Ice, Ice, Baby

MANILA, Philippines - There is an Icelandic proverb that goes, “Much always longs for more.” Over the past four years, all that my daughter Ginggay ever talked about when we planned our annual family trips was Iceland. She has been there four times with her husband Noel, and has fallen extremely in love with what she says is her favorite place on the planet, her ultimate happy place. With every breath, apparent in her eyes is the ardent yearning to go back. She describes the place to be desolate and dangerous, yet her longing is so compelling. I couldn’t help but be curious. So with a suitcase full of winter jackets and snow gear (and a prayer book and rosary in tow), I mustered the courage to venture to this place devoid of all I have come to know as safe and comfortable.

Just like any woman from the tropics, I fear the harrowing cold. While the rest of my family loves subzero temperatures, I struggle with the freezing cold. I’m already bundled up in air-conditioned rooms in Manila as it is, and I always pester waiters to increase the temperatures in restaurants to the other diners’ chagrin. Iceland is one gigantic air conditioner and there’s no “off” switch. It’s also a factor of age: when your bones are no longer as strong, and your thirst for adventure has been quenched in the past. Daring activities are no longer thrilling. They’ve actually become cardiac arrest-inducing.

 Ginggay always says Iceland is not for the faint of heart. So I did have a good three months to physically and psychologically prepare. She did warn me of the long scary drives where convenience stores and restroom breaks were about 50 kilometers apart. She did say that most of our hotels would be in the middle of nowhere with the nearest sign of civilization hours away. She did say certain roads were so steep and narrow that, when blanketed with snow, they could leave one almost blinded by white. And the scariest of all warnings: that the weather in Iceland changes every five minutes — that we would experience a snow or hailstorm, then a bit of sunshine, then extremely strong gusts of wind enough to throw people off their feet, then torrential rains, all within a single hour. 

 Then my son-in-law Noel would attempt to comfort me: “But don’t worry, Mom. It’ll be worth it. It’s a place of high risk but high reward.” I knit my brows: “How beautiful can this place be to risk death?” To which my smart-aleck daughter would reply, “The place is so heavenly and covered in white, that if anything untoward happens, you won’t be able to tell the difference between this and the real heaven anyway.”

 At the height of winter, we flew from Copenhagen to Reykjavik via Iceland Air. I hurriedly bought water, food and other survival essentials. Meanwhile, my son Lloyd and Noel got our vehicles then drove 45 minutes to the city. While every muscle in my body was tense, Ginggay was happily chanting, “I’m back! I’m back!” thoroughly excited for the next several days’ itinerary.  She said “Rest up and sleep as long as you want because sunrise isn’t until 12 noon. And we can really only drive when there’s light.”

“And when is sunset?” I asked. “About 3 p.m.,” she said with a smile. “We’ll only have three hours to see everything in the Golden Circle so we’ll have to drive fast.” I almost smacked her for kidding me — although I knew very well she was being serious.

 After an overnight stay at the Hilton in Reykjavik, we all loaded up for a three-hour drive to Thingvellir National Park, where the American and European tectonic plates meet. Within the Golden Circle, we visited the Strokkur Geyser and the majestic Gulffoss. And what we saw and experienced was beyond words: just simply breathtaking.

 The Strokkur Geyser billows and spews a burst of water about five stories every five to 10 minutes. I already thought that was fantastic. But the Gullfoss, now that’s an entirely different story. It is the most powerful waterfall in Europe, and upon descending to get a closer look, you can truly feel its strength and magnificence embracing you in full fervor.

 With my snow glider in one hand and my son holding the other, I got to experience and behold the scariest yet most enthralling natural spectacle I had ever seen in my life. It took me a long 20 minutes from the top of the mountain to the lookout area of the falls when most take five. It was pouring that day and the wind was so powerful, my granddaughter Chloe could have easily been swept away if she was not holding on to her mom. We were soaking wet and shivering but I quickly understood Noel’s “high risk, high reward” description. It was really scary. One wrong step could prove fatal. Danger really was imminent. But that view: Wow… it was one for the books.

 We then proceeded to our home for the night, the famous Ion Luxury Adventure Hotel. It is an award-winning high-design sanctuary that combines the Scandinavian aesthetic and structured minimalism. It is located at the heart of Thingvellir National Park but was so remote you wouldn’t think such a modern facility could exist amidst the elements. I was specifically drawn to their Northern Lights Bar, which has a glass ceiling that offers a view of the entrancing light show.

As there were no other places nearby to dine, you are stuck in the hotel. But no regrets because they offer very good food — freshly picked crunchy greens, and the roast lamb was particularly superb.

 From Ion Hotel, we traveled another four hours to our next destination: the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

 We first stopped at a little black chapel called Budir Church, one of the oldest wooden churches in Iceland. According to history, it is black because the exterior wood is painted with pitch just like the hull of a boat. It is also to protect it from the harsh Icelandic elements. It has survived for over 100 years. Surrounding this church are ice and lava formations, which my two grandsons, Noey and Santi, hiked endlessly.

Our hotel was right in front of the church, Hotel Budir, which was rated by Condé Nast as among the top 16 hotels in the world. Although the hotel had a lovely Old World charm and friendly staff, what was so spectacular about this place was the view. It was right across from Snæfellsjökull, made famous by Jules Verne’s novel, Journey to the Center of the Earth. Surrounding Snæfellsjökull are Arnastapi and Hellnar, used as location settings for the HBO series Game of Thrones. A short drive before Grundarfjörður are Chruch Mountain and Church Falls, true representations of God’s beautiful natural creations. Albeit a bit dangerous to hike to, these enigmatic sights are so awe-inspiring, you’ll be willing to suffer and drudge aong to get a closer glimpse. 

 Iceland would never be complete without a visit to the iconic Blue Lagoon. It is set in a black lava field rich in blue algae, mineral salts and fine silica mud. Naturally heated by the island’s geothermal energy, it is the best place to have a dip for that supple and smooth skin.

 We then headed back to Reykjavik, the capital of Iceland. Iceland has a population of about 300,000 people in total, 70-80 percent of whom reside in Reykjavik. Ginggay took us on a short city tour where we saw the Hallgrímskirkja, the city’s highly architectural parish church; the Sun Voyager, the city’s most famous monument; Tjornin, a placid lake across the city hall; the Harpa, a beautiful glass-clad minimalist building where the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra plays; the Perlan, which houses the Saga Museum and provides a 360-degree view of the city; and of course, Bæjarins Beztu Pylsur, the famous hotdog stand there since 1937 and frequented by celebrities like Tom Cruise, Matthew McConaughey, and President Bill Clinton when they visited Iceland.

 We then went to Laugavegur, the main shopping street in Reykjavik, lined with local shops selling goodies and souvenirs, ultra-modern cafes, and highly conceptual pubs and bars. The hipster aesthetic is very alive in this part of the world. Married with a youthful feel, it is just such a lovely place to walk around.  

 The next day, as I was packing my bags for an early flight to Stockholm, I remembered the days went by so fast I had forgotten to even ask about the Aurora Borealis, one of the reasons why I even said yes to coming to Iceland in the first place. There was a snowstorm the time we went so the light show hardly revealed itself to us. But the fact that I was not asking about it meant Iceland’s natural charms enormously captivated me so much, seeing the Northern Lights would have just been an extra bonus, a cherry to top off the perfect dessert.

 “Not enough time,” Ginggay kept saying. We hadn’t even gone to her favorites, Jokulsarlon where the 007 film Die Another Day and The Dark Knight were filmed; or Vatnajokull where Interstellar was shot; or Myvatn where The Secret Life of Walter Mitty was set. “We have to go back,” she exclaimed. As she was saying this, I remembered  the  hundreds  of  times  I  had prayed the rosary and countless saints I called upon for our safety. And I’m not so sure I’d be thrilled to go back so soon. It is, by any measure, the most astounding place I’ve ever seen. Iceland is simply indescribable. There is no place you would feel God’s wonderful creation more vividly than here. I just answered my daughter by saying, “I have seen enough beauty.” But who knows? Yes, I have seen much. But in the future, that “much” may long for more.