Allfadr Odinn

I have just returned from a week long road trip across Southern and Eastern Iceland. Well, I say 'just' returned, I actually got in last night (unless I publish this on Sunday, then I mean 'Thursday'. Good God, there's a lot of double meanings in this post already...). I have had my first visitors from the homeland since arriving here, Justin and Lucy tipped up on Friday night for week 'olidays in Iceland. I have been planning this trip for the past six weeks and it meant that I couldn't go to the site Christmas party, but never mind. I was ill informed by Bjarki that it only takes 16hrs to get around the entire Ring Road (route Number 1) round Iceland. Three days would be enough time to see loads of things on the way. Now, I have absolutely no idea what kind of fucking rocket powered jet fighter he drives, but there is no way on Earth that one would get around the Ring Road in that time. The original plan was for the two of them to arrive on Friday and we would drive the four hours (Bjarki's estimation again...) to Höfn and arrive about eleven, that would give us the entire Saturday to explore the area and about half of Sunday for further look-see and then the drive back. The best laid plans of mice and men...

Justin and Lucy protested that they would have been on the road since eight that morning so didn't fancy a four hour drive so soon after arriving, so I suggested we stop at Vik on the first night (Friday). From experience, Vik I knew to be about two hours outside of Reykjavik. This they agreed to, we kidnapped Jo and after a short stop at Hagkaup to pick up some mung beans for Justin we zoomed out of Reykjavik. Only to stop at a crazy church with all the gravestones covered in Christmas lights. It turns out that this is not unusual in Iceland, it's something to do with letting the ancestors enjoy Christmas and the delights of being eaten by the Evil Christmas Cat.

Lucy had been driving up to this point and Justin took over, being unused to driving on the other side of the road and in a automatic we wobbled off down the road, to be almost instantaneously stopped by the police for a breathalyser test. Despite having half a can earlier Justin passed the test and we uncertainly carried on. It was now getting towards half past ten and Vik was no where closer to us than when we had set off two and a half hours earlier. Seeing a neon sign for the Hotel Ranga we pulled in desperate for somewhere to stay for the night. as we walked in we realised we were immediately out of our depths, see here for details: http://www.hotelranga.is/ The place was as opulent as they come and we had no business there. But to our amazement the light of Festivas was shining o'er us and the prices were really affordable, it must have been because of the season. Booking in and taking our share of the free mulled wine, we all went to bed happy little bunnies.

After an opulent breakfast of fresh bread, waffles and coffee, we hit the road for Vik. It had rained during the night and was raining as we set off. It didn't look promising, but as we traveled across the coast line the rain cleared but left the clouds, to give an eerie and dramatic quality to the surroundings. We stopped in Vik for the first Pylsur of the day and I called Duncan to see what progress he was making. The idea was for Duncan and Roz to drive out to meet us and then take Jo and I back home on Sunday leaving Justin and Lucy to continue on Eastwards. They had long since passed Vik and were speeding at a rate of knots towards Höfn. We quickly boarded the car and caught them up at a service station, a good enough reason for a second Pylsur. We continued on in quasi-convoy fashion stopping at a frozen waterfall and various other outstanding areas of natural beauty. Rounding a corner we got our first glimpse of Vatnajokull, the glacier that covers about 8% of Iceland and is about the fucking size of Yorkshire. In the fading light we drove down to one of the many tongues that protrude from the main Glacier; Svínafellsjökull. These things are incredible, dangerous and brooding, they seem to want to draw you in to certain doom. The fact that they are constantly moving as well makes them like beasts with primeval malevolence. The vast size and power is enough to make you go mad thinking about them.

The two car convoy set off for the final leg for Höfn, after being freaked out by Ice. We arrived at the Arnanes Guesthouse, a brilliant little place just outside of Höfn. All wooden walls and shit. We bombed it into Höfn to meet Duncan and Roz who were staying at another place in town and found a place we wanted to eat at as recommended by the Lonely Planet. The place was full of Christmas revelers and closed to the public so we took off to another place that wasn't recommended by the lonely planet. This was another example of the guide books lying to us. It said the waiting staff we unfriendly and grumpy, but we found the opposite to be true, we were given complimentary Christmas Lamb on pancakes (too rich...) and the waiter entertained us with jokes and went out of his way to sort out Justin's vegan diet.

Back at the Guesthouse, we settled in for a display of the Northern Lights, which were brought on by Jo falling on her arse, after drunkenly slipping off her chair... The next morning we met up with Roz and Duncan and drove out to a black beach with incredible mountains falling into the sea. The snow was thick all over the beach, something I've never seen before. Also something else I've never seen before was a herd of wild reindeer, come down off the mountains for Winter. The Guesthouse owner had told us about a waterfall nearby which we headed to, despite Jo's protests. The thing was frozen and after a perilous journey, Lucy, Justin and I managed to get behind the ice. It was like being in a magical Ice Queen's palace, but stonier. Roz and Duncan decided to split off and head up the Easternfjords whilst the intrepid four made a beeline for one of the Glacial tongues. We got the car as far we could up a frozen field, before being thwarted by a frozen river and carried on on foot. After an hour's march across a frozen wasteland, bordered on two sides by mountains we reached the Terminal Moraine of the glacier. Clambering over the top the only thing that came to mind was 'Fucking Hell!' The land fell away below us, a frozen lake ran into the foot of the Glacial tongue, which stretched out beyond the horizon. This was the single most impressive thing I have ever seen and we were the only four people there. It was like the end of the earth. The silence was incredible, you could have heard a pin drop from about a mile away.

Night was falling as we set back across the snowy fields and about an hour later we reached the car. Again the guesthouse owner had been a hive of information and had told us about a some natural hot pots in the area. Which we quickly found. The farmer who owned them called past in his truck and told us they were free to use, so we took to the water, under the stars, surrounded by four inch deep snow. The best end to the best day.

Jo, Duncan and Roz headed back to Reykjavik and I decided to gooseberry it out with Justin and Lucy for the rest of the week. We headed east up to the Eastfjords, the scenery was amazing and we passed about three cars in the eight hours we were on the road. With a stop at the frozen sea shore (and a walk out on the ice, as far as I dared...) we made for Djúpivogur (Jub Jub) a tiny little fishing village, tucked away in the fjords. After a quick walk around this tiny place we set back for the Guesthouse for the final night at Arnanes. The guesthouse owners gave us cookies and Quality Street on our departure the next day and we took our leave to Skaftafell National Park. Stopping at the Glacier lake we gazed in awe at icebergs floating in the river and a colony of seals basking in the sunlight. Hitting the road again we climbed up a hill up to Svartifoss were we were confronted by the sight of another frozen waterfall, this time with ten foot long icicles hanging off the hexagonal basalt blocks. another unbelievable sight from this beautiful country. Night was falling again as we headed out to Skaftafellsjökull which was reached after about half an hour's walk from the National Park car park. Again the power and might of glaciers was all too apparent as the moon was rising over the beast and we crossed frozen rivers and ice blocks to as close as we dare get to the thing.

Heading back we nearly walked over two Ptarmigan, the idiotic white (in winter) grouse that inhabit Iceland. Then tried to find a place to eat and a place to stay. Both failed and we ended up at a guesthouse who, although they were shut never turned people away, which basically means they were open. This was inhabited by a man with a claw hand, a fat woman and two pissing dogs. We tried to get some food in Vik, but the place was shut so we headed back to the hotel with only meager rations, scrounged in Hagkaup the previous Friday. A sumptuous banquet was prepared and we all headed to our respective beds.

The next morning was a later start than usual, we were going on a glacier trip and didn't have to be there until 11.30. We arrived about 11.00 and sat around waiting for nearly an hour before the bus from Reykjavik turned up with the other Glacier walkers in it. Strapping on crampons we filed onto a glacier, for the first time in my life. The sights were unbelievable, even with the pissing rain the formations from the water looked incredible.

Piss wet through, we headed back to the Hotel Ragnar and booked ourselves in for the night. A luxurious double bed and the most expensive meal I have ever had (which included Puffin meat fro starters...) awaited these weary travelers. The final day was a trip around the Golden Circle sights, which we had to ourselves and in the snow, which made for an interesting contrast to when I'd seen them before. Then back to Reykjavik full of stories of daring do and incredible sights.

Yesteday (I'm now writing this on Sunday) was a trip around the Keflavik peninsular, snowbound frozen landscapes, lighthouses, drying fish, hot springs and sea Trolls were the order of the day. I was awoken at four this morning by Justin and Lucy leaving, a sad goodbye as I won't see them again for a long time, but a great week in all.

If you've got this far, well done, this is more of a diary reminder for me than of interest to the layman.