The real magic of Iceland: Day 13

I was woken at 5am by the wind rattling our van from side to side.  Heart pounding, I checked road.is and safetravel.is for any wind or weather warnings, but even the websites were asleep, little question marks where the information on road conditions usually is.  Jen slept through it all, while I lay awake for at least an hour, hearing the howling winds outside, sensing the rocking of the van from side to side, and feeling utterly alone and fragile in this big, vast country.  Somehow, eventually, I fell back to sleep.

***

When we woke in the morning, the sun was shining, the air was warm, and the winds were gone.  We made ourselves one last breakfast and then cleaned up and organized the campervan in preparation for our return to Reykjavik.

The only target we had for today was a hidden hot spring.  We drove on a dirt and gravel road for a few minutes. There was an open space to park in, and then we headed down a little trail, wondering where the "hot pot" was.  We could see some stones in the distance; that must be it.

The path to the hidden hot spring

The path to get to the hot spring led us to a creek crossing, that had some stones strategically placed to assist with the crossing.  We made it across without too much trouble, and as we approached we saw the small circle of stones surrounding a hole in the ground, and two young girls bathing in it.  They told us we could feel the water, and when we dipped our hands in, it was hot!

After heading back to the campervan to wait for the girls to be done, we changed into our bathing suits and then headed down the path again.  We took our outer clothes off until we were just in our bathing suits.  The air was cool against our bare skin, and we wasted no time in hopping into the little pool.

The heat was incredible on our tired, cold, wind-worn bodies.  We soaked and relaxed in this snug little pool that's only big enough for two.  We were completely alone for the first little while.  We looked out at the mountains in the distance and the fields of moss, lichen, and shrubs that surrounded us.  The hot water, naturally heated from an underground spring, soothed away all the leftover emotional and physical scars left by the ice, the snow, the cold, bitter winds, and left us feeling utterly relaxed.

Hidden hot spring in the mountains

It was hard to pull ourselves away from this special place; our last immersion in Iceland's elements, but eventually we managed.

As we drove back to Reykjavik via the longer, scenic mountain pass, rather than the route that goes through the Toll tunnel, I still felt the warmth and heat in all of my muscles.  The soothing feeling stayed with me.

The road we took was almost completely empty of other people the entire way, and the solitude on these windy mountain roads gave me time to let my experiences of Iceland sink into me.  Everything about Iceland's nature was a physical experience for me - not just beautiful sights for the eyes, as is often the case when traveling.

The scenic route back to Reykjavik

From the snowstorm that blinded us while driving through the fjords, to the freezing mist from waterfalls drenching us, to the wind that threatened to knock us over as we hiked, to the swirling snow that we trudged through, to the slippery ice that made us hold on tightly to handrails or put our crampons on, to the strong smell of sulfur in the geothermal areas, to the utter darkness of the lava tube, to the deafening sounds of crashing waterfalls or waves against the shore, to the startling-to-the-eye black sand beaches or shining blue glaciers, everything we experienced was not only a beautiful experience, but a visceral one. 

In a very real way, our bodies became part of the landscape as we moved through it.  The elements are to be respected here; weather rules above all.  The locals know this, and the advice we got from everywhere was constant - always check the weather, always check the roads, and be prepared to change your plans.  Or better yet, have no plans at all.

To be at the complete mercy of the landscape and elements around you is a humbling learning experience.  This is part of the real beauty and magic of Iceland, that I think some of those buses full of tourists snapping selfies and moving on, miss.  You cannot truly know Iceland without giving yourself to Iceland, without letting go of any preconceived notion of what you want to see or do, just let it happen to you, and have the tools and skills to overcome whatever the weather throws at you.

If you do this, then you will fall deeply in love with this strange land of contrasts.  Ice and fire.  Snow and water.  Wind and stillness.  Mountains, and barren landscapes.  Exhaustion and deep relaxation.  Even, grief and joy.

Thank you, Iceland.  We will return.