One more week!!

One more week to wait and at last my trip gets some sort of shape. Last week I got offered a tour to the Kaldidalur highland area. I instantly loved this tour that got offered instead of Landmannalaugar. The idea to go glacierwalking, visiting a lava cave and two stunning waterfalls (Hraunfossar & Barnafoss) alongside some other sights made me drool. The name of Hraunfossar (Lavafalls) kept buzzing in my mind as if this is a place I HAVE to visit (is there any place in Iceland I wouldnt?). So I set my mind to this. But the next day the guide offered me a tour to Landmannalaugar. And that confused me because ever since I was a child I have had this dream to visit Hekla, and this tour would go to her summit. Well one of the many because Hekla is a fissure volcano system and therefore has more long stretched craters. But this was and still is a dream of me. With Hekla my Iceland lunacy started. My first school presentation was about Icelandic volcanos (mainly Hekla in my case). To be followed by Iceland general, Icelandic Horses, Vikings and then my school told me I was not allowed to have anymore Iceland related presentations....

Barnafoss (Childrensfall) I suppose...

I had a hard time choosing, but decided to stick with the Kaldidalur tour. Simply because of the crazy cold spring we have and probably can touch Iceland as well. Landmannalaugar is normally open from halfway June until end of August. Chances are rather big weather conditions would kill my dream. However this tour does not at all mind about a bit of snow, since it is with a superjeep. But they won't risk anything, and I know myself how devastated I can be if something I looked forward to is not going the way I planned it. I simply think the Kaldidalur tour is more weather safe. It is also highlands, and only accesable between June and August. I wont have to fear busloads of tourists here which is a huge relieve. And my tour is with max 6 people including guide. Which is perfect. But I realised too late I used a wrong calculation to value the Icelandic Kronar. It turned out to be a very expensive tour. But I trust it is worth the tranquility, personality and quality. I rather pay this price than 60 euro's for being crammed with 60 others in a bus.

But first I have a day tour horseriding. Without beginners :-) And hopefully and I suppose with some spare horses walking alongside in a herd. Because I know they normally wont ride a horse for longer than 2 hour, and my tour is 5-7 hours depending on the weather and directions. I am very curious to this one. It has been over 10 years since I rode 7 hours in one go. My longest ride after that was just 1 1/2 hour... but with the comfort of the Icelandic Horse I am not afraid. Besides that last 7 hour ride I did after not ride for 6 years due to an accident I had. I survived and it was on a lovely playfull stallion. I just hope the weather will be ok. 7 hours of rain is no fun, but the rainsuits are better than my own I had to 10 hours rain in Thorsmork. ;-) 

So now I have 3 tours and 2 whole days off to do whatever I wish to do. Exploring Reykjavik a bit more. I wanted to use it to rent a car and go out on my own, but I encountered some serious financial struggles which scare me. I am afraid I can't do anything anymore when in Iceland than just do the tours, be there and live the day on breakfasts energy. :-( But on the other hand I am happy I took this risk to take this holiday now instead of Autumn. Because the future looks grimm, and my plan to do a round up has never been further out of reach than now. Especially since I need to book it in time, due to populairity an it being in the same week as Icelandic Movie festival which is rather populair also by foreigners. This might be the last time I visit Iceland if life continues the way I left it when going to Iceland. :-( And to be honest I even feel Iceland is the only thing that can keep me alive. My life has no meaning without it. And that is just what bounds me to this mighty land that is so full of loneliness, stretching its glacial arms, mountains, rocks and waterfalls out to the world, to be touched by its magic. It is the only place I know so far that can equal my heartbeat in its rhythm. It is the place I could be until eternity, staring at the ever changing horizons, being poured over by snow, rain, dust, ashes, storms and a few sunbeams. To submerge in its waters and go with the flows, down waterfalls, icecubes, hotstreams all the way to the oceans. To be covered in darkness just to be lightened up by millions of stars and dancing auroras (if weather permits). To dance with the whales and fly with the puffins. To ever roam the meadows, accompanied by sheep and horses, not seeing humans, but feel one with the elements that surround me. Or being taken over by hot lava, or trushed out by geisirs into the sky. My Icelandic imaginary is very alive you see ;-)

I dream on and already dislike to know my ticket has 2 dates on it. One day it will only have 1. Until that moment I just dream of all the things and beauty I still want to visit in Iceland. However I know a bucketlist makes no sense, because I want to see everything in every season in every type of weather. I guess I just want to follow my dream to find myself a horse and explore the country together. If only that dream can come true. Luckily I believe in dreams, and magic.