ICELAND

Where to begin? Iceland was incredible, and it was made all the more memorable with the fact that 2 of our friends did that week with us. The four of us rented a campervan and drove around the entire island together. We all had a seriously great time.

I am convinced that there is nowhere else in the world like Iceland. Though it is European and a Scandinavian culture, the sheer isolation and uniqueness of it make it really it's own breed, and on top of that, it is a geological gem. The landscape is dramatic and unbelievable and could change drastically. We would be on a black sand beach in the sun and an hour later come into a glacier lagoon, freezing, where icebergs were drifting off to sea. And so much of the land was lava fields, and only weird moss grass, and there are natural hot springs and caves, rivers and waterfalls and it was just unlike anything else! It was always so quiet - hardly any people, very few animals (the only native I believe is the Arctic fox?) so just birds and sheep and the small Icelandic horses, and rarely saw even any insects! It was noticeable. Such an eerie feeling!

The culture itself is also incredibly charming. The Icelanders believe in trolls and elves and fairies, referring to them collectively as "hidden folk". They put candles in their windows on certain nights of the year when they believe the hidden folk are moving, to help them find their way. They have small houses in their lawns for the hidden folk, and you aren't supposed to ever throw rocks lest you hit one. They hide under rocks and stack the cairns. So cute.

Reykjavik is the northernmost capital in the world, and something like 2/3 of the population live in the Reykjavik area, and the rest of the island is very sparsely populated. VERY. We rarely passed other cars and would often pull over wherever just to go to the bathroom. That kind of freedom is addicting! And sometimes, kinda weird how empty it can be! Without further ado, here are pictures...! (And by the way, narrowing these down on which to post is impossible... and AJ hasn't even finished sending the photos from his phone yet!)

This was our original brainstorming board. We actually more or less stuck to it!

LAX Airport. Look at this water bottle!

On our first flight (LA to Seattle)

Jon & Nykole had a different route than us, they texted us them being "drunk" in the Baltimore airport

So I texted this right back from the Seattle airport

The IcelandAir plane had lights to mimic the aurora borealis! I just loved that touch!

Arriving in the Iceland airport

For sale in Iceland. You know I love Of Monsters and Men!

This was our campervan, which had cooking facilities, table and beds. The company has a weekly photo contest and gave us orange sunglasses and bandannas to "double our chances", so we did a few like this and still didn't win! Rude! I wanted the gift certificate to 66 North, Iceland's favorite store with loads of cool stuff, especially high-end travel wear for Icelandic climates!

After picking up the campervan and groceries, we did a tour of the Golden Circle before hitting the Ring Road. First stop: Þingvellir National Park

Next stop, the Geysirs

Then Gullfoss Waterfall. AJ loves the pano shots

Dinner at a bit of a fancy restaurant - we ate horsemeat! I'm sad to report that it was absolutely delicious

AJ and I had top bunk in the camper. Jon took this picture of us side by side playing Sudoku

We drove til it was dark (and later realized that meant midnight), and woke up in a campground with trampolines!

The white crest in the lower left area isn't a cloud or sky - it's the permanently frozen ice cap!

The ice cap is seemingly always in view in the south of Iceland - so fascinating!

Black sand beach. The rocks in the distance are thought to be trolls that got caught in the sun!

Scenes like this were so normal! Just beautiful waterfalls everywhere in someone's backyard. Amazing.

So deserted! We just camped out on the road for pictures.

Some horrible natural sulfur pool. It was the Bog of Eternal Stench

Cairns thought to be left by the hidden people, so we posed with them

Going into the Glacier Park

Pano of the Glacier Lagoon. Icebergs break off and drift out to sea

All those dots in the water are the heads of seals! They would swim and play and jump all over the place

An emergency shelter with beds and blankets inside

Just crazy scenery

Our campspot for a night, some beautiful little fishing harbor. This was literally what we woke up to

This was crazy - white as far as the eye could see. White snow everywhere and white sky, it kinda hurt the eyes

In a lodge at a campground

Oooooh if you remember a certain Game of Thrones episode where Ygritte seduces Jon Snow, you'll be excited to learn that that was filmed here in this cave!

Coming out of the cave

Inside the cave - how did they film? It was so steamy because the water was so naturally hot

Above the cave

We visited some hot springs just outside of the town Mývatn. Hot water, natural, blue, silica-full that ruins your hair. But so, so cool and so fun. Again, how do people get good pictures?? The steam prevented it for us!

The hottest little hot pot

A church way up in the West Fjords

A natural crater. Hiking up this was probably one of the most painful things we did all week. The wind was icy and howling - I had to hold onto AJ and we climbed the stairs - the wind was actually pushing me over, and it was hurting my face because of how cold it was. It was a neat view, but I probably could have done without it lolololol

Walking in to the Blue Lagoon

That waterfall poured down heavier than anything I ever experienced at Raging Waters haha

Free silica masks everywhere!

We got massages at the Blue Lagoon too which were crazy - you lay on a little raft and they put a thermodynamic towel over you, and pull you around in the water while they massage you, and dip you occasionally to re-wet and re-heat the towel. It was crazy relaxing though.

The high content of the silica does damage to your hair. Special shampoo and conditioner and provided and they tell you to put it in before you go in the water and after, which I did, but my God my hair was dunzo.

After hours at the Blue Lagoon, we went to our hotel in Reykjavik, walked into the cute little city for pizza, and then went back and played Phase 10, showered and got to bed in time for a few hours of sleep before needing to get up for the airport shuttle.

Friday saw us all at the airport, Jon and Nykole were headed back home, and we were off to England for Shannon's wedding.

The one disappointment was that we never saw puffins. It was their season, but they mainly roosted in nearby islands off the coast, that we didn't get a chance to visit. Remember this!