Iceland - Fire, Ice and Wind!

Iceland had been on our minds for over a decade - ever since we watched Bollywood stars Kajol and Shahrukh prancing around on the stunning black sand beaches of Vik, under the sharp and craggy peaks of Vestrahorn, and behind the Seljalandsfoss waterfalls - in the famous ‘Gerua’ song. After settling the debate on whether Kajol looks better in the yellow saree or the red one, the real question came up - when can we plan a trip to Iceland?
Well, it took 10 years, but it did happen this September!

Few things that really made our jaws drop or were a first timer for us:

Gender neutral bathrooms - This was such a natural thing and we saw it even in so many small coastal towns/ roadside rest areas. After the shock and resistance the first couple of times, we got used to it 🙂

Rainbow streets - Iceland celebrates diversity and has a famous pride parade every year in Reykjavik. It is striking that most of the rainbow streets lead up to churches, in Reykjavik but also in smaller cities like Husavik, Seydisfjordur or Akuryeri.

Geothermal energy - Most airbnbs or hotels we stayed in were completely powered by geothermal energy. Iceland uses 100% renewable energy, and the hot springs and volcanoes are the source of abundant geothermal energy

Reusable materials - There is no use of disposable plastic cutleries almost anywhere. Even in a National Park visitor’s center when we bought coffee, we were handed a real porcelain cup, not a disposable one

The wind! - I cannot emphasize this more, wind is the main character of the Icelandic playbook, and do not make the mistake of underestimating its power 😀

Our Route - We drove through the country clockwise, starting from the West coast (Snaefellsnes peninsula), then headed Northeast (Diamond Circle), and ended with the South coast (Golden circle). The drive itself can be a coffee table book - the joy of spotting (and stopping for) an unnamed roadside waterfall every few minutes, the magnificence of the black volcanic cliffs with the green moss on them, or the scale and drama of the Ring Road heading down all the way to a Fjord with views of the open ocean beyond.


Snaefellsnes was truly the most remote experience for us - with the outcrops of lava fields for miles, the absolutely rough Atlantic waves, the piercing sideways rain and wild winds. The first night - coming back to our cottage in Arnarstapi drenched through our rain gear and feeling miserable was the only night I doubted if this trip was a mistake. But looking back, the fact that we braved the weather to see the ominously striking Gatklettur sea arch and 

Londrangar basalt dykes jutting into the ocean like

a castle, feels like an achievement. 

The cafe at Hellnar hanging on the cliffs overlooking the sea, the famous black church of Budir, the drive in the fog through lava fields, the wonderful dinner of Icelandic lamb stew and Arctic Char all helped lift our spirits..







Someone asked me what are my top three experiences in Iceland are. While it is quite difficult to narrow it down, I will give it a try:

The ‘Foss’-es of Iceland - The mighty waterfalls of Iceland are a heightened sensory experience. The sheer volume, power and thundering sound as you approach Godafoss, Detifoss or Seljalandsfoss can be overpowering.

I will have to admit that some of these big name waterfalls felt overcrowded and a little too commercial to us, especially Gulfoss.
We absolutely loved the trail to the top of Skogafoss (climbing the ~500 stairs was hard!). The trail follows the Skoga river upstream and you can walk by numerous cascading smaller waterfalls (like Fosstorfufoss and Hestavaosfoss). I didn’t remember these names if you are wondering, had to look back at my notes 🙂 The best part of this hike is you leave the crowds of Skogafoss far behind once you climb the stairs.

The other favorite one was Kvernufoss, the beautiful interplay 

of water with rocks and greenery in a 
moss draped canyon was spectacular and felt more intimate with not too many people.

Touching a Glacier -  Having seen many glaciers and icefields in Alaska/ Jasper, I was not expecting to be awed by the ‘jokuls’ of Iceland. Oh, I was so wrong ! As soon as we pulled into the parking lot of Jokulsarlon, the beautiful light blue ice floes bobbing on the glacier lagoon took my breath away. We went on to walk along Fjallsarlon and Svinafellsjokull, got an even closer view of the floating icebergs and glacial fingers under the huge Vatnajokul ice cap and it felt like I could reach out and touch the glacier.

And that did happen at the next glacier - Solheimajokull ! Here you can walk the trail all the way down to the ‘snout’ of the glacier and touch it. It's a slightly surreal experience and also a sobering one, as you read about how the glacier has been rapidly retreating since 1995 🙁

Studlagil canyon hike - The uniqueness of this canyon cannot be overstated. 

As you start the hike, you are wow-ed by the Studlafoss waterfall jumping over basalt cliffs.                                                                                                                                                  The wall of the canyon is made of stunning columnar                basalt, curved and twisted. 
The glacial river flowing through the canyon  is turquoise and the color deepens as you head up the canyon. The two and a half hours spent in this canyon in East Iceland are very special and for the memory books.

We got a very pleasant surprise as we got closer to the parking lot on our way back.
A very cute food stand selling Icelandic desserts and hotdogs with caramelized onions and mustard made our day - such a nice treat to end off a great hike.

I do want to add that even though we spent just a day 

in Reykjavik -  its iconic glass Harpa concert hall,
the Hallgrimskirkja church inspired by Iceland’s landscape,

the very artsy street murals of the city are
not to be missed.

A special mention to the ‘Kirkjas’ (Churches) of Iceland -   these simplistic, pristine and non-ornamental

churches are seen in every coastal town, perched on top of lava outcrops or by the ocean cliffs, blending right into the landscape.

Adding a few quick watercolor sketches I did of Vik and Vestrahorn in my travel journal.

The peaks of the remarkable Vestrahorn in Sokkesnes Peninsula (Southeast Iceland) were hidden by the fog rolling in, but it formed an impressive background to the extensive black sand beach and lyme grass.
 The sea stacks of Vik (South coast) are possibly the most iconic picture of Iceland. The evening we were at the Reynisfjara beach was a gloomy and moody one, and the waves were very rough. We decided to drive to Dyrholaey to watch the long and unspoiled black sand beach from a higher vantage point, and the ocean and sea stacks rising from the fog and mist as the evening light faded away was magical.

“Only in the stillness of that empty vastness do we realize

Fully what an astounding adventure our earthly life is,

A gift of God that we seldom if ever fathom the true value of.”

Helgi Valtysson (Icelandic poet)