EnLIGHTening Ends

Seeing the light of day in Iceland
Marily MacDonald
As our travels were coming to an end we decided to go to the far reaches of the earth for one last thrill at 66 degrees north latitude. Landing in Reykjavik at “dusk” we rented a car and hit the road, or rather the gravel. Within minutes we were in what seemed like a set from Mars Attacks or some extraterrestrial flick. The bizarre landscape was further intriguing as we rounded a bend and came across a steam ridden valley of geysers and sink holes. We had to stop the car to investigate the bubbling puddles first hand; it just did not seem real. Adding to the amazement, literally around the next bend we were assaulted by a huge glacier, its fingers reaching out towards us. We’d only been in the country one day, how many peculiar natural wonders could we witness?

Since the sun never sets in the summer we could have driven on for days. Before we knew it the wee hours of the morning were approaching, despite the relentless beaming sun. We reluctantly pulled over and set up camp along Hwy One (the one and only) and tried to get some shut eye. The sleeping habits in Iceland are very erratic. In the summer they get around four to five hours of sleep and in the winter as many as thirteen. There are numerous troll and ghoul stories that originate in Iceland. I can see how their imaginations could get away from them, especially in those long dark hours of winter.

The next day we pressed on around the island to be captivated by the unorthodox veneers’ of scenery yet again. On this day we drove over a misty and eerie pass that dropped us into the southern coastline. Along the black volcanic beaches we looked for puffin birds but were distracted by the Icelandic ponies. These horses are apparently the purest breed in the world with blood lines that trace back to the Viking days. The stocky, blond fringed horses did have a Viking air about them. Their smooth gait made it easy to take in the green velvety tundra hills dappled with white sheep and blankets of lupine.

Not only are the horses pure but the people claim to be the purest last standing Viking descendant's of the world. Being an island of only about 300,000 the locals have a lot of pride in their ancestry, we lucked out and happen to arrive in Akureyri on their Independence Day. Just about the whole island was in town for the drag races, music and parade. Of course we joined in on the celebrations; there was plenty of daylight to burn!

Rounding the south of the island we thought we could not absorb any more natural beauty but Mother Nature really out did herself when she designed the blue lagoons. In the middle of a black, craggy volcanic plain she placed these hot, milky blue silica pools. Taking a dip in the baths seemed all to decadent but made for a great end to the week.

Iceland truly seems like no one place on earth, rather a kaleidoscope of natural wonders. It makes you want to feel with your mind and think with your senses.