TRAVEL BERGS
John and Doreen Berg’s Travels
Introduction to Travel Bergs
For the last few years, my husband and I have travelled extensively around the world and we’d like to share our experiences with you. After our Around-the-World trip in 1995, the travel bug bit and we knew travelling was our passion and looked forward to our retirement so we could fulfil our dream! Our retirement in 1999 led to many travels throughout the world, including Europe, Asia, Africa, South America, North America, Australia and Zealandia, but not Antarctica - six out of the seven continents. Maybe Antarctica might still be on our bucket list!
An idea occurred to me that I might share these experiences with like-minded travellers and post them on our blog and/or Facebook. We hope you enjoy the detail of our travels to different countries around the globe and perhaps use the articles to plan your journeys.
The first country we wish to share is Iceland.
CHAPTER ONE
ICELAND 2019
Iceland is our most recent trip as the coronavirus has prevented us from travelling in 2020. We travelled to Iceland in September/October 2019 for 16 days. Iceland is a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. It has many green pasturelands, few trees, barren rocky bluffs, numerous waterfalls, glaciers and volcanoes, and is often referred to as the land of fire and ice. Iceland draws you in as you encounter the friendly people and the safe environment but do expect to pay a little more for your meals and hotels.
The official language of Iceland is Icelandic although many people speak other languages and in particular English. The Icelandic language began in the 9th century when Norwegians settled and brought a dialect of Old Norse to the island. There are 32 letters in the Icelandic alphabet whereas we only have 26 in the English alphabet.
How does one plan a trip to Iceland? First, the internet, to see what’s out there along with our trusty “Lonely Planet” book on Iceland. We also read many library books about stories of Iceland and found several which gave a flavour of the country.
Two of those are “Burial Rites” by Hannah Kent and “Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland” by Sarah Moss. After much research, we felt the best and easiest plan for us was to find a local Icelandic Tour Company to provide a rough outline of our plans for travelling in Iceland, and find out what they had to offer. Through The Icelandic Travel Company, (ITC), we communicated with Trent Adams, to help plan our trip. Although you can plan your trip independently, we found it beneficial to have someone in the country book our accommodations along our chosen route and arrange the car rental. We planned three days in the capital and then hooked into Trent’s plans for the remaining 14 days of our trip giving him ideas of what we liked and hoped to experience. On the net, it’s called, “Iceland like a local”. When we collected our car, Trent had left a folder filled with wonderful material which included a road book that gave us information for each day’s travels about the paths to follow, vouchers for accommodations, car rental package and a road map, plus many laminated individual detailed maps of particular areas. We had an abundance of information which helped, especially as you leave the capital to travel on the highways. We liked Trent’s timeline for us as we only drove about 300 km each day which allowed for exploring the many attractions along the way.
On Day One, Tuesday, September 24th, 2019, we flew from Powell River where we live, to Vancouver, stayed overnight in Vancouver and caught a six- and one-half hour Icelandic Air flight to Iceland. We landed in Keflavik, the International Airport of Iceland, about five in the morning on September 25th, losing some hours flying east. We had pre-booked a shuttle into Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland, which needed to be booked well in advance. You could either book a car rental at the airport, take the shuttle bus or go by taxi. Our choice was to take the shuttle bus and tour the capital for a couple of days before renting our car to drive the Ring Road. Entering the city early in the morning provided us with a glorious golden sunrise of purple and orange hues, perhaps a sign of events to follow.
On arrival at Aurora Hostel, Day Two, September 26, we entered through the basement entrance as the front doors were not open. They offered us a generous breakfast consisting of thick slices of bread which we smothered with peanut butter, jam or honey. Juices, coffee, cereals, boiled eggs and sliced meats were also obtainable. Leaving our luggage stored at the hostel, since our room was not available until 3 PM, we set off to explore the downtown centre. The air was very pleasant as we walked along the sidewalks toward the centre of town noticing the different architecture and many coloured buildings with windows that stuck out from the side of the roof like transoms. We visited the Settlement Exhibition, Old Reykjavik, and the City Hall which has a huge topographical map of Iceland. We also noticed a few museums and a large aquatic centre which we planned to visit later as we were generally reconnoitering, so after a few hours, a purchase of a SIM card for our phone, and a stop for coffee and pastries at an enticing bakery which displayed tempting products in the window, we returned to our hostel and found our room was ready. On our way back to our hostel we spotted the very tall magnificent church called
Hallgrimskirkja and took the elevator to the eighth floor to have a 360 degrees view of Reykjavik.
Back to Aurora hostel, we were assigned room number 27-17 which was across the street from the main original Aurora Hostel. We needed to use three keys, often mixing the keys, to get to our room of twin beds with an ensuite, closet and desk. Because we had been up early the day before to catch our flight, we were exhausted so we both needed a brief rest, then went out to find a restaurant for supper. As we walked the streets, we inquired from passing locals to recommend their favourite nearby restaurants. The same restaurant name was suggested by three or four different people, so we trusted local knowledge and decided the Prir Frakkar Restaurant would be just fine. The name means “three coats” and their speciality is fish, so naturally we had fish. John had halibut and I had mashy fish which was creamy mashed potatoes mixed with salty fish and then broiled to perfection with a brown creamy coating. With excellent food and service, quaint ambience and within walking distance from our hostel, we decided this would be our number one restaurant for our stay in the capital, and we weren't disappointed with our decision!
After supper, we had the most exciting experience, for me, during this trip. We saw the NORTHERN LIGHTS! They were magnificent even though we only had a short time to view them. There were bright green streaks in the dark sky with milky lines mixed with the green as they danced across the sky. We didn’t have our camera as we forgot to bring it in our rush to see the lights before they disappeared! It was a memorable occasion and we were so glad we saw them as we never had a chance again even though they did appear at least twice more. Often projected to appear late at night or in the early morning, we found from our previous busy day's activities we were just too tired to crawl out of bed or set the alarm!
Friday, Day Three, September 27th, 2019, presented an exploratory day of Reykjavik. We discovered a couple of museums, one of them being the Phallological Museum, which displays penises of mammals, including humans. Needless to say this was a very popular and interesting museum. The Northern Lights Museum exhibited many photos and videos of the aurora borealis from all over Iceland. It was a magnificent demonstration of brilliant colours dancing across the skies. We also visited the Saga Museum beside the waterfront, with plaster cast figures of the Vikings with audio phones to explain each diorama. After lunch, we went to the public pools which provided an outdoor swimming pool as well as hot pools. We mostly relaxed in the hot pools and then changed, putting our dripping wet swimming suits into an extractor and then into provided plastic bags. A nice convenience. In the late afternoon, we walked back to our hostel, about a 45-minute walk and prepared once again to eat at Prir Frakkar for another delicious meal, followed by a shared mousse dessert.
On Day Four, September 28, Europcar’s agent brought the car to our hostel, picked us up and took us to their place of business to sign the contract and to review helpful procedures for driving in Iceland. Europcar is a well-established rental place with several locations throughout Iceland which we would highly recommend. Although Icelanders drive on the same side of the road as Canada, it took some getting used to manoeuvring through the many roundabouts. We discovered that it's different driving in Iceland as the weather changes so quickly with storms one minute and sunshine the next. Stopping on the roadside is not allowed except where there are pullouts. The force of the wind can be so great it can snap off your car door. Another problem is sandstorms as they can damage the car’s paint to the point that it has to be repaired and repainted. We were told that if we saw a dark brown cloud in the air, we should drive in the opposite direction to avoid a sandstorm. Mostly we experienced pleasant warm days although minus two at times and windy weather with colder nights, few days with rain, and no sandstorms! We felt we were lucky to enjoy pleasant weather.
Once we were on the highway, travelling in a clockwise direction, we headed toward Road 1 passing through Mosfellsbaer after taking at least eight to ten roundabouts. After a few roundabouts and a little help from me, John quickly managed them. To stay on Road 1, we always took the second exit. The inner lane has priority so you must let them through first if you are in the outer lane. We travelled in a clockwise direction on the Ring Road, travelling to the West first. Although some travellers choose an anti-clockwise direction, we chose the clockwise direction because we had a reservation later in the week to walk the glacier in Skaftafell National Park in the eastern part of the country and reservations for the Blue Lagoon on our last day in Iceland.
The first stop with our hybrid Kia car was at a pullout near a bridge. We got out of the car and walked toward the small river and stretched our legs and took photos. Back into the car to continue our journey but the car wouldn’t start! We were confounded and I began to look up the phone number of the company to explain our problem. Fortunately, my husband, John, realized the car was quietly running but we couldn't hear the electric motor as the Kia was a hybrid, a new experience for us! Now we were off to explore Iceland with the first concern out of the way. As we drove along, we could see far off in the distance because Iceland has few trees. We saw fields of black and white sheep resting and the famous Icelandic horses which are smaller than our usual North American horses but are strong and endure the cold temperatures. Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported horses are not allowed to return. They have few diseases and through the process of elimination, over time, has strengthened their ability to endure the cold climate. Interestingly enough you will find horse meat on some restaurant menus.
To return to our story, we followed the very specific directions outlined in our tour guide plans going to Borgarnes on the west side of Iceland where we had a smorgasbord lunch at the restaurant attached to the Settlement Center. We decided not to visit the Museum of Settlement which tells the historical story of the Vikings in Iceland since it would be similar to the museum we had already visited in Reykjavik. After lunch, we drove to Reykholt but stopped at the Krauma Geothermal Baths at Deildartunguhver, six kilometres west of Reykholt. These Hot Springs have an overflow rate of 180 litres per second which makes it not only Iceland’s but even Europe’s highest flowing hot water spring. To get warmed from the cool wind, we couldn't wait to experience the natural hot pools ranging in temperatures from 38 degrees Celsius to 41 degrees Celsius. There was also a very cold pool of four degrees Celsius which people used to cool off. The complex consisted of two steam rooms, a relaxing room with inviting loungers, a warm fireplace and a large restaurant overlooking the steam-covered countryside. It cost 79,000 ISK, about $40.00 CA each. (As an aside, the Icelandic krona was 94 krona to 1 Canadian dollar now it is 104.02 Icelandic krona to1 Canadian dollar.)
From the hot pools, we continued to our Fosshotel Reykholt Hotel, which had excellent amenities. We made reservations for a 6:30 dinner in the restaurant and retired to our room for a quick rest. For dinner, we shared a fresh green salad and then ate our scrumptious dinners of fish. John had Arctic Char and I had cod served on top of mashed potatoes with caramelized onions. After a very busy day, it wasn’t long before we enjoyed a sound sleep.
Up early the next morning, Day Five, September 29, to eat an enormous buffet breakfast before leaving by 9:00 AM heading northeast to Reykholt, a historical city which has a cultural centre and Institute for research in medieval studies, and also famous for being the home of Iceland’s best-known author, Snorri Sturluson during the years 1206–1241. Although we didn't visit this cultural centre as we had other activities planned for the day, it would probably be a worthwhile place to explore.
Eighteen kilometres east of Reykholt, two beautiful waterfalls Barnafoss and Hraunfossar, appeared beside the roadside. The water poured over the lava rock and tumbled into the deep canyon. A natural rock bridge could be seen across one portion and historically two young children drowned trying to cross over the Natural Bridge. Travelling further North East from the waterfalls we came to a wide lava field that led to stairs going up to the edge of a crater. We hiked over 700 steps to the brim of Grabrok volcano crater. The windy and cold summit provided excellent 360 degrees view of vast vistas and rugged mountainsides. We continued to drive up the valley which looped around until we came to a gravel road near Fljotstunga, fortunately with little traffic. Here we saw more fields of Icelandic horses and many black and white sheep.
We stopped at highway junctions 54 and 56, then turning north to Stykkisholmur. We had lunch at an interesting and popular bakery/restaurant, with a sign that read “Even puffins come for coffee”. The menu had various options and we chose fish hash, a green salad, and shared a large oatmeal cookie.
Back to our Kia car to drive the last few kilometres to our hotel in Skykkisholmur at the head of the peninsula. Hotel Fransiskus was originally a Catholic convent, next to the hospital in Skykkisholmur. We had a corner room with windows on two walls which allowed us to overlook the harbour and see the lighthouse on the hill. The room was beautifully decorated with shades of tan and grey bedding, beige sheers for the windows, and ash-coloured laminate floors. For the walk to dinner that evening, we both dressed warmly in fleece-lined leggings and warm sweaters and jackets including hats and gloves as the air was cold. We waited in an outdoor heated tent until our table was ready at the very popular Narfeyrarstofa Restaurant, which proved to be an excellent choice for our hungry appetites.
On September 30, 2019, Day Six, our second day in Skykkisholmur, we planned to explore the peninsula taking Road 54 across the top and driving to Snaefellsness Park, an area of 170 square kilometres consisting of moss-covered lava fields, pebbled beaches, rugged cliffs and a large glacier. Driving along the shoreline we saw masses of birds collecting on the shore and flying in unison as they swooped up and down in their playful dance. Further on we saw two massive basalt pillars standing about 75 meters high near the shoreline. We drove to the visitor centre and took photos of the pillars. Fulmars, birds that resemble gulls, make their nest in this area. Very close to this area we took a tour of the Vatnshellir Cave, an 8000-year-old lava tube that reaches over 200 meters into the cave and 35 meters below the surface. After descending two sets of steel steps to the bottom of the cave, we felt drops of water bounced off our heads from water seeping through the lava covered ceiling. Everyone wore helmets with headlights as we walked around in the very dark tunnel. It was a fascinating experience and well worth the 3000 krona. (around $30.00CA) I felt exhausted as we reached the surface after climbing all those metal
steps.
Next morning, Day Seven, October 1, we left Fransiskus Hotel in Stykkisholmur to travel on Road 54 which skirts the coastline, then turned south to Hwy 1 driving northeast, arriving at Blonduas for lunch at a gas station. After our breakfasts and scrumptious dinners, the gas stations became our lunchtime stops. They had basic inexpensive foods and the ever-popular hotdog arranged in a paper pocket and slathered with dried onions which often became our lunchtime choice. The gas station restaurants also featured a meal of the day which we found tasty and reasonably priced. They also offered a do-it-yourself free car wash of which we took advantage.
After the car wash, we continued our journey driving all day, except for the lunch stop, and arrived at Hofsstadir, a small isolated community on an inlet, on the Midwest side of Trollaskagi (Troll Peninsula). We stayed at Guesthouse Hofsstadir which provided rustic connected cabins for guests plus meals in a separate restaurant where we had our dinner that night and breakfast in the morning. Our breakfast consisted of hot oatmeal, rhubarb pudding and skyr, a delicious yoghurt-like concoction made from skim milk. (In restaurants they serve it as dessert adding fruit and sugar.)
On leaving our guesthouse the next morning, Day Eight, October 2, 2019, we followed the Troll Peninsula along the coastline to the north, stopping briefly at Dalvik (Vik means bay), for a pizza lunch. This day we drove through four long tunnels where the first tunnel and the last tunnel are one-lane traffic with pullout spots. Fortunately, we didn't encounter any oncoming traffic. It might have been a long way to back up to a pullout spot! We drove into Akureyri, “The capital of the North”. We left without stopping, driving across a long dike to the other side of the bay and turned north to avoid the paid tunnel, following Highway 1 to the town of Reykjahlid.
Our research revealed that the areas’ attractions in Reykjahild warranted a longer visit, therefore we booked two nights in Fosshotel Myvatn Hotel, just outside the town of Reykjahlid on the northeastern shore of Lake Myvatn. After registering we picked up vouchers to go to the Myvatn Nature Baths somewhat like the Blue Lagoon, but smaller. (One must remember to take off silver jewellery as it turns black.) After a lovely soak in the hot pools, we returned to the hotel for supper where John had Arctic Char with asparagus and potatoes, and I ordered cod with polenta and kale – all very delicious. We followed the main course with refreshing apple and pomegranate sorbets.
Again, a tired couple, we were early to bed. If the front desk called to watch the Northern Lights we missed the call.
On our second day in Reykjahild, Day 9, October 3, we drove for 20 minutes to Leirjnjukur which is an active volcano area. We hiked along boardwalks and up many wooden steps to view the steam areas. The main problem was the wind. It was so fierce that I stood still sometimes, fearing I would lose my balance. It was a busy spot as many people from bus tours were also hiking. It was cold going up the stairs, but the full force of the wind hit us on our way back. John was only wearing jeans and felt so cold that when we got back to the car, he donned his rain pants over his jeans to keep warm. I already had on fleece-lined leggings and rain-proof travel pants, but I still felt cold.
We then drove to Hverarond, six kilometres east of Reykjahlid, to see the geothermal activity with steam pits and mud pits that dotted the barren countryside. The acidic, sulphuric, high-temperature soil results in vivid ground colours. We made several videos of the bubbling pots and John posted them on Facebook. Our next stop was Dimmuborgir, to hike the many trails in a dormant cauldron spending about two hours here before returning to our hotel.
On Friday, October 4th, 2019, Day Ten, we left the Fosshotel at 9:30 putting our carry-on suitcases into the trunk area of our Kia and our small backpack and computer case in the front for easy access as we drove along.
From Myvatn, our first stop was Husavik, a whaling town where they offer many tours to see the whales. Since we see many killer whales off the coast of British Columbia we chose not to go on a whaling tour. On the waterfront is a whale museum which we visited for over an hour and enjoyed their displays and videos. One historical film showed how they brought the whale into the whaling station, taking the skin off, and then cutting it into sections, which took three hours for seven men to complete the task.
From Husavik we continued our journey to Dettifoss Waterfall, reputedly the most powerful waterfall in Europe, which drops 148 ft (45m) into Iceland’s largest canyon, the Jokulsargljufur Canyon. We had to walk about one kilometre to the falls and the wind was ferocious, nearly stopping us in our tracks. However, the magnitude of the falls was well worth the discomfort of the cold. From here we travelled to Egilsstadir, our destination for the night in Lake Hotel, an older guest house with beautiful views of the lake. Although Egilsstadir isn’t touristy, it does have an international airport. We chatted with three girls from Poland who told us they had to divert to the Egilsstadir International Airport because the winds were so ferocious at Keflavik International Airport that it prevented their plane from landing. We were tired after all our day’s activities so didn’t do much except fill the car with gas, eat a good lamb meal, and off to bed early in preparation for travels tomorrow.
Day Eleven, John’s birthday, October 5, 2019. It was a blustery morning with so much wind that we hoped we wouldn't encounter a sandstorm as we travelled to Fosshotel Vatnajokull in Nesjahvera, a small town just north of the coastal town Hofn. We drove to Hofn about 300 kilometres away travelling over many single-lane bridges. Afterwards, we stopped for lunch then went to our Fosshotel Vatnajokull Hotel (jokull means glacier). While registering at the reception desk the clerk told us about a few hot pools north of the hotel so we decided to take advantage of them. We took our bathing suits and drove a few miles north to Hoffell pools where we soaked in small pools, much like large kiddies’ pools. These pools were outdoors where the air was very brisk. The change rooms were very basic, not like the previous plush resort pools we'd enjoyed – a very different experience. An invitation from a German couple had us join them in the small four-person pool where we shared diverse travel stories. It was raining and blowing hard by the time we got back to our hotel and we were told not to open our windows for fear they would break in the wind.
That evening we had a special supper as it was John's birthday. We started with an appetizer of pickled herring which was “out of this world”. For our main courses, John ordered Arctic char and I had fish and chips. Marta, who had registered us at the reception sometime earlier, was our waitress. I told her it was John's birthday, and would she mind taking a photo and she said, “How old, 35?” We appreciated her sense of humour as John likes to counter with another joke. For dessert, she suggested a hot chocolate cake topped with sugared walnuts and a scoop of ice cream. We waited with anticipation for this delicious complimentary dessert which we shared.
The following morning, Day 12, October 6, we rose with excitement to an anticipated adventure to hike the glacier! We'd pre-booked this in Canada since it is a popular event, and it needed to tie in with our travel itinerary. First, we travelled 66 km to the glacier lagoon, Jokulsarlon, where we stopped to look at icebergs floating in the ocean. Many people were on each side of the bridge to see the floating icebergs. We took a variety of photos some showing clear looking glassy pieces of icebergs and others with whitish-blue tones. We arrived at Skaftafell National Park at about one o’clock and registered our car for parking and then bought some toasted sandwiches and skyr (similar to yoghurt) cake while we waited for our glacier adventure to begin at 2:30.
At the company’s hut, we rented hiking boots and had crampons fitted on them but didn't attach the crampons until we were ready to hike on the glacier itself. The company drove us to the base of the glacier in a shuttle bus. We walked for about 30 minutes before we arrived at the foot of the glacier. With help and directions from Tryggvi, our excellent guide, we stopped and put on our crampons and with our snow spear in hand started our glacier adventure. We had to keep our feet wide apart and stomp as we walked, or else end up on our faces. We had an excellent day for climbing as the sun was out and there was no wind, quite different from yesterday. The day before our guide told us that they had to cancel most of the hikes because of the rain and wind and on taking one group earlier he said they were soaked. Tryggvi said even to his sodden underwear and that's when they said they'd had enough. He said when he hung his clothes there were little lakes on the floor - not just puddles.
As we climbed the glacier, our guide, Tryggvi, a third level guide, took his snow spear and placed it across a trickle of water where we each had a chance to lie down on our stomachs, place our hands on the spear and drink glacial water. This was a fun experience. As we reached the top of the glacier something magical happened - part of the glacier fell. It sounded like a big thunderstorm and I turned and saw the piece fall a long distance up the hill. Our Icelandic guide was very excited as glacier calving is not often viewed. Tryggvi showed us the cave that had tripled in size from pieces of the ceiling falling in just a week. As I trudged along behind, I found it harder to go down the glacier and our guide helped me, especially on the steep sections. Once we got down the steep area, Tryggvi asked if anyone would like to lead the rest of the way and I volunteered and had the privilege of leading the group out for the last 30-minute hike to the shuttle bus.
It was getting dark by the time we left Skaftafell National Park and this was the only time we drove in the dark and it wasn’t an enjoyable hour and a half drive! That night we stayed at Geirland Adventure Hotel. As we turned off the main highway onto a gravel road we wondered if we were going in the right direction as there were few lights and it was very dark and desolate. Fortunately, we used our GPS to get us there safely. We found the night driving difficult and slower. Before settling into our assigned room, the staff suggested we order our supper as the kitchen would soon be closed. With our hunger satisfied we were off to find our room in semi-detached units. A most fulfilling and exciting day as we reflected on our day’s adventures.
Day 13, Monday, October 7, a very stormy day as we toured the Golden Circle. It was so stormy we stopped for lunch early at Vik to sit it out. Thinking back to our glacier walk, we felt lucky to have traversed the glacier on a sunny windless day. In the restaurant at Vik, we were surprised to find the three Polish girls once again whom we had met earlier in our travels. They needed a ride to Keflavik for their flight home to Poland the following day and they weren't sure the bus was even coming because of the strong winds. We couldn’t help them as we were going in another direction. While we waited for the wind to die down we decided to walk the black sand beach where tremendous waves rolled onto the shore. We took videos of the powerful water force as the water tumbled against the shoreline and the rocky bluffs. By the time we got back to the car, we looked like drowned rats, once again getting soaked from the Atlantic storms. The heated car seats helped us to dry out and we hung our wet dripping jackets over the back of our seats.
We then drove towards Hella in the southeast of Iceland. We passed the town of Skogar where we encountered the very high waterfall Scogafoss on the western edge of the town. The 62-meter-high waterfall topples over a rocky cliff. We walked to the foot of the falls shrouded in sheets of mist and rainbows and joined the many people standing in awe of this natural phenomenon. We then stopped at the Fjaorarglljufur Canyon, which was massive, about 100 meters deep and two kilometres long. We only saw part of it but climbed as far as we could and took lots of photos. It flows into the Skafte River.
We decided to bypass other suggestions of Trent’s itinerary and headed to our Fosshotel Hekla Hotel, travelling Highway 1 to junction Highway 30 and turned north and in no time at all we found the hotel. It’s described as a laid back hotel featuring simple rooms and suites, plus a restaurant, a bar and outdoor hot tubs. We checked out the hot tubs and enjoyed a short soak in deliciously warm water. We appreciated the Foss hotels with their on-site restaurants and hot pools which meant we didn’t have to leave the area once we had registered. For dinner that evening we ate scrumptious meals of lobster soup, roast lamb/salmon with pureed parsnip and yam accompanied by julienned vegetables and something deep red and sweet which we couldn’t identify. Needless to say, we enjoyed our Icelandic food. Back to our room and early to bed after a busy adventurous day.
Day 14, October 8, began with another excellent breakfast before heading toward Keflavik. There were many natural wonders along the way where we stopped to enjoy these magnificent phenomena of Iceland. We drove north past Fuldir to Gullfoss (The Golden Falls). A massive amount of water pours down two steps into a large canyon. Many tourists were visiting this site and countless photos were taken. A sign stated, “In wildness and fury it outdoes the Niagara Falls”. Access to the top of the falls was gained by metal steps, possibly over 100, so visitors could take photos of the waterfall from different angles. There is a huge gift shop nearby with many items for sale. We bought little moccasins for our six-month-old grandchild and I bought a beautifully designed Icelandic cushion cover displaying the Northern Fulmar surrounded by Birch branches.
We continued our drive to Geyser, a place that has many bubbling pools over 100 degrees centigrade and the geyser Strokkur which erupts every 5 to 8 minutes to a height of 20 meters. We stood there with great anticipation for the geyser to shoot into the air. Like the crowds, we were not disappointed as we joined the shouts and shrieks of people excited to see this natural phenomenon.
On arriving at Keflavik, and thanks to our GPS, we found our lovely apartment on Sunset H 20, which we had booked independently while in Canada and was not part of our tour. The pretty apartment had many amenities – TV with Netflix, coffee supplies and cereal, and a variety of toiletries. After watching an episode of “Grace and Frankie”, we walked down Main Street beside the waterfront and found a superb restaurant called “Kaffe Duus”, near the marina. I had a scrumptious buttered chicken dinner and John had salmon, both excellent choices. This was a different experience to seek out a restaurant for our evening meal. Usually, we just took the elevator down and ate in our hotel’s dining room.
On our last day in Iceland, Day 15, October 9, we were to experience the Blue Lagoon which we’d booked ahead in Canada. You need to book in advance as they do not receive walk-ins. The Blue Lagoon was about an hour's drive from our apartment. On registration, we were given electronic bands for our wrists that opened and closed a locker and to acquire our drinks. Our tickets to the Blue Lagoon gave us the “comfort” zone which meant a towel, silicone mask, one free drink, and a locker each. We found our separate areas for men and women and got into our bathing suits and showered.
Outside the building, we quickly entered the inviting warm pool to get out of the wind. We walked around in the pool exploring the different areas of varying temperatures and depths of water. There was a variety of drinks available at a poolside kiosk, and John and I both chose smoothies, banana mango and blueberry mango. We were soon off to try our silicone masks, an interesting experience. We rubbed the self-applied silicone onto our faces, waited until it dried, then dunked our heads into the salty pool to remove the silicone. I asked about putting all that silicone into the pool and was told that silicone is a natural element of the pool. No problem! It was an interesting experience and part of the fun. You can stay at the Blue Lagoon as long as you wish, from your scheduled entrance time until closing. Most people spend two to four hours at the lagoon relaxing in the various pools, spas, or eating. We stayed for a couple of hours and since we hadn't bought more drinks, we simply placed our bands across a light which opened a small door to receive the band before you walked through. We then drove to the airport to return our rental car by 3:00 without a problem and no extra charges, and then prepared for our Icelandair flight to Vancouver. It would be another day before we arrived home to Powell River.
Although many tourists choose not to go to the Blue Lagoon because of its exorbitant prices, we felt that we needed to experience this tourist highlight since we would probably not return to Iceland again. We were very happy with the experience since it is such a unique outdoor luxurious encounter, soaking in saltwater with varying temperatures throughout the gigantic pool. The Blue Lagoon holds 9 million litres of geothermal seawater and covers an area of 8,700 square meters to a depth of 1.2 meters on average.
Our explorations in Iceland were unique and gratifying as we experienced Icelandic culture. We would decidedly invite visitors to discover this island in the mid-Atlantic Ocean. Our first few days in the capital, Reykjavik, provided an introduction and a historical background to Iceland. Our circular Ring Road drive highlighted the geographic differences of this rare island country. Visiting the different towns and geographical sites, enhanced our understanding of the culture and topography of Iceland as we drove the circle route. For us, the intrepid travellers, the main memories are the swim in the Blue Lagoon, our hike on the Skatafell Glacier, the Northern Lights, trudging around the Myvatn Lake area and especially the wonderfully helpful people of this magnificent island in the mid-Atlantic.
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