In the Wilderness

Hello from Iceland! This is my third trip here and I’m out in the sticks. A beautifully situated mini cabin with a mountain on one side and a bay on the other. The scenery here is truly spectacular, I could be a happy hermit here, occasionally scuttling out for supplies but mostly either frolicking around the countryside or enjoying the view from a snug haven. It’s called the Kria Guesthouse by the way, with an accent instead of a dot over the ‘i’. There are a few drawbacks, no kettle for instance. But it’s nothing a pan of boiling water on a hob can’t fix.

It’ll take a while to recover from the 3am wake up call I had this morning. I feel like I’m suffering from mild PTSD because of it. But Iceland is pretty, so I suppose I’ll forgive it. I’m just that shallow. Despite having been here twice before, I’m still not tired of this country. However, I’ve harped on about how wonderful Iceland is in a previous post, so in the interest of balance this time I’ll give a few cautionary pieces of advice.

First; if you visit Iceland and decide to walk around an extinct volcano be careful where you put your feet. Volcanoes tend to chuck out a lot of lava and red hot rock that cools into razor sharp gravel that’s slippery and unsteady beneath every step. I found this out first hand when I took a face first dive into a pile of sharp rock, because for some reason my hands decided not to break my fall. I ended up with just a scrape and a bruise down my temple, thankfully. Knocking myself out in the wilderness of Iceland wouldn’t have been a wise thing to do.

Second; the Blue Lagoon is a good experience to have. A geothermal pool that’s a marvel to look at and swim in, and the facilities are great. Problem is, maybe it’s too good. A slew of tourists visit every year with a slightly unpleasant consequence. ice The mineral mud of the lagoon is infested with hair. It’s not the most pleasant sensation, strands of hair weaving around your feet and legs. Still, it’s an experience and I am by no means discouraging anyone from going.

Third; they drive on the other side of the road. Not a caution that’s unique to Iceland but something to be careful about nonetheless. That’s about it to be honest. I love Iceland too much to find any more problems with it. As long as the tourists remain respectful of the natural environment, that number of cautions will remain wonderfully low.