Monday 19 June 2017

A momentous journey thru the Land of Frost & Fire, Iceland (28/4-7/5 2017)





I promised myself to revisit Iceland after a most enjoyable and memorable Winter visit with 4 friends in 2012.  Only the Southern route, primarily the Golden Circle (abt 300km), is accessible during Winter.  Hence, I have been longing to explore this contrasting land also variously called The Land of Frost and Fire and The Land of Waterfalls in the shoulder season (end april-May) just before the height of the Summer holiday to do a round island self-drive holiday along the Ring Road, including a hike and overnight stop in the Kerlingarfjoll Highlands.


My wish finally came to fruition this April-May when 7 other friends joined me on this very exciting trip albeit also the most eventful trip in my travel history.



Due to some changes in travel plan, I ended up flying solo by SQ to Copenhagen and then changed to WOW Air for the final leg to Keflavik Airport.  The rest of my friends flew together to KEF via London Heathrow Airport.


Day 1: 28 April 2017
Except for the one day and night up in the Highlands where the temperature was expected to be freezing cold, the average day temperature for the rest of the country was forecast to be in the range of 6-9 degrees Celcius.  But on the day of arrival at Keflavik Airport, we went through a baptism of frost and snowstorm!  It was no fun lugging our bags in the falling snow and trudging across the snow covered and slippery ground to take the shuttle bus to the car rental office.  I was thankful that the 2 earlier unexpected experiences in Japan in Feb 2017 had prompted me to book 2 4x4 vehicles with snow tyres even though it's not Winter season. But this was just the beginning of a series of heart-stopping incidents during our sojourn in this beautiful country.


The first chilling experience happened while we were on the highway heading towards Reykjavik.  As it was,  the blizzard had reduced visibility considerably but all of a sudden, the windscreen turned foggy and I could hardly see more than a few metres from the car!  After much commotion and panic while the vehicle was slowed down to a crawl (not allowed to stop on the highway), we finally discovered that the demister had been accidentally turned off!  With a phew of relief, we continued our way to Reykjavik only to come to a standstill when the windscreen this time round was smothered with sleet that had fallen from the car's roof , thereby "burying" the wipers and rendering it out of action!  I had no choice but to stop the car even though we were driving on a major highway!  My friend quickly got out of the car with a scraper and worked rapidly to remove  the fallen ice and snow from the windscreen and the wipers! As we were the lead car, the 2nd car was also forced to stop behind us to wait for us.  In fact, shortly after,  the 2nd car also experienced the same sleet problem and we had to make another emergency stop on the highway to clear the "debris".   Thank God that although it took us almost 2 hours (instead of 30-40min) to reach our apartment, we arrived safe and sound in the totally unexpected and stressful weather condition.


Day 2: 29 April 2017
After a halting start, it was smooth sailing the next few days and we were thoroughly enjoying the fabulous waterfalls, lovely short hikes and wonderful dip in natural hot spring pool surrounded by mountains.
Donned in our rain gear for the showers of blessing behind the majestic falls


Thrilling walk behind the towering veil of water, Seljalandsfoss



Short hike from the car park to Seljavallalaug hot spring pool in awesome setting


Skogafoss



We cooked laksa for dinner and retired early to bed in Vik.  

Day 3: 30 April 2017
The next morning, most of us woke up with a headache brought about by the paper thin pillow which had no support for our neck!  My day was totally ruined by a severe migraine that made me barf throughout the day and journey.  
  

At the aptly named Diamond Beach, sculpted icebergs of varying sizes including boulder-sized ones dotted the black sand beach with shimmering "diamonds" in Winter  2012 vs the small "stones" that littered the same beach now in early Summer 2017





  I crawled to bed early (before 7pm) while the rest drove out for a splendid seafood dinner.  I slept like a log and woke up early the next day afreshed and recharged!


 A gorgeous dip in the hot tub before breakfast totally soothed away the woes of yesterday!
Dining hall with unparalleled view


View from our bedroom......we could literally walk to the glacier at Glacier World!


  Day 4: 1 May 2017
Today was 1 of 2 days of really long distance driving; some 418km or 5.5hrs to Northern Iceland. Hence I was really happy that we could take a short cut (60km shorter between Hofn and Egilsstadir)) via the scenic and jaw-dropping Oxi Pass . The Pass is usually passable to vehicles only in the height of Summer and in good weather condition.  The sights are awesome and dumbfounding;  the raw beauty of pale blue and white ice that cloaked the ground and slopes and the countless curtains of waterfalls and rapids of varying sizes that envelope a great part of the Pass.  It is unfathomable that such breathtaking landscape teeming with ice and rivers is just 539m above sea level via the Axarvegur Road 939 to the summit. It is a notorious road lined with ice and snow which has frequent avalanches, heavy snowfalls and landslides outside of Summer. And it is especially challenging driving counter clockwise which entails navigating steep (17%) hairpin turns and inclines along a ravine and narrow road.  Except for once or twice and very briefly, we were unable to stop to capture the much more beautiful images of the awesome landscape as the winding and narrow road leaves no room for a safe stop for such pursuit. But certainly what we saw with our eyes will remain etched in our memory for a long long time.

This was right next to the road that we were driving on


After a quick stop for lunch we dropped by the supermarket next door to buy the key ingredient for our bakuteh dinner.  Our next stop was Dettifoss but to get to the waterfalls, we 1st had to trek >1km across a wet and slippery trail covered with melting ice and snow.  Some of my friends wanted to give up but eventually managed to complete the short walk after much coersion and a little help from some of us.  The sights were well worth the effort....

At the car park before the >1km hike to Dettifoss


Next was one of the highlights of my trip, Myvatn Nature Baths and Krafla Caldera.  Unlike the popular and famous Blue Lagoon thronged by tourists the world over, this hot spring near the sea is a relative haven and peace.  And we were in time to catch the setting sun casting a golden path across the milky-blue pool, 1 of only 2 hot springs with blue water, the other being Blue Lagoon.  If you are aged 67 years and above or a student, do show your passport to enjoy a significant discount of 33% just like the local citizen. You pay 2400ISK instead of 3800ISK.  Also, do bring your own swimsuit and towel as the rental fee is 700ISK (abt USD7)  per item.  This applies to all other fee-charging hot spring pools and lagoons
 Myvatn Nature Baths

In the same vicinity is the Krafla Caldera and Craters.  So despite it being well past 8pm, we continued to drive towards the geothermal park and reached the caldera around 9pm.  That's the bonus of visiting in Summer as you can take in more sights with the long daylight hours.  It didn't get dark till past 10pm when we were there!

But first, a lightning visit to the bubbling Hverir Mud Pool......


 Hverir Mud Pool

In the Krafla Crater vicinity




Frozen Krafla Caldera

Satisfied, we finally made our way to our accommodation arriving just before 11 pm.  I was surprised that I was not at all tired despite the long day and quickly launched into cooking bakuteh for dinner.

Grocery shopping


Day 5: 2 May 2017
We started our day early, this being the longest day and drive on this trip (579km/7hrs).  We were recommended to take a dip in this rare cave pool (Grjotagja) but one peep at the dark cave and the eerie looking water, we all backed off and left shortly after taking some pictures. 




I only realised much later when back home that we actually need to scramble down the cave entrance and walk a short distance to the spot popularised by the location filming of Game of Thrones, as seen in the collage below (pictures taken from the internet)


Instead, we continued our way towards the desert-like Hverfjall Volcanic Crater, a >2500 years old tuff ring volcano to the east of Myvatn.  It is an icon of the Lake Myvatn area and is one of the best preserved circular volcanic craters in the world. While not very high at just 420m,  the ascent was quite steep and strewn with loose gravel but manageable at a slow pace.  We did not walk around the 1km rim (140m deep) which will require 1.5 hrs at a slow pace as the wind at the top was so strong that we had to squat to prevent from falling over.   This was the Winter filming location of Game of Thrones

Interesting "gold-speckled" rocks 
On the way up to the rim you can see the nearby Lake Myvatn (the bluish part) 

Another waterfall that warrants a visit in the North is Godafoss.  However, we did not loiter for long as we had vast distances to traverse to Thingvellir (or Pingvellir) National Park where our comfortable accommodation was awaiting us.  My personal impression of Godafoss is that it looks somewhat similar to Dettisfoss without the >1km hike 
Distant view of Godafoss from our car
Despite the tight timing, we still managed to make a short detour to Husavik (famous for whale sighting) in the hope of sighting some passing whales.  It would indeed have been a miracle if we had achieved that ......  


We continued our way down South along the major Ring Road passing some mountainous regions.  It was here that a crisis happened!

For some inexplicable reasons, the GPS diverted us away from the Ring Road to a small side road after which the engine died on us!  What's incredible was that at the T-junction of the small road and a bigger road was a small cluster of a hotel, a petrol station and a convenient store!  We would have been  in deep trouble if the car had stalled in the remote mountainous area!


We truly appreciated the kindness and genuine hospitality of the Icelandic folks at this juncture.  They were angels sent by God!  A young man in his 20s dashed from across the road to enquire about our situation and promptly returned with his car and a plastic rope to tow our car to the petrol station opposite.   Though the filmsy looking plastic rope managed to help move our car to the side where the petrol station was located, it snapped while climbing the gentle slope.  It was already a miracle that the raffia like string could tow our car for some 20m or so to an area not obstructing any other traffic and more importantly, to a safer location.  While we pondered on the next step, a native lady and a guy appeared with a small excavator truck to haul our car up the slope to an empty plot of land!  We were so thankful for all the unsolicited and swift help extended to us unconditionally for we were somewhat stunned by the sudden car break down.  And the God-send help continued......A Dutch couple on holiday in Iceland approached us to offer assistance and helped us call the car rental company for a replacement vehicle.  And they even stayed with us throughout the 2 hours' wait just to ensure that the replacement car did arrive!

When the replacement vehicle finally arrived, I discovered that it was a smaller car and with manual gear transmission!  The guy told us to contact the car rental company again when we arrive at our hotel to ask for another replacement vehicle.  We had to re-organise our luggage and transfer the bigger ones to the 2nd car but at least we were ready to move on having lost some 3 hours due to the break down.


We were indeed wise to stop for a quick dinner at 9.15pm when we chanced upon a small hotel with onsite restaurant. The kitchen was about to close when we arrived. The food was good, we were happy and looked forward to just another hour's drive to our hotel.  But dense fog suddenly descended and visibility was really bad.  At this moment my friend who was driving the 2nd car realised that they had only about a quarter tank of gas left!  We were literally crawling at snail pace with hardly any other car in sight.  Alas we found a standalone self-service petrol pump but it was not a N1 petrol station and hence we were unable to use our N1 store value card!  We prayed and hoped for another car to arrive and thanked God that a local car showed up within minutes!  We flocked to him like bee to honey and was hugely relieved to solve the gas problem.  But the worst had yet to come....

First we had to go through a pitch-dark tunnel of approximately 6km long only to emerge enveloped in fog!  The next 12-15km to the hotel seemed like eternity as we drove on steep terrain with a ravine on one side and near zero visibility as our car's beam was not powerful enough to pierce thru the dense fog.  We used the walkie talkie to ask the 2nd car to take over the leading role as their beam was alot more powerful.  However, the very narrow, meandering road coupled with the low visibility were not conducive for the 2nd car to overtake us. It was only later that we could swop position along a short stretch where the road was wide enough to accommodate 2 cars driven side by side.  Meanwhile, I struggled with my left foot perpetually glued to the clutch driving on 2nd gear most of the time at <20km/hr all the way to the hotel because of the undulating road and an under-powered engine!!!  To further aggravate our distraught, a warning signal suddenly flashed on the instrument panel.  None of us could decipher what was wrong as the text was in Icelandic!  Dead silence followed after the initial commotion as we prayed earnestly for God's help and guidance to bring us safely to the hotel.   Hallelujah and Glory Be to God when we finally saw the hotel's sign board!  It was past 1 am when we finally parked our car and unloaded our bags...


Day 6:  3 May 2017
After a stressful day yesterday, we decided to chill out and vegetate in the luxurious hotel until the extended check-out time.  We had a late breakfast followed by a swim in the heated pool and a short walk around the hotel.



After leaving the hotel, we took a short leisurely drive in the 2nd replacement car to Pingvellir (Pronounced Thingvellir) National Park which is just 15min away from Ion Hotel.  This was the site of Iceland's first parliament from the 10th to the 18th centuries.  The Park is actually atop a rift valley that happened as a result of the separation of 2 tectronic plates that divides the continents of North America and Eurasia. In the South, the plates inch past each other but at Pingvellir, they tear apart and the land between subsides.  The plates continue to drift apart at about 2.5cm each year.  It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2004 and is a favourite stop amongst travellers along the Golden Circle route.  There are 2 areas where diving is allowed in the small channel that separates the 2 submerged rifts, at Silfra and Davidsgja. My friends and I snorkelled in Silfra in 2012 (I chickened out a few minutes into the crystal clear waters!) but this time round we only gazed from afar from the lookout point.
 In 2012 we assembled at the 2nd small car park in this photo to change into our wet suit for snorkelling in Silfra

There were 2 more famous sites to visit, Geysir and Gullfoss which are all in close proximity to each other.  We were blessed to see a partial rainbow at Gullfoss as we strolled on the upper reaches.


 Gullfoss



 Geysir

The Efstidalur Farm is reputed to serve the best local ice cream and coffee and it was not surprising that we gravitated towards the farm for a light lunch cum dessert.  We were not disappointed by its claim.


Our next target was another famous hot spring pool in Laugarvatn but we were not happy to pay for the less-than-impressive man-made pools and decided to have a break at the cafeteria.  Some of my friends couldn't resist the lamp soup and was raving about how great tasting and reasonably priced it was.  

Overhyped Laugarvatn Fontana Spa & Wellness Centre
Without realising that our accommodation for the night was actually just right next to Laugarvatn Fontana, we set off to look for our lodging that was supposed to be about 17km away.  It turned out to be another unnerving and hair-raising experience but also a blessing in disguise.

Until today I still have no clue what actually happened that resulted in the mind-blogging mixed-up but I am not at all inclined to try to unravel the mystery and subject myself to recoiling from the not too pleasant incident.  

We circulated up and down the precinct several times following the GPS and felt re-assured that we were on the right track having seen the physical signposts of the abode.  However, the 1st property looked totally deserted and in shambles and brought to mind those spooky movies where the host went about eliminating his guests one by one at night. But the property looked similar to the picture that I had printed out although the house in the picture was far more attractive with an inviting pool.  The actual pool was empty, dirty and desolate looking.  The property does not even have a proper clearing for a car to drive on. 

After checking with the local residents there, we returned to try another property metres away from the 1st one.  As I walked past the gate towards the main door, I felt really uneasy and had a premonition that the door might suddenly swing open and a force would drag me into the abandoned looking building.  I peered around and into the property through the glass windows, shuddered and quickly ran back to the car.  We made one last attempt by seeking the help of a native lady to help us call the property owner.  We were bewildered when the telephone call was answered and the voice at the other end of the line confirmed with the lady in Icelandic that it was the correct property! But this was impossible because when I shouted and called out while at the 2 properties, each time it was only my own voice reechoing back to me...

After further exchange with the guy on the mobile phone, the lady told us to head back to the 1st property as the guy said that he would meet us there.  I shuddered at the thought of spending the night in the sinister looking house if that was really the correct property and decided that we will be better off to book another accommodation.  At this juncture, the lady noticed another different telephone number on the voucher and made one last call to clarify.  We were so relieved and elated to hear her repeat after the receptionist the confirmation for 4 rooms for 8 adults from Singapore!!!!! It was only then that we realised that the accommodation is actually located right next to Laugarvatn Fontana!

The Heradsskolinnn boutique hostel is a newly restored and renovated building of historic Nordic design. It was previously a school designed by Iceland's most famous architect Gudjon Samuelsson.



It is pretty huge (1600 sq metres) and has rooms that cater to all types of travellers.  I had booked the private rooms with attached toilet and shower facilities instead of the dormitory and shared accommodation.  There's a restaurant for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as a kitchen without stove but with oven and microwave oven (due to previous bad experience, the owner had removed the cooking stoves).  I was apprehensive about cooking porridge using the microwave oven but fortunately it turned out well and we had plain porridge dinner with olive vegetables, fermented tofu, miso paste and japanese pickled vegetables and home- made "hae bee hiam"/dried shrimps with chilli



That evening, I had my biggest disappointment when I checked my email and learnt that our planned visit to Kirlingarfjoll Highlands was highly likely to be cancelled. This was supposed to be THE highlight of the trip for me personally.  I called the local operator to verify the status and was sorely disappointed to be told that our chauffeured super-jeep trip and overnight stay in Kerlingarfjoll Highlands had to be cancelled because of avalanche and landslide!  Apart from managing my disappointment, I had to find alternative accommodation for the next night as well as to think of a replacement programme/activities for the next day.  I could feel God's unwavering help again when I managed to secure an additional night at the boutique hostel for 8 adults!

Day 7:  4 May 2017
Iceland being a land of waterfalls and hot springs, no surprises for guessing what we will be doing the next day.  
We drove for almost an hour towards Haifoss and were a mere 5-10 minutes away from it when we had to stop before a strip of narrow and shallow water.  After the various harrowing experiences, our hearts had gone faint and we were not prepared to risk stalling the 4-wheel drive car by driving it  across the shallow stream. This was despite the assurance by a local and having seen a coach breezed across the stream.  And not forgetting that actually ours was a 4x4 wheel vehicle!

Nevertheless, we were still high spirited,  motivated by the thought of a mouth-watering good lunch at the hugely popular Fridheima Tomato Farm.  The tomato-themed restaurant is in fact a tomato green house.  Its tomato soup is superb tasting and we were like kids relishing the free flow of fresh, juicy, fragrant and very sweet tomatoes.  Fresh basil plant is avail on each dining table for garnishing our food. At the end of our meal, we together must have "pruned" off at least a third if not half of the basil leaves from the plants.  We also bought bottles of the ultra delicious green and red tomato jam 


Time for another hot spring dip, this time round at The Secret Lagoon (Gamla Laugin) in Fludir, a natural geothermal pool with a spouting geyser. It is also the oldest (1891) "swimming pool" in Iceland. Natural hot spring bubbles up and feeds the lagoon with 38-39 degrees Celcius water at a rate of 10 litres per second thereby continuously replacing the hot water.  The current  modern facilities were opened only as recent as 2014.  Still relatively unknown to most tourists, it does get busy during the peak hours between 4pm and 6pm.  A very ingenious tubular float is provided for guest's use whereby one can stay afloat while leaning back on the tubular float tucked under your arms; the feeling is akin to leaning back on a sofa and floating in the body of hot spring water.  Very comfortable and shiok!  You can also walk around the pool and enjoy the sight of  steam rising above the river and valley and the gurgling and  sometimes hissing geyser spouting from time to time.





Day 8:  5 May 2017
Our breakfast this morning comprised of a simple meal of sardine and hae bee hiam sandwiches and a bowl of instant noodles before we hit the road for Reykjavik 
 
 As we had ample time on hand, we decided to bring forward our visit to Blue Lagoon, ie to go on our 2nd last day in Iceland instead of the last day. This was to accord more time to explore the vibrant capital city Reykjavik on our last day tomorrow.  Enroute, we visited the 3000-year old Kerid Crater Lake filled with an opaque aquamarine water.  Most people would walk one round along its rim and descend to the crater lake side (55m deep), which was what we did with many photo stops in between.  The side of the caldera is composed of red volcanic rock
Photos are arranged in an anti-clockwise direction based on our walk around the rim of Kerid Crater Lake
Mirror effect/optical illusion of the crater lake

Finally, we made our way to the ultimate and highly anticipated Blue Lagoon.  This top tourist attraction is now so overwhelmingly popular that entrance tickets have to be secured in advance online and the fare structure is also alot more complicated varying with the time.  I was not aware of this change but fortunately the staff were very helpful and obliging and helped us buy the tickets using their PC.  We had about 3 hours to kill before our  prebooked time slot. We thus decided to do some beauty product shopping at the onsite retail outlet before having lunch at the Lava Restaurant.  To my surprise, the price of the food at the expensive looking restaurant is no different from any others in town, and the pleasant surprise was the quality and excellent tasting cuisine.

The Blue Lagoon is being expanded and involves a redesign and enlargement of the spa experience and the construction of a luxury hotel and restaurant. Behind me is one of two newly added bays



After an enjoyable dip in Blue Lagoon, we made one last stop to visit Mother Nature at Krysuvik -Seltun.  Only 2 of us ventured onto the dramatic expanse of steaming volcanic vents framed by red, green and yellow coloured hills.  There are more vents further atop but it was already 8.30pm and the rest were waiting at the car park so we did only a very short walk  to take some photos.

Back at the accommodation in Reykjavik, I cooked the last of our food supplies, a simple fried noodle and green bean soup.


Day 9:  6 May 2017
On our last day, our plan was for 3 of us who will be taking the helicopter tour,  to off load our luggage at the guesthouse located a mere 5 minutes drive from Keflavik Airport before returning the 2 cars to the airport.  The night before we had checked and cleared out all our personal effects from the car.  The task at hand was to unload and store all our bags at the last accommodation.  We happily drove to the airport to return the car and thereafter, shared a cab to the office of the helicopter company.

This was indeed a grand finale to our 10-day adventure in Iceland, albeit a very expensive activity (Almost S$1,000 each for 60 minutes).  The aerial view offered a totally different perspective of the country that I had visited twice now. It is no wonder that Iceland is called the land of frost and fire and waterfalls.  The landscapes are so contrasting, varied and alluring.  We even made a brief landing and walked on the steaming geothermal ground beautifully covered by glossy moss.  I shall let the S$1000 pictures do the talking here


Aerial view of a live volcano





 Aerial view of the Blue Lagoon

Aerial view of Reykjavik

Back on the ground, we hurried to the Old Harbour for a quick lunch followed by a Segway ride on 2 wheels to take in the sights of the city.  I thoroughly enjoyed the 2-hour Segway ride which is a very safe, fun and unique way of sightseeing.  Would certainly consider this mode of sightseeing again in future .

2 of us had a quick seafood soup lunch here at the Old Harrbour 









In front of the exquisite restaurant, Matarkjallarnn Food Cellar , where we had a fabulous dinner
At the lobby of our last accommodation, Alex Guesthouse

Just as we were winding down on our last night, I was horrified to learn that a bag containing passport and money had been left on the back seat of the car I was driving!  I was careless not to do another quick sweep of the car assuming that everything had been cleared out the night before. I quickly called the car rental company but had to wait anxiously for them to call back 15 minutes later.  The receptionist cum airport shuttle service driver collected the bag on our behalf when she went to the airport to pick up guests and handed it with everything intact to the owner.  We were really grateful and thankful to God for answering our prayer.  

BUT  this was not the last of the string of heart stopping events that peppered this adventurous trip!  I nearly missed my early morning international flight departure!  I was supposed to leave an hour earlier than the group to catch the 4am shuttle service to the airport for my 0610hr  flight to Dublin but to my horror, it was already 5am when the other group members came knocking on our bedroom door!  Fortunately I had the foresight to sleep in my ready-to-go clothes and only needed to grab my bags before scurrying off in the shuttle bus, only to realise 2 minutes later that I had left my handphone and charger behind.  The receptionist-cum-driver had to swing around and literally "flew" the van back to the guesthouse for me to pick up my mobile phone!  I was just about 40 minutes from departure time when I finally arrived at the airport!   Thank God that despite the lateness, I still managed to make it in time for my flight to Dublin.  What a close shave even down to my last hour in Iceland!

Throughout our eventful and momentous journey in Iceland, it was crystal clear to me that God had been with us every step of the way guiding us, protecting us and delivering us from all harm and danger.  All praise and glory to Him, the Creator of Heaven and Earth, for giving us a wonderful time together in Iceland. 

TIPS:
1) Remember to show your passport to enjoy special discount for senior citizens and 
     students (up to 33% off)


2) Opt for a 4WD (4-wheel-drive) vehicle and with snow tyres if driving during Winter or        the shoulder season . This is especially important for driving in Northern Iceland.  Many      places even in the South have unpaved gravel road. It's safer to drive a 4x4 vehicle


3) Do not try to save on insurance.  Due to "spitting" because of the loose gravel, there are 

     chances of your windscreen or window being hit by pebbles and rocks.  It's a very costly 
     affair if your vehicle is not properly insured

4) Always refuel when your gas tank is down to half.  Especially up North, petrol pumps 

    are not as readily available.

5) In the less populated regions, most of the self-serviced  pumps are located in quite 

    isolated  areas and you would need to use a store-value/prepaid card to top up the gas. 
    You may encounter problems with your credit card as you will be asked to key in your 
    PIN.  We only learnt much later that you should just press and hold  the "ENTER" button 
    in such a situation ie no need to key in PIN.  N1 is the most common brand of petrol 
    station and it will be helpful to buy a store-value card from any convenient store or from 
    the manned petrol station

6) When you buy a local prepaid sim card, make sure that you opt for one that comes with 

    some voice minutes that enable you to make local calls at times of emergency.  You will 
    not be able to make any voice call if you opt for DATA Only Sim card

7) Try not to drive when it gets dark because of dense fog which can reduce visibility to just      a 
 few metres.  Especially during Winter and in national park or highlands

8) Take note of the daylight hours which vary with the season.  In the height of Summer, 

     you get to enjoy long daylight up to past midnight but in Winter, it gets dark by 4-5pm. 
    Do regular check and update on the weather condition and daylight hours at   
    http://en.vedur.is


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