Roam: Iceland, here we come!

Sólfar (The Sun Voyager), Reykjavík on a beautiful sunny morning

Our crew came back to the States in early March, had a busy March and April visiting friends and family while crisscrossing the country and this morning began our next travel phase, arriving in Reykjavík from Boston. Though we hope to be able to share some of our times in the US, Iceland is our here and now, so here we go.

Plenty of hardy bikers in the cool late spring sunshine in the city

We arrived around 4:30 this morning via WOW airlines, one of the two main international Icelandic carriers and were quite impressed, especially given the US $152 (one way) fares we paid. We had time to kill in the city before the cell phone store opened at 10 am. Snug in the warm rental car, we entertained ourselves by heading to the coast to soak in the views. The temperature when we landed was -4 degrees C. Despite this, we saw more than a few happy looking bike commuters heading to work. The temperature was initially a bit uncomfortable for our crew, though. We're hoping we have enough layers with us. Either way, it's a far cry from Costa Rica.

Uh. . .

We managed to locate a grocery store that was open early to fuel the hungry crew. Overall, things were a bit cheaper than expected, in part thanks to the strong dollar. One year ago, 1 US dollar bought about 110 Iceland Krona and about 130 today. It was a little unsettling being able to understand so little of what's written on the signs on the roads and in the store, though, or even to be able to pronounce them. Fortunately for us, all kids in Iceland learn English (and Danish) in school, so English is widely spoken. Just not used to being the international tourists that have to speak English.

Street mural

After a bit of a tired wait until 10 am, it took all of five minutes to get a Simmin SIM card working away in my phone and we hit the road. We're planning on spending a week traveling counterclockwise around Iceland's famous "Ring Road", soaking up vistas along the way. Today the views didn't disappoint but we were all too tired to travel too far.

Along the Ring Road

After an hour or so of driving we turned north and headed towards the towns of Geysir and Gullfoss but not before finding shelter for naps. We lucked into finding Skálinn, a cool hostel between the two towns. It's pristine, beautiful and completely empty right now except for us, so we had no trouble sleeping 3 hours in the early afternoon. There are plenty of furry Icelandic horses outside and plenty of sheep. The adjacent Wool Market sells beautiful handmade sweaters from these very sheep, though they do not come cheaply.

Skállin's main gathering room

Feeling refreshed, nobody complained about the short drive to Gullfoss to see the famous falls. Before walking to see the water, we partook of some tasty white Icelandic beer and the lodge's very deservedly famous organic lamb stew (and the free refills).

First Icelandic beer

Gullfoss (Golden Falls) was as impressive as its reputation and is regarded by many as the most famous waterfall in the country. The cold wind was equally impressive but a small price to pay for the incredible scene. We've been told a couple of times that we're fortunate to have the beautiful clear skies we've had today.

Gullfoss

High country mountain and glacier views from Gullfoss

Fat bike version, Icelandic tour bus

10 minutes back down Road 35 we came to Geysir, a hotbed of geothermal activity. In this location is reportedly the original hot water spout after which all other geysers are named! This is part of the Haukadalur geothermal region and reminded me somewhat of Yellowstone National Park in the United States. A stunningly active and exciting place to explore.