Iceland

6th February 2020-First Day in Iceland:

I have just disembarked from a 3-hour flight from Stanstead to Reykavik. As I stepped out of the plane onto the stairs, I instantly felt a cold breeze come across my face, as if the weather was telling me Welcome to Iceland and the tarmac was very slippery and icy. Anyway, after going through the airport, we met our friendly, slightly eccentric Icelandic cab driver, who took us to our hotel. After unpacking, we eagerly leave the confines of the hotel to explore downtown Reykjavik. We first came across this store opposite our hotel, with two stuffed white polar bears which stand outside the shop entrance. We entered the store and browsed its items before leaving to see Hallgrimskirkja, the main cathedral in Reykjavik. Hallgrimskirkja is a Lutheran church, it stands at 244 feet and is the tallest building in Iceland. The building is known for its distinctive side wings and curved spire and since its completion in 1986 after its design was commissioned by state architect Gujon Samuelsson, it is considered a symbol of Icelandic national identity. Named after Hallgrimur Petursson an Icelandic poet and cleric, its design was influenced by trap rocks, glaciers and mountains affiliated with the Icelandic landscape. With its elegant and sophisticated Expressionist architectural style resembles an organ instrument, it towers above anything else in the capital. Situated outside of the main entrance, lies a monument dedicated to the iconic Viking explorer Leif Eriksson responsible for discovering North America. As I stepped inside, I marvelled at its beauty but I also felt somewhat made me feel insignificant within it. We then went to the top of the cathedral which provided me with four contrasting views of Reykjavik. The views of downtown Reykjavik were amazing and encapsulating, especially the view out towards the Norwegian Sea. After that, we left the cathedral, grabbed some food from a local supermarket store and stopped by a nearby ice cream store called Ísbúðin litla Valdís and tried some of their flavours. The ice cream was delicious and sweet, and the texture was soft. That was a great way to spend our first day in Iceland and get underway on our explorative journey through Iceland.

7th February 2020-The Blue Lagoon:

Today, our second stay in Iceland, started with us heading to a meeting point for a 50-minute coach trip to Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa located in southwestern Iceland. As I looked out of the window, the landscape was surrounded by snow, the roads were icy, there was a strong breeze in the air and it was so cold, that I could feel it to the core of my bones. Arriving at Blue Lagoon, the place was situated in an isolated place on a nearby road and the main visitor building and sign were surrounded by various plants. I then proceeded to the nearest changing rooms to change into my swimwear, got showered and walked towards the main swimming pool area. As I descended down the stairs into the indoor pool, the temperature of the water was neither too cold nor too hot but to quote Goldilocks, it was just right. The indoor pool then takes you outside. As I got outside, I was instantly met by the cold breeze and due to the large amount of steam rising from the spa, the environment was misty as I held my phone in a waterproof case. However, what took me back was that the spa was surrounded by a lava field near Grindavík and in front of Mount Þorbjörn on Reykjanes Peninsula and the blue milky white water, which gets its water from a nearby geothermal plant. As I took pictures, I noticed people huddled in their groups, having an enjoyable time and a nearby swim-up bar, where I grabbed my first drink of the day. Afterwards, I began exploring the spa, and I could not fully apprehend how massive it was. I later came across another swim-up bar and I ventured towards it, I noticed some people wearing some type of moisturizer/cream on their faces. It turns out that just like the mineral cream found in Sulphur Springs in St Lucia, people had the cream applied to their faces as it contained healing properties great for dealing with issues like eczema and stress. Anyway, after getting my face covered in this cream, I chose to get another drink and found a place to relax. After a few hours passed, it started to lightly rain, some people hurried inside for cover but instead, I chose to stay outside and soak in the experience. As I relaxed, I closed my eyes, ignored any sounds like the rain drops hitting the water or people talking and just forgot any of my troubles. However, this enjoyable, relaxing and memorable experience like all good things came to an end as heavier rain fell on the spa but that didn't take away from my experience. it also gave me enough time to grab some food from the onsite restaurant and browse the various items in the gift shop. It was probably a good thing that it started raining because otherwise, I probably would've just stayed in the enormous pool for longer. 

Later on that day, we got another coach to take us to a spot to see the iconic aurora lights but after waiting at least two to three hours surrounded by a bunch of people in a dark scenery the lights were a no-show. However, we did not at first realise it take around three to four more coach trips before we would eventually see the aurora lights in all of its enchanting beauty. Luckily, there is a policy with many coach tours, that if you don't see the Northern Lights you'll be able to reschedule and go on the next coach ride available to see the phenomenon for free of charge. On that occasion, at least we got to taste Icelandic hot chocolate which was amazing and one of my fellow travellers also tasted an Icelandic delicacy, Hakarl (Fermented shark) but after trying it she said that it tasted horrible and wouldn't recommend it. 

8th February 2020-The Golden Circle Tour:

The route of the Golden Circle tour took us to a wide range of places within Iceland. We first travelled towards the Kerid Crater, after stopping in a nearby motorsport spot that was very isolated from other communities. The scenery was entirely covered in snow and the snow kept coming down from the heavens. It would be until the afternoon when it would let up. The weather on that day was so cold that I could no longer feel the tips of my fingers or my feet. There was a cold strong breeze in the air which also swept across my face. After getting to the Kerid Crater I was astonished at the size of that crater and its impact on the environment. From looking at the crater, you would think that it was created by a meteor but that hypothesis would be wrong. The scientific explanation behind the crater is that the Kerid was once a cone-shaped volcano that erupted and its magma reservoir was exhausted. The volcano's eruption caused the foundation to collapse in on itself and that developed into the crater, that we see today.

We next headed to the Fridheimar Greenhouse, where we were given an in-depth tour of the greenhouse, especially getting to see its vast array of tomato plants, horses in their stables and experience a great meal at its restaurant. It was great to see the horses in the stables, pet them, witness how horse trainers prepared them for upcoming competitions and see the lengths these people went to grow vegetation in a harsh environment. Afterwards, we travelled to various iconic and mesmerising waterfalls. I remember on the coach I was told about the legend of a Viking who hid the treasure that he obtained in previous raids from his jealous neighbours behind a waterfall and thinking that this tale wasn't real, I was surprised to learn that the treasure was actually found behind it one day. I also came to understand how people from Iceland and other Nordic countries gain their surnames. For instance, whereas in the UK some surnames are related to an ancestor's craft, many son's or daughter's surnames were derived from usually their fathers' forenames. Many of the waterfalls, I got to see made me speechless because of the magnitude of their beauty within the surrounding environment and its sheer enormity. My favourite waterfall was Gullfloss a massive waterfall which left me mesmerized by its magnitude, beauty and sheer powerful nature. I remember taking photos right near the waterfall on that day, which was so cold that it actually drained my mobile battery for that part of the day. We then moved on to the Geysir Geothermal Area, which had a wide range of geysers, I was just awestruck by how powerful it was when the bubbling boiling water aggressively propelled upwards into the air. In addition to the geysers, there was a nearby park, upon entry it had red coloured bridge over a river and the land was covered in snow and it was completely silent. Being a maverick, I walked across the bridge towards a hilltop, which provided an excellent view of the landscape. As soon as I got to the top, I received a phone call to get back to the coach immediately and hurried towards it. I eventually got back to the coach and apologised to everyone on the coach about disrupting the schedule but it was worth it to see that amazing view of the surrounding landscape.

Whilst on our way to the Snowmobile base hut, we stopped by another petrol station, I remember this stop contained a small mall with a lot of gift shops but whilst everyone was browsing the items in the store, I decided to go exploring and ended up at a black sand beach located right behind it. At the Snowmobile base hut, we walked through the snow as instantly as I put my foot into the snow, I found myself finding it somewhat difficult to walk through. The mountainside was completely covered in snow and the cold air made me unable to feel my feet. Overall it was like walking on a blank canvas but anyway, at the snowmobile base hut, it was a great experience getting to see glaciers even if it was from far away as the rest of the tour group had gotten further ahead than we did. I had never seen a black beach before in my life, I was completely awestruck but wasn't able to admire it that much as I had to get back to the coach but via the route, we stopped by a place which was covered entirely snow and ice as well as glaciers, who was pretty impressive called the Sólheimajökull Glacier in Southern Iceland. The next stop was the Reynisfjar beach, Þingvellir (Thingvellir) National Park, which included an indoor store, a little exhibition and an outside observatory where you could look out to the surrounding scenery but what interested me the most in this National Park was this downward track which was very icy and slippery and it actually made me slip but luckily caused me no injuries. As I walked cautiously down the pathway, I tightly gripped the railing to maintain my balance but what was so great about that stop, was that you could walk between the two European and North American tectonic plates. Scientists think one day that part of Iceland will break off and there will be two Icelands one day but hopefully, that doesn't happen soon. Reminder, if I ever travel to this national park again I need trainers with much more sufficient and effective grip. After getting back onto the coach we headed towards the Reynisfjar beach a famous beach where one of the latest Star Wars movies was partially filmed. The beach is entirely black, surrounded by beautiful greenery and nature. There is a huge cave which you can also experience which is somewhat daunting but magnificent and as you look out to sea, there are two stone formations which stand near the shoreline. I found the beach to be mysterious and dark. Our last stop was at a church called Thingvalla Kirkja. When we arrived at this spot, it was very dark but you could make out the facade of the church in the distance against the environment. Although small in size, this beautiful and historical church dates back to 1859 and is located in the Thingvalla National Park. After the Golden Circle Tour ended, we walked back to our Airbnb and dropped onto our beds completely exhausted. Although the entire experience was very tiresome and exhausting, it was also exciting to experience new areas of Iceland, that I would have otherwise never had seen and it's a memory that I'll never forget. If you ever have a chance to do this, don't hesitate and grab the opportunity with both hands as it is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. I could not speak any higher of The Golden Circle Tour which is a great opportunity to experience Icelandic culture, ideals, customs and nature as well as the different sides of Iceland. In the evening, we also tried to see the aurora lights for a second time but again the lights decided to not be available to us on that day, but at least we got to hear some Icelandic folklore tales on the coach ride back to Reykjavik.

9th February 2020- 1st Attempt at Whale Watching, The Aurora Reykjavik Museum, Sun Voyager Sculpture, Harpan to Christmas:

Our day started with us heading towards the main harbour in Reykjavik to do some whale watching but this wouldn't be the case on this day as this activity would've to be scheduled for another day due to the horrific downpour, which was unfortunate, at least the rescheduling was free and didn't cost an additional cost and at least we got to see the Pufa. The Pufa is an art installation, which includes a spiral staircase, that takes people to the top and was designed by the artist Olof Norda in 2013. To deal with our free time, we first went to the nearby Aurora Reykjavik Museum. This museum is very exciting and visually engaging as it is a museum dedicated to providing an exhibition, which captures the Northern Lights in its awe-jaw-dropping wonder via interactive displays like pictures and short films. I'm glad I went to this museum because, via its various formats, it really demonstrated how photographers and videographers captured the iconic and impressive beauty of Mother Nature. I was also beginning to believe with our luck that we would never see the Aurora Lights. As well as walking through the city of Reykjavik we also headed towards the Sun Voyager and The Harpa-a concert hall in Reykjavik. I found the Sun Voyager Sculpture to be an innovative piece of artwork, as people got their photographs in front of it with the beautiful sea and mountainous scenery behind them. The Sun Voyager was designed by Icelandic artist Jon Gunnar Arnarson and is situated next to the Saebrut road in Reykjavik. Described as an ode or dreamboat to the sun, it was created to convey a message of progress, freedom, undiscovered land and hope. Whereas the Harpa is a small concert hall, with a modern architectural style that features glass-based panels. Created in 2011, is situated behind a small walkway over a man-made pond in front of the nearby harbour, where the statue of The Musician lies and was created in 1970 by the Icelandic sculptor Olof Palsdottir. The sculpture is based on the Danish cellist Erling Blondal Bengtsson, who played constantly for the artist as he sat for him. The Harpa's distinctive coloured glass-based panels are inspired by the basalt Icelandic landscape. Which I think speaks volumes of how much respect Icelandic people have for Mother Nature and the Icelandic environment. However, inside it has various stairways to different levels in the building, contains a gift shop and provides an excellent view of the Icelandic coast.

After walking through Reykjavik, we entered a few shops browsing through the various items in store. Anyway, we came across an extravagant Christmas shop, it had every conceivable Christmas decoration you could possibly think of and I thought Americans loved the commercialisation of Christmas but I think the Icelandic people could rival them on that. I was just overloaded with the wide range of Christmas decorations and items such as Christmas bulbs, tinsel, cards etc, I just didn't know which item(s) to look at first. However, I found myself drawn to this particular set of toys, a Father's Christmas train express set that featured a dancing and talking Santa Claus and a train set which I thought was great. If I had a need for it I would've probably bought it. I found this to be somewhat fascinating and ironic Icelandic people don't believe in Santa Claus, they believe in the 13 Yule Lads, which are called Jolasveinar and like the dwarves from Snow White are named after characteristics. It is believed that they live in the highlands with their troll parents, Gyrla and Leppaludi.

10th February 2020-Finding New Accommodation:

Due to a storm all European flights had either been cancelled or rescheduled which was great for us because even though our flight was cancelled and rescheduled, at least we had a longer time period & a greater chance to see the Aurora Lights in Iceland. However, the whole day was spent trying to get new accommodation for our stay in Reykjavik, which was a hassle at first and we eventually found new accommodation at an Airbnb, which was within the centre of the city and a short walk away. We also got some takeaways and watched Netflix for the rest of the evening. The apartment also provided a great view of the Icelandic tourist attraction the Perlan, which we didn't get to go to but it emitted a 360-degree blue fluorescent light from its roof at night, which we saw from the balcony.

11th February 2020-The Swimming Pool, Jacuzzi, Steam Room & The Aurora Lights:

Today was pretty much a day to take it easy and relax, most of the day was spent doing that, venturing around Reykjavik, looking through a few shops in the city and grabbing some food. The rest of the day entailed going to a nearby swimming centre, where I enjoyed a quiet swim, a jacuzzi to just sit down and relax and at the end, I enjoyed a brief amount of time in the steam room where I could just unwind. I tell you what, I can now see why Icelanders are pretty laid-back and friendly people. From what I have experienced of Iceland so far, I would probably be more stress-free and laid back, if I Iived in this paradise. Later on in the afternoon, we got on a coach to go and see the Northern Lights. After travelling on the location to a few locations to see the Northern Lights, we still had no luck but luckily due to a storm that occurred in the week, we still remained hopeful that we would get to see one of Earth's wonders-The Northern Lights.

12 February 2020-2nd Attempt at Whale Watching, The Thor Store, Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík, The Settlement Exhibition and the Aurora Lights:

Today we woke up early to get ready and head towards one of the ports in Reykjavik. Walking through the city centre, part of the streets were covered in snow and ice, which meant that we had to walk cautiously and slowly and there was also a slight breeze in the air, which made my hands shiver in my gloves. As we headed towards the harbour, we passed the Sun Voyager and The Harpan, which was great to see as well as the Reykjavik Aurora Lights Museum. As we headed towards the harbour, I immediately noticed an Icelandic warship docked there, which in comparison to the other vessels was large but in a way, it looked out of place. Anyway, after getting to the harbour, we got onto the boat, got our seats and eagerly couldn't wait to see some whales in their environment, as the boat sailed out into the sea. As the vessel sailed further into the Norweigan Sea, we could see towns and snow-covered mountains in the distance and gripped with an eagerness to see some whales, I kept anxiously looking around to make sure I didn't miss any whales in action. However, after a few hours, no whales surfaced from the water for us to see but we did see some sea lions but they were so fast in the sea, that I couldn't capture a photo of them. After disembarking from the boat, we were somewhat dejected that we didn't get to see any whales but at least we tried.

We later headed back to Airbnb to rest, we saw some Icelandic graffiti which was very artistic and we came to a Viking-inspired store called Thor obviously named after the Norse mythological god of thunder. Anyway, the store had a range of bizarre and interesting items inspired by Norse mythology but instead, we were all interested in getting a photo with the wooden carving/statue of Thor holding his hammer. After having some time to relax, we later walked through the city centre and entered a church called Dómkirkjan í Reykjavík. It had a white facade and green roofing but inside it was very spacious, welcoming and different from the churches in the UK in terms of it didn't contain any Christian iconography on its windows. It had two floors and a large chandelier which hung above the altar steps. It has a neoclassical architectural style and its history dates back to the mid-19th century. For all you history buffs, I would definitely recommend going to The Settlement Exhibition which was next on our itinerary. The Settlement Exhibition-Step into the Viking Age is an open archaeological excavation site that combines digital technology and remnants of the past to show life from within the Viking Age. With the oldest Viking Age ruins of houses and tools found within various excavations in the whole of Reykjavik, this museum provides an informative historical understanding of the evidence of human settlement via digital technology like interactive short films, pictures and small-scale models. I enjoyed visiting that museum, as it really provided an in-depth informative historical record of Viking culture and the development of farmland into the city of Reykjavik, which is great considering that the Vikings didn't preserve their history through written records.

Later on in the day, we got on our last coach to hopefully see the Northern Lights before tomorrow's flight back to the UK. From what I recall, it was very dark and cold and I could see my breath as it left my body. After an hour at one place, we had no such luck seeing any sight of the Aurora Lights. We then went to another situation and waited but again nothing happened as we stared into the sky. I swear this is what I imagine ufologists must be doing at night waiting for UFOs to enter our atmosphere in an effort to prove everyone else wrong. On our way to the next location in the coach, the tour guide provided us with a mythological story about elves and trolls, which conveyed how much the Icelandic people respect these mythological creatures and their environment. I found these stories to be very amusing and intriguing but it also made me very curious about Icelandic mythology. After driving through the night we came to our next location, disembarked from the coach headed out towards the spot, waited and waited for it to appear as I stared patiently at the sky but eventually, we saw the Northern Lights. The lights were very hard to make out at first but after witnessing them, I was just taken aback by the whole experience before we left. After a few attempts to see the Northern Lights, I was glad to have seen them in my lifetime, they truly are one of the many wonders of the natural world. I remember having my phone in my hand and getting ready to take a few photos. However, I chose to not photograph it because sometimes it's just better to experience life as God intended instead of through a lens as that way you remember the experience more than you do the process of taking the actual photo. In addition, my opinion is that the aurora borealis has inspired, frightened and mesmerised humans throughout the centuries and this may be a controversial take but for me, I think unlike an actual camera a camera phone wouldn't be able to do it justice as it would be incapable of capturing this natural phenomenon in its entire essence, exquisite beauty and wonder.

13 February 2020-Last Day in Iceland-Museum After Museum:

The day that we had all dreaded coming was our last day in Iceland. our last day started with us getting up early to check all our suitcases and backpacks were packed. We then set off from our Airbnb to complete all the places we intended to visit on our itinerary. Me and my fellow travellers decided we would separate into two groups, I would visit the local museums and they decided to head towards the swimming centre for some much-needed relaxation. Later on in the day, we would meet up with each other at the Airbnb, before heading towards the airport. I rushed off to get the 24-hour Reykjavik City Pass from Reykjavik City Hall, which cost 29.40 euros and provided me with free access to museums, a bus tour of Reykjavik, Reykjavik thermal pools and a ferry trip to Videy Island. Looking back, I found the card to be reasonably priced and if I had enough time I would've gone to Videy Island to see some Puffins. I first hurried to see the exhibitions at the Reykjavík Art Museum Hafnarhús. I remember going into the first exhibition, it was filled with fluffy scenery which was weird as it brushed against my arms. It was somewhat reminiscent of Teletubbies, anyway It certainly caught me off guard. After finishing that exhibition, I walked into another exhibition which housed more modernist art in various forms like sculptures and paintings. After seeing everything in that exhibition and the gift shop, I crossed the street to the Reykavik Museum of Photography, which offered a wide array of pictures of Iceland from the 20th century. The pictures provided a wide range of modern images of Icelandic culture and nature, which was very amazing.

I then sat down to go through old pictures of Iceland on a Microfilm. This tool was very insightful as it provided a wide array of images of Iceland in the 20th century, especially during the 1930s and 40s. I found this roll of images to be very interesting, engaging and in a sense sympathise with the people experiencing the tough reality of living in a harsh, challenging environment. In addition, it also gave me a more accurate, brief understanding of Iceland's historical past, how mentally strong those Icelandic people were living in an unforgiven landscape and an insight into the hardships that they went through. I then rushed off to head towards the National Museum of Iceland, which meant going past the Tjornin River which provided an excellent view of Reykjavik and also a great opportunity to take some memorable snaps. I then walked through a neighbourhood to reach the museum. Once inside the National Museum of Iceland, I put away my belongings in a nearby locker and walked towards reception. I remember there were four separate floors, so I went to each floor and looked at each historical item as much as I could, which housed objects from the Viking settlement Age to the present day. To finish off the day, I headed towards The National Gallery of Iceland, which included artwork from artists of the 19th and 20th centuries, It certainly was very insightful and engaging. Whilst rushing back to the Airbnb I made sure to see Hallgrimskirkja one last time and seeing it up close it never disappoints as my travel expedition in Iceland came to an end.  

The Land of Fire & Ice:

Throughout this blog post, I have tried to find the correct words, phrases or quotes to best describe my various travel experiences within the land of ice and fire known as Iceland but to no avail so far. I will say this though, Iceland is a country full of rich culture, heritage, unique traditions, unimaginable natural beauty, and adventure. In the world, I've always noticed particularly in the West that there have always been these ever-present themes of the struggle between man vs nature, and lately our progression to a Godless society, we lose our identity, morals and to an extent our humanity and value in the universe. Being in Iceland is like being transported to another world, steeped in mesmerizing wilderness, enriching stories, and people with a deep-rooted respect for and connection to their environment and commitment to not upsetting the natural balance between civilization and nature. Although there is considerable debate on what led to the discovery of Iceland amongst scholars, I have found that the multiple adventures I have undertaken in Iceland have given me first-hand experiences that I'll always cherish and fondly look back on with joy and happiness but that experience ultimately showed me the different faces of Iceland. I'll leave you with these words, Iceland is more than just the land of fire & ice. It is the nearest country to being a paradise that I've ever visited & experienced. It is imbued with captivating folklore, fascinating history, magnificent wilderness, and breathtaking natural wonders of the world that will leave fellow travelers bewildered, speechless, and curious.

My tips for Iceland:

1. To explore Iceland as much as possible I would recommend travelling to the country for between eight to ten days and plan ahead to see what activities you undertake on which days.
2. Although Iceland looks excellent in the summertime, I definitely would recommend going to the snowy paradise in the winter, as it is at that time when you'll be able to experience a different climate and obviously take winter clothing as it can get pretty cold in Iceland.
3. Get a Reykjavik City Card with either 24, 48 or 72 hours from Reykjavik City Hall, which will enable you to gain access to a wide range of thermal pools, galleries and museums in Reykjavik as well as discounts on various items in store, unlimited transport, access to Reykjavik Zoo, park and a free ferry expedition to Videy island.
4. Take a good camera to capture the Aurora Borealis, as the smartphone cameras won't do it justice.
5. If both trips for whale watching or seeing the Northern Lights remain unsuccessful, you'll have unlimited chances to see both the whales and the Northern Lights until you see them. However, try to do whale watching and the Northern Lights as early as possible as there is no guarantee that you'll see either of them the first time round.
6. If you get the chance to board a boat to Engey Island take it. It's a great opportunity to see and photograph Icelandic wildlife like the Puffins.
7. If you go in the summertime, be aware that around the summer solstice on the 21st of June, Iceland has daylight time of 24 hours.
8. Also if given a chance to taste the Icelandic delicacy of fermented shark, taste it but beware that it doesn't taste great.
9. Be courteous and nice to the locals as Icelandic people are very welcoming, polite and friendly.
10. Give Icelandic street food, chocolate and ice cream a taste. The ice cream store of Ísbúðin litla Valdís has a range of flavours that are delicious and the Icelandic chocolates of Omnom aren't bad either.
11. Products in stores and food are very expensive to purchase due to the tax put on them due to the items being imported. To save money, don't go to the restaurants go to the local supermarket stores.
12. Purchase the Golden Circle Tour as it's a great way to see other natural wonders of Iceland, see different Southern parts of Iceland and listen to some great Icelandic stories from the tour guides.
13. I definitely recommend travelling to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa, if you just want to relax for a day and forget about any of your troubles. However, it can get somewhat crowded so go there early.
14. Also, Reykjavik has a good selection of bookstores to purchase any books on Icelandic culture, history or mythology which is great for so-called history buffs and people interested in further learning about Icelandic culture and mythology.
15. My last tip is if you have the chance to see Northern Iceland do it. Not only will you get to see more untouched nature and historical landmarks and experience a vibrant culture but also have the chance to see some wildlife.