As much as I enjoyed Reykjavik, I wasn’t coming all the way to Iceland and not going to see some of its heralded landscapes. If you can’t drive, it’s very difficult to see these places, and particularly difficult to see many of them in a day. As a non-driver, this left me with the only option of taking a tour. I’m never very excited about taking tours but when I do take a a tour, it usually ends up okay. What I dread is the group tour where even if the activities are acceptable, I never really want to interact with the group. That’s how this tour started, but it ended up being great.
There are countless groups offering identical golden circle tours in Iceland. ‘Golden Circle’ referring to a route of touristy spots and sites coined by the Iceland tourism board I believe. I don’t know how I picked the tour that I picked other than that it was a small number of people. It was a long day. They collected me in the morning at my hostel and dropped me off in the evening at the same place. Given that the days in Iceland at this point contained only about three hours of sunlight, much of the tour was in the dark. This is a consideration if you are going there in the winter; don’t expect to be gazing out the window at the landscapes all throughout the ride. Most of the time you’ll be looking out the window at blackness. In some ways that’s a bit of a disappointment, but I kind of enjoyed it. Once we got out of Reykjavik everything was completely blanketed in snow and snow was falling and blowing and the sky was black. At times, looking out the bus window, all I could see was the brightness of the snow and the blackness of the sky and no discernible shapes. It felt like we were in another realm.
And it was snowing. Hard and at an angle. I came to learn that even if you can drive, most locals don’t recommend that tourists rent cars in the middle of winter. The roads are too treacherous and the conditions too unpredictable.
Even before the sun came up, the sky began to lighten we could see the places that we were stopping.
Up first was the Kerid Crater, a volcanic crater that, in the summer, is a bright blue lake. In the winter however, it is a large divot in the earth’s crust covered with snow. Of all the sites we saw that day, this was the least impressive. I even posed in front of it for a photo but wondering why. It’s like posing in front of an empty bowl. (I have no doubt that it is better in the summer.)
Despite my ambivalence about seeing the creator, I absolutely loved getting out of the vehicle. This was the first time that we were truly confronted with winter. It was windy and snow was blowing and deep and crunchy and I had the distinct feeling that if I were left outside, I would perish. It felt very exciting. It’s difficult to capture the conditions in a photo, except that many of my attempted selfies ended up looking like this:
Back in the bus, the next stop was the Geyser. (Technically, I understand that it was the smaller geyser that we saw, called Strokkur, as the larger Geyser is no longer active.) We walked from the bus across the snowy landscape to a flat area, which was still snowy, but with crevices in the earth out of which warm water bubbled. We gathered around the geyser and waited for the eruptions. It was actually pretty impressive, as it shot into the air and enveloped us in a cloud of steam.
Strokker in action
From there, we went to the massive Gullfoss Waterfall. This was a pretty site but very unpleasant to visit. The wind was so strong that I had to lean into it and push forward with all my might to stay standing. Ice shards like tiny knives bit into my face. None of us spent much time outside. We got a quick look at the waterfall, snapped some pictures and hurried back to the bus. It was fun to really experience (albeit just for a few moments) the power of winter.
The next stop was my favourite: Thingvellir National Park. We walked from the bus on a path that led us to a corridor of sorts, with natural rock walls and trees. In the middle was hard snowy ledges and a frozen river and waterfall. It was unreal in its beauty. It one of the prettiest things I’ve seen anywhere. It did not seem real and was pure magic.
I asked a woman to take my picture. Me in my 100th country.
At this point, I wandered off in a different direction from my group. I do not advise this. I was so enamoured with the snow that I began trudging through a deep, untouched trough of snow with the high rock walls on either side. I loved the silence and the beauty of it. …but the path didn’t go anywhere and at some point I realized I had to go back – and fast – as the bus would leave soon. I speed walked (as best I could) through the snow and past the icy river, not even bothering to stop at the place where the European continent meets the North American continent and made it to the bus as the final one to board.
Our final stop was at a hot spring. It was supposed to be at the Blue Lagoon, but a volcano had erupted nearby in the previous few days and the lagoon was closed on a lava alert. We went instead to Hvammsvik Hot Springs, a newly opened hot spring on the edge of the sea.
When we got there, it was again dark. We entered the small but stylish facility and were given wrist bands. These would open our lockers and allow us to order drinks from the bar whilst in the water. In the change room, we were to change into our swimwear and shower before entering. I am thoroughly uncomfortable with public nudity, but when in Iceland…I showered quickly changed into my swimsuit.
The short walk from the change room to the pool was bracing. I had the impulse to run, but the good sense not to, as the path was slick with ice. In the water, all discomforts were gone. It was so pleasant. I’m not one for hot tubs or group bathing, but this was lovely. It was dark and warm and, in the distance, the snowy hills and frigid sea created a surreal backdrop. This was the first time on the trip that I really chatted with anyone. It was nice to get to know some of the people; particularly a father and son traveling together after the loss of their wife/mother. After we left the pool and dressed, we shared a meal in the restaurant. It was nice how in the serene environment of the springs we all opened up and shared our stories.
On the long drive back to Reykjavik there was a bit of chatter and then silence as we all gazed out into the night.
I got back to my hostel in the evening, but early enough to go out. I went out to a cocktail bar and got a drink and sat outside and had a cigar. There were a lot of stylish and cool bars open and packed with local people out in groups, dressed smartly, and bar hopping. I sat outside with my cigar and my perpetually icy drink watching the scene and reflecting on the snowy wonderland I had been in.
It was a thoroughly satisfying day. The next day would be Christmas Eve, and I had a bit more of Reykjavik to see and a magical tour of magical creatures.