Ice cold in Iceland!

This was it! It was the culmination of a bit of planning that took place towards the end of last year when I had sorted out the hotel and the flights. When the Iceland Airways plane finally took off and headed north towards the Arctic Circle, it was proof positive that my long awaited trip to the land of the midnight sun had finally begun.

Not that there was any midnight sun around when my flight touched down in Reykjavík, as it didn’t happen in March – it was more of a summer thing. The legendry rain was no where to be seen as I was leaving the airport, though it was noticeably cold as I boarded the shuttle bus to get to my hotel. I had been a bit lucky with my room at the Reykjavík Natura – as it had been booked last minute.com I got a very good price for a four star hotel. The place was very comfortable and pleasant to say the least – the only thing that they didn’t say in the advertising blurb was that it was next to the national airport! This didn’t turn out to be much of a problem though. The staff, ever helpful and polite, all spoke perfect English. As the Icelandic people were descended from Norwegian settlers, there was also a higher than normal proportion of lovely blonde women around, although this wasn’t just restricted to my hotel.

Another plus about the Natura was that its logistic organisation was excellent – from an office just off reception it was possible to book trips and excursions – as well as the booking, the transportation was also covered, as the tour operators picked you up from the hotel. There was also a regular bus service to and from the Natura and Reykjavík town centre, which was about a five minute drive away.

Ice land Cathedral

I spent most of my time in a part of Reykjavík Known as ‘Down Town’. From what I could tell this was the main tourist centre, where the low-lying skyline was dominated by the imposing Hallgrímskirkja Cathedral, the sixth tallest structure in Iceland. This was given a visit (the views at the top of the tower were breathtaking), and the locale had a good variety of cafes and restaurants. From the money point of view the Icelandic capital was pricey – 1000 Icelandic Kroner was just over £5.00, and most things averaged at around 1000 – 2000 Icelandic Kroner. Eating out was also on the expensive side – most restaurant bills averaged about £30.00 per head, and one meal in a more swankier venue came to over £50.00 per head!

The cost of a pint tended to vary depending on where you went – I discovered a very nice pint called ‘Polar Beer’ (geddit?). In the hotel bar this set me back 1000 Icelandic Kroner (just over a fiver), but in a pub in Down Town Reykjavík it was on offer, costing around £2.50. It definitely paid to shop around.

Trip wise it turned out to be a bit of a mixed bag. One thing you quickly learn about Iceland is that you need to invest in layers of clothing – a tour to see the Northern Lights involved being taken high into the bleak Volcanic Mountains to spend three freezing hours waiting for them to happen. Apparently, finding them is not an exact science as their visibility is dependant on weather conditions and the amount of solar activity around at the time. On the chilly night when I went, the solar activity was optimal, but the weather was a bit on the cloudy side, so when the aurora borealis did appear, it was more of a dull green glow than the spectacular display I was expecting – it was kind of like the 10 Watt version.

I also tried the Whale watching excursion – a group of us went out on a ferry to a bay where there was a 95% chance of seeing Whales and dolphins, but on the day I went it was the 5% option, as the only wild life to be seen after spending four and a half hours in the biter cold on deck was a few sea birds!

Other tours went better – I took the famous Golden Tour where I saw an impressive water fall, some spectacular volcanic geesers, and the place where two tectonic plates met. A trip to a place called the Blue Lagoon involved going to one of the many Geo-thermal power stations in the mountains, where nearby was an outdoor spa of volcanically heated water where I had a dip – the water was bath temperature, but as soon as you stood up you were hit by the icy Arctic winds – it was a bit of a surreal experience!

I did enjoy the Iceland trip though, and would definitely want to go again – I want to have another chance at seeing those Northern Lights!