18 hours in Reykjavik
My 2+ months time away from home began with a 1 day stopover in Reykjavik, Iceland on the way to Munich for a conference. I was waaay excited.
I landed around 6:20 at Keflavik Airport on a Sunday morning and took a bus to Reykjavik. It was a beautiful day and looking out at the purple-coloured weeds springing up from an apparent wasteland on the way to the city was absolutely stunning. At June 25, I was there in prime “midnight sun” season and the sun was already bright like noon!
As Reykjavik is pretty small, I decided to go on a leisurely walk to explore the city. There is absolutely no better way to know a city intimately than tracing its features on foot (that is, if you, like me, refuse to make talking to strangers a thing you’d do casually). Below, is the route I took to maximize exposure to attractions I expected to be most interested in:
That said, it probably makes sense to relive that day chronologically. The numbered list below refers to the map above. So, armed with my backpack, some Asian snacks, and Fruit-To-Go from home (I knew buying food in Iceland would be expensive), this was how the day went:
- 7:30 AM: The bus dropped me off at the bus terminal outside of the city located at (1). Between location (1) and (2) was a desolate industrial area. I would have been spooked if not for the bright daylight that could make anything look welcoming.
- In the vicinity of (2), the industrial area dissolved into a labyrinth of bike trails and streams. The land was flat and clothed in wild grasses. The bridges over streams were confident and red, architectural but not obnoxious. Rocky hills in the distance. I did not see another soul until I reached (2), that is, if geese have souls. I walked south through what must have been a dog park of sorts called, Gerisnef.
- At the southern tip of Geirsnef was an underpass alongside the river Elliðaá. Elliðaá is a ridiculously fast-flowing river for being a body of water so close to a city, at least by Toronto standards. Under the bridge, two dudes had parked a car and were fishing.
- Continuing south is Elliðaárdalur park. At 8:00 AM on a Sunday morning, I was practically the only one roaming around. This park was, by far, the highlight of my day. Fast-flowing streams flanking both sides of the park, wooded areas, tall grasses, rocky areas, foot bridges, waterfalls … It was an amazing and I made every every to memorize the absolute bliss (which, knowing me, I have already forgotten). I explored every possible path on this little oasis and it culminated at its southern tip (4) where the paths and flanking streams merged into a mass of wildflowers and rock. Looking away from the park is a car bridge over the two adjacent streams. Both streams were incredibly fast and hosted waterfalls on either side of me, yet it was peaceful and non-intimidating since they are pretty shallow.
Along the south-western stream was a pretty large waterfall that you can walk right up to/sit beside. There I sat and ate some of the aforementioned “Asian snacks”, courtesy of mom. On my way out of the park, I stalked this poor little bird with disheveled feathers that could not fly. - Next, I walked across Fossvogur valley towards the city center. It was a large expanse that was surrounded from the North and South by residential areas. The valley itself is probably a recreational trail for the nearby residents and soccer fields and playgrounds scattered the area.
- Here, I took a detour that led me into some private property. Not sure how I got in, but I had to climb a fence to get back to the path :$.
- Perhaps by 11 AM I made it to the southern coast of Reykjavik. It was considerably windier here but, look! So many of those iconic purple flowers! (Apparently they are an invasive species?)
- Passed a park where Icelanders swam, swam, in that cold-ass Atlantic ocean water like it’s no big deal. Walked around an air strip. It was pretty cool to see small airplanes periodically take-off right beside you as you’re casually strolling along, eating your Fruit-To-Go (courtesy of mom). Icelandic houses were neatly building between (8) and (9) along the coast. By calling the houses “Icelandic”, I mean that each and every house was unique, modern, with clean lines and interesting shapes, neatly trimmed and minimalist backyards. Is this the Icelandic dream?
- Looped back towards the city center. Walked through a residential area and stumbled across University of Iceland and indulged in some free WiFi (eduroam is a god-send!!) in a greenhouse adjacent to Vatnsmýri, some sort of bird conservation wetland (there was so much goose poo). Across the wetlands, I could see Hallgrimskirkja, the huge church that everyone talks about. I couldn’t go through the wetlands because the trail that Google Maps promised there would be because there was kind of no bridge going over that stream beside the greenhouse.
- On the less sketchy side (apparently a non-existent foot bridge is as “sketchy” as Reykjavik gets) of Vatnsmýri and over a tall loopy pedestrian bridge over a highway of sorts is Hljómskálagarður park.
- Pit stop at City Hall and Tourist Info center. Walked through the downtown area. Oh, there was an interesting event going on where they closed one a long, downhill road in the downtown core and converted it into a GINORMOUS WATER SLIDE.
- The Opera House (above) and old dock (below). In true Iceland fashion, there were people fishing.
- Tried the infamous Icelandic hotdog at Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur. Crazy expensive, super small, and as someone who doesn’t really eat meat, this didn’t really convince me to question my life choices.
- Hallgrimskirkja, the fancy church. I walked up an artsy street called Skólavörðustígur. The street slopes upward and Hallgrimskirkja is in direct line of sight. I didn’t take any pictures here because literally any result on the first page of an image search would do better. I fear that the upcoming Europe trip might be wasted on me as I am notoriously underwhelmed by these big, obnoxious “architectural” wonders.
- Moving out of the downtown core and back into residential areas, I walked by a park called Klambratún. Since they have seasons of eternal darkness, Icelanders really know how to appreciate daylight. People warned me that Icelanders lay around sun-tanning everyone this time of year. I must have been some 12°C or so that day, I’m in a jacket, and everyone in this park is lying around topless.
- Saw a grocery store and tried to see if I can get some food because both my Asian snack and Fruit-To-Go stashes were done and my water bottle was dry. I came out of the grocery empty-handed and empty-stomached because the price was beyond what I could stomach. The cost of living is super high in Iceland, but they also get paid really well. In Nunavut, Canada, the cost of living is also crazy expensive (ie. I heard the price of OJ is like 16 CAD!) because of its remoteness, but I’m pretty sure the inhabitants aren’t being paid higher wages…
- The northern shore is a little more forlorn than the southern shore of Reykjavik. There was a really interesting nook called Laugarnes with 2-3 privately owned residences on the coast beside another bird conservation area.There was this one insane house with a bunch of creepy things on it … like an inverted cross, a scarecrow, a wrecked car, etc. It was like a haunted house. In broad Iceland-in-the-summer daylight, I could handle walking through it. Yay me.
- The eastern side of the north shore began to look more industrial again. I stopped by Viðey Ferry Terminal and looked across to Viðey Island. I considered taking the ferry to the island from the Opera House earlier in the day, but now I am really too pooped to consider it.
- Walked back in towards the city to a cluster of green spaces. Reykjavik campsite, Laugardalsvöllur (sports stadium), and the Reykjavik Botanical Garden. It was only 5:30 PM or so, so I napped until 6-something before walking back to the Bus Terminal.
- Took the 7:00 PM bus back to Keflavik Airport. In the bus, I noticed that my brand new running shoes were already tearing from the sides after Day 1 of 70.
Along the south-western stream was a pretty large waterfall that you can walk right up to/sit 
beside. There I sat and ate some of the aforementioned “Asian snacks”, courtesy of mom. On my way out of the park, I stalked this poor little bird with disheveled feathers that could not fly.
small, and as someone who doesn’t really eat meat, this didn’t really convince me to question my life choices.
There was a really interesting nook called Laugarnes with 2-3 privately owned residences on the coast beside another bird conservation area.There was this one insane house with a bunch of creepy things on it … like an inverted cross, a scarecrow, a wrecked car, etc. It was like a haunted house. In broad Iceland-in-the-summer daylight, I could handle walking through it. Yay me.Epilogue: the airport experience was the worst ever. I couldn’t find a water fountain, so I bought some 500ml of fluid for some amount equal to 5 CAD. I tried really hard to nap before my 12:30AM flight to Munich without much success. On a brighter note, there really was still light out at midnight. And I’ll have a better experience at this airport when I come back on Day 70. Stay tuned!