Iceland 2009

Projet Viking 1 | Du 21/06/2009 au 13/07/2009 (23 jours)

21/06/2009 | Grenoble - Paris

• Left Grenoble to Paris (bye-bye mom and daddy).
• Realized my bag was quite heavy, walking from Porte d'Orléans to Montrouge.
• Had a last drink with Loïc and Sophie.
• Farewell gift: great “Orgasm donor” T-Shirt (no comment).
• Walked in the subway dressed as if I was hiking in Belledonne.

22/06/2009 | Paris - Keflavík - Reykjavík

• On the 21st of June, we celebrate the music in France… So it's impossible to sleep (because of the noise).
• Took the plane.
• Asked the air hostess for some help with Icelandic pronounciation.
• Then arrived in Iceland.
• An old man took me (without having to inch-hike) to the center of Reykjavík.
• Experimented icelandic weather: sun, rain, wind, clouds, sun again, wind again, rain again, then sun again, …

23/06/2009 | Reykjavík - Geysir - Gullfoss - Selfoss

• Was supposed to go to þingvellir.
• Decided finally to take another bus (without any reason), to Geysir and Gullfoss.
• Was a very good idea, beacause met 2 german girls and a french boy.
• Enjoyed icelandic rain.
• Saw geysers.
• Gulfoss was both beautifull and awesome.
• Had a bath under the rain in Selfoss's swimmingpool… the water was 38-40°c hot!!!

24/06/2009 | Selfoss - Landmannalaugar

• Discovered the extreme cold and lonelyness of an icelandic night.
• Understood why buses needed to have so big wheels to reach Landmannalaugar.
• Wasn't able to find food to buy there.
• So decided not to make the 3 days trek planed on my road-book.
• Didn't realize how wonderfull Landmannalaugar was (but could realize it when been back to France… Thanks to EOS 400D).
• Spent nice time with shelter's guardians (only girls ).
• They teached how to play KUBB (old Viking game), offered me a hot-chocolate, and invited me to have a midnight bath in hot-pots.
• Managed to tell them my name IN ICELANDIC.
• In a few word, a very-very nice day (even if quite different from what I had planed).

25/06/2009 | Landmannalaugar - Hella

• Slept under the rain.
• Woke-up under the rain.
• Went hiking under the rain.
• Didn't see anything because of the rain… But guessed it must be beautiful with a beautiful weather.
• Packed my tent under the rain.
• In Hella, asked for the swimmingpool in Icelandic.

26/06/2009 | Hella - Seljalandsfoss - Þórsmörk

• Was supposed to take the bus to Kirkjubaejarklaustur, but changed my plans at the last second (i.e. just before to the take it).
• Decided to go to Þórsmörk instead.
• On the road, stopped in Seljalandsfoss… So nice…
• Then discovered Þórsmörk, the favorite weekend place of Icelanders…
• But wasn't totally convinced by the place.

27/06/2009 | Þórsmörk - Seljalandsfoss - Skógafoss - Vík - Kirkjubaejarklaustur - Skaftafell

• Had spent the entire day in the bus (principle of a transit day).
• Stopped in Kirkjubaejarklaustur…
• … But had missed the line saying the bus service to Laki only started on July 1st.
• Mistake n°2.
• So hiked aournd Kirkjubaejarklaustur.
• Then took the bus to Skaftafell (that arrived “only” 45 minutes late).
• In Skaftafell, for the first time of my life, had a walk at 10 p.m.!

28/06/2009 | Skaftafell - Jökulsárlón

• Had a short night because of tourists' barbecues until 01:00 p.m.!
• Went to Jökulsárlón, with deception at first… But then changed my opinion, and realized it's wonderful.
• Then went hiking in Skaftafell National Park.
• Was in an Olympic form.
• Classified this day the “most beautiful of the trip”.
• But had to change the ranking a few days after.

29/06/2009 | Skaftafell - Jökulsárlón - Höfn

• Played with my EOS 400D in Skaftafell.
• Went down to the glacier.
• Went to Jökulsárlón again, under the sun…
• … What made me realize how wonderfull it was.
• Then left to Höfn, kind of back to “civilization”.

30/06/2009 | Höfn - Mývatn

• Took a crazy bus to reach the north.
• Enjoyed the Icelandic way of driving (at 120km/h instead of 80).
• Went on the top of a volcano, and walked around the crateria.
• Met my germans friends (of the 2nd day) again.
• Had an almost midnight bath in Mývatn Nature Baths.

01/07/2009 | Mývatn - Kráfla

• Spent the night drinking tea and eating Skyr.
• Went to Kráfla, an impressive volcanic site…
• … Still steaming (20 years after the last eruption) !
• Went back by foot (15km alk).
• Washed my clothes.
• Didn't feel tired after my sleepless night.

02/07/2009 | Mývatn - Námajfall

• Rode around the lakkkkkkeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee…
• Went to the top of a big mountain.
• Saw the awesome Námajfall, with its boiling mudpools and steaming.

03/07/2009 | Mývatn - Dettifoss - Ásbyrgi - Akureyri

• Left Mývatn with regrets.
• Went to Dettifoss, the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge. God!
• Almost did not take any pictures, because batteries were empty… But, hopefully, had rescue batteries…
• Enjoyed some minutes in paradise in Ásbyrgi (… so short…).
• Arrived in Akureyri, biggest town of North Iceland…
• Spent the evening in bars…

04/07/2009 | Akureyri

• Was tired.
• So took time to visit Akureyri.
• Had a very long discussion with an Austrian guy and to two Germans.

05/07/2009 | Akureyri - Husavík

• Went on a whale watching safari.
• … But the sea was too strong to see more than… waves!
• Was really fun.
• Visited the phallus musuem.

06/07/2009 | Akureyri - Goðafoss - Askja - Kverkfjöll

• Started my 3 days excursion to the depth of Iceland.
• Met 2 Americans, 1 German, 1 Swiss and 1 Italian.
• Saw Goðafoss waterfall.
• Did not find it as nice as it's say.
• Went to Askja volcano.
• Had a bus accident on the “road” to Kverkfjöll.
• Had to wait 2 hours for the rescue team in the middle of nowhere.
• Learned my new friends to play french-game “pétanque”.
• Finally, managed to reach Kverkfjöll shelter.
• Heared the deepest silence I've ever heared.
• Was so strong that I'm still dreaming of it.
• Decided it was the most beautiful day of the trip…

07/07/2009 | Kverkfjöll - Vatnajökull

• Went to Vatnajökull, the largest glacier in Europe.
• Put crampoons.
• Got roped.
• Walked 4 hours on the ice… to finally reach a hotspot in the middle of the glacier.
• Sky was clear.
• Decided it was the most beautiful place on the Earth.
• It must be.
• Coudn't cross the river because of the too strong melted ice stream.
• Had to wait (again) for the rescue team for 2 hours…
• Played “who's the deakler” with my new friends.
• Was definitely the most wonderfull day of the trip.

08/07/2009 | Kverkfjöll - Hvannalindir - Akureyri

• Leaved Vatnajökull.
• Didn't have any problem that day!
• Came back to Akureyri.

09/07/2009 | Akureyri - Reykjavík

• Missed the bus to Kjölur.
• Could have caught it if had run… But was too tired.
• So took the bus to Reykjavík instead.
• Boring day.
• Played with my camera in Reykjavík harbour.

10/07/2009 | Reykjavík

• Visited Reykjavík.
• Saw puffins.
• Played tic-tac-toe against myself.
• Didn't win.

11/07/2009 | Reykjavík - Blue Lagoon

• Visited Reykjavík cathedral.
• Spent great time in the mythic Blue Lagoon.
• Got out with a baby skin…

12/07/2009 | Reykjavík - Kleifarvatn - Krisuvík - Grindavík - Keflavík

• Didn't sleep beacause of the huge party next to the campsite.
• Visited Reykjanes…
• … With a wonderful Toyota Yaris!
• Great sun for great remembrance.

13/07/2009 | Keflavík - Paris - Grenoble

• Got back to France.
• Would have prefered to stay in Iceland.
• So wonderful hollidays…