Aurora, that frigid bitch. Chasing the northern lights was not really part of the itinerary. I didn't even know that they can be seen in late September, but the schedule of the tour starting at 10 PM was so convenient. It's not as if I would be partying in Reykjavik, you know. Since I decided to get two consecutive days-off, I had no excuse not to stay out late. Unfortunately, Aurora was a no-show. I guess those green Avada Kedavra lights will just have to remain on my bucket list for a while.
I'm disappointed because I was all ready for my Avada Kedavra Day selfie, like a Death Eaters rejoice moment, you know. But chasing the northern lights is always a game of luck. It was scheduled on my first night in Iceland but was canceled due to unfavorable weather conditions. Three buses full of hopeful tourists, myself included, finally went ahead for the pursuit the next night, but we all went back to Reykjavik with no luck. The good thing is you can join the tour every night until you get lucky.
If you want something more certain, then go for the Golden Circle tour.
I have reason to believe that this is Iceland's most popular so far.
The Golden Circle tour includes three attractions: Thingvellir, Geysir,
and Gullfoss. You don't really have to choose among the three because
you will see all of them anyway. Each one kind
of appeals to a different audience, though, and there are also some
random useful tips when it comes to enjoying each one to the fullest.
Let's start with Thingvellir, which is the first one on the list.
Leaving
Reykjavik, you arrive at the National Park after 45 minutes or so.
There, your guide will tell you that you have around 45 minutes to enjoy
the attraction. He or she will go with you and show you a model of the
place, giving you a good idea where you are in Iceland geographically.
They then proceed to explain the importance of the place and why it was
named a national park. To give you a clue, this is considered as the
part of the globe where the tectonic plates of America and Europe meet. Romantic?
Not.
If
you are a big fan of giant rocks breaking up, then maybe this could be
your version of romantic. All around the area you will see rocky hills torn apart as if Drogon
flew over them and went full-on arsonist like his mom. And you still
wonder why they film many parts of the series here? Our tour guide kept
on joking about being in America without a visa because of the tectonic
plate thingy, and then being back in Europe again just like that because
we crossed the damn plate. It's actually kind of cool, in a geeky sort of way.
I
think exploring Thingvellir on your own is doable if you rent a car.
The park is huge and there's a large area to cover, but the 45-minute
window this excursion provides is just not enough. Maybe it's really
just meant to be a teaser so you can eventually opt for more if you feel
like it. As for me, I was amazed for 15 minutes or so before I lost
interest. I mean, the terrain is really cool to look at and you will be
taking a lot of awesome photos, but that's about it. I need action, you
know and that's what Geysir is for.
The
drive to Geysir took a full hour but it was not boring at all thanks to
the scenery along the way. The place itself is called Geysir and next
to the parking lot is a souvenir shop and a restaurant where you can buy overpriced food. Well, everything in Iceland seems overpriced anyway so
maybe it was pointless to even mention that. Geysir was awesome. They
are teasers just like Aurora, but they actually show up. At least you know that they will. It's the timing factor that provides the thrill, though.
Take
it from me, the bubbles are not indicative of an outburst. What you
have to wait for is the bluish glow. When you see that, you have around
five to ten seconds to make sure that your shitty phone camera will not
go all diva on you. Otherwise, you will miss that opportunity. But don't
jump into the hellish hot water for a fiery suicide. It's not the end of
the world, and that geyser will erupt again in less than ten minutes. You have plenty of time for practice, bruh. No need to be emo now.
You will be spending around an hour at Geysir before driving off to your final destination. Gullfoss
is a mere ten-minute drive and you stay there for around 45 minutes.
Like Geysir, there is a souvenir shop/restaurant combo where you can
charge your gadgets. But please buy something, at least? It's going to
be hella
awkward if you don't and I don't think the management will be that
happy about it. Even if you don't take photos and videos, though, the
sight of Gulfoss will remain in your mind forever.
What,
it's impressive! But what I find more impressive is that glacier
nearby. If you look at a map of Iceland, you will see white spaces that
are not lakes. As we approached Gullfoss'
parking lot, I noticed an otherworldly apparition to the left. It
looked like a large body of water but still as night and white as snow.
The moon, bigger than usual, hovered above it. The canyons that form its
border made it look as though it was the setting of an
extra-terrestrial popcorn flick. My photos don't do it justice.
But
that's not included in the tour. You can book it and I think that one
alone will eat an entire day of your itinerary. Back to Gullfoss, it
seems to have a permanent rainbow glued to its horizon. The mist formed
by the falling water gives it a mystic kind of feel. Add the yellow and
brown combo of the hills in the background and you have a vision of what
tranquility actually looks like, until you see the tourists crossing
the forbidden areas for a YOLO selfie. Like, behave? Kids? Die for
Instagram much?
The
drive back to the capital is a long one, clocking in at almost two
hours. As the sun sets and the sky gets dark, photo opportunities start
to wane, which is why I suggest that you just use the downtime for a much-deserved
snooze. Today you spent an entire day seeing three awesome gifts of
nature on an island way up north, probably the northernmost you've been
all your life. Treasure the moment, for you will be conjuring that image
in your memory in the years to come. Who's awesome, Iceland? You are!
[SUÐURLAND] Chasing Aurora + The Golden Circle
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