and I couldn't ask for a better way to ring in a new decade of my life. Yahoooooooo!
This all baffles me a little, each piece in its own right, but I love it, and am trying to stay present as much as that is possible when pre-planning trips. I have to admit that I was on Google Earth yesterday looking at New Zealand and I could feel the excitement welling up in me. I normally don't get excited until I am on the plane, strange I know, but Google Earth did it this time. I've received numerous wonderful suggestions for both Iceland and New Zealand and I can't wait to go explore and take some pictures. That truly is my bliss and I couldn't ask for a better way to ring in a new decade of my life. Yahoooooooo!
About Me
Sawrah
I travel for the love of it. The beauty, the smell, the food, the people, the sunsets. I blog when I can and like to offer detailed information that I wished I had had at the time. I teach yoga and enjoy photography, reading and exploring.