One Sweet World: December 2012

Day 11:

Boat ride back to Bolungarvik
Drive South toward Reykjavik
See the sights in the Golden Circle

Fun fact:

The first geyser to be written about by modern Europeans was a huge geyser in the Southwest of Iceland. Its name was Geysir and it was the geyser after which all other geysers were named! Geysers!

The boat came as scheduled, but the ride back was a little harrowing. The winds out on the open water were much higher than a few days before, creating one-meter-high waves that caused the boat to roll and pitch distressingly. One poor kid vomited on and off the whole three hours, and our bags were soaked by the end.

We made it to dry land and hit the road toward Reykjavik.

couldn't pass up Dynjandifoss

pit stop at this farm and creamery with laser-guided milking machines!

cheese, ice cream and a buggy windshield

After taking an unplanned detour through the countryside on an F road (too stressed for pictures, apparently) we made it to Þingvellir (Þ pronounced th). This place is not much to look at - just some more beautiful countryside, really - but it is a site of incredible social, political, and geological importance, and one of Iceland's most visited sights.

Þingvellir is where the first parliament was established in 930. Politicians assembled here from its inception until 1798, although they only held legislative and judicial powers until 1271. In the early days there was only one paid member, the Lawspeaker, who would climb up on a rock and recite entire laws by memory to the assemblymen. Commoners also used this meeting place for markets, festivals, and feasts.

Geographically it is interesting for a couple of reasons: it is beside Iceland's largest natural lake, Þingvallavatin, and it is right on top of the separating tectonic plates of the mid-Atlantic ridge, which creates cool surface features like fissures, and causes occasional earthquakes.

the flag marks the site of the Lawspeaker's rock

wide open space...when suddenly...

...fissure! and the North American plate!

We left Þingvellir at about 10pm, determined to see all the Golden Circle sites by the end of the day. Next up: active Strokkur geyser and site of the sleeping geyser of infamy, Geysir.

We watched Strokkur explode three times and pushed on. Next stop: Gullfoss. Time: 11:30pm. We're gonna make it!

i'm convinced that midnight sunset is the best time to see this

We drove back towards Þingvellir and found a grassy campsite for our last night in tents!

Day 12:

Drive to Reykjavik
Check into hostel
Shower!
See the city

Fun facts:

There are no Starbucks or McDonald's chains in Iceland!
What is hakarl? It's shark that is caught, killed, buried underground for three months, cut into strips, and hung to dry for three more months before being consumed at traditional Icelandic festivals, or daily by tourists!
Iceland's current Prime Minister is a lady!

We left our campsite early and were in the city in no time. The task of getting all our camping gear and road trip grime out of the rental car was daunting, but the lovely rep at Iceland Car Rental let us take the car all the way to the hostel and they came to pick it up later. Fantastic!

We dumped our gear in the lobby of the swankier-than-expected Kex Hostel and went to get food and see a bit of the city before checking into our room. We walked along the waterfront, hit up an indoor market (where we sampled the famous putrefied shark), and saw one of the main streets downtown before retiring back to Kex for a thorough de-griming. Fortuitously, we checked into the hostel on the day of their Block Party - a 12-hour music show right on our patio that we enjoyed over beers, and during dinner, and in the shower, and then late into the evening.