Getting a Grip on Iceland

Hey friends! Just finished up day 2 in Iceland and finally sitting down for the first meal of the day (other than my coffee and croissant)! Treating myself to the traditional meal called Kjötsúpa and an Icelandic beer (Snorri) at Restaurant Suður-Vík. A warm meal is needed after finishing the day soaked and cold from a rain storm. When they tell you to bring your rain jacket with you every, do it lol

DAY 1

Well this morning was a whirlwind. My flight landed around 5:15am and i forgot how confusing airports are when they aren’t in America, but Im going to blame brain fog for that.

I finally made it through customs and picked up my backpack in baggage claim. Next up, we were off to find the rental car and yes, I got lost. 20 minutes of looking like an idiot later I was able to find it and the man at the front desk was amazing. Everything went smoothly and told me a few places to go. Also told me the Northern Lights have been extremely active soooo crossing my fingers!!!

Next up, I drove through some of the most intense fog to get to Valahnúkamöl, Reykanes Lighthouse (the oldest still standing light house in Iceland), Gunnuhver Hot Springs, The Bridge Between Two Continents (where the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates meet)! From there I drove out to the local town of Njarðvík to grab some small groceries, coffee and a croissant. After that, I parked myself in the Krónan (grocery store) parking lot, locked my doors and took a quick nap in the back seats.

Next up, I headed out to Grindavík to explore the small town. Welp they really meant small town, it had about 15 homes in it! So instead I drove back out of town and decided to do a little hike of Ingivjargarstígur. This mountain and nature preserve is named after Ingibjörg Jónsdóttir, co-founder of Grindavík Women’s Society. Children of the local school continue to come out and plant trees at the beginning of every school year.

After this, it was finally time for me to head to Bakki Apartments & Hostel in Eyrarbakkí. There I thankfully was able to shower, prep my stuff for tomorrow and relax a little. I drive in Selfoss for a quick dinner at a cute little pizzeria After that, I went back to the hostel and prepped for bed when a TRUCK LOAD of people were dropped off. I ended up spending 4 hours playing card games (specifically Palace and Golf) with a new friend, Kane, traveling solo from Iowa. When I finally took defeat for the last time I crawled into my bunk - mind you i’m in a 12 people mixed dorm and of course I am the only female in the whole room. Time to assert my dominance. JK I fell asleep immediately and had a great night of sleep!

DAY 2

Riseeee and Shineeee - I was waken at the bright hour of 6am (2am at home) by the sound of old german men bickering with each other having no idea what they were mumbling about. BUT they had me up and ready to start the day. I packed up my bag and headed out to the Seljalandsfoss/Gljúfrabúi Waterfall which was about an hour away. But first I needed coffee and guess who I ran into! Kane! He seemed a little unsure of his plans so I invited him to tag along with mine. Off to the day of waterfalls we go.

Most importantly the drive was one of the most amazing drives of my life. It was sunny, still a little chilly (12°C) and my tunes were bopping. We got to the Seljalandsfoss/Gljúfrabúi Waterfall and it was STUNNING to say the least. There was a pathway behind the waterfall which was such a cool experience. From there we walked about 1 km to another tiny waterfall which was in a cave that you were able to climb into!

Next we drove to Skógafoss Waterfall which was truly breathtaking. We walked up and it’s gorgeous out and there was a rainbow that you could see both ends of right in front of you. We then decided to follow the steps (wayyyy too many) all the way up to the top of the waterfall and hike along the mountain ridge. Ill be posting pictures in the My Travels - Iceland tab. From there we drove to the Dyrhólaey Lighthouse Viewpoint. Sadly it started to rain but it was still an amazing view. Ended the day walking about 12ish miles so far!

Now I am currently sitting at a table at the restaurant I mentioned above in Vík enjoying a good dinner before the two hour drive back to the hostel in Eyrarbakkí. I sadly was planning to book hostels the day of but everything in Vik and the surrounding towns is booked so back to Bakki Hostel I go!! Cant wait for a hot shower and my head to hit the pillow.