An Icelandic Voyage

After two months of studying for job interviews, I was just about ready for another adventure. I had my final Google interview on Friday, and we left on the following Monday. It was crazy and chaotic, but well worth the effort. But it was time to travel again. I didn’t realize how much I had missed the thrill of the adventure. Iceland showed me what a trip with great people was like.

Two of my best friends, Neil and Matt, and I decided to jump on a plane and head to an island that is being torn in half, literally. Iceland lays on a divergent tectonic plate interaction. Meaning two plates are moving apart. This results in a landscape of stunning geological diversity.

We rented a 4x4 for the week. And just took off. We brought all of our camping gear and 16 servings of freeze-dried meals each. Our plan was to just drive around the island, and stop off at places that looked cool… And it worked. I mean, we definitely did our research before hand by creating a map. But it still felt like we were just following the wind.

Day 1

After gathering some supplies in Reykjavik, we drove West along a peninsula towards the Snæfellsjökull National Park. We saw many sheep, rainbows, scattered rocks, black sandy beaches, craters, and canyons.

We spent our first night camping somewhere in the park. We cooked our freeze-dried backpacker meals, drank some whiskey, and had some good conversation. But it didn’t last long before the night chill came in. That night I experienced the first of many Icelandic winds. My tent was clearly not suited for such high-speed winds. But it survived.

Day 2

The next day, we continued around the peninsula clockwise, visiting equally as stunning waterfalls, as well as some touristy places. And that night, we camped along the top of a mountain. But we made sure to find a place that would hide us from the wind. That night, we stayed up late. We were rewarded with a glimpse at the Aurora. We only saw one “ribbon” but it was still beautiful.

Day 3

The next day, we continued back East. Seeing more waterfalls and beautiful landscapes. We decided to head into the center of the island towards Thórsmörk. We found an incredible campsite that was in a crater, on top of a mountain, with a river flowing through it. The place was fertile and so much fun to explore. Some brave souls had brought a picnic table down into the crater. So we set up base for the night, but not before exploring the caves, canyon, and river. Neil and Matt found a bridge to help us cross the river to a more desirable camping spot.

The night actually proved to be one of the worst storms I had ever been camping in. The wind ripped my tent out of the ground, and it was raining hard. Everything got soaked. But it was fun and we were laughing about it in the morning.

Day 4

In the morning, we had to dry our gear off in a cave, which didn’t really work. Anyway we packed our stuff up and ran to the car in the rain.

After hearing about the infamously treacherous winds in Iceland, we had to see, and feel, them for ourselves. So, we went to the top of a cliff on the edge of the island. And we were not disappointed. The wind was so strong that we could barely open the car door. While crawling to the edge of the cliff, Neil lost his hat in the wind. We could actually stand sideways against the wind and not fall down.

We went to another waterfall, Skógafoss, had $20 fish and chips, and went to Reynisfjara Beach (a black sand beach with dolomite columns).

After finding another beautiful campsite along a river and canyon, we explored around. The water was crystal clear and perfect for drinking. And there was not too much wind and no rain. Compared to last night, this was heaven.

Day 5

In the morning, we packed up and header towards a glacial lagoon. Before making our way back to Reykjavik, we stopped by this iceberg-full lake for some quick and easy views. It was touristy compared to our other experiences. People crowded the shores, but the views were still nice. But I still much prefer to be out in the wilderness.

Before getting back to Reykjavik, we stopped by another black sand beach for some quick walking, met some horses, and saw a beautiful sunset. Once in Reykjavik, we found our hostel. We paid the most I’ve ever paid for accommodation while traveling, about $60 a person for a dorm bed. But the hostel was nice. And it was great to take a shower and unpack a bit.

We ate some of our backpacker meals in the kitchen of the hostel, because food in Iceland is insanely expensive. Matt was kind enough to offer Neil and I a couple of his meals. Neil and Matt wanted a night out on the town in Reykjavik, so we set off for a night of shenanigans.

Day 6

After all of the driving around and camping not too far from the car, Neil wanted to go on a longer trip. So we headed back up to Thórsmörk to do a two day hike. We actually passed our previous campsite, and continued through tons of fords. I was thankful to Neil because he was the only one who knew how to drive a manual car. We stopped at every river crossing to scope it out, and we were careful crossing. But eventually we found a ford that did not look passable in our little Dacia.

After walking around for a half an hour or so, we went back to the car, only to now notice that we had a flat tire. We weren’t that scared even though we were in the middle of nowhere without any cell service. We had a few days worth of food and unlimited water. But Neil and Matt had changed many tires before. So they got to work on swapping the flat with our spare. And even though we had a setback, the views were some of the best I’d seen in Iceland. Such a beautiful country.

Once that was fixed, we drove as carefully as we had ever driven before to get back to the main road. We decided to skip the long hike this time for safety. Sometimes that is the best decision, however disappointing. But we still had a backup plan.

We went to a geothermal park full of colorful geysers, and actual trees. There aren’t many in Iceland. We found a camping spot in the woods, and I slept in the car. My camping gear was finally dry, an rain was in the forecast. I didn’t want to travel with wet gear. Best decision of my life. We sat around with our headlamps, drank a couple of our Icelandic beers, and told stories.

Day 7

We wanted to end our trip by visiting a famous tomato farm. We all got an unlimited tomato soup and bread buffet. Such a delicious way to end our trip. After, Neil and Matt drove me to the airport so I could fly onward.

Despite all of the rapidly changing and intense weather, I had a great time in Iceland. Being with good friends who are enthusiastic about backpacking was a huge plus. I’m so thankful I have friends who will come with me on trips like this. I’m sure that my trip would not have been the same without them.