A geological wonder, it is often described to be as fascinating as the moon. An island nation in the mid-Atlantic with a population of just over 3 lakh...a country where everyone under the age of 25 is a poet, musician or artist...and now with a crashing national currency. There was no one reason to visit Iceland.
As our aircraft swooped down, Iceland’s unique topography came into view — miles and miles of moss-covered volcanic rocks...its crevices giving vent to the geothermal energy spewing underneath. It was 23.30 hrs. The almost 24 hours of daylight was yet another reason.
Five days is barely enough time to see an entire country — even one the size of Iceland. We decided to base ourselves in the capital Reykjavik and started off with a tour of the city. Standing tall in the centre of town is the tower of the Hallgrimskirkja Church. Its unique architecture, believed to be modelled on volcanic rock formations, is definitely worth a peek. A statue of Leifur Eiriksson, Iceland’s national hero, occupies the pride of place in the church square. All of Reykjavik’s sights are within reasonable walking distance, be it the dome-shaped Perlan that houses the Viking museum or the uber modern Radhus.
The Geysir, Gulfoss waterfall and Thingvellir national park are three of Iceland’s best known geological spectacles. Bunched together in the southwest of the country, they make an easy day trip from Reykjavik as part of the Golden Circle tour — a must-do for a first-time visitor to the country. Our tour guide was David, a jolly Brit who had made Iceland his home.
The Geysir is the most famous of Iceland’s geysers. Sadly, years of tourist abuse has rendered it almost completely inactive. The action has now shifted to Strokkur, another geyser located just a few feet away from Geysir. Strokkur bubbles, smoulders and erupts with great drama every ten minutes or so. Gullfoss, or the golden falls, is a stunning waterfall where the flow could be as much as 130 cubic metres per second. Situated in a pristine, protected corner of the country, it offers spectacular views with unlimited photo ops.
As we made our way to Thingvellir, David continued to regale us with Icelandic lore. Despite obvious signs of Americanisation, Icelanders still hold on steadfastly to their Viking roots — the naming convention being a case in point. Icelanders get their surname by adding a ‘sson’ or ‘dottir’ to their father’s first name. So, Peter’s son Steffan would be Steffan Petersson and Jon’s daughter Helga would be Helga Jondottir. David admits that to this date he regrets not having named his son Harley!
Thingvellir National Park stands testimony to Iceland’s unique geographic location, bang in the middle of the mid-Atlantic ridge. Thingvellir is interspersed with fault lines and cracks which are remnants of the plate movements that separated Eurasia from the Americas. Interestingly, the origins of present day democracy can also be traced to Thingvellir, as it is here that the world’s first parliament had assembled several hundred years ago.
Friday night in Reykjavik was Runtur time. Runtur, the weekend pub crawl, has over the years become as much of an Icelandic tradition as sea-faring. As live music rang out of the bars and dancers took to the floors, the city centre was choc-a-block with revellers, both young and not-so-young, keen to dive in. This was Iceland letting its hair down. The action kicked off at around 11 pm and went on until the wee hours of the morning.
Fish and fishing are integral to Icelandic life. The former is the staple food of the island, and the latter often a subject of debate and controversy. The Iceland government’s aggressive stand on whale fishing has had activists up in arms both within and outside the country. Whale watching, on the other hand, is a much loved pastime in this part of the world. We joined a boat tour that took us into the Atlantic waters, hoping to catch a glimpse of these shy beings. Despite the stormy weather, we were in luck as we spotted a few minke whales that were out feeding. En route, we halted at Puffin Island, a small strip of land close to the coast that served as a resting ground for puffins and other sea birds.
Hakarl is Iceland’s infamous national dish — shark meat that is fermented for months to the point of going putrid. After much debating we finally decided to subject ourselves to a tasting at a local restaurant. The innocuous-looking tiny chunks of white meat were soft, chewy and in fact, not that revolting. That is until the after-taste took over. The stench of ammonia was diabolic, to say the least.
Geothermal pools are big in Iceland. We decided to end our stay in Iceland with a dip in the most famous of them all: the Blue Lagoon. The silica-rich geothermal pool located bang in the middle of volcanic rocks is today one of Iceland’s prime attractions. As far as spa experiences go, nothing beats a soak in the milky-blue waters of the Blue Lagoon.
Hot springs, geysers and glaciers notwithstanding, these are challenging times for Iceland. The country that was once voted the world’s happiest nation is now undergoing its worst recession ever. In fact McDonalds has recently pulled out of the country citing soaring costs. However, at the geothermal plant we visited, the outlook was decidedly positive. Iceland has vast unexploited sources of geothermal energy and it is poised to reinvent itself as the energy provider for all of Western Europe. After all, if anyone knows a thing or two about survival, it has to be the Vikings.
- mkalliat@yahoo.com