Iceland — such a well-named country. There is ice everywhere, on sidewalks and trees, and covering the entire landscape. Normal road conditions (partially cleared packed snow) would probably terrify 95% of the world’s drivers.
Arrival on day 1 introduced us to Scandinavian prices — approximately $20 for a sandwich or soup, and much more for a nice main dish at a decent restaurant. We were also blown away by the weather (literally). 35 mph winds led us indoors for much of the day, although we explored the Reykjavik sea front and Harpa concert hall. The Northern Lights tour originally scheduled for this evening was cancelled due to poor weather (snow and total cloud coverage), and rebooked for the following night.
Day 2 began with a full-day Golden Circle tour, beginning with Þingvellir National Park, where the North American and Eurasian plates meet and where the world’s fist parliament was founded. Although it was still freezing outside, there was no wind and the skies were clear, allowing us to walk around rather comfortably and setting the stage for beautiful photographs. Kevin and I joked about how much we had completed before sunrise, including breakfast and even a bit of touring (never mind that the sun rises at 11am and sets at 4pm here in winter).
Our next stop was Gullfoss waterfall, which nearby signs claimed was the most unique in the world. (It doesn’t come close to Niagara.) The most impressive stop was Geysir, a geyser that erupted with boiling water every 5-10 minutes. We stayed and watched for three eruptions before retreating inside a nearby cafe for traditional Icelandic lamb soup, which was hearty yet overpriced ($18). Afterwards, it was a two-hour drive to a lava cave near Reykjavik, a ride which mostly consisted of napping (although we enjoyed the snow-covered countryside, and our guide pointed out Eyjafjallajökull from a distance — the volcano that erupted in 2010 and shut down European airspace for 6 days). Reaching the cave, we crawled into the narrow opening and enjoyed the red walls, icicles, and even the remains of a lamb which wandered into the cave and died there 200 years ago. We sat in total darkness as our guide told us a story of Vikings in the 10th century, laughed as Kevin hit his helmet on a rocky outcropping, and tried not to slip and fall on the icy ground.
After dinner (another “cheap” $25/person meal), we were enthusiastic about the continued clear skies and excellent forecast for our Northern Lights tour. Our experienced guide told us that the activity was rated 4/9 (very promising), and we saw a glimmer of green light up the sky as we drove out to an area of total darkness in a powerful, monster truck-like vehicle. When we reached the site, unfortunately, there were faint remnants of white lights, and the updated forecast said the lights had died down to very low activity — yielding no displays for the rest of the night. Our guide said it was his biggest disappointment this winter, considering how promising the forecast had looked at the outset of our trip.
After waiting for a few hours (inside the vehicle!) with no results, however, we did have a phenomenal experience as our guide offered to take us up a nearby mountain with commanding views of Reykjavik. It turned out to be an off-road adventure, following car tracks through packed snow — a path that had likely been trodden only a few times before and that certainly required a monster truck. At two different points, we barely made it up the steep incline, as the car had no traction on black ice along the way. Our guide managed to get up the mountain after putting the car in reverse and revving up the engine to speedily lurch us forward. The ride was so bumpy that his GPS was knocked off the front windshield, landing in my lap in the front seat. It was an unexpected and exhilarating journey, and did the view did prove to be beautiful. Reaching the top of the mountain also resulted in gale-force winds (or, at least, that’s how seemed to us), so we hopped back inside after taking a few pictures and enjoyed the view from the warm car.
On our final day, we went to Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa located in a lava field on the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland and one of the country’s most visited attractions. Unsurprisingly, the temperature was freezing cold again, although the winds made it feel much worse than the day before, leading to a very short stay in the pool (which, luckily, is kept at 37-39°C). Although the lagoon is famous for containing silica and sulphur (yes, it smelled a bit like rotten eggs) and for curing skin diseases such as psoriasis, the cold wind was too much to handle, and I was out of the pool within 10-15 minutes. Nevertheless, it was an experience, and the turquoise water was simply beautiful.
While this trip rivals the coldest moments of my life, it was certainly a unique experience in the Arctic Circle. Photos below!