Stories

The Arriving:

​

I planned to do the whole trip on my own but for the trip to Iceland I found a girl called Juliane over the traveler-platform www.joinmytrip.de.

After some calls and mails I recognized more and more that she wasn‘t maybe the right person to travel with but we made our plans...We hadn‘t had the time to meet before so we had a ‚blind date‘ at the airport. The atmorsphere around us was a bit weird and not much talking. And i can asume it was pretty cold over the whole trip...unfortunalety. We had were too different.

 

The plane arrived at the airport of Keflavík which is 50 km (~ 31 miles) from Reykjavik. We had a shuttle bus.

 

For the beginning we had the plan to stay just for one night in Reyjkavik and to stay more days there at the end when we fly back.

​

The first time...

 

For the first night we had the possibiliy to sleep in the appartement of Edda. A girl which is a memeber of couchsurfing. It was pretty nice at hers and in the morning she led us to the bus to Akureyri. In the evening we had dinner together with selfmade bread and I tried ‚liverwurst‘ made of sheep. The ‚liverwurst‘ was pretty good but the bread wasnt seasoned at all. But after this I tried different kind of food in Iceland and I can tell you for a person like me who really likes to season up things everthing tasted kind of boring xD

There is one thing that was soooo kind of Edda I had a pretty heavy back pack for my trip and she let me leave some of my things at her appartement and to get it when I was back in Reykjavik.

​

Beginning of the journey...

​

On our way to Akureyri it was pretty hilly and snowy along the road. Btw. There is a big road – the Ring Road (Hringvegur /Route 1)which lead over the whole country.

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In Akureyri we had another host from couchsurfing for the first night. He was called Jonas and was also so nice. And so funny. He made up so many jokes. At his place we tried one of the common snack in Iceland – dried fish (picture). It was pretty chewy but the taste was ok and a much more healthy version for a snack in comparison to chips :D He also offered us a christmas cake...in March :D I liked it because it was with cinnamon.

And he gave us something thin fried but I can‘t remember the name. And there was a joghurt which is called ‚Skyr‘ with high protein. Aaaafter years its also possible since 1,5 years to buy it in Germany. So great! And i tried a chocolate bar called ‚Ris‘ by Freyja which I found so delicous.

​

First hostel:

 

For the next night we stayed in the hostel ‚Akureyri Backpackers‘ in 8 bed-room. We had nice roommates, the stuff was nice. A really great hostel in total.

There we booked a tour to the lake Myvatn but it was canceled because of too snowy streets- no bus could drive.

So Juliane and me decided to go to a swimming pool that had hot spots outside. It was so cool to sit in the hot water and the snow was falling on our heads :D

​

Squirrels and more...

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

One of our roommates was Daisy a canadian girl. She was so funny, I really liked her. We shared the same ridiculous humour. One example. Daisy doesn‘t like squirrels and why? Because by holding their hands it looked for her like they would rub their hands and making plans to conquer the world :D

 

We were sitting in the bar of our hostel where I had my first icelandic beer which is called ‚Gull‘.

 

When I am in a foreign country I wanna try as much different kind of food and drinks from this country as possible. Just look how many things I tried at Jonas Place :D

And one goal was also to try at least one beer in every country ^^

​

​

Snow is falling all around me...

 

On 21st march we actually wanted to go back to Reykjavik but the streets were still closed because of the snow. So we had to book more night (s).

In the evening a part of our room was sitting in the kitchen with a german travelgroup. It was a nice atmosphere. It was fun.

Our spanish roommate Manuel brought 3 little bottles of the whiskey ‚Glendfidish‘. But nobody wanted to try it expect of Daisy and me :D

Because we had a good connection to Daisy, we decided to travel togehter for some days and rented a car. Pick up station would be in Reykjavik.

 

On the next day we had the possibiliy to drive we the german travel group to Reykjavik. Daisy could drive with the 2 spanish roommates.

 

The bus should go between 8 and 9 am but in the end we left at 11:15. But the bus stopped just after we left Akureyri. I think it was still not safe enough for the busdriver because of the snow.

In the end the guide of the german travelgroup decided to arrange a spontanous flight for the group. So no opportunity to us to leave Akureyri at first.

So I suggested to hitch-hike and I really could stop a car. A man of the company ‚Icelandic Cowboys‘ and he said he would drive us to one busstation in Akureyri but just if he could take a picture of us for their facebook-page. He texted after all: ‚We don't just promote Iceland - we pick up tourists and help them on their way through the snow in Akureyri.‘

​

​

Reykjavik - hello again

​

​

Lucky we could get a bus to Reykjavik. In this bus i met up a german girl who told me that she was in Iceland for 2 months. She just had a sleigh for transportation. So cool. She told me about the nights where she was alone walking with her sleigh through the nature under fullmoon. Or when she helped a woman tannering. So much cool stories.

Juliane and me arrived so late in Reykjavik. Around 11:30 pm where we met up Daisy in our hostel ‚Hostel village‘. The hostels was sooo weird. It had not just one mainbuidling. It had different buildings. The one we stayed in was like a garage and to use the restroom or the bathroom we had to go outside and go to the building what was beside the garage.

I was scared to death once. I just stepped outside of the shower and I heard some stepping and then somebody tried to open the bathroom-door. Luckly it was locked and probably it was a traveller who spent the night in the other building. But still I couldnt say anything. I just was scared.

But the rooms were pretty nice.

​

​

Our 3-day-roadtrip:

​

The next day we picked up our rented car and our trip to/on the Ringroad began. I was so glad that we had a car for 3 days because for now we had the possibility to sea the real Iceland and for what its famous for.

Our first stop was Vik. A cute little city with just a population around 300 person. On our way to Vik we saw some waterfalls, for example the Skogarfoss and the Seljalandfoss. So beautiful and amazing.

In Vik we stayed in a guesthouse which was pretty nice and the owner was so friendly. But the arriving was – let me say- adventurous.

We wanted to park on the way directly in front of the house but the yard was full of snow. We just drove a few metres and then we stucked in the snow with our car. We couldnt move forward, we couldnt move backwards. Then I went to the guesthouse and said that we were stucking in the snow and if they could help us. Then the owner gave me a shovel that we 3 could ‚rescue‘ our car on our own. Nice first impression xD We tried and tried with the shovel, with our hands but we couldnt release the car from the snow. So for the night we wanted to let it stay like this. The owner told us that she knows somebody who could come the next day to pull the car out of the snow. THAT was really nice and it really worked out the next day.

 

The rooms were also nice and we cooked in the evening.

 

Because i hadn‘t seen any northern lights until this point, I went out and sat in the car for 2 hours – but nothing.

​

​

No gas?!

Way to Vík:

 

The next day we wanted to check out and to close the door of the house you need some keys but if I remember right there was just one key that the owner had to lock it. And the owner and the other worker had to leave the house on this day very early because the one was also a teacher. I asked her how we should lock the door if we don‘t have any keys and that something could happen if we let the door open and what was her answer? ‚Nah- thats Iceland. You can leave your money here and nobody would take it.“ haha nice what? :D

 

After some driving we realized that we nearly had no gas. We wanted to fill up the tank. We had been at one gasstation but it didn‘t work out, so we drove along until the light of the fuel gage began to light up and then we really were worried about. Most of the way of the ringroad hadnt any side road and the way on the right wasnt straight. Most of the time there was a ditch. So if we had to stop, we must have stopped in the middle of the road.

But we were sooooooooo lucky, we found a gasstation that worked! After this Daisy told us that in the middle of the driving she was of course also worried and nervous but what made her more nervous is that she had to pee very badly :D

 

Near Vik there is the famous black beach, it was so beautiful <3 I really love the ocean and the waves. I wanted to take good pictures of the waves and went nearer and nearer to the water taking some pictures until a small wave came...i tried to run away but the wave was faster and my shoes (although outdoorshoes) were soaked. Daisy laughed at me when she saw it. But the fate decided and just a few minutes later a small wave cached her :D On this day we really were lucky with the weather.

 

I really can recommend to go to Vik!

​

​

Nationalparks and more Waterfalls:

 

After Vik we drove to the Þingvellir Nationalpark. But it wasn‘t as nice as i expected, so we left pretty fast.

 

Then we drove to the famous Geysir (Stóri Geysir) which was pretty nice and more smell of rotten eggs xD

 

Btw in 2014 one song was Nr. 1 in the icelandic charts Daisy told me: DJ MuscleBoy - Louder that will stuck in your head :D come ooon Iceland!

 

After the Geysir we made a stop at Gullfoss. A huge waterfall. Very pretty and certainly even prettier during summertime.

 

At this evening we had to bring back the car and we stayed at the ‚Bus hostel‘ in Reykjavik.

Later Daisy and me left the Hostel because I hopped to the northern lights again. But again not a chance. It was pretty cloudy and started to rain.

​

​

Again back in Reykjavik....Mother nature!

 

In Reykjavik itself I saw some typical touristic-stuff like the ‚Solfar‘ (Viking-Ship) and the concerthall ‚Harpa‘.

 

 

In the evening Daisy and me took a bus to our next couchsurfing-host, her name was Magalie. A french girl who moved to Iceland a few years ago. She was friendly and had a very cute dog named Melody. (Juliane left us at the ‚Bus Hostel‘ without saying any word before…)

In the night I tried to see some northern lights again- but again no chance...Daisy was so friendy to accompany me again. We were waiting and waiting and than I started with the sentence ‚Mother nature just do me a favour...‘

 

And the Daisy and me started a spontanous rap :D

Lets go:

 

Mother Nature do me a favour
Northern lights shine so bright 
Yo yo momma n bring da lite yall. 

From da sunny sphere 
In da atmosphere 
Show me da mothafuckin lite y'all 

(To the tune of Sean Paul's gimme da light)

Just gimme da lights everybody say aurooora, aurora boreahhh la lisss

Standing out here and I'm feelin real cold 
Starting to feel like I'm gettin real old 
Like a loaf of bread I'm gonna grow mould 
That shit ain't right, it ain't gonna be sold 
I don't wanna wait around here all night, so come on momma n, 
gimme the mothafuckin light! 

 

 

 

Yeeeeeah...Its great to have someone with the same strange humour :D

 

 

When we left Magalie we went back to the City of Reykjavik but in seperate hostels. I checked in at the ‚Backpackers Hostel‘. Also a nice hostel wih a very nice bar. On that day I went to a Whale Watching-Tour. It was ok but the boats are prett crowded and they don‘t get that near to the Whale. So it was prett hard to see them.

 

Daisy and me were still in contact and we went together to a flea market near the harbour where we tried for example the cheese shark. Actually it is rotten shark. But it wasn‘t that bad. It tasted a bit spicey and really a little bit cheesy but no discusting in my oppinion.

We also wanted to try some sheep-testicles but we couldn‘t get them anymore xD So we went to a burger place called ‚Hamborgara Bullan (Burgerjoint)‘. I can recommend that place!

 

 

 

Summary:

 

Iceand was a good and interesting beginning for my backpacking tour. The nature we saw- especially on our roadtrip- was beautiful. But like I told you it's pretty hard sometime to get somewhere during winter-time. Sovise you to rent a car even if you  are a bit scared of driving . Because when there is a lot of snow, no busses are driving. And there are no Trains in Iceland. You Need certain cars for driving for certai Terrains.

Although I was there during a wintermonth I wasn't lucky to see the northern lights. The sky has to be clear and there should be as less lightpolution as possible.

And I can also advise you....really meet your travelpartner in advance if you don't know him /her before. It will make everthing easier and the atmosphere  is more relaxed between you. Thats very important for the whole trip! 

 

Be always sure to have enough gas in your tank! Even if you think it's enough.. You never know where the next gasstation will be.

​

 

 

Facts to Iceland:

 

• capital: Reykjavik

• Population: 334.252

• currency: icelandic krona

• summer: june - August (during winter, just 4 -5 hours of sun)

• there is no clock changing from summer to wintertime

• best time for northern lights (aurora borealis): october  - march

• forecast for northern lights: http://www.aurora-service.eu/aurora-forecast/

• wifi is like everywhere (also in some busses)

• make always sure to have the right change for the bus

• different kind of food: rotten/cheese shark, whale, sheep-testikles

• Price for whale watching: ~ 50 Euro

• NO McDonalds on Iceland

• Shops and even Banks are open on sundays

• because of the vulcanos the air of many places (also Rejkavik) smells like rotten eggs

​