Written by on September 22, 2015

Iceland Round 2: The Mountain Is A Lie

geology . Iceland . mountains . Thoughts . Travel . viking . volcano . waterfalls

Hello readers (if any of you still exist),

Happy planes

Sorry in advance. I don’t have a ton of pictures to include in my journal, just what has essentially been uploaded to Facebook….As always, click on the photos to see them larger. Anyway, what a fun couple of days it has been. On Friday the 18th Cerisa and I began our journey with 2.5 hour drive to Boston (courtesy of our dear friend Jimmy), so we could depart from Logan International. We flew WOW Airlines, a budget Icelandic airline (with very happy planes) that obviously provides you the discounted rates, but without the amenities (like provided drinks, meals, etc.) The flight attendants were pleasant, the seats were normal and about as roomy as any other airline. Overall, I’d recommend them and I’d fly with them again.

We landed in Reykjavik at 4:50am. We collected our luggage relatively quickly and were on the shuttles to take us to the hostel probably by 5:30. We were certainly exhausted, but didn’t sleep on the bus. I actually didn’t catch much sleep on the plane (more like a doze) and didn’t sleep on the shuttle, so after we got to the hostel (since weren’t allowed to check in until 2pm), I chilled out on the couch and took a half hour snooze before our tour at 9am.

At 8:30 our shuttle for the first tour of our trip, the whale watch, picked us up. I won’t go into much detail about that part really…the tour guide wasn’t nearly as good as the one I had last year. It was rainy and cold, so the vistas of the mountains, even the ones right out front of the hostel, were nonexistent, and the waves were large and rocked the boat in a pretty significant manner if we were being hit by them on the long side of the boat. I guess it got choppy enough that they had to cancel the second tour of the day at 2pm. While we did not see any minke whales (like Peanut!), we did, however, see some beautiful atlantic white-side dolfins leaping, breaching, playing, and bow-riding. I’m glad we saw some amazing marine life on Cerisa’s first whale watch!

For lunch we proceeded to eat at the same place I went last time for the kebabs and lobster soup (the place that sold the minke whale steaks), known as the Sea Baron (or Sægreifinn in Icelandic). I was just as satisfied with my food, and Cerisa (who has avoided seafood under the lifelong assumption that she does not like seafood) tried my soup and was rather impressed by the fact that she did not hate it…dare I say, she possibly even liked it.

After our lunch we headed on over to the Whales of Iceland museum. This museum included life-size (what looked to be) paper mache models of the whales suspended majestically from the ceiling. This delighted me, of course, as an avid whale lover. But my whale experience has always been seeing them in the water bits at a time, or full-body models as small figurines…to see them life-size was amazing. You simply cannot grasp how enormous and graceful a Humpback whale looks, or how big killer whale looks, or how large the jaws of a Sperm whale are until you stick your face in them and pose for a photo. It made me feel very small and fueled my wonder for these beautiful animals. After we saw the whales, we sat in the museum cafe falling asleep in front of a cup of coffee killing time before our next tour at 3…the dim blue light was not helping us stay awake in our 29 hours (with at least 6 more to go) without sleep.

However, that day was not all good. There was a miscommunication between me and the tour clerk at the morning tour and I thought our tour had started at three, so that was when we showed up to the pickup spot. Our tour did start at three, but pickup was at 2:15. So sadly, we missed the tour where we go to Silfra and snorkel in the glacial waters…It is all good though, we were able to get in a power nap and shower before heading out to find dinner.

We found this restaurant called Hressó Hressingarskálinn. The atmosphere was nice, the food was delicious, and we enjoyed ourselves. It took us at least 2 hours in the restaurant, which was a nice reminder that we Americans are so used to being in a rush with our food that sometimes it’s okay to sit back and relax for a while. After dinner and a quick stop at the supermarket, we proceeded directly to bed and were out like lamps as soon as we hit the pillow. 36 hours awake sure does a number on you.

20 September 2015

We were up bright and early (well, just early…couldn’t so much say it was bright because it was mostly raining) for our tour of Iceland’s south shore. The rain didn’t let up for the entire day, except for the one beautiful double rainbow we had as we were waiting for our shuttle to arrive.

Our first stop was the ‎Mýdalskjökll‬ ‪glacier‬, not too far from where the Eyjafjallajökull volcano erupted in 2010. We walked the path that led us to a wonderful vantage point (seen below). But we had so much fun ignoring the sign that said “Do not proceed past this point. Unstable terrain and chance of calving.” After all, we got to touch the glacier! But let me tell you, words cannot describe the beauty of this scene. The contrast between the blue-white of the glacier and the brown-green of the mountain was breathtaking. Add the mist and the fog, and you’ve got one moody scene.

Mýdalskjökll‬ ‪glacier
That same mood could be applied to any other one of the majestic landscapes we saw: the massive waves thundering against the eroded rock towers of Reynifsjara Hálsanefshellir; the fantastical black sand beaches of Vík, or the enormous, misting Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss
Skógafoss
Seljalandsfoss, in which you can walk behind the falls
In between the two waterfalls, we had the opportunity to stop for a little bit at the Icelandic Folk Museum, a museum that cataloged life for the Icelandic farm folk throughout time. You step inside, and you see all of these artifacts suspended on the wall. They look ages old, made from driftwood and bone, ornate and fragile. 
But as the guide starts speaking, it amazes you because some of it may not actually be that old. The South Shore was isolated from the capital at least until the 1920s, when the first bridges were being built connecting the south with the rest of the island. We learned that people in that area lived essentially in the stone ages until well into the 20th century (around WWII). When the British and the Americans invaded to stop Germany from invading, the first airstrip was built in Iceland. As you’re driving the Icelandic countryside, you will notice it is very flat and barren in many areas, and there’s not a lot of foliage other than some grass and mosses. Trees are a rarity, and therefore wood is a precious resource. Many houses and household items (like bowls) were made from driftwood (most often from countries like Norway, Sweden, Denmark, and the UK). Because wood was so rare, and these farmers didn’t have heat they would have to burn manure, which as you can imagine doesn’t smell great and creates a lot of smoke. Because of this, the houses didn’t have heat and the way they kept warm was layer upon layer of wool, and sleeping 2-3 people to a bed, where you had had to sleep sitting up because they weren’t long enough to lay down in. Also because metal was such a precious resource, utensils were made out of cow bones. Cow bones get soft when heated and therefore can be molded into spoons. The irony here, however, is that in order to eat that traditional hot Icelandic meat stew, you would need a spoon…soup is hot, spoon gets soft in heat…you get the picture
There were other interesting facts about the south Icelandic folk beyond the scarcity of resources. Despite the harsh stone-age conditions, learning to read and write was mandatory. Even in the winters, you were guaranteed a teacher for at least one month per winter to help you learn. Additionally, due to being so isolated and trying to translate everything, the Icelandic language has changed very little over the course of its long history. In fact, it has changed so little that those who know the language can easily translate ancient documents written in the language. Also interestingly enough, many people still believe in the pagan tales of trolls (hiding in the mountains and turned to stone at the touch of sunlight), hidden folk, elves, fairies, and much more. 
The story of the hidden people, or Huldufólk is quite interesting and comes from a couple of legends. The following story I have seen a few times in different places, written or oral, throughout my trip:
Once upon a time, God Almighty came to visit Adam and Eve. They received him with joy, and showed him everything they had in the house. They also brought their children to him, to show him, and these He found promising and full of hope. 

Then He asked Eve whether she had no other children than these whom she now showed him. 

She said “None.” 

But it so happened that she had not finished washing them all, and, being ashamed to let God see them dirty, had hidden the unwashed ones. This God knew well, and said therefore to her, “What man hides from God, God will hide from man.” 

These unwashed children became forthwith invisible, and took up their abode in mounds, and hills, and rocks. From these are the elves descended, but we men from those of Eve’s children whom she had openly and frankly shown to God. And it is only by the will and desire of the elves themselves that men can ever see them.


You can read the second legend here.

Hallgrímskirkja

We ended our South Shore trip soaked to the bone from the rain, but we returned to the hostel full of knowledge and sights of new places. After a warm shower (I gave the communal shower a shot, which was nerve-wracking for me), we headed out to find dinner. We wound up at this place called Kol right on the main street leading up to Hallgrímskirkja, which is so stunning at night I might add.  Kol was dimly lit and had a lovely ambiance, with freshly baked dark bread and homemade butter to snack on while we waited for our food. While neither one of us were overly impressed with our meals, we did enjoy them. I had a seafood soup (with shrimp, scallops, and what appeared to be caviar of some sort) with some tuna finger snacks, and Cerisa had a ox brisket risotto. We treated ourselves to a selection of the restaurant’s dessert sampler containing a passion fruit cheese cake, traditional skyr with berries, hazelnut parfait, and homemade sorbet, but after waiting for 45 minutes, the waitress told us that the dessert was on the house! We definitely enjoyed the desserts more that they were not only delicious, but free!

Still exhausted from our jet lag and having a really early tour (6:30am pickup) the next morning, we were going to go straight to bed once we got back to the hostel. However, as we were preparing for bed, our roommate came in and exclaimed “Northern lights!” So, in an excited rush, we went outside in front of the hostel and waited. Lo and behold, there they were: a ribbon of pale green flashing and pulsing as it ribboned across the sky, brighter and brighter as the night went on. It was incredible, although nothing like I’d seen in pictures..but that’s because pictures are long-exposure and absorb more of the light over time than we are seeing. I almost had tears in my eyes at the sight though. Incredible doesn’t sum it up. Oh, how I wish I had my tripod, but I made due and am quite satisfied with how my photos turned out.

Aurora borealis over Reykjavik

21 September 2015

We woke up bright and early for our next tour: the Golden Circle. When we got on the shuttle, the sun wasn’t even up yet. But they day proved to be sunny and clear and perfect for The Golden Circle. The Golden Circle is Iceland’s most popular tour, but likely because of the hour, our tour only had 8 people. The older couple sitting in front of us was from Western Massachusetts, and happened to have a daughter who not only lived in Albany, but also went to The College of Saint Rose like us. Small world!

Our tour guide, a strawberry blond fellow named Bergur, was great, especially with such a small group. He was very pleasant and informational. He asked us about ourselves, talked to us about all of the different places we were visiting, and even took us to a spot which isn’t on the tour (no, really).

Our first stop was Friðheimar, a greenhouse that grows produce such as tomatoes and cucumbers all year round. Inside was as you’d expect, warm  and smelled a bit like dirt, but there were thousands of tomato plants almost ready to sprout their fruit. After we learned a bit about the growing process, we sat down for a delicious breakfast of fresh homemade tomato soup, bloody marys (with a fresh slice of cucumber!), and fresh bread.

Then we continued on to our ad hoc stop, a place known as Faxi (or Vatnsleysufoss) , a beautiful scenic point overlooking the countryside. We were only here for five minutes, as opposed to the 45 or so minutes we spent at the other locations on the tour, so I only had a few moments to snap a couple of photos.

Faxi/Vatnsleysufoss

Our third stop (second official) was at Gullfoss, or Golden Falls, and the White River. These giant thundering falls, although smaller, were comparable in beauty to that of Niagara Falls or the falls at Lechworth State Park. They were so totally stunning, throwing mist everywhere. If the sun were higher, I think we could have seen them with rainbows, as they are famous for.

Gullfoss cascading into the White River

Our penultimate stop was Geysir, Strokkuu, and the hot springs. Geysir is where the word “Geyser” gets its name. Geysir erupts once every 4-8 months, while Strokkur is the reliably active, although unpredictable force of nature. Every 5 minutes or so, Strokkur will throw boiling water up into the air, whether ten feet or 80 feet (as we got to witness), only once every few minutes, or three times in a row (as we also got to witness). This was my first geyser, so I was very impressed.

Our final stop was at þingvellir National Park, where I snorkeled last year but didn’t get to see much beyond the water. To refresh: þingvellir is where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates are pulling apart and the land is raised or lowered depending on how the plates are moving on either side. Boy, was it beautiful. The jagged rifts of the land pulling apart at the seams (because of the tectonic plates), the sunshine with the rain in the distance, the majesty of the mountains, the tiny church and houses below, the glistening water, and the pale rainbow lingering in the distance. It was the epitome of what Iceland is. It is fantastical, magical, and it is so easy to see why I fell in love with it. It’s practically a fantasy a world. 
þingvellir from the Eurasian side
þingvellir from the North American side
After Golden Circle we headed out for what we knew would be a short trip to Blue Lagoon. Our bus left at 5, and we needed to get on the 7:15 bus back to Reykjavík so we could get the 10pm Northern Lights Tour (There was no 8:15 bus, and the 9:15 bus would get us back too late). We enjoyed our short time in the pool and hurried out to catch the bus back. Out in the the parking lot at 7:05, there were two buses waiting in the lot, one without a driver, and one with a sign saying “Keflavik Airport” with people with luggage getting on. We even heard the driver say said they were going to the airport, so we didn’t get on. We should have. That bus apparently went to wear we needed to be. Frustrated, we walked in circles for a few moments wondering what to do, but along came a taxi. Expensive (although not as expensive as we dreaded) we had a way back. The driver was very kind. He turned on the WiFi (yes, folks, everything and everyone and everywhere has WiFi in Iceland), put on music he (hoped) we liked and knew, and made conversation with us. It was funny when he put on “Uptown Funk” (you know the one) and seemed surprised that we knew the song. I proceeded to ask him if he knew what a “a fresh jar of Skippy meant.” He admitted he had no idea, and laughed when I told him it was a jar of peanut butter. Overall, it was a lovely ride, especially with the sun setting over the mountains on my left. 
We got back in time for our Northern Lights tour, and while waiting outside the hostel we made the acquaintance of a few handsome Englishmen (by the names of Dan, Dan, Will, and Marty), and an equally handsome Californian by the name of Patryk. While after the shuttle dropped us at the bus station we lost Will and Marty, Dan2, Patrick, Cerisa, and myself stayed together and had a blast on the Northern Lights tour. While we only got to see one (pretty impressive) display of dancing lights, we did get to see quite the amazing night sky and had many laughs. We got back to the hostel around 2am, and I fell asleep practically as soon as my head hit the pillow. 
22 September 2015

Because my day isn’t over yet, I’ll try to leave my eyes open to write a summary tomorrow on the plane of my adventures (or non adventures) of my final day in Iceland…we’ll see. 🙂
—
Miscellaneous observations:
  • Aforementioned WiFi everywhere
  • There might be less emphasis on hygiene in restaurants. One place we visited clearly did not wipe down tables and they had no problem with business (line was out the door), and the people in the hostel seem to handle food with their bare hands (clean, surely, but all the same an interesting observation)
  • Why do American bathroom stalls have gaps between the door and the other side of the latch? Nowhere in Europe seems to have that. 
  • Icelandic people genuinely care whether or not you are having a good time, you are enjoying yourself or your food, etc. 
  • Typically, European cars are very small…In Iceland, I’d say that perhaps the ratio of SUVs person is more than in the US. I theorize that this is because of the highlands and the rugged terrain, and of course, the winters. 
  • Businesses, including supermarkets, close at strange hours, although this may in fact also be a general European thing. I may have noticed this in Denmark, but cannot recall. 
  • Day 4, still haven’t seen a police officer. 
  • This was not something I would have noticed last time, but the abundance of written (and even spoken) Danish is prevalent. Also, how Icelandic is so similar yet so different from Danish. 
  • Last time I spoke of how contemporary and modern the design and architecture was here. Also how everyone is “recently” speaking of tourism to Iceland, but after my tour on Sunday, I realized that may (in regards to the design at least) be because of how recently industrialized and modern Iceland is comparatively to the rest of the modern world. Like I said, it really have a hold in the international tourist industry probably until the late half of the 20th century, 
I think that is all my thoughts for now….

Until next time,
Elissa
PS: Some of you may be wondering why the mountain is a lie. Well that is because the large mountain that is right outside of the hostel, known as Esjan I believe, has not been visible due to the density of fog, mist, and rain, for three of the four days we have been in this country.