The Golden Circle

I'm sure you can understand. But i just can't get excited about my 4,268,735th set of waterfalls as i was about the 1st. Or the highest. Or the most voluminous. But i was actually looking forward to my day tour of the Golden Circle when i was Reyjkavik, Iceland. There was something bizarre about going on a sighteseeing tour in the Icelandic winter. Lest we forget, Icelandic winters have remarkable short days, frequently overcast skies and plummeting temperatures. Not only was i going on this nearly unmarketable tour, pay i was paying damn dear $100 for the "honour" of riding in their bus (a later learned of the horrible intercity transit system).

Right from the get-go, i knew why i was going to like this tour. Henrik, the very Scandinavian/Irish looking 60 year old, whose job it was was to talk about Iceland, loved his job. This guy knew everything. He was somehow connected with EVERYONE in the community and he was definitely "local". I like that. The bus left at the pitch black, 9 am sky. Sun wouldn't fully be up for a while yet. But the first thing on the plan was to do a hike through a canon to get a look a the nature. Do you know how hard it is to see "nature" at night?! But Henrik regaled the crowd of 12 with his stories. We all tried to take pictures in the pre-dawn morning, but it was still really pretty and nice and stuff.

Unfortunately, as the sun tried to really get over the horizon around 11, the clouds won some eternal battle of supremacy over the sun, and snuff out the mighty fireball for the rest of the day. Could have been worse... could have rained or... could been freezing or... 1,000 flying monkeys could have flown out of the mountains and pluck out my eye lashes, one by one or... i could have been without my Henrik. Sweet, sweet Henrik (i mean this in a complete heterosexual manner you realize ["not that there's anything wrong with that" Jerry Seinfeld]). Henrik next took us to the nice, but honestly over-hyped, Gullfoss waterfalls. A few minutes staring at the waterfall and it was time for a $10 bowl of "traditional" lamb soup. Yum!!

And we may have saved the best for last, as after lunch it was off to the

region of Iceland called Geysir, which was famous for (you guessed it) Geysers. The area is still highly active. While it's mildly anti-climatic to see a big white explosion of steam with a backdrop of white clouds, all the pools and steaming pits were still totally cool. And my man, Henrik, was awesome yelling at some of the people for wandering off the path or trying to touch the boiling water or generally being dumb asses. The "little geyser", as it's named, is sort of like Ol' Faithful of Yellowstone Park fame. There are consistent "eruptions" to entertain the tourists. Some of the puffs of steam and fine mist towering quite high into the sky. But keep in mind, the pretty little steaming, blue pools may be tempting, but this ain't the Blue Lagoon, this is 100 degree Celsius water. It WILL burn!!

The tour hadn't wrapped up yet. On the way back to Reykjavik, we stopped at a church. And while the church itself was quite new, the site has had religious significance for nearly a millennium. 4.7 minutes later we headed off, stopping off at a crater that was apparently off limits as the farmer who owned the land liked being on TV and said the tour companies couldn't park there. But leave it to Henrik... And the fun didn't stop there. We passed through a geothermic power station. Amazingly high-tech with numerous interactive displays but i mostly hung out with the workers watching the European Handball finals on the big screen. By the tie we got back into city around 5, it was already pitch black again. So i went to the bar, what else can you do.

There are several companies offering the Golden Circle tour. Some by bus, some by jeep and some by big freakin' tundra buggy. Of course the prices vary. As it is essentially the same tour to the same places, there isn't much difference between the companies. The scenery is pretty and the sights are interesting enough to recommend. But note to self, don't do nature tours in the dead of night.

Into the Shallow End

You've got to wonder what the first explorer to Iceland thought. Especially what went through his head when he stumbled upon a streaming, blue cauldron of water in the middle desolate, lunar landscape. And while it might have taken a few pints of ale and some serious ribbing by his co-horts to have the balls to jump into something like that, they did! And to this day, tourists (and a few locals) pay a small fortune for the privilege of taking a dip in the Blue Lagoon.

Located some 40 km outside of the capital Reykjavik, and only a stones throw from the airport, the Blue Lagoon is likely the single most visited sight in the entire country.The warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and bathing in the Blue Lagoon is reputed to help some people suffering from skin diseases such as psoriasis. But most people just go cause it's cool (figuratively, not literally). And who doesn't deserve a little pampering now and then. Other than the funky blue looking tepid water, there are a multitude of "it's my special day" services available. Massages from some hot blond, jacuzzis, saunas and more face-plastering mud than you can shake a stick at are all up for grabs for the deserving princess.

But while the inside of the facility is "cool", one needs to take a little time to explore the surrounding country-side. The unspoilt blue pools, just outside the front door to the spa, are very photogenic. But i totally dig the lunar-esque landscape which stretches as far as the eye can see. The one time lava fields have taken nearly 1,000 years to cover themselves in a fine mossy blanket. Hiking on the moss is extremely frowned upon, and why not? It took 1,000 damn years to get this far!! Perhaps in the next 1,000 years, there'll be ankle high shrubbery. Every likes a good shrub.

There are a couple of options for reaching the Blue Lagoon. But neither are cheap. Tour companies in town offer airport/lagoon/Reykjavik or Reykjavik/lagoon/airport or Reykjavik/Lagoon/Reykjavik options. Other than self driving, those are your only options. There are towel and bathing suit and other such paraphernalia are all rentable on site (although crazy expensive). While it is just an overpriced spa, it's an Icelandic institution worth the visit.

Forced to Fly

I do my best not to fly. I've traversed continents without having to "be careful when opening the overhead bins as the contents may have shifted during the flight". I don't not fly because of environmental concerns. And it's not because of financial frugality. I have the time to go overland and besides, Marco Polo never flew. But on my trip around Iceland, I was always faced with the possibility I'd have to "stow my bag under the seat in front of me".

It was a struggle getting out to the East. In the winter, the bus, which are stupidly expensive anyway, hardly run. Many routes being cancelled. Renting a car was out of the question as a single traveller. I had used a ride sharing website to get to Akureyri, and had some crazy misadventures hitchhiking to Egilstadir. With no alternatives, i had to try hitchhiking again further around Icelands' "ring road". The cold, snowy conditions seemed to work in my favour as most of the cars (a total of 10) stopped to offer me a ride. However, as they were only heading a few KMs down the road, they were of little help. After 7 hours trying to count snowflakes, i had to admit defeat. With heavy heart, i headed back to my CouchSurfing hosts.

I've overcome some challenges while travelling before, but there was no way around it. As i had to be back in Reykjavik for my flight to North America (a flight i wish i didn't have to take), i had to fly from the East to the capital. It could have been worse. Even at the last minute the ticket wasn't too expensive. And the views were pretty. I was lucky enough to have a few clear patches, even though it had been cloudy for most of my Icelandic trip. Shortly after landing, i met up with some friends and headed to the bar. Trying to get around Iceland in the middle of winter sucks :(

Into the Fiords

Melting ice!! Sound exciting? It totally is. Well, ok, maybe it'll never be a highly anticipated spectator sport, but with a little creative labelling, it totally sounds better. Some young nature marketing exec tagged what would normally be boring, like the liquification of solidified H2O, and made it all cool and exotic by calling it Glaciation. But even better than watching the painfully slow moments of huge ice cubes, checking out what they have left in their aftermath is worth a special trip.

While in Iceland, more specifically the eastern outpost of

Egilsstaðir, you fully get the feeling of "middle-of-nowhere"-ness. But not content with the middle of nowhere, i headed to the end of the world. Not far from "downtown" Egilsstair, is a collection of houses attempting to achieve hamlet status called Seyðisfjörður. While the climb over the mountain is pretty, it really doesn't compare to the descent into the Fjord. A fjord is a deep scar carved into the surface of the Earth by the immensely heavy glaciers which have ebbed and flowed through the analogs of time. This scar is more of a beauty mark. But most fjords I've seen are wonderful examples of natural wonders.

There isn't really anything to do in the town, especially in the winter. But there really doesn't have to be.

The peace, solitude and National Geographic type scenery is all you need to mist up the eyes. Getting into the Fjords is another thing that might make you cry. While there is a bus into Seyðisfjörður, in the off season, it is non-existent. So self-driving or hitching are the only alternatives. And even though i had already had my fill of hitching in north east Iceland, i was left with no choice. Overall, regardless of how you get there, the fjords are worth the effort.

Hitchin' the north of Iceland

Shockingly enough, in all my years of travel, i don't recall seeing a travel brochure saying something like, "Come to Northern Iceland in the middle of winter. Hitchhiking the 270 kms to the remote Eastern Fiordlands will be a blast in sub-zero temperatures and ungodly short days!" Well, maybe it's not that surprising. But people who know me would likely say "Sounds like something Joe would do" And they'd be right. Because during my rather extended layover in Iceland, that's exactly what i did.

I started my trip in Iceland's second largest city, Akureyri. A booming town who recently had massive celebrations to welcome their 17,500th inhabitant. This might not qualify as a metropolis in the rest of the world, but for Iceland it's big. Summer tourism here is a-plenty. Cruise ships fill the harbour with wide-eyed foreigners looking for a taste of the vast Icelandic wilderness. Whale watching, bird spotting and other such outdoorsy activities are all organized. For those hoping for a more cultural pursuit, the town has a couple of cute little museums and galleries to check out. That's all in the summer. I was here in January. Most of the museums were closed and there were no tours to be taken. But the people were friendly enough, if not a little concerned that i had a dumb-ass travel agent who was genetically incapable of reading a calender. However, there are a few bright spots in the northern, winter darkness. Akureyri has one of, if not THE, best ski resort in the country. And there are more than a few pub and clubs to enlighten even the dimmest of evenings. So i enjoyed a few drinks (my Icelandic brethren partaking in more than just "a few"). The next morning, with a ideally suited cloudy mind and uneasy stomach, i headed to what i picked as the best spot in town to find a ride east.

My goal was the Fiordlands some 270 km to the east. More specifically, i planned to base myself out of the town of Egilstaðir, the only remote resemblance of civilization that far east. I perched myself at the crossroads of Highway 1 (aka the Ring Road), a highway which circumnavigates the country. Even with -10C, enthusiasm was high. There wasn't any wind or snow and the sun was finally starting to crest at around 10:30 when my first ride picked me up. Árni was a builder heading some 60km to his fixer-upper summer house to do some fixer-upping. He dropped me off where he thought i might be able to get a lift, which to me more resembled "the middle of freakin' nowhere". But who was i to argue with Icelandic logic? Sure enough, before i could put on my 5th layer of clothing, Ólöf was there to bring me to a town, another 50km down the highway, whose name I never did learn. That's where it all went pear shaped. As driver's passed, about 1 every 30 minutes, they made some sort of frantic hand gestures which could have been interpreted as either A: I'm turning left B: I think you're an axe murderer or C: I'm suffering from an epileptic seizure, send help. Whatever they meant, no one stopped. After 2 hours of shivering on the side of the road, the cars suddenly dried up. "Dried up" being a step down from the previous "hardly existent". Eventually, a local came out of the nearby cafe, and in near perfect English (bless the Icelandic for their English!) he told me that the semi-finals of the European handball championships were on TV. Seeing how Iceland was playing, some 95% of the population would be watching TV instead of looking for long-haired Canadians standing on the side of the road. The suggestion was made that waiting inside was much better than freezing outside. Who was I to argue with Icelandic logic? But after a crushing defeat to France, i headed back out to my spot, easily recognizable by the concentric footprints left in the snow. As the sun started to set, at 3 pm, my hopes began to dim too. The cafe lady, who had previously bought me a sympathy coffee for my poor choice in travel agent, suggested that if no cars came, i could check into the local B&B. I had come to trust the Icelandic logic, and headed for the hotel. Tómas and his wife made for excellent hosts, and the outdoor, naturally heated jacuzzi was a perfect way to end day one. Although only making it less than half the distance i had hoped.

The next morning I had a plan B. The bus (one of 3 weekly) would be passing through whatever town i was in, around 1pm. I figured i could exercise my thumb for a couple of hours. But if met with the same glorious success as the day before (note the sarcasm), i could just catch the incredibly overpriced public transport. That is, if it was actually running. My B&B host were of little help boosting my confidence as they were sure that no one would be driving on a Sunday morning. Icelandic logic is a bitch sometimes. But i layered up and headed out despite their best efforts. After a mere 30 seconds of waiting, the first car of the day stopped and offered me a ride 3 kms up the road. Big help! Instead i opted to wait. And not 5 minutes later, i was picked up by a local school teacher, his wife and their very blond child, who were not only going as far as i needed, but further. So as not to seem too greedy, i told them I'd get off at my intended destination. The ride was nice. I learned a lot about Iceland from the fluent English driver (Bless the Icelandic English!) And apparently was super lucky to see a couple herds of reindeer. Until eventually, my destination was in sight.

The town of Egilstaðir, isn't exactly what one might call a bustling mega-city. But it has anything a weary traveller might be looking for. A sandwich shop (Subway to be exact), ATMs and an airport as an escape plan. And i was no dummy. I had previous contacted a local CouchSurfer to arrange a couch, proving i was playing with a full deck of cards (or at the very least a full herd of reindeer). A quick phone call, Ingunn and her very blond 9 year-old daughter were there to the rescue. They lived 20 kms out of town (in the direction i had fought so hard to come from). The peace and quiet of their place was just what i needed after all the peace and quiet of the empty Northern Icelandic highways.

But really, getting to Akureyri is a pain. The bus from Reykjavik is 10,400 ISK. So it actually works out cheaper to fly. Alternatively, there's a ride sharing website that might help out. Sharing the gas money is infinitely cheaper than either previously mentioned methods. Hitchhiking not recommended.