Snæfellsnes Peninsula – All photos are Copyright © Brandon Elijah Scott / Eye & Pen
Iceland, the Land of Fire and Ice, has been at the top of my 'must experience' list for a very long time – and I have to say that it certainly didn't disappoint. I arrived in Reykjavik via Iceland Air from London, England, with a brief stop over in Oslo. I grabbed my luggage from the belt and proceeded through the main doors of the Keflavik International Airport, where a man stood holding a sign with my name on it – I can't say I've ever had that happen before, so it was sort of exciting. As I walked out of the airport, the crisp and chilling Iceland air took my breath away, yet the quality of the air and the mesmerizing moods of the island took a hold of me immediately.
The man with the sign was from my rental company, Sad Cars – he guided me to the shuttle van, where he drove me to the office to finalize the paperwork and to pickup my hired vehicle. While you can rent new cars from some of the larger rental companies, this company had only used cars that have a bit of age. I was a bit thrown off at first, but all was well and good – my car had character, which is hard to beat. The service was wicked good, and the people were nice, cheerful and helpful in every way possible – I call that a win! One of their more warm-hearted employees offered that I stay at their company-owned Bus Hostel in Reykjavik. I really enjoyed the atmosphere at the hostel, with its comfortable private bedrooms, modern facilities, and particularly their large open-common areas – they had the mood and the groove all set, with really unique setup and wicked cool décor. I will be sure to team up with them again!
Near Reykjavík.
Near Reykjavík.
Near Reykjavík.
Near Reykjavík.
For the first day, I decided to wander around outside of the capital city a bit rather than going all out on a long expedition. Mainly because the light in Iceland, especially during winter, is a bit shorter than I was used to.
As I came to the intersection of Route 41 and Route 1, I started north, before turning east on the 36. What hit me was nothing short of instantaneous beauty. The land had a mood about it – it was old, and knowing, and wise, yet tempestuous. I couldn't take my eyes off of the scenery, and with no cars around, I stopped on the side of the road here and there, taking some of the photos seen above. I decided it was time to turn back after a couple of hours of roaming and random hiking (for better vantage points), because the sun had begun to swiftly set on me.
As I came to the intersection of Route 41 and Route 1, I started north, before turning east on the 36. What hit me was nothing short of instantaneous beauty. The land had a mood about it – it was old, and knowing, and wise, yet tempestuous. I couldn't take my eyes off of the scenery, and with no cars around, I stopped on the side of the road here and there, taking some of the photos seen above. I decided it was time to turn back after a couple of hours of roaming and random hiking (for better vantage points), because the sun had begun to swiftly set on me.
Borgarnes.
One comfortable night's sleep later and I was raring and ready to go, so I jumped back into my car and set out on my great adventure circling around the island. I left Reykjavík early in the morning, and I drove north on Route 1, where the light had painted beautiful scene after beautiful scene. The golden light from the sunrise left the land looking as though it had been artistically crafted by the Gods – which it very well might have been.
I passed mountains, and fields, and fjords, and small villages, with each and everything entrancing me in its mesmerizing, yet curious allure. After about an hour's drive, I found myself in the small fjord-side town of Borgarnes, where I found these lovely wild horses (just outside of the town limits). I was driving a little too fast, to be honest, and when I saw this triumphant white horse, I slammed on the brakes, snagged my camera, and took off running. Thankfully, I was blessed with the powerful shot you see above. I will never forget how emotional I became, from standing in the cold, and just watching, analyzing, and letting their power impress upon me, and who I am. Perhaps it's the power of the earth, or God, or something else – I know not.
I passed mountains, and fields, and fjords, and small villages, with each and everything entrancing me in its mesmerizing, yet curious allure. After about an hour's drive, I found myself in the small fjord-side town of Borgarnes, where I found these lovely wild horses (just outside of the town limits). I was driving a little too fast, to be honest, and when I saw this triumphant white horse, I slammed on the brakes, snagged my camera, and took off running. Thankfully, I was blessed with the powerful shot you see above. I will never forget how emotional I became, from standing in the cold, and just watching, analyzing, and letting their power impress upon me, and who I am. Perhaps it's the power of the earth, or God, or something else – I know not.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
I swiftly swept right through Borgarnes, intent on returning by nightfall. I drove north following Route 54, deciding to stick with my current path, which swung west along the southern end of the wild and wonderful Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
After a while, I came to a side road, paved on top of a massive field of lava. The path lead me to a lighthouse (viewable below), which overlooked these fascinating rock formations – later I found that these formations were part of the famous Londrangar Cliffs (which are definitely worth a visit).
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Apart of one of my random park-on-the-side-of-the-road-and-hike moments, I found endless miles of these moss covered lava fields. They're pretty damn interesting to walk over and explore – however, some areas can be more dangerous than you can first imagine, because of their tendency to have varied drop offs and concealed holes.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
I got off the beaten path a wee bit, trying to get closer to these rural waterfalls – which are seemingly strewn ALL OVER the country – and that's where I found this beauty. The lovely thing about these wild (or rather, semi-wild) horses is how friendly most of them are – this one came right up to me, sniffed me, lowered its snout, and let me pet him. After our joyful meeting, I tried my luck at hiking through this marshy wetland, only to get stuck on the wrong side of the river, covered in mud, from knee down – but it was all good, as it was a very interesting experience.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Once I reached the tip of the peninsula, a storm was approaching the coast of jagged and jutting cliffs, with powerful winds and higher-than-normal waves. I walked along the coast, fighting gusts which nearly toppled me over the edge. Some of the waves came up and hit me in full force – it was rather intense, if I'm being honest.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
In a figure-8 direction, I circled back through the peninsula, as the sun was setting. I've always heard that some of the best sunsets could be found as you get closer to the North Pole – and I can say that, at least this sunset was one of the most amazing that I've had the pleasure of experiencing. It bled for me, sharing its full brilliance of vibrant colors, intriguing depths, and its beyond fascinating evolution.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Oh, that magical sunset.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Snæfellsnes Peninsula.
Borgarnes.
By the time I made it back to Borgarnes, the sun had all but fully set, and the land was subtly illuminated in a gorgeous pink glow. I stayed at the riverside Ensku Husin Guesthouse, which was pretty fantastic – it was quaint and family owned by the nicest people ever, loaded with history and brilliance. I was alone, apart from a young French couple traveling on their honeymoon. Can you imagine a chilly honeymoon in Iceland? That's not a bad way to go about it!
Borgarnes.
I woke up randomly in the middle of the night, and looking outside of my room's window, I encountered this beautiful scene. I still don't really count this as me seeing the Northern Lights, because it was near impossible to make out any details – the sky simply had a faint greenish glow. However, my camera was able to have a better go at developing the scene. The spotlight in the distance is the infamous Imagine Peace Tower, commissioned by Yoko Ono to memorialize John Lennon, with the hope toward reminding the world that peace is the world's best option – brilliant!
Borgarnes.
After a pleasant night sleep, I awoke to the soft light of the crisp, clear morning that you see here.
Routing map, thanks to Google Maps.
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