Iceland (2018) - Ævintýri in Iceland
Day Zero & Day One:
“Of Flight and Blue Lagoons”
Our flight to Reykjavik on Wow Airlines was, unlike our Ireland trip from last year, uneventful - A few notes about Wow Air: Yes the seats are cheap, but aside from the bathroom, they will quite literally charge you for everything else, including water. Our flight arrived in Iceland at 2:00AM much to our dismay, as we had nothing to do until 10:00AM
Once we arrived at the airport, we spent some time in the Duty-Free store; this place was huge! From there, the rental agency, Geysir, outfitted us with a Ford Kuga, it's essentially a Ford Edge. We made our way to Costco, as all four of us were tired. The thing is, Costco doesn't open until 10:00AM, so we decided to take a nap in the car - a very restless nap. Around 7:00AM, after having spent about two hours trying to sleep, we went to Braud & Co in downtown Reykjavik.
I need to describe these pastries in their own paragraph. The croissant was delicious, possibly one of the best croissants I've ever had. Not only was it flakey and warm, right out of the oven, but when you bit into it, the warm buttery goodness along with its perfect mix of salt and flavor was amazing - each of us wanted another. The next pastry was a chocolate croissant; this one although delicious, the chocolate was not what we were used to. Nevertheless, we all wanted another. Lastly, we had a cinnamon bun. Guys, I come from South Florida where we have the Knaus Berry farm cinnamon rolls. These are on par with those - They were crispy on the outside, gooey on the inside, packed with flavor.
After the bakery fun, some of us needed to go to the bathroom; apparently, Iceland, or at least Reykjavik, doesn't believe in public restrooms. We visited five separate gas stations, and three convenience stores before we finally found one. From there we returned to Costco, where we all took a nap. At 10:00am we woke up and did some food shopping for the trip. A note: Iceland Costco does not sell water. In fact most Icelanders find it dumb that people buy bottled water because it's "literally the same from the tap."
From here, we made our way to Blue Lagoon, a man-made lagoon that is part of the "wonders of the world." A result of the water used in the geothermal power plant; people began bathing in it in 1981 and said its waters, filled with minerals including silica, had healing properties. This is one of the most visited spots in all of Iceland, and you can see why. The surreal blue water is attractive, the steam coming off its surface is inviting, and getting away from the cold, cold wind is a relief. Once we were able to get situated, we met in the common area and through an entrance inside the building, made our way out into the lagoon.
The water was warm, slightly below a hot tub. Keeping your torso above water was not recommended, as you would immediately freeze from the sub 30F temperature and wind chill. Yet, inside the pool, one felt perfectly fine. We stayed there for nearly three hours. Part of the package is to get a silica mud mask, so we meandered slowly towards the in pool booth where we slathered white mud on our faces and left it on for ten minutes.
Once we finished with the lagoon, we made our way to our first AirBnB, a charming townhome that was well appointed and very comfortable. After setting down our stuff, we immediately set out again to eat at Noodle Station - Yes, our first real meal in Iceland was Korean soup! It was perfect and exactly what we all wanted - nevertheless, it is no Pho from Hanoi!
After a satisfying dinner, we walked the streets of Reykjavik for a little bit. Eventually, we were overcome by being awake for close to 48 hours, with only scant amounts of rest. We returned to our lodging and prepared for tomorrow: The Golden Circle, and part of South West Iceland, ending in Vik.
Day Two:
“Of The Golden Circle and 1 Million Stops”
We all knew today was going to be a long day - our job was to visit the main Golden Circle stops, plus a few others I was told about, or found online, then end the day in Vik, a small town in Southern Iceland. Here we go, kids!
We left the townhouse and made our way to Thingvellir National Park, a vast expanse of space, whose highlight is that it is the boundary between the North American tectonic plate and the Euroasian tectonic plate. There are several things to see in this park, but unfortunately, we only had time for one - Oxararfoss, our first waterfall of Iceland. We slowly made our way up an icy trail until we found the waterfall, a smallish waterfall surrounded by multi-colored snow.
In between here and the next stop, we spotted a farm of Icelandic horses, characterized by their long hair. Each of us independently made jokes about how they look "emo."
Secondly, we made our way to Geyser, the geyser by which every other geyser gets its name. Once there, you could see large plumes of steam coming from the earth. There we met Strokkur, a large geyser that erupts every fifteen minutes or so to varying degrees. We were able to see a few eruptions! Then excitedly, we visited Geyser, and Geyser was disappointing - a smoking hole in the ground. Yes, that's pretty cool in itself, but when you look out onto the field before you and see at least eight of such holes, this one wasn't that great. Danielle waited for a while in a National-Geographic-photographer-taking-a-picture- pose, until Josh looked up its eruption schedule and we discovered that Geyser is intermittent and can sometimes go years without erupting. Cool cool cool. We left.
From there, we visited Gullfoss - an enormous, and breathtaking behemoth of a waterfall that reminded me a lot of Niagara Falls. We were able to view the waterfall from a couple of angles, but this place was packed with people, and the constant mist made it hard to operate our cameras. Additionally the cloud cover made the atmosphere gray and dreary. Nevertheless, the scene was amazing and awe-inspiring to actually feel the power of these natural phenomenon while standing so far. Wow. I just wish we could have walked closer, but for safety reasons we were kept at a distance.
We then visited Seljalandfoss, a very tall waterfall whose power and spray was evident from a distance. The beauty of Iceland continued to wow us. Once we took pictures, we traveled down a trail towards a waterfall that I had read about: Gljufrabui. Funny name, serious waterfall. The cool thing about Gljufrabui is that it's hidden! You can see a small part of the top of it from the outside, but to fully see the waterfall, you need to wade through some running water in a ravine and emerge on the other side, staring up at this beautiful, mist- spraying, and loud cascade. It was, thus far, the highlight of our trip.
Our last waterfall of the trip was Skogafoss, a waterfall not far from the sizeable Eyjafjallakojul mountain. As we neared, the sky opened, and the sun began to shine - which once we arrived, allowed us to capture some great photos, including those of the sun setting, and a rainbow coming off the waterfall itself. One of the cool things about this mountain is that you can come extremely close to it and take a picture, which we did!
Lastly, we traveled to Reynisfjara, a black sand beach. One would think that black sand just sounds like dirt, I know I did, but once you step onto it, and grab a handful of it - you see that it's thousands of small lava stones and pieces of the nearby mountain chipped away and smoothed over millions of years. There we got to see the sunset in the distance, and admire the rock columns, cousins of The Giant's Causeway columns. The environment was buzzing with excitement, and the sheer beauty of it made me smile in appreciation and satisfaction. A fun thing about Reynisfjara is that sometimes there are "sneaky waves," waves that surprise tourists and catch them unawares while they take pictures of the beach. It has produced some hilarious YouTube videos, but we did read that they are also dangerous as someone can get pulled out to sea.
To end our day, we arrived in the tiny town of Vik, a sleepy little seaside village. Tomorrow we have a booking to go hike in some Ice Caves, then a backtrack trip to position ourselves for a glacier hike the next day.
Now reflecting on the places we went to today and the pictures we all took, I come to realize - It's easy taking pictures of beautiful things.
Day Three:
“Of Glaciers and Ice Caves”
We began our day to the sounds of heavy rain and howling wind. Once we packed our bags and opened the door to load them into the car, the rain had turned to snow and hail. Awesome. Nevertheless, we began our two and a half-hour drive towards Jokusarlon (glacier lagoon) and the Vatnajokull glacier.
The drive began dreary, snowy and dark. But as we continued to drive, the landscape morphed several times - from plains of pure black sand to snowy fields. From snow-capped mountain ranges to sun-kissed ocean coast. From driving through thick, low clouds of snow, to eventual breaking through the clouds and a bright blue sky.
We arrived and met Baz, and Christie, our guides for the day. They loaded us onto a bus, and we journeyed onto the glacier, driving for about 50 minutes on the glacier itself. Baz and Christie told us stories about how the glaciers and its many sub-glaciers are receding at an alarming rate. They attributed this to natural cycles, as glaciers have historically through millennia receded and returned - over and over. A concession was made in that they believed man was accelerating the recession of the glaciers.
Our first stop was a large ice cave, where only a few of us were able to climb down and take pictures inside because the bottom was too steep and no one could get out without proper equipment. As for equipment, we were given crampons and helmets with headlamps. Baz told us how he often comes out onto the glacier early in the morning to scout out locations for clients and just for pleasure, with his equipment he'll go down and see how far and how long a cave goes. He took us to another small ice cave where most of us slid down to the bottom, and then with a little bit of work, were able to climb back out of. All of this was very exciting and gave the entire group a sense of excitement. Josh said, at the bottom of this particular cave as he was trying to get out, "this just got real."
The group proceeded along a ridge to a low hanging cave with no exit, but we were able to get inside and take pictures of the dark ice within. Then lastly we entered a larger ice cave, where once inside, there was a stream we followed out into the open air.
In between all these stops, we were able to walk along the glacier and take in the amazing panoramas. Never have I experienced and seen such wondrous sights - even Ireland. Don't get me wrong, Ireland is right up there, but the colors, the changes in scenery, the magnificence of it all puts it over the top. Still though, as it stands, Ireland is our destination of choice. For now.
Once they dropped us back off, we went to a nearby black sand beach where large chunks of ice lay across the shore. It was a crazy juxtaposition to be at a beach, but with large chunks of ice lying around.
We then backtracked about an hour and a half to Kirkjubear, where we rented a legit "Tiny Home" style cabin. It's about 117 Sqft. Funny thing, when I checked in, they gave me a bag of coins, and these coins are for the shower. Six coins = six minutes of hot shower. Good times. Cynthia and Danielle were not thrilled about this.
Tomorrow we hike Skaftafell, then a five and a half hour trip to Egilsstadir.
Day Four:
“Of Glacier Hiking and Winding Roads”
Today began bright and early, leaving our little hut by 7:15AM to make the hour drive to Skaftafell National Park. There we met with our company, Glacier Guides, to go on a five-hour glacier hike of one of the sub glaciers of Vatnajokull. You may wonder why I've mentioned Vatnajokull so many times, and that's because it's the largest icecap in Europe, and takes up about 13% of the entire landmass of Iceland, so it's a pretty big deal here.
Once we arrived, we were fitted for harnesses, hard hats, crampons, and ice picks – getting us to wonder what we signed up for! The drive to the bottom of the glacier was short, we were then deposited, and there began our trek. Dan, our guide lead us through a bottom section that was filled with rock and sand - this particular area would have been all glacier about 30 years ago, but due to the recession of the glacier, all that was left was the churned up rock and soil left behind.
After about 30 minutes of hiking, we made it onto the ice, where having the sharp crampons really made a difference. Crampons are equipment that is strapped to your shoes, where large spikes help produce traction and grip on the ice. Our goal was to reach an area called "Falling Ice." I'd say it in Icelandic, but it was way too long and way too complicated for me to remember. It was high up on the glacier, denoted by sharp spike-like ice formations in a unique light blue color.
After walking for a bit, we were joined by two ravens that patrol the area, Huginn and Muninn meaning "thought" and "memory" according to Norse lore.
The further we trekked the more we got to see special features of the glacier that were created when in the process of the glacier moving, the ice became so dense, and with nowhere to go, fractured - creating large crevices, arches, and other interesting formations. At one point, we were allowed to enter a crack that was created by this fracture and snake our way through. At another point, Cynthia and Danielle were able to slide into a crevice in an ice wall and take a picture.
Eventually, we reached the top and were able to take in the breathtaking views of our surroundings. Pictures don't do it justice. The entire process from start to finish was about 5 hours.
Once the tour was over, we stopped off at Hofn, a tiny little fishing town. There we ate at Pakkus Restaurant, serving Icelandic food. It was truly our first real Icelandic meal. In our attempts to cost-save, we'd primarily subsisted on croissant sandwiches that we made from ingredients from Costco and protein bars. I am exaggerating a little, but nevertheless, this was our first authentic Icelandic meal. It was great! Hofn is known for langoustine, a mix between a lobster and a crawfish. Delicious.
Back on the road, Josh made the grueling four-hour journey from Hofn to where we are now in Egilsstadir. We drove through some tough patches of weather, but with patience and careful driving, we made it. Word has it tomorrow may produce lousy weather and road closures, so our plans may be shot. We may even be snowed in and stuck here!
Day Five:
“Of The Desolate Wasteland”
This morning we all woke up a little later than usual. Since we arrived on the island, we've been traveling at a breakneck speed - and after last night's difficult drive, we all deserved a break. Once breakfast was made and consumed, we hung out while Josh played Roller Coaster Tycoon on his Ipad. By 11:00AM we started moving to be out by 12:00PM. Our trek today was a two-hour drive from Egilsstadir, to Lake Myvatn, taking us across part of the Icelandic Highlands.
The car was covered in about a foot of snow, and the roads were both snowy or icy. The drive was smooth, and there were no incidents of skidding or slipping. As we continued to make our way, civilization was left behind; we encountered a lunar landscape, albeit snowy. Now, as we slowly began to climb, and climb, it seemed we were on top of Iceland, with nothing but white fields of snow and rock. There was nothing up here. A desolate wasteland. Signs were leading off to smaller side roads, but all of these were either covered in snow, or the road was blocked off from entry.
It is here where we stopped and took some pictures, to capture the utter solitude of this place. Everything about it could make one feel very small, and acknowledge their creator, which I did.
From here we continued towards the Lake Myvatn region, stopping at Namaskard, an area filled with steaming vents and boiling mud pools. It reeked of sulfur; it was about -8C at the time, we were all freezing - so the trip here was a short one. Next, we decided to check into our AirBnB, an apartment made from an old barn house on a horse ranch facility. Quite comfortable.
Once we dropped off our bags, we went to Dimmuborgir, a national park that features large lava formations that erupted in the area about 2000 years ago. We then took a short drive to Hverfjall Crater but were met with an ominous sign saying that the 5km drive towards the crater was not groomed and that if you got stuck, getting you out would be expensive. I opted out and decided to go down to Grjótagjá cave. This cave hosts a natural warm spring that people once used to bathe in until about 1984 where a series of eruptions shifted steam vents underneath the waters and made it extremely hot. Cynthia and I didn't go into the cave, we were worried about the icy steps leading down, and I am just slightly claustrophobic when it comes to stuff like that.
After Josh and Danielle emerged, we went to an excellent dairy farm that is also a restaurant: Vogafjos Cowshed Café. When you walk in, there is a panoramic window of the cows being milked or housed. Once we sat down, we were greeted to a menu of fresh, locally grown, and produced food. Burgers from their own cows, cheese made from their milk, bread made in house using lava steam. Each of our dishes was fantastic. But guys, be warned that EVERYTHING IN ICELAND IS EXPENSIVE. Think double what you'd expect in the US.
Stuffed, we piled into the car, tired and satisfied. Tomorrow we have a few things planned: Lake Myvatn Nature Bath, Godafoss, and possibly a food tour in Akureyri.
Day Six:
“Of Nature Baths and Josh the Destroyer of Trips”
Today was supposed to be a relaxing, leisure day as we made our way to Akureyri. We left Lake Myvatn, and it's cozy little barn house apartment and made our way to the Myvatn Nature Baths. This "lagoon," unlike the one in Reykjavik is a natural lagoon that is the product of the geothermal activity in the area, and once you get out of the car, you can sure smell it. The smell of Sulphur hangs in the air like a blanket.
The Myvatn Nature Baths are in no way as commercial as The Blue Lagoon; you walk in, pay, and go to a locker with no fanfare and little preamble. From the locker, it's three steps into the pool. It was snowing, and we weren't allowed to take our towels outside, so we needed to walk the twenty feet from the door to the pool in about 19F cold. Each of us scampered into the pool and were greeted by the warm, and Sulphur-smelling water that emanates from the earth. The ground of the lagoon was like walking on the black sand beaches of a few days ago. After a little bit, the smell wasn't too bothersome and the water was nice and warm. Over time, our hair began to freeze over because the air outside of the water was so cold! Nevertheless, I kept thinking about how crazy this situation was: We were in a pool that was sourced from the earth's natural processes, looking at a huge volcanic crater and smaller craters, surrounded by snowy peaks and rocks, and it was snowing - and we were comfortable.
Once done, we got into the car - at this point, I'll digress and say that Josh and I have been alternating driving. The days I've driven have been sunny and pleasant, not much crazy snowing or anything drastic. Every time Josh drives, it snows hard, or the car acts up. As we left the Nature Baths, the car's steering wheel wouldn't turn, so we had to call the rental company, and they sent a mechanic to see it. The mechanic couldn't fix it because it was still under warranty, so he swapped out for a new car. It took me thirty seconds to write that - But the whole process took about an hour and a half. Now, at this point we had missed out on being able to go to Godafoss, so we made our way to Akureyri for our food tour. Yet, as soon as Josh began driving away from the mechanic's shop, we were hit with heavy snow and ice on the road. We all concluded that whenever Josh drives, things go wrong. Cynthia and Danielle made a song about it. Josh wasn't amused.
Eventually we arrived at Akureyri where we had a food tour with Grinlee(sp?), our guide. We visited four locations, and each one featured some sort of fish dish, from dried fish to salted cod, to fish and chips. But really, two meals were the best ones - salted fish that was salted for four months, and a pizza that has French fries inside along with cheese, steak, and hollandaise sauce. Wow. Everything was so good, and Grinlee gave us insight on Icelandic life and thoughts, including food, culture, mythology, and other topics. One of the main takeaways is that Josh will now be known as "Little Puffin," which in Icelandic is "Litla Lunde."
Once we left the food tour, we had to drive to the Akureyri Airport, where the rental agency gave us our third vehicle of the trip, this time an excellent Subaru! In the time it took us to do our food tour and get our new car, it had snowed about a foot and a half - now it was Josh's turn, again, to drive in snow. I guided him with my expert navigation skills, and we arrived safe and sound to our lodgings for the next two nights. The place that made us want to come to Iceland initially!
Our backyard is a view of Akureyri from across the fjord. It.Is. Unbelievable - and pictures don't do it justice.
Tomorrow we'll visit Godafoss, which we missed today, and go where the wind blows.
Day Seven:
“Of Godafoss and "Why Everything Closes at 17:00"
In an attempt to catch the northern lights, and because we were so smitten by this apartment - we stayed up until 4:00AM listening to music and playing Spades; watching Akureyri from across the fjord fade in and out as various storms or cloud systems passed through. Sometimes we could see clear to the mountain behind Akureyri, and at other times we could barely see past our backyard. Josh and Danielle were not impressed with my insistent trash talking while playing spades. This was my favorite night of the trip.
We woke up today late, feeling nice and rested. I got up and made breakfast for the group, settling at the table and watching the clear blue sky, and Akureyri. Even after I had gotten dressed and ready to go, I stood by the counter and just admired the view: a mental picture for me.
Today’s plan was to visit Godafoss and check out some sites in town. We made the 35-minute trek to Godafoss, a massive waterfall with enormous cultural and religious significance to Icelanders. The waterfall gets its name because when Iceland turned to Christianity away from "the old Norse ways," their head priest threw all his pagan idols into the waterfall; thus Godafoss quite literally means "fallen gods."
We walked around and took pictures, then returned to Akureyri - but by the time we arrived back in town, it was 5:00PM. And here is a problem: just about everything but dinner restaurants and some grocery stores close at 5:00PM. Cynthia had a few places she wanted to take us to, Josh and Danielle wanted to check out some places too, so as I drove from place to place, everything was closed. We determined to ask the next Icelander we could, why?
About 5:45PM we decided to go restaurant hopping - Danielle wanted sushi, so we went to Sushi Corner, a conveyer belt style sushi place, that was a neat experience! Then we walked through downtown Akureyri until we got to our next restaurant. All of us wanted to get that Pizza from yesterday, so we returned to Greifinn's restaurant, where we were the only non-Icelanders there for sure! When we walked in, it was like walking into a western saloon where the piano stops and everyone turns to look at you. We ordered our pizza and a delicious appetizer called Cheese Pillow. Yes...Cheese Pillow. And it was as delicious as it sounds.
While we were eating, our waitress walked by, and this interchange happened:
Josh: "Excuse me. why does everything here close at 17:00?"
Waitress: <Staring blankly> "Because it's the time things close...."
Then she walked off. The thing is, we've come to see that this short, curt, way of being is very Icelandic. To her, the question was ludicrous, as if to say, "why wouldn't it close at 17:00?"
Lastly, we walked back across town and went to Brynja, an ice cream parlor. It was tasty, but to be honest, I prefer Dairy Queen – or even better, Murphy’s in Ireland.
From there, we drove back to the apartment to enjoy one more night at this fantastic place. The northern lights still eluding us.
Day Eight:
“Of Snaefellsness Peninsula”
We left our beloved Akureyri home at 6:00AM and travelled west into the Snaefellsness peninsula - which is just a hop, skip, and a jump to Greenland. The drive took us about 6 hours. Today was Danielle's day to guide us around while I drove. The sun was shining bright, and the weather was perfect – because I was driving.
Our first stop was Arnarstapi, a small fishing village - where we finally had the opportunity to stretch our legs. Here we enjoyed lunch at a little café that had just opened for the "summer" about two days ago. It was perhaps the best fish & chips I've ever had in my life. It was so good. From there we parked across the street and visited Gatklettur, a naturally formed stone arch along the rocky cliffs of the southern coast. The wind was blowing, and it was cold.
Next, we traveled to Dagverdara, an abandoned farmhouse. You know how I feel about abandoned structures, I love them! We walked in and out of the farmhouse, a sturdy structure made of stonework, while the ocean was just a few paces away; not a bad place to put a house. I wondered what happened to the families who lived there; where did they go? Why did they abandon such a cool place? My thoughts were that maybe it was just too isolated from everyone else. Iceland, terribly lonely and isolated, requires communities, people working together.
From there, we traveled to Djupalonssandur beach, another black sand beach where we were able to take a long walk and make it down to the shore. Cynthia and Danielle went off to gather rocks (I am not sure why, because at one point I ended up with a pocket full of rocks), Josh went off adventuring, and I strolled down to the shoreline, where I set up my
phone on a tripod and took video of the surf coming and going. It was beautiful, peaceful, and relaxing - a few small moments that I made for myself.
We then drove to Svortuloft, a lighthouse that was entirely in the middle of nowhere. To get to it, we drove off the main road – turning into a gravel road, that then became a shambling mess of gravel, lava rocks, and potholes. On either side of us were two enormous and encompassing lava fields, littering the landscape with stone formations, and deep crevices. After a long, slow drive, we reached a lonely, solar-powered lighthouse. It was cold and incredibly windy. Cynthia was able to spy out a small rock formation on the water with exotic-looking birds that reminded us of penguins, there were no Puffins, unfortunately.
From here we made our way to Svodufoss Waterfall, a small waterfall that we weren't able to approach closely, so we had to take pictures of it from afar. On the bright side, most of us took great photos of the rolling wheat-like fields near the waterfall.
Lastly, we traveled way past our home destination for the night to see Kirkjufell, a unique mountain with a waterfall nearby - Kirkjufellfoss. Along the top lip of the waterfall, we could see several scores of photographers with heavy-duty gear - all pointing their cameras either on the waterfall or the mountain. I asked a Spaniard what the deal was, and he said it was because they were waiting to see if they could get an image of the waterfall, the mountain and an aurora borealis all in the same shot. I thought it was crazy-town to set up shop in freezing cold weather, just for the one-shot that would possibly not come. On later reflection, I understood the desire and admired their dedication.
After a very long day with many stops, we had dinner at Hraun, in Olafsvik, then came to our AirBnB for the night. Tomorrow we travel to Reykjavik, and spend a day there again, before having to conclude our trip.
Day Nine:
“Of Reykjavik and Aurora”
Today is our final day of full activity before returning back to the States. We made the drive from Olafsvik to Reykjavik, a beautiful and scenic ride with clear skies - saying goodbye to Snaelfellsnes peninsula. A note - Iceland has amazing hot dogs, I am not joking. They pride themselves on how good they are, and I had the best hot dog of my life here - at a gas station! The lady offered Josh a deep-fried hot dog, a layer of cheese on top, slathered in garlic sauce, and sprinkled with Doritos. Best.Hot dog.Ever.
Once we arrived back in the big city, we parked downtown and walked around, walking in and out of little shops along the main street. This went on for a bit until we decided to settle into our apartment for the night, our final apartment of Iceland.
It turns out that this apartment is twenty-five feet away from the bakery we went to on our first morning here! Better believe we will be going there tomorrow before driving to the airport.
After we settled in for a bit, we walked in the waning sunlight to Icelandic Craft Bar, where we all took part in a sampler of Puffin meat, goose meat, and cured lamb...oh, and we also had a chunk of fermented shark with a side of Icelandic vodka. At the same time, we all took our shark, chewing at least five times before swallowing. Guys, this stuff smells horrendous. I was expecting a terrible taste, but to be honest, despite how chewy it was, the shark wasn't as bad as people make it out to be. Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't swing into Publix, or hit up a the local gastropub for some shark - but nevertheless, it wasn't vomit-inducing, if that's an endorsement.
After dinner we went to a delicious ice cream place called Skubb. Each flavor our group had was excellent. The mint chocolate chips had the taste of actual mint, not peppermint.
Finally we went northern lights chasing - thus far we had not seen any northern lights. They had eluded us. So Cynthia looked up information for places around Reykjavik where it would be dark enough, Josh drove, and Danielle had the camera with good enough specs to see it. I just sat in the backseat enjoying the ride. The trip took us into the Reykjavik suburbs to a lighthouse where several other cars were there. Josh noticed a fuzzy haze in the sky, and Danielle with her camera, was able to capture what was really behind the haze - Aurora Borealis!
From there, because of the light pollution from cars, we decided to try a golf course nearby. This place was mostly empty and utterly dark. Here Danielle got some of her best shots, and we were finally able to see what low-level northern lights look like to the naked eye. As a side note, northern lights are rated on a 0-9 scale based on how intense the activity is. Today's was probably about 1 or 2. So if you ever go see northern lights, unless they're a high number, don't expect some crazy spectacle of lights and dancing moonbeams like Instagram would have you believe - those photos are heavily modified and edited for the most part.
Our last day in Iceland was a success, and full of good times. We've enjoyed this place and the company we've kept. Tomorrow we head home.
Day Ten:
“Of Returning Home & Sketchy Josh is Sketchy”
The day had unfortunately arrived - our last day in Iceland. We woke up somewhat early and packed up most of our stuff, sad to see this trip come to an end. Once everyone was ready, we walked back into downtown Reykjavik to visit a restaurant called The Laundromat. Danielle had found this place online, and we were excited about pancakes and avocado toast. As millennials you know we are all about that avocado toast. As we strolled up to the restaurant, we couldn't find it - only to be told that it had gone out of business, and a new restaurant emerged in its place.
I believe the new name for this restaurant was Eggil Jacobssen - not the most memorable name. We decided to give it a try anyway. Do you know what we had? Pancakes and avocado toast! #millennials #yolo #wellsfargo Now, walking back we ducked into a few stores until we reached the street before our apartment, where we visited Braud & Co. There, we stocked up on baked goods.
This is when our story gets fun: We arrived at the airport after dropping off our car – we checked in and went through security. While in security, both Josh and I had our bags searched multiple times. Because we look like delinquents. Josh being very sketchy. From there Cynthia and I realized that the people from WowAir had sat us in different rows on the plane - very frustrating.
Before being able to get to our gate to make the needed changes, both Josh and I got "randomly" flagged for an extra security screening. Because we look like delinquents. Josh being very sketchy. They swabbed my hands, shirt, and shoes, along with emptying out my entire meticulously packed backpack seeing if I had bomb-making ingredients. After they finished with me and my bag, they walked off - I assumed they wanted me to repack my bag.
Cynthia went ahead and found out what happened to her ticket - our plane had changed, and her seat no longer existed, so they arbitrarily changed her seat. We agreed to have both our tickets changed so we could sit together, the downside being we were sandwiched in between two people I who slept the whole flight.
Once back in the states, we went through the standard customs and passport protection process. Josh got pulled aside, because...Josh is very sketchy. Cynthia and I waited for him and Danielle for quite a bit, but it looked like they were in it for the long haul. Danielle texted us and told us to head out without them - we didn't like it, but we knew these things could take hours. We took their bags and were picked up by Cynthia's parents.
Once we got our car, we went to Taco Bell, our traditional "omg we need to do Keto so let's have one final hurrah meal." We then got a text from Danielle saying they were done. I sped over and picked them up. We started the trip together, we would end the trip together. After a short drive to their place, we dropped them off - the trip officially over.
It's now Friday, each of us has gone back to their respective routines. Both Cynthia and I missed our travel companions - it's interesting how that happens: you spend ten days with people in very close proximity, you get used to having them around.
That was our trip.
Iceland is a beautiful country - a magnificent spectacle of weather, rock, ice, fire, and water. Where each region has its own signature and distinct beauty. I want to go back in the summer. It is costly, and the people are interesting in their culture and nature. I loved it.
Thanks to Josh and Danielle for coming with us, it was a blast. Foux Du Fafa
