My last stop in Iceland
Added 2024-04-18 22:04:37 +0000 UTCI've now edited quite a few sets from Iceland and I'm excited to start sharing more of them. I was so nervous I'd hardly get anything at all. I had an expectation of Iceland that wasn't fulfilled. I imagined Several hikes and photographic areas. And that would've been true except for the number of other tourists at every spot. Partially, I think I went at the wrong time of year. It wasn't yet tourist season, but what tourists there were squeezed into the spaces available. Part of the island was closed to the Volcano, the entire interior and half the Northern region were closed due to dangerous road conditions (ice), and then, unlucky, a wind storm came in and shut off the Eastern half of Iceland. This wind storm was terrible. We were sent several advisories not to try to drive or go outside, and afterwards we saw a few cars toppled on the side of the road. Part of this is just random bad luck, but a part of it was being there in April. It wasn't quite spring, but the snow had mostly melted. Iceland is covered in farmlands (did you know that? Everywhere we drove was acres of farm) and the farmlands were yellow brownish. It was like looking at rolling hills of rotting hay. No one seems to share that side of Iceland. They focus on the beaches and waterfalls, but they rarely mention the lines and other photographers all there. Most devastating to me was the "spas' or the thermal hot springs. Few are natural. The natural hot springs are not very warm or temperatures that will cook you instantly. Most of the springs are manicured pools pumping hot water from the ground. It's about $40 for 2 hours of wading in the water or saunas. I still might have tried one, but the winds were so bad, being outdoors was really difficult. I don't regret not getting to try one. I've been blessed with Korean saunas and bath houses in Atlanta for the same price, but you can stay up to 24 hours. I pictured this great natural landscape preserved and cared for. It reminded me of being in Mexico though where the natural environment had been torn down so shuttles of tourists could jump out of their cars and grab a quick photo of perfectly sculpted scenery. Most sites charged $10 for parking and had a stand to sell tourist trinkets.
The joy of photography is finding the little beautiful angles and turning them into art, reminding us to pay attention to the small details. I didn't think I'd do that with Iceland. I didn't think I'd be cropping out other tourists. I thought I'd be struggling to capture a vast landscape the eye couldn't get enough of.
I still enjoyed my time for the most part though. Despite that one large disappointment, I loved all these little moments and things that are special to Iceland. The food was divine. I don't understand why it is so much better in Iceland, but it is. Their rye bread has become something I think about often. They love to emphasize their few hundred years of viking pagan heritage, which is aesthetically fun. They lean into the cheesiness of it in a way that I can appreciate. And there are always glacial capped volcanoes in the distance. During the right time of day, you can see all their ridges. Besides that it was another adventure and learning experience. Maybe I'll go back and find another side of Iceland. I learned a lot this last trip, and the next one would still be experimental, but a little better. (I took a camper van, and I highly recommend just getting a car and cheap airbnbs). I just want to go so many places. I want to find somewhere that really speaks to me.
