This trip happened some time ago. It was a pre-lockdown thing when the world used to be different. It was 'when the mind was without fear'. When Mask meant Jim Carrey-Cameron Diaz, sanitizer meant something in the handbag of some fashionable lady, and the terms RTPCR, social distancing, etc. were unheard of.
Last year during lockdown I started to download the memories to the keyboard, but due to some mishap in the family, I couldn't continue.
The trip was planned and executed by me. No travel agency involved. But, it took a long time and effort the planning. Our full itinerary was Finland, Norway and Iceland. Here is only the Iceland part, as it was a road trip and my first, and till date, last experience of driving a left-hand drive car on the right side of the road.
Day-1
After Finland and Norway, we boarded the flight for Keflavik, from Bergen. It was a short flight. Before landing, we were greeted with an ice-covered area.
Keflavik is the biggest International airport in Iceland. Upon landing, we saw the kiosks of almost all major car rental companies. But those were not for us. After lots of research, I have booked a car with a local company. The office was somewhere near the airport. As instructed in the confirmation mail, we were waiting for the rental company bus. After some waiting, the bus arrived and took us to the rental company office. The booking was prepaid. So, after some nominal paperwork, the lady handed over the car key. I have booked a Toyota Argo. In the parking lot, I couldn't find the Argo. Returned, and inquired about the car. She took us to a KIA Picanto. Never seen this model before. Very small car. Ideal for the three of us. It was almost new, 8000+ kilometers in the odo.
After loading our luggage, now comes the toughest part. Driving.
Slowly started the car. Took it to the right side of the road and kept driving on the extreme right side of the road. Fortunately, the number of cars on the road was very less, so, slowly my confidence grew up.
After having some Google Map goof-up we reached our hotel, without any mishap. It took me about an hour to reach our hotel in Reykjavik. Parked the car in the hotel parking lot, and made a 'Yahoo', completed my first left-hand drive successfully!
But, the check-in time was 4 pm. We requested an early check-in. The manager agreed reluctantly, but not before 2 pm. We deposited our luggage and went out for a stroll, had lunch in a shopping mall. After some time, we returned to the hotel and checked in. Got a spacious suite. Then, we went out to discover Reykjavik. I didn't have the confidence to take out the car, so we walked. After walking about 100 meters, we found out that we were lucky, that we didn't take out the car. Because there was a loooong traffic jam.
However, we have visited a few places, namely Harpa concert hall, Hallgrimskirkja (Marvel fans may find the similarity with Asguard). We cannot go to the top, as it was closed for some maintenance job.
Harpa concert hall Hallgrimskirkja Church
We walked through a fashion street type of place, with many expensive shops and eateries. Returned to hotel, had dinner and called it a day.
Day 2
After getting ready, we checked out of the hotel. After driving 15-20 minutes we are out of Reykjavik. The streets were almost empty. Today I can really enjoy the drive. The landscape was awe-inspiring in Iceland. Kilometers after kilometers of open lands, lava fields, peculiar landmass, everything can be found here.
Another surprise was the weather. The manager of our hotel told us "if you don't like the weather in Iceland, wait for 10 minutes". And it was really like that only.
Our today's destination is 'Golden Circle'. It consists of three stunning places in southwest Iceland.
Our first stop was Thingvellir National Park. It is a UNESCO World Heritage site. The park's incredible geology comes from its location between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, which creates the rift valley that runs through Iceland. The oldest Parliament in the world was held in this very place.
More can be found on the internet, so I am letting the pictures speak.
There was also a beautiful fall here, namely Oxararfoss. Falls are called 'foss' in the Icelandic language.
The next stop was Geysir Geothermal Area, about 60km from Thingvellir. Here steam water shoots in the air about 100 feet. Here the original Great Geysir stopped shooting long ago, now its neighbor Stokkur geyser goes off every 10 minutes.
We were on again on the road
The third and final stop on the Golden Circle route is one of the most spectacular waterfalls in Iceland. It was very close to Geysir. Gulfoss is a very beautiful waterfall. A huge quantity of water tumbles down two steps for a total of about 105 feet. There was a beautiful rainbow over the waterfall.
After leaving the parking lot of Gulfoss, I noticed that the fuel gauge is showing less than half. Took the car to a filling station. Never filled fuel myself. Watched two-or-three people filling themselves, then tried my hand.
Now, Golden Circle route is over. Our today's stay is at a quiet place called Selfoss. The place was so deserted, that no one was available to guide us to the homestay. After straying for some time, we reached the homestay. The place was marked wrongly on Google maps. However, the place was nice, with two large rooms with all amenities. After checking in and parking the car, we walked around for some time.
Our stay at Selfoss