#gullfoss
This is Part 1
for part 2 (Eastern Europe) click here
and for part 3 (West Africa) click here
I’m currently planning on going to Europe in December to spend Christmas with my German family. One of my American friends from boarding school will be around because he is working in Germany for a year but not going home, and so I’ve invited him to Christmas with my uncle. Because of the way the holiday, and New Year’s Day, falls in the middle of my Sun-Thurs work week, it’s very easy to take off the next week as well, and so we’re now planning a little jaunt around German speaking Europe. It’s all very tentative, but I’ve started looking at prices and things to do around and routes to take, and I map the itinerary below:
It’s fun because it takes us through every Germany speaking country: Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, and Austria, and because it is pretty short, with the maximum travel time less than 6 hours. We would have about nine days to do it- probably the first four going quickly point by point and then a slower five in Austria. Who knows if it will materialize or how much of it we will do, but it looks like a lot of fun!
In getting excited for this trip, I started thinking of other overland tours I would like to take, looking into whether or not they’re possible, and fantasizing about when I could do them, who with, and adding extra fun components like making a documentary of the journey or something. It all sounds up in the air and like a dream, but I’m sure I will actually do at least one in the next five years. I always say, “always be dreaming 10 amazing things, then if you only accomplish 1 or 2, you’re still being amazing!” So, I’ll add these to my list of amazing ideas and see where they go.
So without further ado, the trips!
The W®est of South America
This trip would hit all of the things I wanted to do in South America but haven’t yet. It hits three of the four countries on the West of the continent, as well as the rest of the Spanish speaking countries I’ve yet been to, so I call it the W®est trip. It would start in Buenos Aires where I would see my wonderful Italian relatives that live in the Capital. I would then head up to the triple border of Argentina-Paraguay-Brazil to see the Iguazu falls, which are the last waterfall on my list of the top 5 (the others being Niagara, Angel, Gullfoss, and Victoria). I would then head up through Paraguay to Bolivia, stopping to revisit the family of a friend I stayed with in Santa Cruz, the Potosi Salt Flats, and the Mile High city: La Paz. I’d then head into Peru, spending time admiring the Andes, and of course seeing Machu Picchu near Cusco. I’d then head up through Ecuador before finishing in Bogota, Colombia!
The yellow highlighted bits are “optional” thoughts that I would consider depending on time. The first is to explore Argentine Patagonia, supposedly one of the most beautiful places in the world. The second is to take a flight to the Galapagos islands (or maybe Easter island?) from Ecuador. A third one not included on the map would be a quick jaunt over to Suriname and French Guinana- so I could officially say I’d been to every country in South America!
Bonus trip (I haven’t put too much thought into but in talking with some friends, thought to include): Southeast Asia- somehow incorporating Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, and maybe Myanmar?
Day 6
So, after getting my ass out of that creepy AirBnB in Hella, I decided that since my plans to meet up with people in Reykjavik for lunch were postponed until later that evening, I might as well extend my drive to the capital city and take a mini detour to Iceland’s Golden Circle. For those who may not know, the Golden Circle is essentially a 300 km loop that connects to Reykjavik. It’s a super popular course for tourists to take, since it’s jam-packed with a lot to see, including waterfalls, geysers, and gorgeous views of the country. It’s especially popular for those who have a day or two layover in Iceland before continuing on to either Europe or North America via Reykjavik.
Initially, as I was planning my trip, I wanted to avoid the Golden Circle because it’s crawling with so many tourists. But, I decided to brave the crowds anyway, and it actually exceeded my low expectations. First stop was Gullfoss, a large waterfall that is fed by the country’s second largest glacier, Langjökull. Gullfoss, unlike the other waterfalls I had been to, is much more broad and expansive. And there’s a great story behind conservation of this waterfall, where people sought to build infrastructure around the area to harness its power for energy. But thanks to the hard work and dedication of Sigriður Tómasdóttir and her family, Gullfoss was eventually protected and designated a nature preserve sometime later.
After enjoying the waterfall from a few different viewpoints, I drove a very short distance to Geysir, which by the name you could guess is a geyser, like “Old Faithful” in the United States. Apparently, the English term “geyser” comes from Iceland’s “Geysir,” with accounts of Iceland’s famed attraction dating back to the late 13th Century.
About every 2-4 minutes, hot water shoots into the air. Some eruptions are more powerful than others, with many topping out at about 30 meters in the air. It was really fun to watch, and despite being crowded, it was quite enjoyable being surprised every time it erupted. After about a half hour, I hopped back in my car and made my way to Reykjavik to my AirBnB, an Eco-Hostel in Reykjavik that was only a two minute walk to the Magnusson’s with which I stayed with earlier in the week. I was planning on meeting my brother’s friend in town, Lenika. She went to school with my brother at Stanford University in California, and she and her friends just happened to be traveling through Iceland the same time that I was. So, we decided to meet at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, Reykjavik’s (and perhaps the world’s most famous) hot dog stand. Lenika was joined by her three friends, Emily, Sheela, and Kristen, who are all from Chicago. The four of them are traveling Iceland together, and three of the four are continuing to Europe, as a celebratory trip after they recently graduated from Northwestern’s graduate school in genetic counseling and English.
Back to the hotdogs. What makes them so special? The meet is a combination of lamb, beef, and pork. They put crispy onions on the bottom, fresh onions on top of that, then the hotdog itself, a teeny bit of ketchup, a relish mayo, and their secret hotdog sauce, which is a little browner than Dijon mustard.
They were really good! The best? Maybe not, but pretty darn good. We ate the hot dogs, walked around town, talked a lot, and then went back to their AirBnB, where we had some Icelandic beers and chit-chatted with some people from Croatia who were also traveling the country.
We talked for hours, and it was a lot of fun getting to know them all. We talked about everything, including celebrities we’ve met, boys and dating, and Lenika’s career as a professional gymnast. She competed for Spain in the 2008 Beijing Summer Olympic Games. How cool is that?
I ended up leaving at midnight to get some rest at my hostel before my big day heading up to the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in the morning.
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