JOURNEY TO ICELAND

A BREATH-TAKING JOURNEY TO ICELAND

Iceland, one of the most stupendous places in the Scandinavian region, is home to a rich history, indigenous art and culture, and mouthwatering culinary choices. It houses flabbergasting hip-hop music and some of the most breathtaking and wonderful places in the entire world. Iceland is like a heaven on the earth and I needed to explore it as a frenetic traveler.

The idea to visit Iceland came from one of the vlogs which I watched on YouTube. A person who had traveled to Iceland was showing the amazing cuisine, the natural beauty, and the breathtaking monuments of Iceland. I too was inspired by him and made my mind to go to Iceland. I knew that visiting Iceland in winter would be a very difficult task. But as an adventurous traveler, I had to explore everything, even which involves risks under different conditions. Instead, I thought that it would be more fun if I visit Iceland in the winter months.

So, everything was set and I booked my flight from Boston to Reykjavik, the capital of the amazing country of Iceland. Reykjavik was known for its mix of medieval and modern times. It had a rich cultural history of the Vikings. It had to be the start of my Icelandic journey. First, I checked in at my hotel. It was already midnight but instead of taking rest, I went out to explore the Northern Lights or the Aurora Borealis. Luckily, I was one of the fortunate travelers to see the Northern Lights on my first trip to Iceland. It is very common between the months of September and April.

After witnessing the fantabulous sight, I returned to my hotel to take a full night’s rest. The day after, it was time to explore more in the Scandinavian country of Iceland.

The morning snow dripped off my window and I had a chilling breath. I started the morning by visiting the Golden Circle. Then, it was the time for the renowned horse riding of Iceland. I was an expert in horse riding. So, riding on the adventurous horses of Iceland would be a more thrilling task.

 I enjoyed horse riding to the fullest and then it was the time to go to Thingvellir, a geological attraction in Iceland. It consisted of a national park full of a rich variety of flora and fauna. Along with that, I got to experience the Gullfoss waterfall and geysers at Geysir and Strokkur.

Then after, I went to Akurey to take a closer glance at the various species in Iceland, especially birds. I also hired a guide who gave me detailed knowledge about puffins, terns, gulls, and fulmars. These were basically seabirds who seemed very fascinating to me. This trip is popularly known as Puffin Express Cruise and is one of the famous trips in entire Iceland.

Then, I explored the Reykjanes Peninsula, which is an amazing site of volcanic activity and natural beauty. Consisting of a lot of lava fields, volcanic craters, and geothermal pools, this place is a must-visit for travelers coming to Iceland.

I felt some need to relax and what could be better than chilling out in the Blue Lagoon. The Blue Lagoon has lots of thermal pools and waterfalls. I took a bath in one of the thermal pools and it felt like heaven.

Now it was the time for one of the most astonishing parts of my Icelandic journey. I watched humpbacks, mink whales and dolphins in Europe’s whale watching capital – Húsavík.

After some amazing whale watching, I headed forward to Bessastadir. It was a red and white mansion with a lake in front of it. It is actually the residence of the president of Iceland. It was built in the 1700s and is a perfect example of architectural excellence. I also visited a church nearby. I felt the peace of mind there.

Then it was the time to go to one of the most fantabulous destinations in entire Iceland – the Hallgrimskirkja. It is basically a church that dominates Iceland’s skyline. I also got to see the Aurora Borealis behind it. Oh ! What a sight it was! This white concrete is about 75 meters high. I went to the top of it using an elevator and saw the stunning cityscape. It seemed that I had the whole of Iceland in my hand.

Icelandic is the major language spoken by the native people. But one advantage is that most of the population in Iceland know English. Therefore travelers like me do not find any communication problems in Iceland. Plus, it is recommended that you do not go for trying to master Icelandic because it is quite a difficult language and there is practically no need to learn it.

Now, it was time to do some shopping in Iceland. Well, Iceland has a lot to offer to shopping enthusiasts. There are three major shopping centers in Iceland and I went into the biggest of all of them i.e., Smaralind. I bought some clothing and native Icelandic crafts. Then, I headed to Kolaportid, which is a marketplace for local Icelandic experience. I bought some designer clothes and jewelry from here. I was always a book lover and therefore I needed to go to the best book store in Iceland. And I found it to be Mal Og Menning,  which is the best book store in entire Iceland. It houses a plethora of books and I bought some science fiction books from this amazing book store.

It was already night and I was feeling hungry. So, it was a good time to taste the local cuisines of Iceland. I went straight to a restaurant and told the waiter to bring me the five most amazing dishes in Iceland. He was surprised but still, he took the order. He brought me Hangikjot, Skyr, Icelandic fish, meat soup, and the famous Icelandic hot dog. I was relishing the delicious dishes. I thanked the restaurant from the bottom of my heart for such wonderful hospitality. I also had some fun in the night club beside the restaurant. I enjoyed my Icelandic trip to the fullest.

My trip to Iceland was coming to an end. I booked a cab and went to Reykjavik airport and booked my flight to Boston. The trip to Iceland was one of the stunning trips in my entire life. Now, it was time to bid goodbye to Iceland, and still, I couldn’t believe it.

I landed in Boston after a long flight of about 16 hours. I made some great memories in Iceland and I would remember them for the rest of my life.  For those of you who have not visited Iceland, I would like to tell you that Iceland ought to be one of the top places on your travel list.