Hey Mama don’t stress your engine, we’re coming home tonight!
Monday, 2nd October 2017
Today is the day, we two young German girls are going to discover Iceland, and guess what:
– we’re aloooone *ahhh*
But let’s start with the beginning:
Flights – Booked √
Camper van – Rented √
Adventures & The Blue lagoon – Booked √
But then just 7 days from departure we discovered that our flight goes to Reykjavik, but the airport was called KEF. Ohoh we’ve chosen the wrong city! Solution: Let’s write to Rent.is and beg that we can change the pick up and drop off place. And see there – no problem at all. Wonderful, the Icelandic people are understanding for two chaotic girls.
Obviously chosen the right country. 😎
Journeytime!
First task on Icelandic ground: Get our home on four wheels.
Extremely tired and nervous (please let the camper van be at Keflavik office) we get to the camper rental. It’s just about 5 minutes apart from the Keflavik airport and there is also a free shuttle.
And see there, right in front of us – our camper.
May we proudly introduce: Queen Mom the First:
Okay foreign car, foreign country – let’s start our first drive to Reykjavik!
Mommy please be tame!
As our nervousness slowly faded (not that bad driving Mommy through streets of Iceland) we realized, we’re starving! So don’t waste any time. Although we were scared to use the gas cooker because the man at the rental office got nearly burned when showing us how to use it. *Panic*
On the campground we tried our luck and stayed unburned (uh maybe there is a bit Daenerys in us … 😀 while cooking some noodles. Surely, we forgot the salt, but hey, our first meal, sitting at Mommy’s and being content with the world.
After a sightseeing tour in the dark through Reykjavik, we went so see the showers and discovered – there is a kitchen and a common room at every campground. And guess what – they have salt..
Okay learned something – remember!
The next morning we realized, we had slept for nearly 10 hours. We were first scared, sleeping outside in a car, and were sure it would be cold and lonely. But the night was the absolutely the opposite, because of our heater and our cosy sleeping bags (already in the car) it was warm and how can one be scared when sleeping with Mommy’s protection around us?
So relaxed and happy we started our trip to the Golden Circle. Starting with the Þingvellir National park, going on with the Geysir and the Gullfoss waterfall and ending with the Kerið volcanic crater. And there is definitely just one word to describe the landscape of Iceland : fascinating! So varied and beautiful, the Golden Circle has to be at your list when going to Iceland. And by the way it is a perfect day trip. To see all four destinations takes about 6-7 hours.
PS: This evening we cooked in the kitchen at the camp ground- WITH salt ! 😀
Woken up by the sun the next morning we went on south to see the Seljalandsfoss (a waterfall where you can walk behind) and the Skógafoss. As we we’re incredible lucky, it was so sunny that there was a rainbow right in front of the waterfall and we could see the beginning and the end! But guess there was no goblin with gold at the end of the rainbow 🙁
Nevertheless we climbed up the stairs right beneath the Skógafoss and went for a hike. Sounds boring? Then you should try hiking some small path with this damn wind blowing in Iceland. At the top we could definitely just lay back and get carried by the wind.
Next day – more nature, more sun, more astonished girls who still could not believe how beautiful this country is. First Mommy drove us to Fjaðrárgljúfur, where you have an incredible view. The drive is not that easy as the road is covered with smalls stones and holes. But believe us the view is worth it (we first needed to calm down after arriving and checked whether Mommy was still untouched – there should be done no damage to a queen! 😀 ). Going on we went to a black beach in Vik. An absolute must see for Game of Thrones fanatics! Feels like Daenerys dragons could emerge from the cave every moment!
Dragon, come here, Dragon …
Can’t touch this dadadadadadadadada….
So whats left on our road in the very south of Iceland? Sure a trip to the Skaftafell National park to see the Svartifoss. And what is a waterfall without a rainbow? We surely haven’t seen that many rainbows in our lives. Weather-God thank you! Four days with the best weather in Iceland, we surely are blessed.
So our round-trip ends here.
The next day we are driving back the ring street to Þingvellir National park again. And you know what? NERVOOOOUSSSSS!!!!
This is the day where we are going to dive in 2ºC cold water. Yes Mommy we are crazy, why the hell could you not just have an accident or lose some gasoline? But guess like mothers are – Queen Mom didn’t show any mercy, so we had to do our duty. Get on these diving suits (surely black as we were frightened to death..) and hop in the pure glacier water – Silfra we’re coming!
You can see as we are able to write this story we survived. Nevertheless it was incredible cold, but also absolutely stunning. The water is so crystal clear that you can see everything around you. It’s an amazing feeling to float through the water and have the knowledge that you are on two places – even two continents- at the same time! So whoever is looking for an incredible adventure, give it a try.
As the cold is now our friend, the next day could come and with it our trip into the glacier. We started at Klaki Base Camp and drove with some monster trucks over the Langjökull Glacier right to the entrance of the 500 meter long ice tunnel. And again we we were allowed to dive into a world full of wonders. How beautiful nature is! Just see the beauty of ice in this picture:
Because we felt a little bit like being in the frozen Disney movie the only thing missing was Olaf. What a pity! 🙁
Finally freezing and exhausted Mommy’s heater has to surpass itself. Did we say the cold is our new friend ? Forget it – our feet are icy! But all in all you can say the cold was worth it. Iceland is really a wonder of nature.
And to complete our journey there was just one thing missing. The Blue lagoon. Just look at this picture, there are no more words needed.
And now the worst thing – last day means saying Goodbye to Queen Mom 🙁
Mommy! You were our protector, heater, bed, carrier, let’s say you we’re that what we needed to survive in Iceland. Thank you Mommy and thank you Rent.is! We had an amazing trip and travelling through Iceland all by yourself with a van was definitively the right decision.
See you soon Iceland! The north is waiting for being discovered 🙂
PS: Rent.is- Look after our Queen Mom, when we return we hope for you that she is all right…
Steffi & Susi
Read more: The Long Iceland Journey
Happy Camping! #CamperStories
Iceland Travel Guides
If you like what you see, please subscribe to our YouTube channel!
