|
|
|
The small island of Iceland offers
enormous contrasts and variety: unspoiled landscapes, uncrowded
parks and unique geology.
Iceland has a small gay and
lesbian community in the capital, but you'll find few signs of gay
life outside Reykjavik. In true Scandinavian tradition, however,
the people don't feel it's any big deal whether you're gay or
straight, and by traveling with a gay and lesbian group, you're
assured of a friendly, comfortable atmosphere.
For most of us the
adventure will begin the evening before the trip starts, with a
late evening flight to Reykjavik, perhaps preceded by duty-free
shopping. Our bright yellow Alyson Adventures luggage tags make it
easy to spot others in our group, even before you board the plane.
Who else will be here? You can
count on quite a mix. This vacation is popular with travelers who
range in age from late-twenties to early seventies, with a
majority between 30 and 55. And they've come not just to see
Iceland, but to be a part of the lively and friendly group that,
as our many repeat customers will tell you, characterizes every
Alyson Adventures trip. The majority of people will probably be
traveling alone; there are usually several couples, as well.
Single travelers don't need to pay a single supplement: we'll
match you with a roommate if you'd like the double-occupancy rate.
The itinerary below describes the
July 31 to August 7, 2004 trip. The August 7-14, 2004 trip will
include the same activities, but in a different order, and with
stays at different hotels.
|
|
|
|
Small islands have their advantages: It
takes only minutes, after your plane touches down outside
Reykjavik, before you've collected your baggage and have met the
other gay men, lesbians -- and sometimes straight friends -- with
whom you'll soon be discovering the fantastic variety of Iceland.
First stop: The Blue Lagoon. No,
don't look for naked boys and girls and a dolphin or two -- that's
a different travel package and a different Blue Lagoon. But this
sprawling outdoor pool, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, does offer a
vivid reminder that we aren't in Kansas anymore! Immerse yourself
in the waters, naturally heated and naturally blue from a heavy
mineral content, as steam fills the cool morning air.
And don't be deceived by the
nearby power plant, which merely converts some of this heat into
electrical energy for Reykjavik. The water here is naturally blue,
from a heavy mineral content that's also touted for its
therapeutic value. And the water is naturally heated, from 6,000
feet below you.
In fact, it would be hard to find
a water heater anywhere in Iceland. Don't feel guilty about taking
a long shower every morning -- the hot water is piped right from
the earth, and there's plenty more where it came from.
This morning you'll have time to
take a nap, or just relax and unwind. In the afternoon, we'll take
a bike tour of Reykjavik, a small yet cosmopolitan city, criss-crossed
with bicycle trails. Our stops include a salmon stream running
right through town, a stylized Viking ship sculpture (or is it a
jungle gym?) on the harbor, a giant relief map of Iceland that
makes it easier to visualize the week's itinerary, and a loop
through the shopping district.
The last stop is the outdoor
Arbaer museum, where some of Iceland's oldest surviving homes have
been relocated. Halldor, our guide, is a native Icelander and
descendant of the Vikings, with an infectious love of his
homeland. He points out the highlights as we walk through the
grounds. The Arbaer Museum's buildings showcase an assortment of
artifacts and household items from the past. Our favorite: Shoes
made from fish, one of the three commodities of which Iceland has
never had a shortage. (The other two: Ice, and hot water.)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
A bus takes us out of Reykjavik to the
dramatic shores of Lake Kleifarvatn, reputedly the home of a sea
monster. Here, we mount sturdy mountain bikes and head for the
village of Hveragerdi. Our scenic route takes us past landscapes
that vary from lush vegetation to alien moonscapes. One of these
remote fields, broken by lava spewed from the volcanoes, was used
by the first Apollo astronauts to practice moonwalking. NASA chose
the location because it offered earth's closest approximation of
lunar conditions.
Bluebells and other delicate
wildflowers occasionally break the harsh rock. When you
occasionally get off the bike to stretch your legs in the
lavafields, you'll come to crevasses that go halfway to China --
if you believe Jules Verne, whose explorers in Journey to the
Center of the Earth begin their descent in Iceland. We'd
rather not find out.
The 42-mile bike ride to
Hveragerdi will be just right for the more experienced cyclists,
too much for those who haven't done much biking. That's why we
have van support. We'll have two leisurely nights in Hveragerdi.
Through the windows of our guesthouse, we can watch steam puff out
from the vents bordering the river.
|
|
|
|
This morning is unscheduled. Horseback
riding is an option: Hop onto a handsome palomino, a purebred
descendant of the horses that arrived with the Vikings, and which
are the only horse in the world able to achieve the remarkably
smooth, yet fast, 5th gait known as the tolt. Experienced riders
may want to spend all day exploring this way.
Hveragerdi is home to a restless
collection of bubbling springs, which we'll visit during the day.
These include The Mankiller, a yawning hole of near-boiling water
that was named in 1906 for just the reasons you must suspect,
after a resident walked too close; the Blue Hot Spring, named for
equally obvious reasons.
As for Garbage Hot Spring:
This one deserves an explanation. For years, in an era before the
word ecology had been coined, residents dumped their
garbage into the simmering hole, where it remained out of sight
and out of mind. In 1947, the earth rumbled, a new geyser blew
out, and the garbage was redistributed to its original owners,
albeit somewhat haphazardly. The townsfolk thereafter found new
methods of waste disposal.
In the afternoon, those who
choose can visit these hot springs, then hike past heather and
wildflowers, over moss-covered hillsides where you expect an elf
to hop out from behind a toadstool at any time. Our destination: a
remote and volcanically-warmed river that tempts us to hop right
in. And so we do. Now we've got those naked boys and girls
-- though we're still missing the dolphins.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
For our rafting trip we've selected the
Hvita river, safe enough for beginners yet with plenty of
excitement (Hvita means "white river" in Icelandic) to
thrill experienced whitewater rafters. There will be stretches of
calm water amidst spectacular scenery and towering hexagonal
pillars of basalt.
Afterward we visit the beguiling
geyser basin, home of "Geysir," the original spouter,
whose name is now used generically for its cousins in Yellowstone
and elsewhere. But we won't have the crowds of Yellowstone, as we
walk amongst the steaming pools and geysers of this park. Nor do
we have long to wait for a show: Stand in front of the geyser pool
known as Strokkur, "The Churn", and soon you'll see the
placid water rise and fall, as if panting hard. Then the surface
swells like a giant blue egg emerging from the earth, and finally
it spews up, in a performance repeated every five or ten minutes.
Nearby, we take a short hike to
Gullfoss, "Golden Falls", the most famous waterfall in
Iceland. With a roar to compete with Niagara, yet none of the
crowds that such a display would draw in the U.S. or Europe, the
wide glacial river cascades and churns into a deep crevasse, often
accompanied by rainbows.
We end the day in Selfoss, where
we'll spend two nights on an inlet near the sea. |
|
|
|
Today we'll discover more of Iceland's
enchanting beauty. Depending on weather and other conditions, we
may head for Thorsmork, "Thor's Woods." Named for
the Viking god of thunder, this spectacular nature reserve in
southern Iceland is also one of the country's most inaccessible
locations. Or we could choose Thjorsardalur Gjain, with a twin
waterfall, a partially restored Viking farm, and some wonderful
hiking.
Back in Selfoss, there may be
time to enjoy the big heated pool complex that serves -- as such
pools do in much of Iceland -- as the town's main social center.
And then: watch for seals as we spend an hour or two sea kayaking,
on the coastal waters of Stokkseyri.
One building here is perhaps of
special interest to a gay and lesbian group. Puridarbud was named
for Puridur Einarsdottir, a woman who dressed as a man and became
a sea captain in the first half of the 19th century. She lived in
a small home, much like this, made of stone and roofed with turf.
Tonight's dinner is at a small,
simple, seaside restaurant that has earned top reviews from some
of the world's top restaurant critics. Sit back and enjoy as plate
after plate, piled high with lobster tails, is carried out from
the kitchen.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Between Selfoss and Reykjavik lies
Thingvallavatn, Iceland's largest lake. Thingvallavatn is fed by
the river Oxara, and along the shores of the Oxara we find
Iceland's most historic spot: Thingvellir (Parliament Plains).
It was here at Thingvellir that
the rowdy Vikings formed the world's oldest true parliament, in
A.D. 930. It was at Thingvellir that Iceland voted to embrace
Christianity in AD 1000, just as Leif Ericson was first setting
foot on North American soil.
Thingvellir's history isn't all
pretty. A fissure here creates Drekkingarhylur (the drowning
pool). In 16th-century Iceland, men sentenced to death for crimes
such as theft were beheaded. Women convicted of adultery or
perjury got a slower fate: they were stuffed into a bag and
drowned in the hot waters of Drekkingarhylur. (Those guilty of
what were considered lesser crimes, such as cold-blooded murder,
could usually get off with a fine.)
Unbeknownst to those early
parliamentarians and bag-stuffers, Thingvellir is noteworthy in
another respect. This long chasm is the spot where the continental
plates of America and Europe meet -- or, more precisely, are
coming apart. You can literally stand on a high cliff at the end
of America and watch Europe recede.
Hiking trails criss-cross the
park. Alpine cinquefoils decorate tundra that barely conceals the
lava fields below. Here, as in so many other parts of Iceland, we
occasionally walk beside a crevice that plunges deep into the
earth.
Then, we head back to Reykjavik
for our last two nights in Iceland. |
|
|
|
Explore Reykjavik, the northernmost capital
city of Europe, and perhaps the most eclectic. It's a working
harbor, and a cultural center; you can fish for salmon right here
in town, or dine on salmon at a fine restaurant. (Likewise, and
perhaps more discomfiting to some: You can see puffins at the zoo,
or eat them at a fine restaurant.)
Of course, none of that is what
brings visitors to Reykjavik. They come for the Phallological
Museum, sitting right on the main shopping street, which boasts
specimens from all but two of the mammals that populate the
region. One missing specimen will be difficult to fill -- a
protected species of whale. The other gap in the collection will
be filled following the demise of an elderly farmer, whose Last
Will includes an unusual bequeathment.
It's easy to fill a whole day
strolling the streets, plazas, and waterfront of Reykjavik. While
many imported items are expensive, travelers with a yen for
shopping can find several bargains, most notably the
strikingly-patterned wool sweaters.
We've already enjoyed one of the
outdoor, naturally-heated pool complexes that are a mainstay of
Icelandic social life. Reykjavik has several such pools, and they
provide another tempting way to relax. Whale-watching trips are
another option.
Tonight, our last evening
together, a tasty seafood dinner awaits our whole group. As
always, there are alternatives for vegetarians and those with
special dietary requirements. Then, Reykjavik's gay disco awaits
those who still have some energy! |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
If you're returning to the U.S., your
flight is probably scheduled for mid-afternoon, so you still have
a half day for shopping, the pool, or other activities you may
have missed. And then, we're off to the airport.
The hardest thing about our trips
is saying goodbye to a wonderful group of new friends, and the
magic of Iceland. But you've seen parts of Iceland that most
travelers miss; you've interacted with the country and its people
in ways that give you an extra appreciation for it.
We'll bet you've made some new
friends. Thank you for joining us -- and we hope to see you again!
|
|
|
