The Endlessly Captivating Iceland

Getting lost in Iceland became our daily routine. We often found ourselves driving aimless for hours, sometimes in pitch-dark and often with gas meter dropping faster than the distance to destination. A road-trip here was like traveling through the song It’s Oh So Quiet by Iceland’s country’s treasure Bjork’s. Everything is so peaceful and you get lost in the tranquility and isolation… then Zing boom! Geysers shooting up in the sky; Wow bam, waterfall drops behind the rainbow; Bim bam! giant icebergs floating down the glacier. And Shh shh… it all goes back to nice and quiet again, until the next spectacle that steals your heart and takes your breath away.

Iceland is like a lab fueled by unpredictable volcanos. The lava fields, lagoons, craters, geysers were the contrasting products of volcanic activities and formation. We started the journey with The Golden Circle, and although a little touristic, the three pillar Þingvellir, Geysir, and Gullfoss did not disappoint.

Þingvellir (Þ is pronounced as the silent “th” in English) is the home to the oldest parliament, and where North America and Eurasian tectonic plates are tearing away from each other. Standing in front of Logberg (Law Rock), I imagined how people across the countries gathered here to discuss and 930 AD.

Walking through the rift valley, I sat down at the bottom of the beautiful Oxararfoss WaterfallI and wrote postcards, wishing I could also send part of this picturesque view across the world. Up in the mountains, a couple in wedding attires shared an endearing kiss, adding more sweetness into the air.

Standing by Strokkur – the biggest geyser at Haukadalur, the crowd waited excitedly, unbothered the rotten egg smell of the sulfur. The calm water started boiling, bubbles formed, and danced in the pond, indicating the next explosion. Suddenly, the scalding water exploded and shot 30 meters into the air, accompanied by cheers from the audience.

Following the roar of the rushing water, we arrived at Gullfoss – the Golden Fall. On a grey rainy day, I could only imagine the sun adding a stunning golden sparkling cover to this waterfall. After a spectacular view of the double cascades dropping dramatically off the cliff, we walked along the short pathway down for a close encounter, feeling the water splashing on my face and tasting the mustiness in the air.

Kerið Crater Lake is a bonus point at the end of The Golden Circle. The crater is blanketed with a deep moss, leading a nice gentle path to the bottom pool of emerald lake. Seeing such diverse spectacles packed in 6 hours within 100km was a mind-blowing experience, I don’t think I’ve seen it anywhere else.

In the Guesthouse, we found this book. Now I have a mission to look for Iceland’s most disgusting food, especially the Hákarl (fermented shark) and Súrir hrútspungar (sour ram testicles). Let the hunt begin.

On the road, we often found Icelandic horses roaming freely on the field or resting in the barn. Although small and sometimes pony-sized, they looked strong and handsome with long and flowing manes and tails. Couldn’t resist their charm, I decided to have an intimate encounter. Saddling up, we crossed rocky lava fields, tölted through mountain passes, and stopped by the waterfall for our horses to have a break and snack. My new friend Eric ducks his head into the bush, chewing the fresh leaves in his mouth and at times taking a sneak peek at me. I patted his silky manes and thanked him for taking me on this adventure in the Icelandic wilderness.

On the way to Vik, we passed by skogafoss unexpectedly. Drawn by the double rainbow around the magnificent waterfall, I run into the cascade, looking for the other side of the rainbow.

The landscape continued changing as we drove on. Walking on the black sand beach in Vik, I gazed at the waves violently attacking the large basalt columns sitting off the shoreline. The beach was created by burning lava flowing into the ocean and cooled instantly by the freezing water. I held the black sands in my hands and let it falls through my fingers, imagining the volcano eruption and lava devouring the land. Who would have thought something so destructive could create such fascinating wonders? And who knows how long this will last?

As I thought we’ve seen all the best of Iceland, the magnificent Sólheimajökull glacier revealed herself. Again completely enchanted, we couldn’t stop the urge to feel the ice with our feet. We booked the glacier walk through Arctic Adventure, thrilled to get intimate with Europe’s largest glacier. Our guide Corey and Alvin helped the team to gear up, and let us through the dramatically changing land: wild terrains, rugged icefall, and artistic canvasses carved by the glacier. Marveled at this beauty, I was reminded about the environment. Iceland is losing 0.34% glaciers a year, and they could be gone in 200 years if global warming continues at the current speed.

Before heading to Akureyri, we stopped by Myvatn Nature Baths. In 6 degree Icelandic cold wind, I ran to the lagoon and soaked my body in the neon blue water. The temperature felt perfect, I sipped the Malbec from a plastic cup and watched sun rays shining through the thick clouds. Traveling in Iceland felt like out of this world the entire time. A country of 103,000 km2 and 300,000 population, the endlessly captivating Iceland could host tourists five times its population each year.

PS. The hunt for discussing food was not very successful. We managed to find Harkel (fermented shark) chased it down with notorious Iceland’s signature Brennivín. It didn’t taste that disgusting. We drank down the disappointed with Icelandic Stout Garún NR.19. The dark aura of intense richness and haunting aroma made me very happy. Skál!