Icelandic adventure 2009

Iceland Undiscovered conjured up images of the infamous Blue lagoon, the Northern Lights, and snow tipped mountains in Winter, but what I actually saw and experienced when I spent five days in the country was a lot more than I bargained for.  With the added bonus of discovering a very cool, relatively unknown Icelandic band called FM Belfast who sing a hilarious song titled ‘Underwear’ - a definite “must listen to”!  We also sampled their local coffee at a cluster of very sophisticated retro style coffee shops in Reykjavik, that turned into trendy bars by night.  

Lisa and I had a lot to pack in those five days, especially given that in Iceland the sun only emerges at around midday in Winter, and the sky is dark by 4pm.  Our first mini adventure involved renting quad bikes.  I got so carried away with speeding that my bike almost tipped over, but the thrill of the speed was priceless, minus the heart attack that was almost incurred when I felt I was going to top the side of the mountain.  On day two, we went pony trekking; Lisa managed to fall off her pony, even though it was possibly the dopiest one of the group and aptly named Marley, which was part of the problem.  He was walking so slowly and distractedly that he managed to trip up, which sent Lisa to the ground, rather gracefully I might add. 

Beauty spots were witnessed just beyond the city, where we visited the Gullfoss waterfall and saw the mesmerising Geysir, where the water would bubble at surface level, then every few minutes it would erupt to form a massive volcano of water hundreds of metres high.  This was followed by an evening in the Blue Lagoon where the water temperature was thirty eight degrees.  There were not many visitors when we went and it was a somewhat surreal experience - even though the lagoon was lit from up above, you would swim out and as the light faded, it felt like you were swimming into infinity.

I always had this preconception that Huskies originated from Iceland, but they are in fact imported from Greenland; our dogs were lovely and affectionate, and apparently nothing like the ones found in Greenland!  Due to the sub zero temperatures, Lisa and I were given what can only be described as thermal boiler suits and gloves for the dog sledding.  Lisa was unfortunate enough to get the extra large size which was far too big for her small frame, and the wind almost blew her away in what effectively turned into an inflatable Michelin man suit.  In fact, we almost both got blown away, and practically ate all the black volcanic sand in the process. 

The local bus trips from the city back to the hotel were something of a five star affair, not because we were staying in some luxurious abode and had the privilege of a private mini bus, but try to imagine this - a red London bus dropping you off not at the bus stop, but actually right on your doorstep!  That would never happen back home, but it actually did in Iceland.  Admittedly we were the only two people on the bus, but still, bus drivers in London would never be that nice.  It was definitely a moment to remember.  There were many…

© Copyright Vanessa Sicre