If you can't be bothered to read all this here's the digested version: Iceland is lovely, as are the people and I got on pretty well despite very little planning and pre-booking. Hurrah.
Day 1, Tuesday
Iceland Express won't be getting my custom again. Useless. Our flight from London to Reykjavik was re-routed via Oslo to pick up some stranded passengers with a USA connection to catch. Doubled the flight time and all I got in compensation was a terrible cup of tea.
A friend tipped me off about the arrivals duty free shop, stocked up on cheap vodka and ciggies - saved me a fortune.
FlyBus into town, check into Salvation Army Hostel (very clean and comfy, great location, but a bit boring) and go for a few late drinkies in Bakkus (the first bar I try out in Reykjavik ends up being my favourite for the rest of the trip - eclectic music, cheap beer and an arty yet unpretentious crowd). Sun still up but I'm tired.
Day 2 - Wed
Finally open my Lonely Planet guide and start making vague plans for the weeks ahead. This combined with brochures picked up in town, recommendations from fellow travellers and the amazingly helpful people at the Tourist Info place - a masterplan is starting to form.
Eat lunch at Vegamót which is tatsy and very filling.
Have a little explore around the city and go for a swim at the nice little suburban pool Vesturbæjarlaug. Had forgotten to pack my trunks but am able to rent a pair at the pool.
Day 3 - Thurs
Catch a bus out of town to Háholt planning to hike up Mount Esja. Connecting buses aren't running for hours so decide to hitch-hike the last few kilometres. Picked up by lovely locals almost immediately. Good climb on a scorching day, my Icelandic tan gets going properly now. Views from top are great, well worth doing as a little half-day trip. Have another go at hitch-hiking and get a ride right back into town. Stop off at the Kringlan shopping mall to buy some trunks. Fail to find the bus stop afterwards and end up walking all the way to the big Laugardalslaug pool which is nice but a bit busy for my liking (probably due to me arriving at after work time on a gorgeous sunny day). Bought a full-day bus pas and end up only getting 2 buses all day. Ho hum.
Day 4 – Fri
Up early to check out of Salvation Army (all dorm beds booked up at the weekend) and set off on the ‘River Fun’ trip with Arctic Rafting. It’s a well-organised and entertaining experience aimed more at beginners like me, some people grumbled afterwards that there weren’t enough rapids but I thought it was a great day out with the cliff jumping being my highlight.
Back in Reykjavik I check in to the Backpackers Hostel for a well-earned afternoon nap before heading out for silly Rúntur (pub crawl) fun. This hostel is probably the most fun place I’ve ever stayed, the staff are amazing and it’s the best place for solo travellers to meet likeminded souls looking to party. You won’t get the best night’s sleep ever here but you will have lots of fun.
Day 5 – Sat
Feeling a bit worse for wear I have a pretty mellow day, checking out the Art Museum (most of it leaves me cold but I absolutely love the Erro collections, well worth a look and free entry) and various nice little cafes I’ve forgotten the names of. Sun still shining bright, when will I get all the rain I’ve been promised (and packed for)?
Another silly night out on the town, I quickly realise I’ll be spending lots more money here than originally planned.
Day 6 – Sun
A couple of lovely local girls we met on Friday night offered to take me and my hostel bunkmate out on a road trip today. We end up doing the full Golden Circle tour with the bonus of not being tied to the coach trip timings (we were pretty bored of Geysir after 10 minutes and were able to just jump back in the car and head on). A great day out and all it cost us was the (very reasonably priced) dinner bill at Santa Maria afterwards. Spend the rest of my trip being told what a lucky sod I am: “Two hot young Icelandic girls took you out on a free tour? Not fair...”.
Day 7 – Mon
Wake up late to discover I’ve already missed my bus to Skaftafell. Have already paid for the (very expensive) open bus ticket and booked my accommodation and a glacier hike so must get there today. No more buses until tomorrow morning so the only option is to try hitch-hiking again. Quite a slow start, not much traffic on Route 1 but make it as far as Skogar doing lots of little journeys (meeting some lovely people in the process). Then get picked up by the amazingly wonderful Rúnar and Edda who happen to be the owners of Eric The Red guesthouse in Reykjavik. They take me all the way to Skaftafell, stopping off at scenic spots on the way just so I can take photos and then insist on driving me all the way up the hill to the Bolti Guesthouse at Skaftafell (saving me a half hour hike with backpack). Absolute diamonds.
Bolti Guesthouse is picturesque and homely, so much nicer than I imagined – could’ve happily stayed there a whole week.
Day 8 – Tues
Up early to do the ‘Glacier Explorer’ tour with Glacier Guides, worth every single penny. Lots of time spent on the ice with helpful and informative guides. Next time I’ll probably do a longer tour with the other company, but this one was perfect for a glacier first-timer like me. The guides even managed to squeeze in a bit of impromptu ice abseiling and climbing just so we can check out a particularly interesting ice tunnel thing. We probably could’ve made it a bit further up the glacier if it wasn’t for all the amateur photographers stopping every five minutes but it still remains the best thing I did on my trip. Afterwards we were driven round the coast to the stunning Jokulsarlon iceberg lagoon, well worth a trip if you’re in the area.
The dorms at Bolti were booked out but I was so desperate to stay another night the owners set up a mattress on the floor of their own lounge for a nice discount price. Seems typical of the accommodating spirit the Icelandic people have shown so far.
Day 9 – Wed
Sad to leave Skaftafell, but I’d already booked accommodation in Skogar so I hit the road again. Bus doesn’t leave for a while so I decide to try hitching again. Even less traffic here and most of it is going East but I manage to catch a couple of lifts to take me to Skogar (beating the bus in the process). Skogar is nice, but with hindsight I’d only book one night there – I check out the waterfall and then crash out for an early night at the HI Skogar Hostel (nice enough but full of families and with awkward reception/door locking hours).
Day 10 – Thurs
The volcanic ash blowing all around is beginning to annoy me so I pop into the Skogar Museum. I pay for my ticket and before I can even think about joining the guided tour that’s just started the old curator guy Þórður appears, grabs me by the hand and insists on giving me a personal tour. Fascinating stuff, amazing collection, although the whole experience is made slightly awkward by the touchy-feely overtones (it seemed to be a bit more than just supporting an old man’s balance).
Feeling energetic I then climb the staircase by the waterfall and hike for a couple of hours until the the ash dunes get a bit too much for me and I turn back home. Yeah, I could’ve done Skogar in just one day.
Day 11- Fri
Thinking I might be able to sell my bus ticket to a fellow traveller back in town I hitch-hike back to Reykjavik. I met so many interesting people on the road that I’m glad I missed that first bus and ended up with a much richer experience. Not sure if I’d recommend hitching on the smaller roads or outside peak season though. I stop at the bus station to check how long my unused ticket is valid for and they offer to give me a full refund there and then! Big bonus, no way they’d be so relaxed and flexible back in London. I return to the Backpackers Hostel with a spring in my step ready for my last night in Iceland. I splash out on a quick bit of internet access to see what’s going on back home only to see an e-mail from the darlings at Iceland Express, it seems my flight home was cancelled over a week ago! I go into flustered panic mode but the angelic hostel staff take over and sort everything out for me, booking me onto an alternative flight for Sunday and even sorting out the changed date for my Blue Lagoon bus ticket.
First bit of rain on my whole trip this afternoon, although it clears up within a couple of hours. I pop over to Eric The Red to drop over a little thank you present for Rúnar and Edda and to have a little nose around their now-famous guesthouse. It’s as lovely as they are and I wouldn’t hesitate in recommending it even though I’ve never actually stayed there. Rúnar greets me like a long lost friend and insists on giving me some Hákarl and plenty of Brennivin to wash it down with. A great experience that I wouldn’t have had if I’d caught my bus on Monday.
Another stupid drunken Friday night follows, nuff said.
Day 12 – bonus day – Sat
Once again overdone it the night before, a guy in my dorm recommends the basement cafe over the road (sorry, forgotten the name) for a lovely soup, bread and coffee deal for just over ISK 1000. Hits the spot totally and makes me feel a whole lot less fragile. Spend the rest of the day strolling round town, buying silly presents for the folks back home (salty liquorice, dried fish and lollipops called Rape anyone?) and squeeze in a quick disco-nap before hitting the town “Oh go on, it is my last night I suppose” one last time.
Day 13 – Sun
Have had maybe 2 hours sleep before an angry Flybus driver knocks on my door demanding I get outside now. Slight communication breakdown meant I thought I was being picked up at 8.30, not 8am. Pack my stuff and check out in record time and get on the bus to the Blue Lagoon. It’s expensive, over-hyped and almost obligatory –but the Blue Lagoon is just what I needed to get myself in a fit state to face the horror of returning to London. I get to the airport feeling like I’ve had 8 hours of sleep rather than 2.
So yeah, Iceland, cheers. Best holiday of my life.
I’ve only seen a fraction of the country, I will be back for sure.
Thanks for reading my ramblings, hope it is of some use to at least one of you.
