Day one, of any travel adventure from my experience, is either great or miserable. I have not really had an in between moment thus far, so here is to hoping more great ones are in my, and your, future! Unfortunately, for the most part, the beginning to this trip has not been as, let us say, pleasant as other trips. Learn from my mistakes though, as I continue to do!
Ever had things just swing up and down in a relatively short period of time? You have to love a good whiplash, just to put things in perspective every now and again. So, everything looked to be going my way when I left Philadelphia for Boston. Person next to me on the plane did not show up so I had extra leg room and extra shoulder room, always a huge plus when flying! When I arrived at the Boston Airport (Logan International Airport) I was four hours early to my flight for Reykjavík. I really, really prefer having longer layovers, means less chance of something going wrong. I spent a few hours working though this website and trying to do at least some planning on what I wanted to do upon arrival, when the gate attendant (GA) brought out the bag dimensions… I quickly realized something might be a slight issue.
Unfortunately, what I did not think to check when I was packing, was the size dimensions of a personal bag, as I figured that it would be similar to various American Airlines. Let us just say…I made an incorrect assumption. Icelandair has the same dimensions for carry on items, which is great and easy. However, the personal bag allowance is smaller, and while it may not seem like much, it started to throw me down a rabbit hole.
(United maximum size – 17x10x9
Icelandair maximum size – 15.7×11.8×5.9)
So, not only have I now overpacked (see article here) but I have to try and make adjustments at the last minute. To say the least I was losing it, as a lack of sleep, lack of food and sudden anxiety all kicked in at once.
Quick note – the whole point of the travel bag I use (Osprey Farpoint 40 Liter Bag) is to prevent checked bags and the risk of losing it in transit. So I really didn’t want to have my camera bag be too big and counted as carry on luggage.
Luckily, as we boarded, GA did not check my two bags and let me on without any issue. The swing was now moving up once again! Once I was on the plane, plenty of space for me to put both my travel and camera bag in the over head. (I know, I know what you are thinking but there was a little lock box beneath my seat so I couldn’t fit my bag!) Even better news, person sitting next to me AGAIN is not on the plane! Icelandairs small seats now are not as uncomfortable.
Plane trip from Boston to Reykjavik takes around 5 hours, and I got maybe..two hours of sleep. So a total of seven over the last forty eight hours, kinda get where this is going? Once we land, breeze through the easiest and quickest customs stop of my life, taking all of about 30 seconds. From there it was on to arrivals and wait to be picked up by the car company so I could get my car and start on this grand adventure.
Trying to stick to a budget, I chose a company called CarPro. I cannot say at this time whether this was a huge mistake or not, I will keep you posted! Car I received was a relatively tiny, manual speed, car shown below. Yes, I am quite proudly part of a quickly dwindling population of Americans who can drive a manual. If you cannot drive a manual, however, be prepared to pay extra for automatics! Do you really need more of an incentive to learn the awesome ways of manual transmission?
Learn or pay more!
Just a little tiny car with no get up and go but hey, allows for more flexibility. And you don’t really need get up and go when the highway speed limit is 60 mph...
Priority number one, for me at this point, is to find the best hiking location. Nothing like clearing your head of all the noise and worry then walking through nature. Luckily, on my end way to Selfoss, I was able to choose Thingvellir National Park. There are a TON of options to pick from depending on your time and ability. Since I had been up for a good long while, I stuck with the easiest, tourist filled trails that most people do when they visit. Also a very lightly trafficked path about five minutes from the main parking. I went to visit the welcome center, which had a great view of the surrounding land, and to visit the Öxarárfoss Waterfall. Some of those pictures are on the right side of the page!
Quick side note, since I love my history. Thingvellir National Park is the most famous and prized National Park for the Icelandic people. Long ago, ~900 AD, this was the site of the creation of the Icelandic Parliament – the Althing. Essentially, this is where the tribal chiefs and leaders would meet to discuss things of importance and ultimately led to founding of the nation. This land was the central point of government until Iceland came under the Norwegian crown. The national park has become the center focus of the country and has maintained its importance throughout history.
So, back to the park itself, I get lost in the history of locations. The turn off for parking can be a little tricky, I COMPLETELY missed it when I first pulled into the park and had to flip a U-Turn about a mile and a half later. About half a mile after you turn into the park there will be a turnoff on the right hand side. You will probably see a lot of camper vans since there is a camp site right along that road. There should also be a bunch of signs, one of them a giant P for parking. Take the turn and continue down a little ways. After a little ways you will see a bridge that is only one lane. This is very, very popular the farther away from Reykjavik you go. Always watch for incoming traffic before passing the bridge. Once you pull into a large parking area, you really, really need to remember to pay to park! You have to pay to park even if you are going to go off and do another trail somewhere else. When I was here, the parking was 750 ISK (~6 USD), which is cheaper then the ticket the rangers will give you if you forget. Also, just slightly higher then the cost to park and hike in Boulder, CO. There are a bunch of machines near the hiking trails to pay at and they take most credit cards! You were warned!
The hikes were easy and not super long, if not a little busy. If you start from this main parking lot, you hike over a bridge just pass the parking machines and run into two routes. If you go left, you will walk up to the welcome center and a broad view of the park. I preferred to go right and hike toward the Öxarárfoss Waterfall. It is only about a mile hike to the waterfall, and then you can continue on for another mile or so before you hit open plains. There is very little elevation gain so you don’t have to worry too much about difficulty. The waterfall itself is amazing, however if you look really close at the rocks as you walk, you can almost see faces of the ancient settlers, watching you as walk the path. It is a kind of surreal feeling, makes it a little more special in my opinion. Spooky hu?
In October, the weather is definitely chilly, and this is coming from a Colorado native! Pack warm and bring layers, along with water. Take your time, like always, and enjoy the call of nature, while you drown out the shouts of tourists and humming of drones. Find a spot, sit down, close your eyes and just let your mind wander. Feel the breeze across your face, let the cold seep just a little bit into your bones, breath in that fresh air. These are the short, simple moments you should live for, I know I do! Honestly, how many people today really go out and just be one with nature?
After about three hours in the park, I left for Selfoss. Selfoss is one of the first cities in the “Ring Road” if you take it counter clockwise. The drive is about 45 mins to Selfoss from the visitor center, primarily due to the Iceland speed limit being really slow… Anyway, it is a nice little city and can easily be walked around on foot!
First thing I did was grab a bite to eat, as I had not eaten since breakfast the previous day, needed a drink and could not check into my hostel for two hours. I did not go with anything special, grabbing a sandwich at the local KFC. Word of warning, as will be mentioned continuously in discussions about Iceland, everything costs more in Iceland! They have to import the vast majority of their food and products, with the pricing reflecting this. I paid ~1700 ISK (~12 USD) for a sandwich, a drink and fries. Understandably, you probably don’t want to do this meal after meal, your budget will quickly become tight. The next thing I did, to solve this problem, was go to a local grocery store called Bonus. They are found all over Iceland and are the cheapest grocery chain in the country, also one of the most highly rated by Icelanders! Once again, prices are a little higher then we would find in the USA (cannot speak to Europe, comment below if you have a comparison), however it is cheaper to buy and make your own food/have your own snacks. I spent ~2400 ISK (~19 USD) for food for roughly five days. Visit this store, even if it is to just pick up snacks to hold you off till a meal you are willing to pay for!
Finally, finally, I was able to check in at my hostel, Selfoss Hostel. I stay in hostels because I just need a place to sleep for the most part, and they are much more affordable. A lot of people have concerns or negative stereotypes about hostels. I, personally, have never had an issue in one. I take extra precautions like locking up my bags in lockers, if provided, or just locking my zippers and carrying crucial things with me. However, most people who stay in hostels are fellow backpackers and are respectful, and you can meet people from around the world! Anyway, it is a nice hostel with clean rooms, a clean kitchen and clean facilities. They do have a “no outside shoe” policy while in the hostel, which drives me a little nuts but it is what it is. Kitchen is a tad small, so during the summer months I would imagine it is difficult to cook anything during “normal” dinner hours. In October most people seemed to make it work. Stayed in a standard 5 person dorm, and quickly took a nap to try and recuperate for a northern lights hunt that night!
Northern lights update – did not happen on night one. That would have been way too easy. Also, as a warning about driving at night on the highway, for me, was really difficult here. The highways here do not have street lamps in a regular fashion, something maybe I am just use to as an American… Nights are pitch black and I had to use my brights in order to see five feet in front of me. Be careful when driving at night and don’t be afraid to go slower, it can take some getting use to.
Journey will continue with Day 2…hiking and adventures from Selfoss to Hornafjordur. Also read my more in depth discussions about hikes and other adventures!