So we (P, baby M and I) found ourselves in Iceland in pristine summer, ready for a week and a half of breath taking beauty that the pictures promised. TBH I was a bit worried, as we had great expectations from this trip and you know what happens when you expect too much... let me tell you the pictures lied, they all did. Like a movie made from a bestselling book, they come nowhere close to translating the awesomeness that is Iceland!
We hired a car right from the airport (a 4WD, Manual Toyota Hilux). P had never driven on left hand driving before, but the entire trip hinged on him being able to adapt and his love of driving :)
We hired a car right from the airport (a 4WD, Manual Toyota Hilux). P had never driven on left hand driving before, but the entire trip hinged on him being able to adapt and his love of driving :)
Landing in Reykjavik on a warm(! 12deg C) Thursday afternoon, we wasted no time getting to the Blue Lagoon, the famed Geothermal spa. While we quickly warmed up to the naturally hot water, none of us wanted to get out into the cold wind. One of the must-do experiences and so close to the capital city! Actually this one is closer to the Keflavik airport and if you are traveling reasonably light (we were not), blue lagoon can be a stop from Keflavik to Reykjavik
We were also introduced gently to the world of waterfalls with Faxa. The number (and the magnitude) of waterfalls that you will encounter in this small little country is mind boggling
Next day was the golden circle tour. While we were doing the rest on our own, we wanted to experience a guided tour with a local flavor (and also give P some time to get over jet lag) and this was perfect. Our first stop was Kerid, a brilliant blue volcanic crater. There is a trail to go around the entire lake which takes about 20 minutes.
We were also introduced gently to the world of waterfalls with Faxa. The number (and the magnitude) of waterfalls that you will encounter in this small little country is mind boggling
Next stop Gulfoss. Another true beauty. Icelanders believe it rivals Niagara. Not hard to see why.
There are a number of views of this waterfall you can get - from above, from the front, and so very close. Each makes it look like a different beast.
Next was Geysir, the original "geyser", but it is mostly inactive. Its neighbor Strokkur was the showstopper. Every 15 minutes or so, it would erupt like in the pic below, much to our delight
Thus ended our first couple of days on this wonderful is(ce)land
More coming soon
More coming soon
