FALLING IN love WITH THE LAND OF ELVES

Updated: 03/16/20 | March 16th, 2020

As we stared up at the sky, patches of neon and dark green changed to light pink and back to green. They came out of nowhere, hung like curtains on unnoticeable hangers, and danced a duet to an unheard symphony. They would appear, vanish, and reappear all over the sky.

My companions, Lulu and Germaine (two pals from France spending the week driving around Iceland), and I stared, bewildered, as the northern lights danced above us.

It was the first time we had seen them, and even though it was bitterly cold and we were too lightly dressed, we stayed out, shivering — for hours — viewing nature’s fantastic ballet.

Every night before this, we would run outside and then retreat back in defeat, realizing it was too cloudy to see the lights.

But, on this night, the sky was clear, the stars shone around us, and nature finally let us see its mythic show.

I had high expectations for my check out to Iceland. I’d seen films and pictures in magazines of land with jagged mountain peaks, volcanoes with desolate lava fields, rolling hills with grazing sheep, and glaciers that stretched for miles. I thought of a utopian country where friendly locals in tune with nature roamed a majestic landscape.

Despite the eagerness to check out Iceland these images caused, I put off going to over the years. Something always came up.

This year, I resolved to finally visit.

And, as the plane descended into Reykjavik, I wondered, “Could the fairytale image in my mind live up to itself?”

It could, in fact, exceed it.

And it happened best away.

From the moment I landed, I was welcomed and helped by kind strangers.

There was Bragi, a Couchsurfer trip guide who drove me around the golden Circle.

And Paulina, the college student who let me sleep on her couch, took me to an Icelandic play and her family’s farm, revealed a secret “locals-only” swimming hole, and went far out of her way to drop me in the eastern city of Vik to make catching a bus easier.

And there was Paulina’s friend, Alga, who also opened up her couch to me at the end of the trip.

And Maria and Marta, who shown that Reykjavik’s nightlife is far crazier than anything new York can offer.

Then there was the Couchsurfing host in Akureyri who cooked dinner for me and his other guests, and the blog reader (who [turned out to be] a high-level government official) and her spouse who introduced me to traditional lobster soup (delicious!).

Every step of the way I encountered valuable and thrilled Icelanders who sought to show off the best of their country. They loved nature, held die-hard beliefs in elves and fairytales (over 50% of Icelanders believe in elves), and appreciated a good pint.

After saying goodbye to my new pals in Reykjavik, I drove around the ring road (Iceland’s main highway) with Lulu and Germaine after hitching a ride with them in Vik. Forests morphed into fjords and fjords developed into moonscape-like lava fields.

Over the next 10 days, my love for Iceland became an obsession, as I was continuously treated to bewildering landscapes and valuable locals. For such a small island, Iceland has a diverse range of landscapes and micro-ecosystems.

And, as we traveled, hiked, and eagerly waited for the northern lights, I couldn’t help but notice the silence of the land around me. With hardly anybody or any animals around, the land seemed so still.

And it was the silence that affected me the most.

Coming from NYC, I don’t know a world without noise. My day begins and ends with automobiles honking their horns outside my bedroom window.

In Iceland, noise hardly exists. And, in that silence, I learned to appreciate life a little more.

On one beautifully clear day in the north, a local guide took me to explore game of Thrones film locations. because there was no one else on the tour, the guide took me off-road. We got out of the automobile and climbed a rocky hill.

Below us, the ground opened up into a series of deep fissures. around us was there was nothing but an empty plateau.

Iceland expanded in all directions around us, with volcanoes and mountains in the distance.

There was no sign of civilization.

I sat down. The guide sat down. We were silent. All we could hear was the sound of the wind whipping around our heads. When that died down, nothing but an eerie yet serene silence remained.

Everything was still.

My guide and I didn’t look at each other. I suspect he was as content as I was. Throughout the day, I got the sense that he had a deep love of nature and was probably pleased just sitting there.

Afterward, I sat unwinding in the hot springs near Myvatn, and before I knew it my two-hour check out was up. I got ready to leave, thinking that time had gone by too quickly.

As we drove home that day, my guide pointed out rocks shaped like a boat. “That’s a troll boat,” he said. “Years ago, the lake was being overfished by a troll so the locals stayedout extra late, causing the troll to forget what the hour was. Suddenly, as the sun rose, the troll raced back to her cave so she wouldn’t turn to stone. Along the way, she dropped her boat. somewhere out there, there is the troll, but we haven’t found her yet.”

“Do you really think trolls and elves exist?” I asked.

“I think these stories instruct us to respect nature. Iceland is a severe environment, and it’s easy to spoil the land or get into danger. These stories instruct us about balance. But, then again, I can’t show these creatures don’t exist, you know? This land is special,” he replied.

I don’t think trolls or elves exist but he was best about one thing: there is something special about this place.

 
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Book Your trip to Iceland: Logistical suggestions and Tricks
Book Your Flight
Use Skyscanner or Momondo to find a low-cost flight. They are my two favorite search engines because they search sites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is left unturned. start with Skyscanner first though because they have the most significant reach!

Book Your Accommodation
You can book your hostel with Hostelworld as they have the most significant inventory and best deals. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as they consistently return the most affordable rates for guesthouses and low-cost hotels. My favorite places to stay are:

Hlemmur Square (Reykjavik)

Kex Hostel (Reykjavik)

Akureyri Backpackers (Akureyri)

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Travel insurance will safeguard you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s extensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it numerous times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

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Insure My trip (for those over 70)

Medjet (for additional repatriation coverage)

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