Welcome to Niceland

Iceland. Oh Iceland, what did you do…

Before traveling to (N)Iceland, I wrote a blog post about “the land of ice, geyshirs and Vikings”. This is what I wrote:

“What on Earth am I going to do in Iceland?! I bought tickets very spontaneously. So basically I have no idea what to do or where to go. But then again, it’s Iceland. I can probably go anywhere and still feel amazed by the breathtaking scenery of one of the world’s most beautiful islands. I know it’s winter and relatively cold but I just won’t let the weather stop me. So Iceland! It’s going to be marvelous! I really want to go into the wild and so I’ll try my best to get to the rough nature of Iceland. Only the sky is limit when it comes to my travels…”

And so it was.

Here’s how it all started.

I was on a plane (EasyJet, sooo cheap from Edinburgh to Reykjavik!) (okay.., enough of commercializing. That’s not what my blog’s about.) with my “little” 20 liter backpack in my legroom. Couldn’t really sit with my feet straight / in a comfortable position, but oh well, I survived. My focus was not on my feet but the good company I had. There was this old couple sitting next to me, somewhere maybe at their 70ies. They had a wee Scottish accent and they were sooo cute! Loving life etc. Mainly they were wondering how a girl at my age had the guts first to live abroad alone and then to travel all alone to Iceland. But they knew what I meant when I told them that this is the life I want to live, this is what I’ve born to do. He told me he loves traveling, too. He used to feel the same as I do now, that the world is open and you just want to travel everywhere and explore as much as you can! He told me he used to work as a sailor on a big ship for many, many years. So basically, his job was to travel all around the world. He used to sail from Edinburgh to Cape Town, from South Africa to Hong Kong and all the way from China to Sydney and so on, just to mention few of them. He had been to every continent, even Antarctica. He had literally been everywhere and he had seen so much. You could see it from his eyes when I asked him questions about his travels, his eyes just… It was amazing. Like he traveled in time, back to the past. He had such a depth in his eyes, he had a sparkle in his eyes. You could see he had lived a lot and seen even more.

So I enjoyed that plane flight very much. No matter how uncomfortable my feet’s position was.

Oh, human connections. People, you rock!

So, after arriving to beautiful Iceland (later on known as Niceland because everything and everyone there are just simply so nice) I, somehow, managed to get a bus to Reykjavik and – I SWEAR, not intentionally – got a free bus ride from Reykjavik to my hostel, even though I hadn’t booked nor paid it beforehand. The driver didn’t really care because they were in hurry and it was a hectic situation so I got the ride for free. And! He took me to my hostel which wasn’t even on their drop off-list. 😀 Hehehe. Worth of trying!

The hostel was really nice and I would recommend to everyone. It’s called Hlemmur Square hostel and they have both, a luxury hotel and an upscale hostel up there. 🙂 I had a view to the sea and big white mountains from my room. So much better than the “another brick on the wall” view that I had at my home hostel in Edinburgh. (So basically there was about ten meters and a huge grey-brown-ish wall that blocked all the sunlight coming to the room. I mean, okay why am I lying, it’s Edinburgh. There’s no sunlight in Edinburgh. 😀 I think they, Scotland and the whole UK have some issues with the Sun, I don’t think Sun really likes UK that much… But rain does! And clouds. And wind. And storms… The list is endless.)

Anyways, Iceland. Wow. Nice, Iceland, you really are a nice land Iceland. Niceland.

It’s been now exactly four weeks that I left Edinburgh and flew to Iceland. Like I said, I had no idea what to expect. And it was good, I managed to let go and just go with the flow. Every day was a new day and I was open to all the adventures it led me to. I managed to let life happen at its own pace and not push it any specific direction. What ever problem or difficulty appeared, you dealt with it at its time. And because of all that, I was feeling very positive and confident about my time in Iceland. Everything was going to be alright, whatever happened. But I had no idea that it was going to be one of the best weeks of my entire life.

I was poorly prepared. And I kinda knew it, but I did it anyway. My winter coat was a bit so-so. It worked just fine only if and when I wore a massive jumper under it. But I manages just fine, the biggest issue were my shoes, they were tremendously bad. First of all, I had only one pair of shoes with me, so, when that one pair got wet I had nothing else to wear than the wet ones. And it was more wet in Iceland (in December) that I thought it would be. Whoops. Oh well, at least I learned something… It can rain in Iceland, too. And even though it didn’t rain, the snow that falls down might melt on the ground and become a horrible mess of slush. Ugh. So two pairs of shoes, everyone! Two pairs! Or if you have only one pair, please, do yourself a favor and check that your footwear is (A) waterproof, (B) slip resistant and (C) warm enough. I had none of those. So you can only imagine.

SO, WHAT HAPPENED IN ICELAND?

I’ve been telling you how awesome (and not awesome) it was, but I haven’t told you how it all happened. In a nutshell… this is what happened:

Even though I didn’t get to go to the Blue Lagoon geothermal spa because I didn’t have a swim suit nor I met any actual vikings, I still had a pretty good time in Iceland. I met the coolest people at the hostel and we were too hipster to take a tour so we rented a car, set our GPS and went on the road. (Just kidding ’bout the hipster part.) We just wanted something different, we wanted to go away from the touristic track and schedules. We wanted to go into the wild and so we figured that the best possible option was to rent our own car with a group of four and just… Go. If you’re thinking about traveling in Iceland, please, another favor to do to yourself, rent a car with a GPS and just… drive. There’s plenty of car rental places you can choose from. Or try your luck and find a person who has the international drivers license and possibly even a car already. Haha. That’s what I did and it worked out just well. Here’s some evidence.

Places we got to see during my week in Niceland:

Reykjavík

Reykjavík was beautiful – both day and night.

Even though I did got lost a bit one night and I kinda had to search my way home on my own back to the city center since my phone didn’t work in the freezing cold weather and there was no cars nor taxis driving by. When there finally was a car, it was already morning and those friendly locals with a warm car were – nope, not willing to give me a ride but – willing to help me to get back home. 🙂 Apparently I wasn’t too far away, approximately 45 minute walk or so only. Oh well, that happens. And after that little adventure (which includes having a cup of coffee in a local bakery with a local old grandpa who’s number I have if I ever return to Iceland, and other stuff) I survived and managed to get back home safely. Hooraayy! Long live the life!!!

On the road to wherever…

…look how beautiful it is everywhere. And so quiet, so peaceful…

 

Chasing Northern Lights…

…the famous Aurora Borealis and photo shooting sessions…

 

the sky lights literally danced upon us

 “Wilderness is not a luxury but a necessity for human spirit.” -Edward Abbey

First road trip…

…from Reykjavik all the way to Vík, the southernmost village in Iceland, and back…

Waterfalls, such as

Seljalandsfoss

Skogafoss

and then, Vík and the Black Sanded Beach…

Vík í Mýrdal

 

 

…where my crazy Australian friend swam and almost got hypodermic… Aussies! 😀

So he swam in a freezing cold ocean. We had to get him warm, so we decided to go swimming in a hot spring, the People’s Pool,  we had read about. It was supposed to be somewhere there on our way back and I had the instructions on my phone. It was supposed to be easy to find the place but oh-noh, not even close. The site said that there was a path beside on a mountainside you first had to take before getting to the pool. Well, we got to the place the path was supposed to start but there was no path! Only snow everywhere. Couple of cottages and mountains. We got off from the car but after a while looking and a wee snowball fight we got back to the car. It was too cold and windy, “It’s not here, we can’t find it.” we thought. But then suddenly out of nowhere a car drove next to us. There was some Norwegian people who asked us if we’re going to the pool. They had been there before and they were ready to show us the way. 🙂

After a approximately 30 minute hike through rivers (I’m not kidding, this time not only mine but all of our feet were completely wet) and frozen pathways on the mountainside, we finally got to our destination. And oh boy, the views from up there…

There we were. Swimming in a pool on a mountainside in the middle of nowhere. The water was warm and it was snowing. It was amazing. One of the best moments of the week. After swimming a while a local man told us we should get back soon because the sun was about to set and soon it was going to pitch black. We had no torches nor nothing else, so we took our stuff, put our clothes back in the freezing cold weather and started walking back to the car. 🙂 Then we got on the road again and a snow storm hit us. We couldn’t see anything and we were just driving with our little car in the middle of nowhere, hoping for the best. Hoping that we will survive, get back to Reykjavík alive. Haha. It was a good day. And awesome company! I was so lucky with the guys I met. We got along so well and we basically spend the whole week together. 🙂 It was goood.

Second road trip – the Golden Circle

Couple of days after the first road trip we hit the road (Jack!) again. This time we wanted to go for the famous golden circle -route, which all the tourists knew and where all the tours went, too. Here you can see the golden circle route on the map and also the route all the way to Vík:

During the winter season the day is so short (about from 10.30-11am to 3.30-4pm, or even less) that if you want to see all those places during the sunlight and not in the darkness, you should be prepared to spend the whole day (from 9am to 6pm or so) on the road. If you want to return back to Reykjavík for the night, I mean. We did that and it was alright. Both of them – driving around the circle and to Vík – were day trips. So be sure to have time if you want to visit places!

Here’s how our day around the Golden Circle was.

First there was the Þingvellir National park…

…The place where the North America’s and Eurasian tectonic plates meet. So we actually were able to walk above the Mid-Atlantic Ridge; in a place two continents meet. It was amazing. And the landscapes were just incredibly beautiful.

…after that the famous Geyshir…

…and the last but not least Gullfoss, “the Golden falls”

It was massive! It’s the largest waterfall in Iceland. The sun was just setting when we got there and it looked amazing. Iceland just stole my heart, right there just then. It was… unbelievable.

 

Those two road trips were really amazing and they only made me feel like I didn’t want to return home, not yet. But I am sure, one day I will go back and this time during the summer when the sun never sets.

What a great week. And once again, the people I got to meet! Wow. Thank you guys! For making my stay unforgettable. 🙂 Until the next time! Here’s the last photos, very random ones. From jumping around snowy Reykjavík without socks on and having a surprise birthday cake in the hostel to looking stupid on the top of a waterfall and taking a photo of a guy and a bird. All those moments. All those people. Such a good vacation, such a good time and adventures. Can’t wait for the next ones to come! 😉 (Asia, here I coomeeeee!!!)

Cheers! Or tack tack as they say in Iceland.

Thank you guys.

Until the next journey!

– Jenna

Spontaneously: The land of ice, geyshirs and Vikings

Iceland. Sooo I booked tickets to Iceland. What on Earth am I going to do in Iceland?!

I bought tickets very spontaneously.  So basically I have no idea what to do or where to go.

But then again, it’s Iceland. I can probably go anywhere and still feel amazed by the breathtaking scenery of one of the world’s most beautiful islands. I know it’s winter and relatively cold but I just won’t let the weather stop me. So Iceland! It’s going to be marvelous! I really want to go into the wild and so I’ll try my best to get to the rough nature of Iceland. Only the sky is limit when it comes to my travels…

Look how beautiful it is! It’s stunning. It’ll be like stepping into a fairy tale.

I could try to ride a horse? Or something. I love horses. I wish I knew how to ride one.

So what can I do in Iceland? I’ll fly to Reykjavik, so, obviously, I will stay there for few nights of my week-long journey. How and where? I have no idea. Couch surfing? Hostel? Who knows. But something cheap, for sure. Reykjavik and its colorful little houses, Christmas lights and little markets, friendly people and fireplaces. Warm atmosphere, northern lights. Trees and roads white of snow, air glimmering because of the falling snowflakes. Red noses and red cheeks, vapour coming from everyone’s mouth when they try to speak in the freezing weather.

After wondering around Reykjavik’s pubs and wee shops, I could imagine myself trying to hitchhike somewhere. Although I only have seven days and six nights, so might as well spend it wisely. I think I’ll just create a list that I really want to do and then just go with the flow, not really make any specific plans.

It’s Iceland. It’s kind of like Finland during winter. Everywhere in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter season days are way shorter than during the summer season. I remember those days when I went to school in the morning and it was pitch black, and then when I got off, it was pitch black again. So basically we couldn’t see the sunlight at all. It’s horrible. So depressing. So that’s where I come from and where I am traveling to. The shortest days might be only for about four hours long. But then again you’ll see the stars better and better chance to see the northern lights when it’s dark all the time (if the weather is good). I really thought that the temperature would colder than in Finland but it’s not! Not even close. It’s about zero degrees Celsius, maybe -2 to +2 degrees, when in Finland we would have over -20 C degrees. The reason for the relatively “warm” temperature is because of the gulf stream that brings warmer water up to Iceland from lower latitudes.

So, what should I do?

One day, maybe after some shopping at the Christmas markets, I would like to go to the world famous Blue Lagoon. In Icelandic Bláa lónið, the Blue Lagoon is artificial geothermal pool that gets its 38˚C warm water from the nearby Svartsengi thermal power station. “Svartsengi taps into steam vents fed by sea water seeping down into subterranean hot pots, and by the time it emerges at Blue Lagoon it has cooled to a comfortable 38˚C.” I’m super excited because they have a sauna there! I haven’t been to a sauna in ages. In Finland almost every household has its own sauna and before moving to Edinburgh I was used to go to the sauna for several times a week. Now it’s been almost seven months without it! Aaaa

 

After Blue Lagoon, I could try to go to see one of Europe’s most powerful waterfall, Dettifoss or maybe some other massive waterfall, like Gullfoss. I could also go to see the Askja, a volcanic crater that has a geothermal lake víti that you can swim in (SAY WHAAT). Then there’s also of course the Geysir which is probably one of the most photographed nature’s phenomenon in the world. Then there’s also plenty of national parks to conquer and wildlife to experience… Oh boy, is a week enough after all?

 

Aurora Borealis, the northern lights would also be a pretty amazing thing to see in the wilderness of Iceland. Did you know that actually the name Aurora Borealis is named after the Roman goddess of dawn, Aurora, and Borealis is from the Greek name for the north wind, Boreas. The best time to see them would be between September to April, so I guess my trip will have the “perfect timing” then. Lucky me!

On the road again, can’t wait to get on the road again… And there I will be. On the road, don’t know where I’m going but it’s definitely somewhere. In Iceland Reykjavik is a good start, then we’ll see where after that. Maybe a glazier walk?

“During the winter months, the glaciers get a bit sturdier, and groups of tourists are led across them. There’s no better way to see the glaciers than to walk on them. Release your Arctic explorer across the glaciers of Iceland.” 

Glazier walk, selfies with the biggest waterfall I’ve ever seen, ice caving and glacier lagoons. Horse riding, hot toddies, hanging out in a local pub with vikings, old saga tales and warming your frozen fingers in front of the fireplace. I found a perfect site, https://www.extremeiceland.is/en/winter-tours where I can find almost any tours that they have in Iceland during the winter season. So maybe I’ll go on for a tour. 🙂

Until the next time! Hafa a ágætur dagur! 🙂