Iceland!!!!! Trekking, Landmannlauger

I loved Reykjavik. I loved the people. I loved the pools, library, buses, etc. But let's be real: we went for the gorgeous splendor and natural beauty. Iceland did not disappoint.

Panorama during a moment of partial sun on Day 2 

A 3+ hour drive took us to Landmannlauger in the South of Iceland. Landmannlauger is where the famous Laugavegur trail starts and where we spent a few days hiking about.  The last hour of the trip was on very primitive dirt roads with the bus plowing through puddles, streams and even, at times, serious water. Our particular bus driver took the roads like a boss passing all sorts of souped up off-road cars. It raises the question, how long do those busses last?

One of the roads buses, Jeeps and other vehicles use to get to the huts along the Laugarvegur trail

We arrived in a cold drizzle mid-day but hiked about for a few hours in the lava fields before spending the late afternoon laying about, reading and enjoying the natural hot spring.  That night, our first in the "mountain huts," was in a dormer with another 20+ people lined up shoulder to shoulder on two long rows of sleeping mats. The older woman next to me snored - loudly from the moment she laid down and all night long. I slept poorly.

Fellow trekkers soaking in the springs.

The second day the weather was even worse! We had a wintry mix of snow and rain combined with wind but did about 10 miles of traipsing about the valley and saw, among other things, the ill-named Ugly Puddle. Although we were soaked, it was beautiful and by the time we got back to the hut the sun came out and I had another nice soak in the hot spring.

A piece of the hills and valley floor at Landmannlauger.

Day three arrived with glorious sunshine. In the morning we climbed a mountain that was too steep, slippery and treacherous to hike in the rain the day before and absolutely worth the view.

I conquered that mountain.

In the afternoon we said "Goodbye" to the five other people who had been in our group for three days and said "Hello" to fifteen new people who would join us for the next six days of the Laugavegur Trail.

Rainbow over Langmannlauger

Iceland!!!!! First Impressions

This will not be a literary blog post. This will be a pre-teen puppy love declaration of infatuation and ardor. Each of the "i"'s is, in my mind, doted with a heart.

A sculpture in Reykjavik inspired by Viking ships.
That's my favorite Viking in the shot.

Our two week Icelandic adventure was the best vacation ever. Given my application of "the best ever!" to vacations of the past you may be doubtful but this was the best vacation ever.

We arrived in the land of ice and fire on a drizzly, cold and windy Thursday early in the morning after a direct red-eye.  For two days we walked and walked. We did a "dark deeds" literary walking tour linking crime writers and crime fiction to spots around town. We took the bus, visited museums, saw the famous Hallgrimskirkja (church), swam at a public pool, and visited a grocery store, hardware store and a bakery. We ate a disappointing breakfast, had great noodles, were fairly unimpressed by the veggie joint and even less so by the Icelandic joint. On its surface the days in Reykjavik make a lame summer vacation story: graffiti, rain, mostly utilitarian architecture, bad roads, expensive lackluster food.

But I really really liked it. Our AirBnB apartment was ultra convenient, cozy, quiet and very comfortable. The city was easy to get around, very low stress, nothing was crowded and everyone we encountered was lovely.  And I loved it. I love the hot water that spurts from the earth all over the place. I love the breath-taking (literally) beauty of the geography. I love the sheep that, outnumbering the human population 2:1, have their run of the island and I love all the wool and woolen goods that are a natural bi-product. I love the people, half of whom are said to believe in elves, who I found universally nice, witty, helpful and relaxed.

Despite many months of darkness, cold most of the year and a good chance that some volcano is raining ash and/or lava somewhere, the 320,000 people of Iceland consistently rank near, or at, the top of evaluations of happiness. Based on my conversations with Icelanders and trolling of the interwebs, they have no military, barely a police force, less than 100 people in prison and the lowest murder rate in the world. They have crazy high birth rates and life expectancy, extremely strong social bonds and, per capita, buy more books than any other people. I think the 120+ public geothermal pools have something to do with them being such a well adjusted people.

The Hallgrimskirkja (church) on the top of downtown.