s. sarah cai
art & things
6 Days in Iceland
Spring 2017
Introduction
One fateful evening as a few friends and I were studying for midterms, my friend randomly blurted out, "Iceland would be such a cool place to go for spring break." "Iceland??" I thought, "Most people are escaping to warm sandy beaches..." I was doubtful of what an island covered in ice would have to offer. After a few hours on Google Images and Expedia, the promise of beautiful landscapes and cheap flights convinced me that this would be a worthwhile trip. Still, nothing could have prepared me for what we were about to experience.
Day 1: Reykjavik
We flew from Newark to Keflavik (EWR->KEF) on 3/6/17 via IcelandAir. We were off to a good start--the flight went by quickly since I watched movies for 11 hours straight (my eyes were not happy with me the next day), and the "northern lights" illuminating the cabins gave us a taste of what we were about to experience.
our Icelandair plane
aurora borealis inspired cabin lights
Once we landed in Keflavik, we took the Flybus to our airbnb in Reykjavik (booked round-trip bus tickets in advance). Service was not great--my friend and I had to sit on the floor for the 45 min ride because it was overcrowded--but to our knowledge, this is one of the cheapest and fastest ways to get to Reykjavik. (Tickets can be booked here: https://www.re.is/flybus/.) The crowded bus trip didn't dampen my spirits too much because I was enraptured by the beautiful scenery we drove past. Already I had a feeling that my friends had chosen well--Iceland would be unforgettable.
We had booked a modest apartment on airbnb a few months in advance (along with plane tickets), and while simply furnished, it was clean, had everything we needed, and was located close to the city center. Our host, Hronn, was kind and very accommodating, and conveniently lived in the apartment a floor below with her family.
view from our airbnb apartment
inside our airbnb apartment
We went grocery shopping and explored on our own for a little bit, then took a "free" (tips encouraged) ~2 hour walking tour of the city in the afternoon (reserve a spot here: https://citywalk.is/tour/free-walking-tour-reykjavik/). Our guide Jóhannes was very funny and knowledgeable. He explained the history, government, and current events of the country as we stopped at notable sites, including Austurvöllur (the Parliament building), local shops, a former women's prison, the Harpa concert hall, Tjörnin (prominent lake at city center), and eventually ended the tour at city hall. A few interesting facts we learned:
- Iceland is a relatively young island, having formed geologically ~20 million years ago due to a series of volcanic eruptions.
- Vikings (primarily Norwegians) were the first to settle in Iceland (although some believe Gaelic monks may have settled before) c. 874 AD.
- By the early 900s, they had established one of the first recorded forms of parliamentary government, called the Althing.
- Much of Iceland's early history was documented as the famous Sagas of Icelanders, or Íslendingasögur.
- From the 1200s-1500s, Iceland lost its independence and was under Nordic rule. Then it fell under Danish rule, which was detrimental to Iceland's economy due to a trade monopoly. Several natural disasters hit during this time as well, and Iceland's population drastically declined.
- With the rise of nationalism in Europe, Iceland revolted against Denmark and the Althing was restored. Iceland gained sovereignty in 1918.
- Iceland was the first country in the world to democratically elect a female president (1980).
- Iceland aims to be the first country to enforce equal pay with the recently introduced legislation this past March.
- Icelandic architecture is unique and often inspired by its natural landscapes. It is often quite colorful, perhaps to add some brightness to its long, dreary winters.
We had a simple dinner of hot dogs at the famed Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur hot dog stand. Apparently everyone from the Clintons to the Kardashians have been there, so naturally we had to go. I'm not a hot dog person, but I must say they were pretty good.
At night, we went to a local geothermal pool, Seltjarnarneslaug, (we figured this would be a more authentic experience than going to the overpriced Blue Lagoon) that was budget-friendly and extremely relaxing.
Day 2: South Coast
We booked a South Coast tour with GeoIceland that I would highly recommend. (http://www.geoiceland.com/geoiceland-south-coast.html) The bus picked us up at our Airbnb and was very comfortable. Our driver-guide, Sif, was friendly, knowledgeable, and had a good sense of humor. She would point out different notable landmarks and gave a narration of Iceland's history while she was driving, then she would give us free reign during the 30-60 minutes at each stop (see below for a map of the route). The tour lasted roughly 10 hours and included stops at Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss waterfalls, the coastal village of Vik, the Solheimajökull glacier, and Reynisfjara black sand beach. Sif also told us we were lucky to have great weather for the whole day (sunny and close to 50 degrees F), which typically only happens on 20% of the tours.
Our first stop was Skogafoss, which was exceptionally beautiful that day due to the fortuitous double rainbow framing it. We opted to climb the 370 steps to the top, bringing us roughly 60 m above ground for a view of the coastline. I had sprinted my way up enthusiastically, but forgotten about my fear of heights--climbing down was a careful and much more laborious process.
Next was the Solheimajökull glacier. We opted not to do the glacier hike, and yet I still managed to slip and fall not once, but twice, on the walk towards the glacier. This was due to the rookie mistake of wearing traditional hiking boots, so I would recommend bringing a pair of ice traction cleats.
We rented a car did a road trip to Snaefellsnes Peninsula. Got a little lost along the way, but ended up taking a detour through a snowy tundra-like landscape. It was breathtakingly beautiful. Other notable stops included climbing to the top of a volcano and stopping by the most photographed mountain in Iceland (Kirkjufell). At night, the boys went to the Blue Lagoon, and then we went hunting for the Northern Lights. We were incredibly lucky: we ended up catching several flashes across the sky at 1 am, right when we were about to call it quits and head home. I will never forget that night--Coldplay was blasting in the car, and it was cold beyond belief and pitch black, when suddenly a streak of faint, yellowish green light appeared from behind a low mountain.
Day 3: Snæfellsnes Peninsula
The last commercial tour that we did was through Extreme Iceland, and it lasted an entire day. While the Golden Circle is very popular for tour companies, we decided on Extreme Iceland because they offered an all-inclusive service, including pick-up and drop-off service for each guest, as well as park entry tickets and the necessary equipment for snorkelling, which we wanted to try. The Golden Circle Tour comprised of Gulfoss falls, Geysir geothermal area, Thingvellir National Park, and snorkeling in the (almost freezing!!) Silfra fissure.
Day 4: Golden Circle Tour
The last commercial tour that we did was through Extreme Iceland, and it lasted an entire day.