Finally... Iceland!
Well… we made it!
It wasn’t easy… but then what fun would traveling be if it went off without a hitch?! They were unable to check our luggage through to Reykjavik. As a result, we had to pick up our luggage in Boston at baggage claim before checking in at Iceland Air. And we only had a 2 hour layover. Matt, being the ever-efficient packer, carried everything on. Sharon and I on the other hand… well… a woman still needs her hairdryer and round brush in Iceland!
So Matt headed over to Iceland Air to save us a place in line while Sharon and I waited anxiously (!) for our bags to come out on the belt. And waited, and waited and waited. Man, you’d think we were in Vegas for how long it took for our luggage to be offloaded! We picked up our bags exactly one hour from the time our flight from Reykjavik was scheduled to leave… so it was a sprint to the shuttle bus and a very nervous ride for a few terminals to get to ticketing. No worries. We made it to the gate with a minute or two to spare. I mean really, who needs to eat? We were just happy to be getting on the plane.
That was, until we found out not only was the in-flight entertainment system “Out of Order”. BUT, the reading lights on our side of the plane were not functioning. What? A 5 hour flight (yes, only 5 hours from Boston to Reykjavik!) with nothing to read, and nothing to watch. They fed us, and really, at that point, I was happy just to have food in my stomach and to be on my way to Iceland.
We landed at Keflavik airport at 6:30 am (they are 7 hours ahead of Pacific Standard Time). After negotiating a security check (yes, take off shoes and belt, take out laptop… blah blah blah), passport control and baggage claim we headed out to snag our rental car and off we drove.
It was cloudy but not rainy so were able to enjoy the scenery on the drive. The Reykjanes Peninsula is a mostly flat volcanic plain. After driving up the coast, we skirted around Reykjavik to catch Highway 1 (aka. The Ring Road), which we will be taking all the way around the island. We headed East. The entire island is geothermically active and we saw evidence of this as we passed by multiple areas with steam coming from small pools in the ground.
Soon, we dropped down into Hveragerdi where the cliffs seem to end abruptly, leaving a flat, green plain reaching out to the ocean. After crossing the river, we checked in early to our hotel in Selfoss, cleaned up a bit, and headed out for our next Icelandic adventure.
Pingvillir National Park
Pingvillir holds a special place in the hearts of Icelanders. It is here, in 930 AD that their legislature first convened. There is a natural amphitheater in the rocks just north of a large lake, and it was here that laws were made and reviewed.
It is also here that the European and American tectonic plates are moving apart… leading to what the Icelanders call the Almannagjia (“Everyman’s chasm”). Here you can see the Almannagjia.
This is known as the Pingvallakirkja church
A waterfall running right along the Almannagjia.
This empties down into the Drekkingarhylur or “Drowning Pool” which was used in the 16th century. During this time period, men were beheaded for serious crimes. Women, on the other hand, who committed adultery, infanticide, or even perjury, were tied up in a sack and flung into this pool.
We got soaked in a rainstorm walking back to the car. Welcome to Iceland!
Geysir
The Grand Geysir (the Geysir that all geysers are named after) no longer spouts regularly (and it doesn’t help that for years people threw rocks into it, thinking it would force an explosion). Strokkur, though, spouts regularly, every 5 mintues or so to an impressive height (or at least impressive to me… but then again as Matt and Sharon have said, I haven’t been to Yellowstone). This is a picture of Strokkur—less impressive because of the clouds in the background.
Gulfoss
We continued up the valley to Gulfoss, possibly Iceland’s best known natural wonder. It is a double waterfall on the River Hvita which plunges 100 feet into a narrow ravine. Fantastic!
We were able to walk out onto some rocks which jut into the river. And yes, despite walking on wet, volcanic rock, I managed to escape with my face intact… (unlike a previous trip to Hawaii…). Here are a few pictures of us at Gulfoss.
We then drove back down the valley to Selfoss, and after a quick trip to the grocery store, we took long hot showers. Ahhhhh.
We had great food at the hotel restaurant overlooking the river Hvita. But you wouldn't believe how expensive food is here! 2-3 times as much as we would pay in the States. Understandable, I suppose, as almost everything is imported. By this point we were tuckered. They have 21 hours of daylight right now... we can take advantage of that tomorrow. Tonight, it was all about the great beds and down comforters. Good night!
