REYKJAVIK

After much anticipation leading up to our departure, we took the first flight of our around-the-world trip to Keflavik, Iceland on July 10, 2012. Landing at almost midnight, we got our baggage and took the Flybus to Reykjavik where we had to walk 1.5 miles to our apartment with our bags packed for 8 months of traveling in tow. The good news is that it was still light out at 1AM while we wandered the streets aimlessly in search of our Airbnb for the next few days. We were so exhausted by the time we reached our destination that we passed out despite the shining sun and our twin sized bed.

The next morning we set out to explore Reykjavik. What an amazing and welcoming city! The houses, the colors, the adventuremobiles, it was overwhelming! We spent the day hanging out in the park listening to a live DJ set while we people watched and sipped local beer. We also went to the top of Hallgrímskirkja (the famous church in Reykjavic), which was amazing.  We felt so comfortable that all of our anxieties about being overseas for the rest of the year were long gone. We ate our first dinner at Saegreifinn (a must if you visit Reykjavik) and then hit the sack after a long day.

WE RECOMMEND

Saegreifinn – The Sea Baron
Hallgrímskirkja Church

Kaffismidja Islands Cafe

THE RING ROAD

Next we were off to explore the rest of the island! Iceland is breathtaking. It’s not just one part of it either; every turn we took, every crest of every hill reveals a jaw-droppingly epic scene that you just cannot put into words. You can see 100 different types of geography in one 360 degree view at any point. Glaciers melt into waterfalls into rivers into streams that run to the sea. And the water tastes as fresh as it looks. We spent our nights camping at the most epic locations we had every seen (for free) until we couldn’t go another minute without showering. We drove the whole Ring Road in six days which was intense. We definitely underestimated the time it would take us and would have loved to have taken our sweet time. We explored volcanic fields, watched people bathe in geothermal pools and ate the best seafood we’d ever had in Isafjordur. The town’s folk museum also happens to be the local’s favorite restaurant, cooking up seafood so fresh that they don’t even know the menu until a few hours before dinner is served. Needless to say, we will definitely be back – next time with an extreme adventure rig and a lot more time.

WE RECOMMEND

Tjoruhusid (Restaurant at the Folk Museum)
Jökulsárlón (Glacial River Lagoon)
Blue Lagoon
Gullfoss Waterfall

Skógafoss Waterfall
Airplane Wreckage
Búdir