FURTHER: A TRAVEL BLOG: The magic of Iceland

Our trip through Iceland has been an adventure. As our son Chris likes to say, “It is not an adventure if nothing goes wrong”. By this measure, we have had a grand adventure. At times we have been miles from any chance of help and every time we go down remote roads, we always have to wonder, “Will the camper start again?” Nights of anxiety are followed by mornings of frustration. Cold engine starting procedure is copious amounts of starting fluid coupled with ten minutes of manually pumping on the fuel injection primer pump followed by thirty minutes of billowing blue smoke . Wherever we are we are confronted with glares from other travelers and at times angry confrontations. One morning the smoke was so bad that the campground host came running across the field with a fire extinguisher certain that we were on fire. After three weeks of this, we finally found a mechanic who could diagnose and fix the problem. This is not to say the camper is now a joy to drive. It still billows blue smoke at every cold start, downshift and often for no reason at all. However, it now starts reliably and runs well, albeit all the while polluting the environment. Other than dying of embarrassment a thousand times a day, our trip has been on track for the past several days. We have finally been able to relax a bit and fully appreciate the beauty of Iceland.

Rolling along the south coast of Iceland on Highway 1, we spot a gravel road that angles off towards Mt Katla. We love to get off the beaten track so we turn off the tarmac to bounce, jolt and rumble down the rough track for a few miles dodging potholes and larger rocks where the road ends at a thirty foot high embankment.

We lace up our hiking boots, pack some water and rain gear just in case. We step out of the camper and climb the embankment warmed by the late afternoon sun. Before us are two tongues of massive glaciers that flow down the
gentle slopes of the mountain. Huge seracs look like a thousand fantasy castles. A multi-tiered ice fall reveals the impossible blue only found in the face of freshly exposed glacial ice. Clouds of fog creep through the saddles and passes of Mt Katla under the brilliant blue sky above.

We walk along the top of the embankment that was constructed to retain the wandering river that flows out from the glacier across a moraine many miles wide. At the end of the embankment we find a faint trail through a fairy garden of thick lichen that hugs the contours of hidden rocks. Deb lies on the lush greenery for a moment and sinks into a cushion that cradles her body. Patches of wild ground blueberries and heather are scattered amongst the carpet of lichen. Mushrooms of every size and color spring through the lush greenery.

Deb naps on a bed of lichen

Glaciers on Mt Katla

In the distance we spot a feathery waterfall cascading from the cliffs above. We follow the track for a few miles but the waterfall is still a good distance away and the sun is sinking in the sky. The wind has come up and the temperature is rapidly plummeting. Reluctantly we retrace our steps back to the camper. When we reach the embankment we both gaze at the panorama of glaciers and mountains. Deb and I look at each other and smile. No words are necessary. We both realize that we have found the magic of Iceland.