Velcomin to Iceland, a land of vikings past, exorbitantly long names and hot tubs. It is a quirky country that has definitely done a ninety degree turn on what I had expected to find. Coming from literally "the other side of the world" I was under the impression this land would be an unspoiled wilderness, neglected by the masses and home to some more hardened characters. After all, who wants to holiday in a country that advertises how cold it is by it's very name? Well apart from one stupid Aussie and his co.... So wasn't I surprised to learn that tourism is Iceland's second largest industry behind fishing. Apparently the Europeans love the place but as we found out, maybe this is a bit more of a one way love.
Iceland is a small island, slightly smaller than Tasmania back home (the little dangly bit off the bottom of Australia) and with a similar population. For it's size however it projects an aura of expansive wildernesses. The air is clean and with no trees around you can see for many miles in every direction. This makes Iceland spectacular. It is truly the hardest place I have ever traveled to to photograph. You just can't seem to capture the expanse nor can your camera seem to handle the colour contrasts.
Traveling with my girlfriend Emily we arrived well before the peak tourist season of July to September. Though it is colder during these months we found the landscapes far more impressive as there was still a good amount of snow around. We also benefited from almost no tourists, cheaper services and a more generally accepting population. Hiring a little car for a great rate, we circumnavigated the island over the course of two and a half weeks camping out at our leisure and often for free. We took every side road available to us and discovered many a really cool little nook and cranny.
Not only is the island interesting but so too are its people. We found the locals to be a little stand-offish at first but if you engaged with them they usually turned out to be quite friendly. And it is not unlike an Aussie to yarn so this suited me well. Plus if you could make them laugh, you were in! The Icelandic's have a similar ratio of people per square km as we do back home in Australia. This is what really had my head spinning when they told me that there was an expected one million tourists to arrive this summer! That is as many tourists in Iceland as locals every month of the summer. And seeing their infrastructure, I have no idea how this will work. I am just glad I am not there to witness.
Personally, as we traveled I could see the toll this many tourists was beginning to take on many of the locals. If one Frenchman can piss me right off, imagine what a country full of them could do. I also find European travelers, the vast majority of those who come to this country, to be quite difficult. So I feel for you Iceland. The tourist dollar is needed though and hence the conundrum. In the north of the country the locals seem much more friendly and welcoming. They obviously get less travelers here as it does take some time to make your way around the island. Many travelers only give themselves a small number of days to see Iceland and then channel themselves into the South which is much more readily accessible.
Having the time to travel though is amazing. The landscapes changed day to day. You get to experience massive volcanic expanses with the odd volcano jutting out, lava fields, giant mountains and fjords, snowy flat lands, glaciers, lagoons and the list goes on and on. Iceland is an explorers delight.
There is not much in Iceland in terms of flora and fauna. Being so isolated from the world and having formed volcanically like other places such as the Galapagos Islands, Iceland is mostly a domain for birds and sea life. The highlights of our sightings were whales in the fjords, seals on the coastline, puffins in the cliffs and reindeer on the flats. But what is lacking in this regard is well compensated for in others. One such other is the abundant hot pools. Oh my god I love this little feature. Every town has at least one. Free ones are dotted around the place for those who choose to find them and some a well worth the find. All too often I see blogs posting the details of some little local gem. Not this blog, if you want to find them, find them yourself. I want to keep some things away from the masses to allow the more intrepid to find. Message me if you are looking for something in particular and I may help out with some deets.
But enough chat. Here are some photos and commentary to paint a more visual picture.
Iceland is a land of lakes, some frozen....
Fjords, some with whales in them...like this one as seen from the road.
Some instead have seals in them.... Be warned though, as they are hunted they tend to be flighty when you approach them.
Snowy expanses....
Dangerous snow....
And some really dangerous snow....
Glaciers and mountains.... Ice for watching
And ice for trekking.... Photo and foot holds (as seen in the pic) courtesy of my near icy death!
And glacial lagoons....
Big waterfalls....
And big waterfalls....
Warmer waters....
And water slides....
Small volcanoes....
And bigger ones....
Bigger ones with tourists in the middle that is....
Big black beaches.... I sad beaches, not...
And big black viking cars.... I have a wicked collection of viking car photos from all around this crazy country.
Little puffins....
Daring tourists.... Nothing but a 50m drop after that unstable edge....
And last but not least.... Sven style horses.
But enjoy the country. It is expensive but honestly similar in price to Australia. Don't bother to learn the language but, you'll fail. If in doubt, mumble the word, it seems to work :)
Now for an important safety message... The Icelandic's have an aversion to crossing rivers. Everywhere we went you were told not to risk it, book a bus, take a bridge, turn around! So I thought I would publish a little how to, just to help out.
When crossing a river, never go it alone or without the reassurance of a bridge. If you can't find a bridge
consider your options of turning around or catching a tour.... Consider parting with your money to avoid disaster should the need arise.
This man is a trained professional, his actions should not be copied.
Even if the waters appear only an inch or two deep, it is danger danger, danger! Always find a bridge, even if you have to walk a solid 3km or more to cross it. It will give you a happy feeling to know you will now be okay.
See, happy face :)
And enjoy Iceland!
