2011 September archive | That's Interesting…

Archive for September, 2011

Sep 06

Iceland Post 3

So here I am on board the Norona–ready to leave Iceland for the Faroe Islands and then Denmark. It is about a two day journey so I should have enough time write. Well here I go…

Day 3
We hiked Glymur–Iceland’s highest waterfall. The surroundings were rugged, the wind strong, and the waterfall loud. It was absolutely fantastic. At the top we waded across the edge of the waterfall and hiked back down the canyon.

Due to abundance of geothermal resources, energy in Iceland is cheap and every little village has its own outdoor pool and hot bath area. We would go swimming/bathing every other day which is obviously much more fun than camp site showers.
The one negative thing about the pools is that you need to wash yourself prior to entering the pool under the watchful gaze of the local hitlady. So there you are in a group shower being scrutinized for the way you wash your armpits and bum all the while sucking in you stomach, hiding your cellulite, and perking up your boobies. The pressure is so much that you end up leaving the shower bathed in your own sweat. Note that the men decided to wash their bums so carefully that they caused their watchdog to leave promptly and probably change professions.

***
So that is all I wrote on the Norona…a as the moment we left the safety of the fjord we encountered category 5 waves (on a scale of 7). I blame Hollywood which makes oceanic travel look like the pinnacle of elegance where gorgeous humans dressed head-to-toe in the latest fashion chat and tan their life away. My reality instead was in form of a dark, spartan, nine-person cabin, one deck below the deck carrying trucks loaded with giant containers of the world’s smelliest fish, where I lied in a fetal position cursing Neptune in dirty hiking clothes that I had been wearing for the last week.
Why? Why? Why? Why cant I be like Grace Kelly?

Well after 51.5 hours we finally landed in Denmark and then 14 hour bus ride and 1 hour car drive home. This final stage of our adventure can be summed up as "Get me the hell out of here". At 5 am we finally got home–exhausted, dirty but totally happy.
***

Day 4

Hraunfossar

National Park Pingvellir – the location of the oldest parliament in the world, Alping, (930 AD) and the rift valley between North American and Euroasian Tectonic Plates.

The weather in Iceland is moody to say the least. It changes from minute to minute and from valley to valley. But you can count on rain and chill and wind. This year was even colder than usual due to the explosion of Grímsvötn volcano in April. Volcanic explosions apparently lead to temperature drops. Some historians even believe that the explosion of Laki in led to the French Revolution as crops failed due to colder temperatures, and hunger ensued.

For us, it rained pretty uch every other day and the temperature hovered around freezing. As for wind, when we were in Pinvellier the wind got up to 15 m/sec wind (40 mph). We managed to built only one tent that night as my parents’ blew away. Frankly that whole afternoon and night was one of the most insane experiences of my life.

Day 5

Strokkur

Gullfoss

Day 6

Landmannalaugar (The Rainbow Mountains)

Day 7

One week down…

As far as camp sites go, I must say I enjoyed this one….

Day 8

Porsmork

One of the hardest hikes of my life. I would equal it to day 2 and 3 of the Inka trail in one. And, of course, it was pouring rain. It was absolutely fantastic—waterfalls, lava fields, glaciers, cliffs. The final stage was an hour long ride in a all terrain bus across numberless streams.