ICELAND

The One Ring

By Justin Tang

April 9^th, 2023

SEPT 2018

Yikes, I was 23. I'm now almost 28.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Anyway, this one isn't really a story nor is it in chronological order. I'll leave this one to photos with some overall thoughts (or padding) on this trip. I'm going to Nepal in 2 weeks so I'm clearing the backlog.

I'll start by saying Iceland scenery is at the top of my list in terms of otherworldly scale.

Iceland Speedrun Any%

I'm going to go out on a limb and say don't do the iconic Ring Road. Or at least don't have it as the only part of your trip. I've always valued experiences with a bit of flavour where everyone gets a different taste out of it but this trip wasn't it. I want unique experiences and takeaways but Iceland didn't hit that spot for me.

To me, driving around Iceland felt like a hop on hop off tour with Tim and Syed. My map probably looks like every other map with the same crowded stops. You get out, follow the crowd, look at waterfall or geyser, walk around, take pics and then get back in.

I seriously regret not doing something more specific.

A few reasons this post took so long...

#1

I took a fraction of the amount of photos I would have on previous trips. Tim and I were more keen on videography at this point which didn't really end up working out with fogged up ND filters and unstable drone signals.

#2

I'll admit, it does take away from the inspiration part where every photo you take, there's about a crowd of 50 people with beastly tripods taking the same one.

#3

I'm fairly sure my old lens was weather damaged or just fogged up for most of the trip. Overall, a disappointing haul.

Things I Remember

Driving around in the van was by far the best part of the trip. Especially when it's been a while since you've seen a car or town.
Waking up early and hiking up a random hill to get an amazing view of a huge glacier. It was as simple as pointing to a hill and saying that looks good.
Watching the sunset over Jökulsárlón - the frozen lake was very cool.
Hiking to the top of Kirkjufell - This was the rare part of this trip where it felt like a unique experience. I think I need a touch of "hmm, that could be a bad decision" to keep it fresh.

Things I Remember (cont.)

Watching old Simpsons eps to fall asleep in the van. I brought a Western Mountaineering (Ferrari of sleeping bags) bag and had some the best sleeps of my life.
The peace and quiet of driving through valleys of giant peaks and feeling like a bunch of ants.
Swimming in the Blue Lagoon and eating Clinton recommended hot dogs in Reykjavik. I also do recommend.

Things I Remember (cont.)

They never tell you how stinky some of the Geysers are.
Honestly, I was usually in the back of the van most days getting beat up by the bed. Shoutout to Syed, he really carried the driving on this trip.
This was my 2nd time seeing the Northern Lights. Slightly clearer this time but I'm still waiting for something Brother Bear level.

Do a trek or go to the remote bits. Iceland is at it's best when you feel tiny on what looks like a different planet. You won't get that at some of the Mona Lisa waterfalls.