A different reason to travel Iceland

A different reason to travel Iceland



People
travel for different reasons. Some want a thoroughly
relaxing experience that is normally described by a barrage of
words beginning with “s” (sun, sea, sand, spas and slippers), while
others revel in the fact that their latest “holiday”‘ was actually
nothing short of an army squadron entry test. For me, the
attraction of winter travel to Iceland was a happy medium; while
the days would be cold and short, I could spend them relaxing in
natural hot springs and meeting local ponies. Numerous viewings of
“The Secret Life of Walter Mitty” and teenage years spent listening
to Sigur Rós albums also clouded my mind with a sense of romance
about the country as a place of serenity. On a far-flung piece of
rock in the North Atlantic among a population of just 300,000, I
might even gain insight into my own character.

So what did I learn on my whirlwind ten-day road trip? I can
camp in temperatures below minus ten (but would not recommend it);
it’s possible to develop frosted eyebrows while simultaneously
scolding your feet in the Myvatn nature baths; volcanoes smell a
lot like eggs; the combination of malt and orange pop is
irresistible (it’s called Egils Jólaöl – try it); the Icelandic
pony is one of the hardiest animals of all; and yes, Iceland really
is as expensive as they say.

Iceland is also full of ethereal, enchanting moments thanks to
the many alien landscapes which provide the perfect backdrop. The
freezing spray of a waterfall on your face; the contrast of sea
foam against black volcanic sand; watching the evening sun through
the lens of perfectly clear giant ice blocks; traversing glaciers
over a million years old; and the deafening silence in the bowl of
an extinct, snow-covered volcano.

People travel for different reasons, but these moments are the
reason why I do – and Iceland delivered them like no other place I
have experienced.

@li0nsmane

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