ICELAND, LAND OF FIRE AND ICE WITH EXPLORE FAMILY ADVENTURES
Friday, August 3, 2007 at 13:37 I Left Great Malvern on Sunday 22nd of July and wasn't sure if it was possible to leave the area due to the floods all around us. My thanks to Apollo Taxes for being the only local company to say yes to trying to find a way out of Worcestershire to get Myself and Daughter on our Explore Family Educational trip to Iceland and down to London Heathrow for our early afternoon departure..
Our Journey from Great Malvern was very enlightening. As we travelled,we saw many abandoned Cars, and some of these were left in quite a precarious way, as though people had suddenly realised the dangers of the flooding and didn't have time to park on a verge or against a kerb.On Saturday night, our Driver Steve had been able to come via Tewkesbury, but on the Sunday Morning it soon became evident, that Tewkesbury had now been cut off and we had to turn around and find an alternative route..
The M50 Motorway had been re-opened and we made about a 45 minute detour and again were surprised at the amount of abandoned cars and vehicles on the Motorway. I had never seen anything like it before. As We left Worcestershire on the M5,the Motorway crosses the River Severn and I had never seen the River so high, with Caravans floating above fields miles away from where there Riverside setting should be, but Thankfully we were now on our way out of Worcestershire and on our way to Iceland.
CLICK ON THE ABOVE PHOTOGRAPH TO BE TAKEN TO OUR ICELAND EXPLORE FAMILY ADVENTURE PHOTOGRAPH ALBUM. YOU CAN THEN HOVER OVER EACH PHOTOGRAPH TO GET A FULL DESCRIPTION OF EACH PHOTO OR YOU CAN CHOOSE TO VIEW THE SLIDESHOW OPTION AND CHOOSE TO PAUSE EACH PHOTO OR TO SHOW OR HIDE EACH CAPTION
Our Family Group to Iceland included Cheryl Mcdonald from Explore and Daughter Nicola 16,Lucy Mcadam-Freud from Green Star Travel and Son James 19. Sarah Blake from Travellers World and Son Harry aged 8, Karen Forrester from Travel On and Grand-daughter Charlotte aged 5, Sarah Leach from Dorchester Travel and Daughter Chloe aged 10 and Myself and Daughter Katie aged 13. Despite the wide range of Children's ages, everybody mixed in really well and coped well with the Itinerary. Charlotte especially at the age of 5 showed her adventurous spirit and I'm sure one day will be climbing Everest, as No Glacier was slippery enough or Volcano too high to climb
7 days/6 nights Tour including Connecting Group Flights London-Reykjavik-London Depart Sunday from London Heathrow Airport to join tour in Reykjavik the same day (day 1 of Land Only itinerary). Return Saturday from Reykjavik (day 7 ofLand Only itinerary) and arrive London Heathrow the same day.Passengers with non-group flights bookedthrough Select World Travel should refer to their individual confirmation invoice for flightdetails. Transfers to and from the airport are not included unless purchased in addition to the tour package.
On Any tour to Iceland, even in Summer, it is Essential to take a good pair of Hiking Boots, Take a good Hat and also a good pair of Gloves( especially when climbing craters etc as protection from slipping on rocks). Iceland is a fantastic destination, but very expensive once you are there, therefore it is wise to Purchase Wine, Spirits, Beer and Cigarettes at the Duty Free Shop before you leave the UK, or at least stock up at a Supermarket or Liquor store if your accommodation in Iceland is likely to be out of the way or in a small fishing hamlet.
22 July 2007 Day 1. Sunday. Join tour Keflavik Airport and transfer to Laugarvatn After joining the tour at Keflavik Airport we head off through a landscape of ancient lava flows to the small village of Laugarvatn. The village is home to Iceland’s National School for Sports and sits on extensive thermal springs that the region is famous for. On arrival there may be time to go for a swim, have a sauna or hire a boat and go paddling around the local lake (optional). 2 nights guesthouse H.
On this Family Educational trip with Explore we stayed for the first two nights at The Hotel Edda in Laugarvatn, which is actually the University accommodation during term time and doubles up as a Hotel in the Summertime. We were all a little tired as we arrived in Laugarvatn, and after finding our "dorm room" we did a little Exploring near the Lake. A local House near by had an enclosed Paddock and our first introduction to The Icelandic Horse and a baby Foal which attracted a lot of attention by the Children.
Our First nights meal was included and was a spicy Soup followed by a delicious Fish Dish with a mild curry sauce and wild rice. Cheryl very kindly bought the Wine on behalf of Explore and we all spent time getting to know each other. It was just by co-incidence that I found out I had been on an educational visit to Egypt with Bales tours and Karen had been on the same trip.
23 July 2007 Day 2. Visit Seljaladsfoss waterfall & Thorsmork Nature Reserve.Driving to Hvolsvollur this morning we will stop to pick up some picnic supplies, before continuing to the stunning Seljalandsfoss waterfall. We will have the unique opportunity here to actually walk behind the falls, for an altogether different perspective. Continuing over the river Steinholtsa we shall take a walkinto the narrow, breathtaking Stakkholtsgja gorge. Our main attraction today though is the area of Thorsmork, a natural reserve, shielded on three sides by glaciers and mountains and surrounded by ice caps and glacial rivers. Translating as the Woods of Thor, Thorsmork, is without doubt a highlight of our trip and certainly one of the most awe-inspiring locations in Iceland. A multitude of small gullies and valleys, overgrown with low birch-trees, snake down to the sea. There are some 170 species of plants, mosses and lichens in the reserve and in the distance, in the upper reaches of the valley, surreal rock formations have earned the valley the name of Gooalnd – Land of the Gods. Later we return to our accommodation for the evening. (Included meals: B).
I think the Gods must have been with us, as The Weather in Iceland was superb throughout our journey. We woke up to mist over the Mountains and the lake at Lagervatn and were introduced to our Polish Driver Marion and our Icelandic Guide Borkur Hrolfsson.We soon found out how important it is to have a good driver and Guide whilst touring Iceland. Borkur has been a Driver and guide for more than 20 years and explained the stringent exams needed to become a professional tour guide in Iceland. His Knowledge was incredible and we all learnt about the Icelandic Folklore and about TROLLS,ELVES AND THE HIDDEN PEOPLE
The Scenery changes constantly and we were soon diving over Hillsides, Mountains and flat plains.Borkur explained all about MOUNT HEKLA, ICELANDS MOST PROLIFIC VOLCANO and how the Country is constantly evolving and changing. All of the Children (and adults) marvelled at the beauty of the Seljaladsfoss waterfall
After Viewing the falls we swapped our Mini bus for a a 4wd mega bus that took us through swollen glaciatic rivers, unfortunatly we passed some stranded motorists in one of the rivers, which enforced Borkurs views that so many people come un stuck and miss out on so much, by not being on a properly organised tour and having the right equipment and Vehicles to conquer the roughest of terrains.
We reached LANDMANNALAUGAR which is the start and end of many hiking trails to visit the impressive Hanging Glacier part of the EYJAFJALLA-JOKULL
We Trekked for approximatly 2 Hours having had a Picnic in brilliant sunshine. I don't know where James,Nicola,Katie,Chloe,Harry and Charlotte got there energy from as they were eager to climb to the highest point possible in the quickest time. The Views from high above were stunning and unforgettable, and Katie said it was one of the highlights of the tour.
24th July Day 3. Drive to Snaefellsnes Peninsula Leaving Laugarvatn today we drive to arguably the most important site in Iceland today – Thingvellir, meaning ‘Parliament Plains’. This was the site of Iceland’s first National Assembly in the year 930. It lies in a rift valley, about 5km wide with Lake Thingvallavatn bordering it on the south side and a mountain range to the north. The river Oxara, which flows past the site of the Parliament, supplied its participants with ample fresh water. Originating in a nearby volcano it flows into the rift valley over the edge of a 9,000 year old lava field. The largest of the ravines bordering the rift valley is called Almannagja Ravine near where the Parliament was held (there were at least three places where the Law Circle convened throughout the centuries, all quite near to each other). Driving via the 3,000 year old crater of Kerioth (container), now the site of a small lake, we also visit the Gullfoss, the Golden Waterfall, regarded by many as one of the most beautiful falls in the world. It cascades into a deep gorge with tremendous force, its spray forming colourful rainbows in the afternoon sun. En route we will also visit the Geysir Geothermal Area, the first spouting spring to became known to Europeans and thereby originating the name that all spouting springs became known as. There are some very small spouting springs in the area which only reach about a foot in height, but the main attraction is Strokkur, meaning ‘The Butter Churn’, which spouts every 3-5 minutes up to a height of some 30 metres. Having spent some time walking through the area we will continue via Hvalfjordur (the whale fjord) to Snaefellsnes and our accommodation. 2 nights guesthouse/hotel H (included meals: B).
Today was one of the longest driving days, but worth every penny and plenty of stops on the way with many highlights to remember. Our first stop was at THE GOLDEN WATERFALL- GULFOSS and our guide Borkur informed us of an Icelandic Lady,Sigríður Tómasdóttir, who had helped preserve the falls single handed as she marched collecting signatures on the way to stop an English man from building a hydro plant at the falls. My Colleague Paul at Select World Travel had visited the falls last November when the falls contained Ice and Snow, it was a very different picture today and reminded me of Niagara falls in Ontario, Canada.
Not far from the falls is the town of GEYSIR an impressive area of Spouting Springs. Borkur reminded us that each Spring had different temperatures and it was important that nothing was thrown into the Chambers of the springs and to keep to the roped areas. He told us tales of people who stupidly put Limbs at risk and who are ruining this natural phenomenon by damaging the chambers by throwing articles into them.
James,Nicola,Katie,Chloe,Harry and Charlotte were immediatly attracted to watch Strokkur,‘TheButter Churn’ and we all eagerly awaited for the erupting Spring to go into action. It was amazing seeing the Water reach an incredible temperature and seeing it expand and contract as it got Hotter, it then forms a Bubble as the water underneath is exploded from it's narrow Chamber and then shot at least 30 metres in the air, almost before we could blink, a second explosion and another gush of Boiling water was sent at least 35 metres into the air.
We then travelled to PINGVELLIR - THE PARLIAMENT PLAINS and Borkur welcomed us to America! and mentioned that the rest of the tour continued on the American continent as we were leaving the European continent behind as we crossed a hugh Rift Valley into the National Park and discovered the Parliament Plains. We then drove via THE WHALE FJORD to our base at ARNASTAPI on the SNAEFELLSNES PENINSULA.One of the main highlights of the day came at 21.00 in the Evening as James and mother Cheryl,Harry and Mother Sarah,Nicola and Mother Lucy,Chloe and Mother Sarah all went snow mobiling on the Glacier behind Arnastapi, they came back at about 23.15 still in daylight having had an unforgettable experience.
25th July Day 4. Day 4. Visit Snaefellsjokull Glacier; optional snow mobiles Today is spent driving on the Snaefellsnes peninsula – the peninsula of the snowy mountain. At 1,000 kilometres in length, the peninsula is dominated by the imposing Snaefellsjokull Glacier, made famous by Jules Verne in his book: Journey to the Centre of the Earth. It may be possible to snow-mobile (optional) according to snow conditions. We drive along the south coast of the peninsula, visiting Buthir, where we will take a short walk on the light coloured beach, a rarity in this part of the world, given that much of Iceland is made up of black basalt lava. Continuing to Arnastapi, a tiny coastal village with an equally tiny harbour, we will take a scenic walk in search of some of the numerous birds that nest and feed along this coast, including kittiwakes and arctic terns. Farther along the coast, at Djuparlonssandur the sea has sculpted the rocks into bizarre formations. With the glacier dominating on the landward side we drive through the villages of Hellissandur and Rif, on the northern tip of the peninsula and pass through the fishing village of Olafsvik, after which we cross the peninsula on the Frotharheithi road, returning along the southern coast to Stykkisholmur. (Included meals: B).
Our Itinerary was slightly different from the above and we were based in the beautiful little Fishing hamlet of Arnastapi with great views towards the sea and Glacier. Arctic terns were nesting right outside our very basic, but comfortable Lodge. Borkur our guide had advised us that if we were walking down to the Harbour to carry a stick or something that could be held above your head to protect yourself from the dive bombing terns as they protected their breeding grounds. We saw a young lad with a brightly coloured red and white umbrella, and this seemed to attract the whole Arctic tern population and was quite amusing, and looked more like a scene from Arthur Hitchcoks famous film The Birds. Eventually the boy started running to escape to the safety of the road.
Our Journey today, took us Seal hunting near to Buthir beach. Once again the importance of having a good guide to show us exactly where to find these amazing creatures and how to approach them with out scareing them made a great difference to our day.Borkur himself was amazed at how close we were able to get to the Seals without disturbing them and we spent longer here than expected, but we were never rushed.
We then drove around the Snaefellsnes peninsula stopping for lunch at a service station. James had mentioned that there was an ATM Cash machine on the wall, and as I thought I might need some money, put my card into the Machine, it then asked me for my pin and how much money, so I asked for 8,000 Icelandic Kroner. It wasn't until the machine asked me for my Pump number, that i realised it wasn't an ATM but a Petrol Pump payment machine.The rest of the group were in hysterics and luckily the amount of £63.12 which appeared on my Credit card bill twice! has been wiped off.
Borkur then took us to what he described as his favourite Lava field known as the Beserkers lava field, one of the few Lava fields that you could drive through. When we stopped, the Children were amazed at how springy the moss and lychen was that covered most of the Lava. At the end of the Lava flow we were amazed at the depth of the flow and could only imagine how frightening it must be to live amongst erupting volcanos.
On our way to visit MAGIC PEBBLE BEACH at DJUPARLONSSANDUR, we stopped to Climb a Scoria crater called Saxholl which erupted 3 to 4,000 years ago. The Climb was fairly steep and very slippery similar to walking on a Scree slope. Borkur then reminded us again of the importance of having the right equipment such as good Climbing Boots and Gloves in case you fell and had to use your hands to stop yourself from falling.Once again the resilliance of the Children showed, and they were all at the top of the crater before the older generation.
In the afternoon Borkur was going to show us that Trolls Existed and that evidence could be found at DJUPALON MAGIC PEBBLE BEACH. When we arrived we came across the remains of a British Trawler,THE EPINE that had got into trouble close to shore and 15 lives were lost and 4 Survivors were rescued. Djupalon was a beautiful beach and the Lave and rock formations incredible. A large rock out to sea proved that Borkurs Trolls did indeed exist.( Look in the Photograph Album above for proof of the evidence)
26th July Day 5. Day 5. AM boat trip to islands; drive to Reykjavik via hot springs We enjoy a boat trip around the islands of Breithafjordur (the wide fjord) this morning, once home to ‘Eric the Red’, a Viking of such dubious moral character that he was actually expelled from both Norway and Iceland for dispatching his enemies on a less than fair manner and actually went on to discover Greenland. We end our trip with a little ‘fishing’ as the crew cast their nets overboard to bring in fresh scallops and sea urchins, We then drive to the valley of Borgarfjordur, the setting of Egil’s Saga, where we explore a multitude of natural springs under a birch covered lava field. These springs create the magnificent Hraunfossar (lava falls), a waterfall hundreds of metres wide that seemingly appears out of nowhere. A ten minute walk farther up the river brings us to the Barnafoss (Children’s Fall), which has carved out strange figures from the rock. Continuing to historic Reykholt we visit the Snorri Museum, dedicated to the Viking historian, Snorri Sturluson. We will learn more of his work and life, and something of his untimely death in the 13th century, at the hands of his rivals. Then it is back to Reykjavik, via Deildartunguhver, one of the largest hot springs in the world. 2 nights guesthouse H (Included meals: B).
Our boat trip was colourful and luckily we all had our sea legs. we passed many Islands as we crossed Breithfjordur and we saw many species of bird life nesting amongst the Rocks and crevices as we passed by. We were lucky enough to see two WHITE TAILED EAGLES NESTING and to protect the site, we weren't allowed to get to close to them, so unfortunatly my 10x zoom just wasn't powerful enough to get close enough for a good photograph, however in the Photo album above you can see a Seagull or Tern attacking the nest protected by the Eagle.
The Children loved Puffin Island and I managed to get some great Photos of these small clown like birds. One of the highlights of the trip was to trawl for Sea Urchins and fresh scallops, and most of the Children were brave enough to try a fresh scallop or to pick up a Starfish. Nicola soon found out it wasn't wise to try and lift up a Hermit crab as it bit her Thumb with it's claws and wouldn't let go !
On our way back to Reykjavik, we stopped off at the beautiful Hraunfossar falls, it's incredible to see lots of waterfalls making their way through the Lava fields and we also saw The Childrens Waterfall called Barnafoss.
We also stopped off at the small town of REYKHOLT FAMOUS FOR THE VIKING HISTORIAN,SNORRI STURLUSON Whilst I appreciate that to Icelandics this site is of great importance, but at this stage we had all had a long day and still had some travelling to do to reach Reykjavik by early evening, and I think everybody just got bored and unfortunatly didn't find it very interesting. Although my Daughter Katie was happy as I bought her some Volcano Pearl ear rings and matching necklace from the gift shop.
Our Last stop before reaching Reykjavik was to one of the largest Hot springs in the World at Deildartunguhver. It provides 180 l/sec of 100°C hot water. Some of the water is harnessed for heating utilities in Akranes (64 km away) and Borgarnes (34 km away), and for farms along the way. A variety of hard fern (blechnun spicant) can be seen near the thermal spring, which does not grow anywhere else in Iceland. The thermal spring is protected. Greenhouse farming is extensive in Deildartunga as well as in other places in the neighbourhood.
We had spoken with Borkur earlier in the tour about the possibilities of arranging some Icelandic Horse riding during our free time during our last full day in Iceland, and Borkur managed to arrange for 7 of us to be collected from Reykjavik Harbour after our Whale Watching trip.
Despite being at Sea for several hours,unfortunatly there were no sitings of any Whales, with the exception of Two Minky Whales apparently spotted by the Ships guide, although as the Sea was fairly rough, it seems that nobody else could see them. The Ships crew invited everybody for a return journey if they had there tickets stamped.
We had arranged for isHestar riding tours to collect us from the Harbour, and myself, daughter Katie with Harry,Sarah,Chloe,Sarah and Nicola all set off for an afternoon of riding through the lava fields. Now I have never been riding in my life before, and I was dreading it, but i'll try anything once. In fact the only person to have ridden before was Katie. The journey from Reykjavik only took about 15 minutes and IsHestar offer a collection and drop off from either your Hotel or any point in Reykjavik.
I was surprised at the standard of the excellent facilities offered at the Riding Centre and we had a great lunch of Cauliflower soup followed by some Lamb,potatoes and vegetables. Afterwards it was off to get ready and find a suitable riding hat and be paired up with a suitable Horse.
Putting your foot in the styrrup and hauling your leg over the other side is certainly not easy, but I managed it, and we all set off. I'm glad my Horse knew what it was doing, as I certainly felt uneasy and at this stage we were all just walking. The scenery was beautiful as our Horses took us through the Lava fields, and after a while our Tour guides started to canter. Now this was a little scarey, as my Horse certainly had a bit of attitude and was trying to Gallop. I think he was trying to tell me that I was holding the reins incorrectly, or perhaps I wasn't sitting in the saddle properly. Eventually I learnt the controls and found the riding experience great, even though it took me a day to recover from a numb bum and to learn to walk properly again
We all enjoyed our afternoon, and I can thoroughly recommend a visit to the isHestar centre for a Unique Icelandic experience for the Novice and experienced riders.
Our Evening in Reykjavik was spent at Cafe Reykjavik, a Seafood Buffet restaurant that also has an Ice Bar. The Food was very good although we found the cheapest bottle of wine was over £40.00
Saturday 28th July.Day 7. Saturday. Tour ends Reykjavik This morning we drive to the Blue Lagoon where we can have a wonderful end to our tour, relaxing in nature’s thermal baths. Afterwards, those on the group flight back to London will be dropped at the airport. Land only passengers may choose to stay at the airport or return by the skybus back to Reykyavik. (Included meals: B).
Reykyavik Airport must have some of the cleanest people flying from i'ts airport compared with anywhere in the World! It seems that every tour bus stops off at The Blue Lagoon for about an hour and a half to bathe in it's therapeutic thermal baths. It certainly was a great way to finish our Explore Family Adventure.
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Reader Comments (3)
B-)
Just to let you know there is also an article on the Explore Blog at
http://www.exploreblogs.co.uk
It is a fascinating place to visit with such a good story (Saga) teller!