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Published: October 29th 2022
Dear All
This blog entry sends greetings from Iceland! When I arrived in this amazing country, I couldn't quite believe I was there. It is one of those mythical places you often read or hear about, but never imagine being able to visit. I felt the same about Japan, the Galapagos Islands, and now this remarkable island! I had it very much confirmed during my first few days, even hours there, that it is indeed a stunning and beautiful place. I loved my first few days there, and was so excited to explore more!
In my last blog entry, I was drying off in my very cosy Air BnB in Hoyvík, back in the Faroe Islands, with the central heating on full blast drying off everything I was wearing and carrying on that soggy day. I made a note to myself, to look into buying some proper waterproof clothing and a waterproof cover for my daypack for next time, and to also perhaps look into a waterproof camera. All turned out well on this day in the end, the windows became very steamy indeed, and I felt much better again once dry.
I checked out on the Wednesday
Arni's Two Dogs
Arni's Farmstead, East Icelandat a deliciously late 1pm, so after a wonderful lie-in. It was still raining when I set off for Iceland, and during my ten-minute walk to a slightly further away bus stop, I got a little wet again. The bus shelter was no use as the wind was driving the rain into the shelter, so after another ten minutes of getting wet again under the shelter, the bus arrived to take me to the wonderful Faroes National Museum, where I was able to dry off again. I spent a wonderful couple of hours there. I normally visit such places at the beginning of a trip, to learn about the place I'm visiting and find out about local places of interest. I did it backwards this time though, so after having visited the places, I then learned about them in the museum. I found this was also a nice way of doing it. In the museum, I learned about the formation of these volcanic islands around 55 million years ago, and their subsequent glacial erosion during the last ice age which ended around 25,000 years ago which wore the islands down. They were formed over a hotspot in the mid-Atlantic tectonic
ridge which now sits under Iceland, and thus were created in a similar way to the Galapagos and Hawaii, as the earth's crust gradually moved over the hot spot of volcanic activity below, creating a series of volcanic islands. The oldest of these islands, Suðuroy in the south, is also the flattest, and thus has had time to be eroded, longer than the newer and more rugged northern islands. I also learned about the island's wildlife, mainly the sheep whose population of around 70,000 outnumber the Faroese population of 50,000 by nearly 50% more. The museum also told about the Viking period, the beginnings of Christianity on the islands, the development of the Islands' fishing industry, and the very same Smyril Line shipping company that I'd be taking that evening for my onwards transport. It was a lovely visit to the museum, and after touring the exhibitions I enjoyed a bit of time in its seating area with panoramic views over the sea and onto Nólsoy island in the distance, so as to stay warm and dry before my ferry departure time of 6pm
As I left the museum and headed to my last Faroese bus stop, the weather
had cleared up for a bit, but then after arriving in town for the ten-minute walk again to the ferry terminal, the heavens opened once more, and I got wet again. I dried off by the radiator in the ferry terminal building while waiting for my onward transportation.
My goodness, I was certainly not very fortunate with my Faroese ferry sailings during my time there, but I'm actually quite happy with this as it certainly added to my Faroese experience and made my time there feel more authentic. I had been checking the UK Met Office's North Sea conditions forecast for the previous week. The only times and places where gale warnings were in place were during my ferry trip from Denmark through the North Sea areas called Viking, South Utsia and North Utsia, and now again during my ferry trip from the Faroes to Iceland, through the areas called Faroes and Southeast Iceland. Talk about having trouble follow me! While the first trip had 40mph winds, a gale force 8 warning, up to 2.5m waves, and sea conditions described as "moderate to rough", this time it was again 40mph winds, a gale force 8 warning, but up to
Leaving the Faroe Islands
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland 4m waves, and sea conditions of "rough to very rough"! The skipper on my Vestmanna bird cliffs tour the day before had said such conditions were very unusual for the summer. I do think this journey was even rougher than the last time, and it really hit during the night, from around 10pm until 7am. I couldn't sleep for the first four hours or so as I was rocking in my bed far too roughly to be able to switch off, and in the end had to calm my mind and purposefully relax myself, telling myself that I could simply not control the constant movements up, down and side-to-side, and just had to try and enjoy it. Eventually I think the movements did rock me to sleep, as in the end I slept well and awoke the next morning suprisingly refreshed. In the end, I was actually quite glad of the rough crossings, as if I end up doing more sea journeys again in the future, which I'd certainly like to, then sea conditions should hopefully not perturb me so much.
I'd actually had two strong Faroese beers the evening before in an effort to calm my nerves, and
also ended up sharing a hot-tub on the back deck with an ocean view with a great Icelandic guy who I'd just met there. I was walking past him as he'd booked it for himself, we got talking, and he invited me in - what a kind gesture, and a perfect experience! Whilst keeping all nice and hot in the water, we had awesome views over the rough black sea as the sun was setting around 10pm, and at the same time it was a great introduction for me to Iceland and Icelandic people - he was the first Icelandic person I'd met so far, so it was good timing. He lived in Germany, but was taking his car back to Iceland, hence using the ferry, to give to his father there. It was a lovely evening.
The ferry had first crossed through one of the fjords dividing the Faroe Islands, passing by an amazing waterfall whose water was stopped halfway down by the strong wind - I'd never seen such a spectacle before! Around 7am the following morning, after enjoying more huge plates for dinner and breakfast, we were nearing the Icelandic coastline, and many people were out
Leaving the Faroe Islands
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland on the top deck despite the wind to catch the amazing awesome first sight of Iceland. What a spectacular place to arrive in, and so much better I think by sea than by air. It made me think of what the ancient Vikings must have thought when they first came across this dark, majestic and brooding island in the middle of the dark cold waters of the North Sea. The Icelandic landscape rose up stark and barren out of the waters, to vertical cliff faces and huge hulks of mountains in the background, some still snow-capped even in the middle of August. It was barren and desolate, and utterly amazing. We docked at 8.30am local time, after 15.5 hours on the sea, in the spectacularly located east Icelandic village of Seyðisfjörður, at the head of one of East Iceland's most beautiful fjords. I'd describe the landscape of Iceland so far like the Faroes - tall and striking, but here it seemed so much more raw and untamed. Faroese mountains seemed well-rounded with green grass, whereas in Iceland they were jagged, cracked and broken, with greens interspersed also with lots of browns. I think this is due to the fact that
Leaving the Faroe Islands
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland Iceland is younger and more newly formed than the Faroes, only 25 million years old compared to the Faroes' 55 million years of age. Thus, its mountains and peaks have not had time to have their edges as rounded or as smoothed. Thus, Iceland felt different to the Faroes, yet equally, if not even more, stunning - again, I felt I'd arrived in a very special place.
Shortly after disembarking, I checked into the surprisingly good Seyðisfjörður Guesthouse. I must admit, I had felt initially quite apprehensive about the Iceland part of this trip. Even in my planning, it felt like such a different country to what I'm used to travelling in. I was going to rent a car rather than use buses and trains, and with a trip budget this time that would have normally set me up in seriously luxurious hotels in the usual kinds of places I travel to, it was only going to get me into rather rustic guesthouses, many with shared bathrooms. I was a bit apprehensive, but my first few days there soon allayed these fears, and it ended up being the best part of my summer travels this year, even better than
Leaving the Faroe Islands
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland the amazing Faroes!
After checking in, I headed to a nearby supermarket to stock up on my food for my next 24 hours there, and then chilled for a bit in my lovely room with amazing fjord and mountainside views. With the land beneath me still going up and down with the sea motion, I set off on a hike which the local tourist information centre informed me about upon arrival. It first followed the fjord edge for about half-a-mile, then headed up its side very steeply, before doubling back on itself, past the village of Seyðisfjörður again, this time way down the u-shaped glacial valley below in the distance, and then on up through some woods further up the valley. It was wild and beautiful, and a thoroughly enjoyable hike, introducing myself to the essence of the unique Icelandic landscape. I had planned to continue through the woods onto a distant waterfall further up the valley, and then head back into town again along the main road, but for the second time on this trip I came across a swooping bird which caused me to turn back again. This one was large, with a very long, thin curvy
Leaving the Faroe Islands
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland beak, which I later found out to be a whimbrel. I read that they are known to divebomb people who get too close to their eggs, and this being the breeding season, this one was cautiously swooping at a distance and making loud noises. I beat a hasty retreat, yet despite my turning around, it just carried on, and this time brought a friend with it, probably its mate. They were at it for quite a while, even though I'd walked back some distance already. Again, after some later research, I learned that some birds are well-known to do this at this time of year to protect their young. Most notorious for this are Arctic terns apparently, who do this as one large group rather than individually. I was hoping I wouldn't encounter these birds on this trip, but at least I learned from my reading that holding a large stick or umbrella above your head will protect you at least from having your head pecked by a swooping beak. I remembered this, as well as the backpack-on-head technique, as I was indeed to encounter the aggressive Arctic tern later in my Icelandic journey.
Upon arriving back in town,
I headed to the local bathhouse with heated swimming pool, sauna and cold tub. The outdoor hot tub was unfortunately not working, but I still got some excellent hot and cold contrasts in to wind down after the wonderful hike, and a wonderful first day in Iceland indeed.
The following morning, I took the local twice-daily bus from Seyðisfjörður, up into the heights of central East Iceland, and the airport in the region's largest town of Egilsstaðir, population 2,500. I was to pick up my rental car there at the airport, for an exciting 12-days' road trip exploring the northern sights of Iceland's famous ring road, going anti-clockwise from Egilsstaðir to Reykjavik. I thus was to miss some of the amazing sights also found on the southern portion of the ring road, but alas, this gives me a good reason to return to this amazing country! I was a little nervous again at renting and driving a car, but after my enjoyable trial run back in New England earlier in the year, and also finding that my car was actually an automatic not a manual (yay!), I was able to manage the nerves. It was such a good idea
Risin and Kellingin Sea Stacks
Just a few days earlier, I was at the top of this mountain, Eiðiskollur. indeed to rent a car there, as public transport in the country outside Reykjavik is very scant, with around one bus per day on many routes. On top of this, such bus routes only connect settlements, which are not really Iceland's main draw cards. So to see its stunning wilderness beauty, aside from taking group tours which I'm not really into for longer than a day, renting a car really is the only option. The next couple of days proved an amazing introduction to my Icelandic road trip, and I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the region of Austurland, or East Iceland. I explored the Eastern Highlands on my first day, and the East Fjords on my second, with my lovely little Hyundai i20, and staying at an amazing farmstead a few miles out of the town of Egilsstaðir. The farm was surrounded by acres of pure Icelandic land and wilderness, with a super host in the form of farmer Arni, a very friendly, wise, experienced and well-travelled guy. I felt I connected with him well, along with his two lovely dogs and adorable cat.
After picking up the car, which was to become my travel companion for the next 12
days, I first drove along the shores of nearby Lagarfljót Lake. This is East Iceland's largest lake, 16 miles long and up to 1.5 miles wide, with a depth of 112 metres. The water is a murky brown/grey colour, and its depths are said to be home to Iceland's very own version of the Loch Ness Monster, called the Lagarfljótsormur, or the Lagarfljót Worm. Sightings of the creature go way back to Viking times, and continue to this day, the latest having been recorded in a video in 2012. I certainly believe there is no smoke without fire, but did not see anything unusual during my time there.
From the lake, I drove high up into Iceland's Eastern Highlands, to the area around Snæfell mountain, the country's highest freestanding mountain at 1,833 metres. The landscape was starkly beautiful, and quite foreboding, particularly considering I'd just picked up my rental car only a couple of hours before - it may not have been the best place to choose to visit first after already being a bit nervous with the driving, with other cars being very few and far between. This part is in fact the easiest region of the mysterious
Iceland Spotted!
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland Icelandic Highlands to explore, as it has the only tarmacced road up there. Most Icelanders live around the island's coast, with very little development happening inland due to its unfarmable, inhospitable and unforgiving nature - this actually made the Icelandic Highlands a very attractive place for me to want to visit, and I was glad to see at least a part of it. This 40-mile stretch of road had only recently been sealed, to make the Karahnjukar Dam which I was heading to up there more accessible. I thus drove through an amazing wilderness area up to see this impressive dam, the largest of its type in Europe at 730 metres long, and standing 192 metres high, at the foot of Snæfell mountain and Hálslón Reservoir. There was also an amazing view overlooking the incredible Hafrahvammagljúfur Canyon below the dam, one of Iceland's largest and most magnificent gorges, five miles long and up to 200m high. From horizon to horizon up there, there was stark upland wilderness and breathtaking beauty, with absolutely no sign of human presence aside from this one road I was travelling along - I don't recall ever feeling quite so isolated before on my travels. I
Birdlife
Arriving in Iceland may have been to similar places, but with others in a bus or a tour group, never alone, and never in charge of my own wheels. I was indeed a little unnerved, and after arriving at the dam I nearly had kittens when I saw that something beneath the engine of my car was trailing on the road below. It reminded me of how vulnerable I actually was, wondering how on earth I could call a recovery vehicle up there, but fortunately it was something I was able to fix myself without causing me any further difficulty on the rest of my 12-day road trip. I think this was a good experience to be honest, as it made me feel less nervous driving through other less inhabited places in the country, which I certainly needed to feel.
After taking in the amazing scenery from up there, and nearly being blown away by the strong, and quite freezing winds, I headed back a short way along the road to an amazing place called Laugarfell. This was a wilderness accommodation high up there in the highlands, with attached natural geothermal spring pools. I seriously enjoyed my time soaking in these hot
Arriving in Iceland
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland springs, surrounded by the raw highland nature and with snow-capped Snæfell mountain in the distance - it was quite something to be in 40 degree water with a stiff cold breeze blowing over it, surrounded by such stark beauty. This hot spring time became an Icelandic experience I was to have many times over during my time in this amazing country, and puts Iceland on a par to my mind with Japan for its wonderful hot spring culture.
I'd parked my car around a mile away from the hot springs, as the track there was gravelly and I didn't feel comfortable driving a rental car on such a surface. The walk back was uphill though, and proved difficult as the heavens opened with heavy sleet and hail for pretty much the full 20 minutes it took me to walk there. This was the only precipitation I'd experienced on my time in the Icelandic highlands, and it was just typical that it was during my only walk up there. Although I knew the car wasn't too far away, I again felt the vulnerability of human existence up there in the inhospitable interior, and arrived in my car thankful for the
Arriving in Iceland
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland warmth and shelter - this was just 20 minutes of exposure in the middle of summer, I completely understand why the Icelandic interior has never been properly settled given that it's also additionally winter there.
After driving back down to Lagarfljót Lake again and appreciating a little bit of civilisation once more, I parked the car again at a famed tourist spot in the area to undertake an hour's hike up to amazing Hengifoss, Iceland's second highest waterfall at 128m, passing by the smaller but still lovely 30m Litlanesfoss waterfall along the way. It turned out to be a popular spot, as I shared the hike with hundreds of other tourists. There can be some amazingly isolated places in this country, along with some extremely crowded tourist hotspots - I aimed to combine both types of experiences on my journey there. After my first hugely enjoyable road trip day, I stocked up at a local supermarket again, and checked in to the afore-mentioned farmstead accommodation with wise old Arni. Despite having a small room, the bed was extremely comfortable, with amazing wild views all around, and I slept beautifully in the midst of the still, silent Icelandic midnight sun.
Arriving in Iceland
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland The next day, I decided to explore more of the East Fjords. I initially planned to visit nearby Borgarfjörður to the north, an area renowned for its puffins, but after learning that most of the route there is along gravel roads, and also given that I'd already seen so many puffins so far on this trip that I was happy to leave them be, I changed my plans. I learned that Iceland has three types of roads: tarmac, gravel and "F-Roads". You are allowed to drive on the former two with an ordinary rental car like mine, but the latter roads, mainly in the Icelandic Highlands, are reserved solely for 4WD vehicles, and rentals with special permission for them. Thus, although I was in theory able to drive on gravel roads, in practice I avoided them as much as I could. I thought they were too risky to create scratches on the car body or windows with flying stones, and thus entail additional charges on the car hire, and simply didn't feel comfortable with the loud noise and regular potholes on them. My plan for the day thus included wholly tarmac roads, heading south to explore more of this
Arriving in Iceland
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland region's famous fjords. I first drove to tiny Eskifjörður - Lonely Planet describes it as a friendly village, but I thought it was anything but. Out of around 20 locals I met or passed, only two greeted me with a friendly smile and hello - the others, even though I greeted and smiled, either looked straight through me, or completely ignored me. I originally thought that they must have some serious issues with foreigners, but Arni told me later that there are many Polish people living in the village, and this made sense to me as most Icelandic people I'd encounter later on my journey were indeed so very very friendly. I enjoyed an hour at the village's outdoor hot tub and sauna complex (every settlement in Iceland seems to have one!), and I had the place completely to myself - wonderful!
I then drove out along the Hólmanes peninsula for great views over Eskifjord and Reyðarfjord, before driving through a long tunnel to Fáskrúðsfjörður (I would have difficulty throughout my time in the country pronouncing the place names, by the way!). This village is a great anomaly in the region, as it was once a French fishing post
Arriving in Iceland
Smyril Line Ferry to Iceland from the 19th century until 1914, and thus has traces of its French history all around, including a French-themed hotel, museum, French and Icelandic flags throughout town, road signs in both Icelandic and French, and a few monuments and memorials in various places commemorating various French-related fishing themes. There were also a fair number of French tourists in town, and the village also had much friendlier locals than back in Eskifjörður which I appreciated very much!
I then drove back along the winding and stunning fjord-side and valley roads to my farmstead, filling up with petrol on the way, which became an experience in itself. In Iceland, petrol stations do not have human tellers, but simply a debit card machine at its self-service pumps. You have to choose how much to put in before filling up, which I found very difficult as I normally just "fill-her-up". Here, you had to know how many litres your car has left, which took quite a bit of getting to know. If you over-estimate how much you need, you just waste the money...!
Once back in the farmstead, Arni's two friendly dogs took me for a walk around the farm, over a
river and onto a distant waterfall - all still part of Arni's land. We actually found half a lamb up there, and I had to stop the dogs from licking it. It must have been either predated by the only carnivorous mammal in Iceland, the Arctic Fox, or died and was scavenged by it. Back at the farmhouse, I told Arni, who was surprised. It surely wasn't the dogs who had done this though, as they didn't even notice it was there until I stopped at it. We went out to find it again, this time on Arni's cool and speedy motor-tractor. He picked it up and put it in a bin liner, first taking a photo of the identity tag on its ear so he could contact the local farmer and let him know. It was a rather gruesome and strange experience.
So, after an amazing introduction to the amazing country of Iceland, as well as a great introduction to my first proper road trip, I was really excited to be headed out the next day to begin this road trip proper. I was heading north along the first section of my Ring Road adventure, towards Mývatn and
Húsavík, and I was very excited indeed!
So until the next time, thanks for reading, and all the best for now!
Alex
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Waddads Travel
Lori & Susan
Iceland Adventures!
You are an experienced sailor now Alex! What a voyage from the Faroes to Iceland you had - future sea voyages will likely be tame in comparison! It sounds like you are having an incredible time in Iceland so far :)