Iceland :: Part 1

I've completely skipped blogging about our honeymoon-not-honeymoon trip to the Philippines, Australia, and New Zealand! Maybe someday I'll get around to recording those memories.

Iceland was on Peter's bucket list and due to some complications resulting from our trip to the Philippines we turned those into a blessing and decided to go! Our friends Chris and Liz Romney came along and made it into a couples trip. We traveled on the cheap so that meant packing airplane snacks/instant dinners/a camp stove/a pot and pan, camping, grocery shopping once we got there, and splitting the costs of rentals betwixt the couples. It turned out to be a great way to go on the wallet but we also learned that some things like a bed and shower can be very worth the money. 

Most of our trip was spent in a car traveling around the island. Since 75% of Iceland's population lives in Reykjavik, there were so many random homesteads spotting the landscape. We were surprised that contrary to our preconceptions, there were not as many sheep as we expected and way more horses. The Icelandic horse is a beautiful shaggy horse like nothing we've ever seen.

"Get an SUV", we said. "It will be perfect and roomy", we said.

Dusty, our faithful stead in vehicle form, was a champ. We were able to somewhat escape the wind enough to cook our dinners but boy did we feel cramped. This is us on day one. Just imagine what we looked like on day seven after we had spent way too much time together.

Rauðfeldar Canyon

This was the first place that we adventured. We saw it off the side of the road and make a quick U-turn. We kept an eye out for Bárður, the murderous troll, whom legend says still haunts this canyon. 

Londrangar Cliffs

Very picturesque but too windy and cold to really appreciate, in my opinion.

Gatklettur Arches

The waves from the ocean splash against the arch opening and spray water up sometimes 30 feet into the air. At one point we were its unlucky victims. SOAKED. (see video below)

Kirkjufellfoss

It's the most iconic waterfall and mountain in Iceland but when you see as many waterfalls as we saw the entirety of our trip you begin to become a waterfall snob. And as snobs, we think this one is worth skipping.

Hraunfosser

At most of these waterfalls we just couldn't fathom where so much water was coming from! 

Glymur Falls

Peter and I don't think there is a place in the world that could top the beauty we saw at Glymur. Beauty doesn't even come to describe it. It felt surreal and other wordly. With probably a 1.5 mile hike crossing a rapidly fast moving river, this was by far the best experience of the whole trip.
10/10. Would recommend.

We came probably one week prior to all the lupins you could ever wish for being in full bloom. Aside from not eating more pastries, it was the biggest heartbreak of the trip.

Well there you have it; the first two days of Iceland!
Stay tuned for part II.