| To me there is nothing better than | | | | told us all kinds of facts about |
| getting outdoors and going for a nice | | | | Iceland, glaciers and such. But, what I |
| long trek. I love the adventure, the | | | | liked best was when everyone stopped |
| physical challenge and exploring new | | | | talking. Rarely in our busy lives do we |
| places. I also have a certain | | | | get to experience absolute silence and |
| proclivity towards glaciers. I think | | | | that was one of the early pleasures of |
| that they are amazing, though I have | | | | this glacier tour - we all stopped |
| never actually seen one up close. Last | | | | walking and talking and there it was, |
| month I got the chance to do just that. | | | | total silence. I turned my face to the |
| I didn't go to Iceland just for hiking, | | | | sun and just soaked up this moment. |
| I was there on business. But over the | | | | Later, we got to explore some crevasses |
| weekend, I decided to get book a tour. | | | | and beautiful blue-white ice sculptures. |
| There are several hiking and trekking | | | | When you touch this kind of ice, you |
| tour companies in Iceland so it wasn't | | | | are amazed by how smooth it is - like |
| hard. With the help of the front desk | | | | polished glass. We got to walk through |
| clerk at the hotel I was staying at, I | | | | long ridges that were like narrow ice |
| got in touch with a company that offers | | | | hallways. |
| tours right from Reykjavik; turns out | | | | What struck me about this glacier was |
| that you don't necessarily have to | | | | that it seemed to have a positive affect |
| travel far to get out in nature or to | | | | on everyone's mood. It is kind of like |
| commune with a glacier. | | | | the glacier is pumping out negative ions |
| Anyways, I made my choice of tour | | | | and it helps you feel content and |
| operators and told them what I wanted to | | | | grounded in that moment. I also think |
| do. They suggested a tour that fit my | | | | that the glacier, by the fact that it |
| time frame and desire to explore a | | | | has been around for so long, imparts a |
| glacier, in this case Sólheimajökull | | | | certain sense of history and almost |
| glacier. I think this translates as | | | | embodies a wise personality. Maybe it |
| 'sun home glacier,' at least I think | | | | was just me, I tend to anthropomorphize |
| that is what it translates to with my | | | | everything. |
| rough knowledge of Icelandic. This | | | | One the way back to the city, our guide |
| particular glacier is located about two | | | | also stopped by two beautiful |
| hours away from the capital city. | | | | waterfalls, Skógafoss and |
| The tour company picked me up from my | | | | Seljalandsfoss. Being from the western |
| hotel in the morning and off we went. I | | | | US, I am not used to seeing so much |
| was amazed at how quickly we were in the | | | | water and I was struck by the raw power |
| country - Reykjavik is not a very big | | | | and beauty of these falls. Raw power |
| capital city and most of Iceland is | | | | and beauty is a good analogy for Iceland |
| uninhabited. When we arrived at the | | | | in general. |
| glacier, I instantly fell in love. The | | | | All-in-all I was very satisfied with my |
| weather was picture perfect and the | | | | Iceland hiking tour experience. This |
| contrasting colors of blue sky and the | | | | particular tour wasn't very strenuous, |
| white glacier were outstanding. | | | | so if you want something more physical, |
| We took a few minutes to go over a | | | | you can choose a different tour. I |
| safety brief, put on our extra clothes | | | | think that one day I would like to come |
| and crampons and then we were off. Our | | | | back here and do one of their multi-day |
| tour guide was very knowledgeable and | | | | tours. |