Updated: 03/16/20 | 16 Mart 2020
As we stared up at the sky, patches of neon and dark green changed to light pink and back to green. They came out of nowhere, hung like curtains on unnoticeable hangers, and danced a duet to an unheard symphony. They would appear, vanish, and reappear all over the sky.
My companions, Lulu and Germaine (two pals from France spending the week driving around Iceland), and I stared, bewildered, as the northern lights danced above us.
It was the first time we had seen them, and even though it was bitterly cold and we were too lightly dressed, we stayed out, shivering — for hours — viewing nature’s fantastic ballet.
Every night before this, we would run outside and then retreat back in defeat, realizing it was too cloudy to see the lights.
But, on this night, the sky was clear, the stars shone around us, and nature finally let us see its mythic show.
I had high expectations for my check out to Iceland. I’d seen films and pictures in magazines of land with jagged mountain peaks, volcanoes with desolate lava fields, rolling hills with grazing sheep, and glaciers that stretched for miles. I thought of a utopian country where friendly locals in tune with nature roamed a majestic landscape.
Despite the eagerness to check out Iceland these images caused, I put off going to over the years. Something always came up.
This year, I resolved to finally visit.
And, as the plane descended into Reykjavik, I wondered, “Could the fairytale image in my mind live up to itself?”
It could, in fact, exceed it.
And it happened best away.
From the moment I landed, I was welcomed and helped by kind strangers.
There was Bragi, a Couchsurfer trip guide who drove me around the golden Circle.
And Paulina, the college student who let me sleep on her couch, took me to an Icelandic play and her family’s farm, revealed a secret “locals-only” swimming hole, and went far out of her way to drop me in the eastern city of Vik to make catching a bus easier.
And there was Paulina’s friend, Alga, who also opened up her couch to me at the end of the trip.
And Maria and Marta, who shown that Reykjavik’s nightlife is far crazier than anything new York can offer.
Then there was the Couchsurfing host in Akureyri who cooked dinner for me and his other guests, and the blog reader (who [turned out to be] a high-level government official) and her spouse who introduced me to traditional lobster soup (delicious!).
Every step of the way I encountered valuable and thrilled Icelanders who sought to show off the best of their country. They loved nature, held die-hard beliefs in elves and fairytales (over 50% of Icelanders believe in elves), and appreciated a good pint.
After saying goodbye to my new pals in Reykjavik, I drove around the ring road (Iceland’s main highway) with Lulu and Germaine after hitching a ride with them in Vik. Forests morphed into fjords and fjords developed into moonscape-like lava fields.
Over the next 10 days, my love for Iceland became an obsession, as I was continuously treated to bewildering landscapes and valuable locals. For such a small island, Iceland has a diverse range of landscapes and micro-ecosystems.
And, as we traveled, hiked, and eagerly waited for the northern lights, I couldn’t help but notice the silence of the land around me. With hardly anybody or any animals around, the land seemed so still.
And it was the silence that affected me the most.
Coming from NYC, I don’t know a world without noise. My day begins and ends with automobiles honking their horns outside my bedroom window.
In Iceland, noise hardly exists. And, in that silence, I learned to appreciate life a little more.
On one beautifully clear day in the north, a local guide took me to explore game of Thrones film locations. because there was no one else on the tour, the guide took me off-road. We got out of the automobile and climbed a rocky hill.
Below us, the ground opened up into a series of deep fissures. around us was there was nothing but an empty plateau.
Iceland expanded in all directions around us, with volcanoes and mountains in the distance.
There was no sign of civilization.
Oturdum. The guide sat down. We were silent. All we could hear was the sound of the wind whipping around our heads. When that died down, nothing but an eerie yet serene silence remained.
Everything was still.
My guide and I didn’t look at each other. I suspect he was as content as I was. Throughout the day, I got the sense that he had a deep love of nature and was probably pleased just sitting there.
Afterward, I sat unwinding in the hot springs near Myvatn, and before I knew it my two-hour check out was up. I got ready to leave, thinking that time had gone by too quickly.
As we drove home that day, my guide pointed out rocks shaped like a boat. “That’s a troll boat,” he said. “Years ago, the lake was being overfished by a troll so the locals stayedEkstra geç, trolün saatin ne olduğunu unutmasına neden oldu. Aniden, güneş doğarken, trol mağarasına geri döndü, böylece taşa dönmeyecekti. Yol boyunca teknesini düşürdü. Orada bir yerlerde trol var, ama onu henüz bulamadık. ”
“Gerçekten troller ve elfler var mı?” Diye sordum.
“Bence bu hikayeler bize doğaya saygı duymamızı söylüyor. İzlanda ciddi bir ortamdır ve araziyi bozmak veya tehlikeye girmek kolaydır. Bu hikayeler bize denge hakkında bilgi veriyor. Ama sonra tekrar, bu yaratıkların var olmadığını gösteremiyorum, biliyor musunuz? Bu toprak özel ”diye yanıtladı.
Trollerin veya elflerin var olduğunu düşünmüyorum ama bir şey hakkında en iyisiydi: burası hakkında özel bir şey var.
İzlanda için kapsamlı bütçe kılavuzunu alın!
İzlanda’ya ideal seyahat planlamak ister misiniz? Sizin gibi bütçe gezginleri için yazılmış İzlanda için kapsamlı kılavuzuma göz atın! Diğer kılavuzlarda bulunan kabartmayı keser ve doğrudan ihtiyacınız olan yararlı bilgilere ulaşır. Önerilen güzergahlar, ipuçları, bütçeler, paradan tasarruf etmenin yollarını, görülecek ve yapmak için dövülmüş yollarda ve dışında ve en sevdiğim turist olmayan restoranlar, pazarlar, barlar, ulaşım ipuçları ve çok daha fazlasını bulacaksınız! Çok daha fazla bilgi edinmek ve kopyanızı bugün almak için buraya tıklayın.
İzlanda seyahatinizi ayırtın: lojistik öneriler ve püf noktaları
Uçuşunuz
Düşük maliyetli bir uçuş bulmak için Skyscanner veya Momondo kullanın. Onlar benim favori iki arama motorum çünkü dünyanın dört bir yanındaki siteleri ve havayollarını arama yapıyorlar, bu yüzden her zaman hiçbir taş kalmadığını biliyorsunuz. Önce Skyscanner ile başlayın çünkü en önemli erişime sahipler!
Konaklamanızı ayırtın
En önemli envanter ve en iyi fırsatlara sahip oldukları için pansiyonunuzu hostelworld ile rezerve edebilirsiniz. Bir pansiyon dışında bir yerde kalmak istiyorsanız, konukevleri ve düşük maliyetli oteller için sürekli olarak en uygun fiyatları iade ettikleri için Booking.com’u kullanın. Kalmam en sevdiğim yerler:
Hlemmur Meydanı (Reykjavik)
Kex Hostel (Reykjavik)
Akureyri Backpackers (Akureyri)
Seyahat sigortasını unutma
Seyahat sigortası sizi hastalık, yaralanma, hırsızlık ve iptallere karşı koruyacaktır. Her şeyin ters gitmesi durumunda geniş bir koruma. Geçmişte defalarca kullanmak zorunda olduğum için asla onsuz bir yolculuğa çıkmam. En iyi hizmeti ve değeri sunan en sevdiğim şirketler:
Güvenlik Kanadı (70’in altındaki herkes için)
Seyahatimi sigortalayın (70’in üzerinde olanlar için)
Medjet (ek geri dönüş kapsamı için)
Looking for the best companies to save money With?
Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use to save money when I’m on the road. They will save you money when you travel too.
Want much more information on Iceland?
be sure to check out our robust destination guide to Iceland for even much more planning tips!