How does it rank compared to Alaska?
What area of Alaska would Iceland mostly resemble?

quote:

Originally posted by IndyRob:
Have a hotdog!

Yes, have a Hot Dog. This is the bacon wrapped lamb dog with griied onions on a panini bun. It was amazing. I got this one at a gas station while doing the Southern Black Sand beach tour.



Iceland was amazing. Very friendly locals though when you ask, they are not really thrilled about being discovered as a tourism destination. To them its a mixed blessing. Yes, the economy is booming and people are working, but the cost if living is going up as well.

If you want to see the Northern Lights, December through February are the best months. There is a lot of weather in the winter so its a crap shoot to pick the right time.

Here are some highlights. I suck because I don't remember names and don't have a map (and too lazy to Google it).

In Reykjavik, the main hub is Bus Stop 8 be the church on the hill.


From the top you can look over the whole city. We stayed in an AirBNB next to Cafe Loki in the lower left of the picture.


The neighborhood was built in the 1920's and we were on the top floor and had to take these stairs every day.


We took the Golden Circle Tour where we saw waterfalls, geysers, did a snowmobile tour and the old Parliament location which is located where the European and North American plates are separating.


The road to the glacier


Next, we took the Into the Glacier tour. This again passed by more waterfalls. This area there was a lava flow that cut off the river. Since lava is porous, the water goes through the rock and creates some beautiful scenery.


To get into the Glacier, you need to ride one of these from the base to the top of the glacier.


but don't try to go around if somebody gets stuck on the path because you might get stuck.


This is the entrance to the tunnel. It opened 3 years ago and they figure it will last about 10 years due to the constant moving of the glacier and the settlement of the ice through time. The use a small limestone auger to keep the tunnels open but that can only last for so long.


My wife enjoying herself

The Chapel. They rent this out for weddings and other events


No, your tongue will not stick to the ice. It's not that cold.


On the South Beach tour you will see the black sands and plenty of waterfalls






and small horses


The last night we stayed at the Silica Hotel next to the Blue Lagoon. This area is cut into a lava field that flowed back in the 1200's. Nothing but steam and moss after 800 years.


They put an addition onto the hotel and build the structure around a large lava mass.


The view from our room


The Blue Lagoon was interesting. If you go, you need to schedule in advance when you show up. It is so popular that if you do not have a reservation, you can't get in. Once in though, it is so large, you don't realize how many people are there with you. There is no time limit and you can stay as long as you want once in.



It was there where we finally got to see the Norther Lights. Not a good pick as we did not have the right camera for the job.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: ugeesta,

Can't forget, it's all about the Puffin





Or the.......cough

We got back from Iceland less than a month ago. We specifically wanted to go in the winter to see winterscapes and glad we did. We agreed that we would come back again to visit during one of their green seasons.

Many of the famous landmarks are all along the southern half of the island with Kirkjufell on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula to the West and the Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon to the Southeast. The Golden Circle is a day trip out of Reykjavik, and some of the big waterfalls are stops along the southern road from Reykjavik to Jokulsarlon.

We didn't travel the northern half of the island as the road conditions can be a bit more unpredictable up there during the winter.

Tips and tricks:

1) Use the Iceland Aurora Forecast. On the right hand column you will see the electromagnetic activity forecast on a scale from 0 to 9. Don't bother leaving your room for anything less than a 3. You'll barely be able to see the lights with the naked eye at level 3, but if you have a tripod, you'll be able to capture it on camera with a long exposure.

http://en.vedur.is/weather/forecasts/aurora/

2) The aurora comes in waves, like sets of surf washing onto the beach. Fire your camera with a long exposure aimed at different directions on the horizon periodically, and you can see the aurora coming before it arrives. Use this so that you can set your camera up in the right direction.

3) Bring a flashlight or a headlamp with a red output to protect your night vision while making camera adjustments or walking around in the dark while waiting for the aurora. The headlamp is also good to have if you are out hiking and walking and it gets dark.

4) The wind is merciless. If you are renting a car, hang onto your door and get into the habit of asking your wife to stay in the vehicle while you walk around to open her door for you. Gusts can be sudden and can damage your door if it swings open.

5) Rental car companies can be anal about things that we would consider insignificant or minor damage. A windshield chip is $750 USD before their ridiculous VAT to replace. The island is basically a pile of gravel and highly abrasive obsidian sand held together with ice and moss, with the road surface raised 6-8" above it. Opt for the gravel and sand protection. I normally never opt for the insurance, but wish I did this last trip. (We didn't get dinged, but we could have and it was stressful).

6) Bring a reusable water bottle. They don't really sell bottled water in many places, and the tap water is fantastic--basically just glacial or hotspring mineral water that comes out of the ground.

7) Outside of Reykjavik, the island is sparsely populated. If you don't bring food with you, you are basically just eating gas station hot dogs, and even then the gas stations are few and far between. We brought sandwich fixings with us on our drives and we were glad of it.

8) STABIlicers were the most trouble free and effective ice cleats we saw anyone use. We brought some with us, and glad we did.

https://www.amazon.com/STABILi...&keywords=ice+cleats

9) I don't know what Icelandic money even looks like. We used a transaction free credit card the entire time without issue--except for gas stations. The automated gas stations require a chip-and-pin style credit card (popular in Europe). Instead, I'd have to go into the store and buy a prepaid gas card using my chip-and-signature card, and then use the prepaid gas card at the pump.

10) Except at Costco. There's a Costco and Costco Gas Station in Reykjavik. Their pump works exactly as you expect it to work.

11) Be aggressive about getting ahead of Asian tourists that show up on buses. They're like locusts. If they show up, walk ahead of them to get your pictures and see your sights--they move slower than you will and are completely oblivious to normal western etiquette with regards to getting out of the way for pictures and waiting in lines for things. Just get ahead of them.

Bring lots of money. $11 for a Quesedilla at Taco Bell. That's US $.

Very nice photos! Appears that you had a good time.

flashguy