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Cruising the Coast of Iceland

By Larry Taylor

It was 10:30 p.m, and the ship’s intercom was calling us to get ready to go ashore. We’d had dinner a couple hours earlier and been told by expedition leader Kim to dress warm for our short ride from ship to shore on the Zodiac inflatable rafts and our upcoming walk.

From the raft, we could see the sun glinting off Dynjandavogur Waterfall, our destination. Translated, the name means, appropriately, "mountain falls," as a wall of water cascades 328 feet from a cliff before and then separating midway into several smaller falls before emptying into the sea. Our group hiked to the top of the falls before coming down to toast the summer solstice with aquavit with the midnight sun starting to set. This was just one of the many adventures we enjoyed on a 14-day cruise on the Explorer around Iceland and the Faroe Islands.

The Explorer, now owned by Abercrombie and Kent, has pioneered expedition cruising. First launched in 1969, the ship specializes in taking people on "adventure cruises" to some of the world’s most exotic destinations. Small when compared to luxury cruise liners, the 240-foot ship, with a draft of 14 feet and a maximum capacity of 100 passengers, is able to get into places large cruise ships can’t–and that’s its big attraction.

In 1971, the Explorer took the first commercial cruise to Antarctica. It’s double hull and ice knife on the rudder enabled it to sleekly maneuver around icebergs and put people ashore to explore normally inaccessible inlets and islands.

Today the Explorer spends June to August cruising the North Atlantic and December through February in the Antarctic area. From March to May, the "little red ship," as it is nicknamed, sails up the Amazon River, while in September and October it makes calls in Europe and the south Atlantic on its way to the Southern hemisphere. Its itineraries appeal to people who disdain luxury voyages on mammoth ships, preferring out-of-the-ordinary adventures.

My wife and I had always wanted to go to Iceland. Something about this so called "land of fire and ice," strictly off the beaten track, appealed to us. We were sold after reading A & K’s Explorer brochure, describing this sub arctic country as a land of contrasts and unusual beauty. The icy glaciers and volcanic fumaroles, majestic waterfalls and gushing rivers, bustling fishing villages and isolated farms, green meadows and rocky lava beds–the prospect of seeing all this fascinated.

Another factor, we love to hike and explore, and the lure of being on a small ship capable of going into the remote fjords which ring the country like flower petals suited us fine. We’re not necessarily adverse to large cruise ships, but this seemed the best way to see this small country. The big ocean liners rarely go beyond docking at Reykjavik, the capital, and sending passengers on day tours.

Also a big plus, the Explorer employs expert-guides in a range of subjects including marine biology, ornithology, anthropology, archaeology and zoology, making it easy to learn about the environment while having fun. Each day, before and after excursions, informal lectures instructed us on what we’ve seen and are going to see.

Being on a smaller ship doesn’t mean foregoing luxury and comfort. A & K has a reputation for offering first-class tours, and everything was certainly top-scale on our trip. The food was gourmet quality, and we were seemingly fed all the time–morning snacks, afternoon tea and a late-evening buffet, besides regular meals. All beverages, including wine and liquor, are included. Our room with a window was comfortable, although small. The library/lounge area is spacious and meals are served in a single open setting, making it easy to get to know fellow passengers.

To connect with our early summer cruise, we flew into Reykjavik, arriving in late afternoon to be met and transferred to the Saga Hotel, joining cruise passengers for an overnight stay. The next morning we boarded buses and were taken for a short tour of the city and then out for a loop drive on Iceland’s Golden Circle, a must for every tourist. First stop was historic Thingvellir National Park which lies in a natural volcanic amphitheater.

Since the middle ages, Icelandic chieftains have been meeting here for political purposes at an "Althing," the Icelandic term for governmental meetings. The Vikings and other settlers from Scandinavia settled disputes at this spot, still sacred to modern Icelanders. Symbolically, the current parliament meets here each summer.

When the authority of the Althing collapsed in 1230, Norway was able to take over the country. A short time later, 1237, Iceland fell to Denmark which ruled the country for over 700 years. When Denmark fell to Germany in WW II, Iceland was given protection by the United States, and in 1944 was given its independence as a democratic nation.

At an overlook in the park, the Rekjanes rift, a surface crack which runs through the country, can be seen. The ship’s geology expert explained how this is associated with the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Walking down through the rift brought on a mystical feeling as we entered this place which has been used ceremonially purposes centuries.

Farther down the loop, we stopped to see magnificent Gullfloss, the nation’s most powerful waterfall. The name means Golden Falls, and in sunshine a golden aura suffuses the misty surroundings.

While on this road, we passed many cattle and sheep farms. Iceland is known for its tasty lamb and hand-woven wool sweaters.

Being out and about gave us a chance to meet Iceland’s people. English is the second language and the majority its 280,000 population speaks it. With a booming fishing industry, the country’s standard of living is high. As well, Iceland is the world’s least polluted country, fueled as it is with natural energy from volcanic steam and water from its many rivers and waterfalls.

Late afternoon we boarded ship and prepared for departure. Our cruise would take us from east to west, after going north as far as the Arctic circle. Before turning back to Reykjavik, we would journey south for three days in the Faroe Islands.

Traveling the longest distances at night, the ship often made two stops during the day. At each stop we were given multiple choices for shore excursions–leisurely walks through towns and villages or moderate to strenuous hikes. A couple days we boarded buses for extended tours. Always an inviting option was to stay on board to read and relax.

Daytime summer temperatures averaged in the 50s. If the sun was out, the weather was pleasingly brisk; when wet and blustery, it could be quite chilly. We soon discovered it was wise to start the day wearing several layers, with waterproof gear in a backpack.

There was a great variety of stops, with many places a bird-lover’s paradise. Our first day out took us to Flatey Island and the Westfjord region, cruising by cliffs that contained the densest population of seabirds and sea fowl in Iceland. Each variety–from razorbill to guillemots, to cormorants and fulmars–were enthusiastically pointed out by Roger Lovegrove, the ship’s bird expert from Wales.

A memorable stop in the Westfjords took us to Vigar Island where eiderdown gathering is a cottage industry. The few families who live on the tiny island gather the down commercially. They were eager to show us around to see eider ducks nesting on grassy slopes. When the nest is abandoned the eider or feathers which line the nests are gathered, cleaned and shipped to market to make pillows. Here we also got our first sighting of colorful puffins whose tropic-like mating plumage seems out of place in polar climes.

It never gets dark in Iceland’s summer. On one memorable after-dinner hike we went ashore on Grimsey Island to stand on the Arctic Circle at midnight. Atop the marker, we toasted toasting ourselves for being so far north. On the way back to the boat, we had to wave our hands frantically above our heads to fend off diving Arctic terns who saw us as predators threatening their nests.

One of our best hikes was in the uninhabited Hornstrandir Nature Reserve, located at the top of the country. The reserve, a basalt plateau, contains extensive coastal wetlands and "seabird cliffs" that rise to 1,739 feet, homes for some one million birds. During the summer nesting season they look like a shower of confetti circling below the cliffs.

The advantage of being able to anchor in comparatively shallow water was emphasized here when we anchored in a small fjord, a place, incidentally, our ship had never before explored. On shore we were divided into three hiking groups. One to the cliff top; another to a snowbank half way up; the third strolled along the shoreline.

The sun was out and it was a glorious day. After crossing the snow we walked through a small meadow of wild flowers, including lupine and yellow daisies. This colorful carpet was split by a gushing stream. I asked our guide about the clusters of two-foot shrubs we saw ahead. He said those weren’t bushes, that they were a grove of birches, Iceland’s national tree. The sturdy little tree stays small in harsh environments. He then told the national joke: "What do you do when you’re lost in an Icelandic forest." Answer: " Stand up."

A fun excursion was in Siglufjordur. This is a lovely little village of 1,800 with a long past as a prime fishing port and important center for canning herring. Our primary stop was at the Herring Museum with exhibits that took us back a century. Outside, the past was celebrated in a lively show featuring folk songs performed by locals. After the show we were given a chance to the taste specialties including the best pickled herring I ever had.

Iceland is full of volcanic and geothermal activity, graphically displayed when we visited the Myvatn Basin in the northeast. Today in Iceland there are over 30 active volcanoes with the most recent eruption coming in 1997. In fact the word "geyser" itself comes from "geysir," the Icelandic word for gushing. The basin’s original Great Geysir, rivaling Old Faithful, is now dormant, but others close by gush every few minutes. As a whole, the area does bring to mind Yellowstone, with hissing fumaroles and bubbling mud pots everywhere.

All this earth-shaking activity underscores the fact that Iceland is the world’s youngest country, geologically speaking. The oldest part is some 20,000 million years old with much of the country dating from geological formations dating about 10,000 years ago.

Lake Myvatn, one of largest lakes in Iceland, is close by the geothermal area. The lake is named after the midges or small flies which hatch in summer. They don’t bite, but we walked into a swarm, we kept our mouths shut and ears and eyes covered. The lake itself is a haven for water fowl, and we spotted a small flock of hard-to-find Slovenian grebes. This sent our birders scurrying to find their species books.

After leaving the lake, we could hear a low roar, like a deck of bass speakers turned up to the max. As we got closer, our bus started shaking with the reverberation. We soon discovered what we heard was from a huge chimney big as a house spewing steam from the bowels of the earth. Its purpose was to release pressure from a steam-harnessing factory close-by. These type facilities are located throughout the country piping steam to heat 90 percent of Iceland’s homes.

Midway in the cruise, we left Iceland and headed 270 miles southeast to the Faroe Islands, governed by Denmark. The group consists of 18 mountainous windswept islands. Top stop here was picturesque Sandavagur where homes are painted in a rainbow of colors, as we had also seen Iceland towns. Many had sod roofs for insulation, a hold-over from early times. (We asked a farmer how he mowed his roof. He said he just put a sheep on top when the grass got shaggy.)

That evening we went ashore to visit a beautiful little church which held a rune stone carved in the 13^th Century. The ancient writing verified that hardy Vikings were the first to settle here, as they were in Iceland. After we viewed the stone, the church choir gave us a concert accompanied by a thundering pipe organ–a truly serendipitous moment.

After another two days in the islands, we turned back toward Iceland to see up close one of the world’s largest glaciers.

The vast Vatnajokull Icecap is Europe’s biggest ice mass, 3,200 square miles and, ironically, 3,200 feet deep. A bus let us off near the glacier where we and other adventurous types donned snow suits and were driven to a location near the glacier top by a specially equipped Snow-cat. Once there, we mounted snow mobiles and zoomed back down for the thrill of a lifetime. Waiting for us was a cold seafood buffet served, weather permitting, on tables carved in ice.

On the way back to the ship, we stopped at Jokulsarslon, a glacial lagoon where Vatnajokull meets the sea. Here we floated on amphibious vans in and out of icebergs.

Humpback whales swam beside our ship on the way to Heimay, our last stop before returning to Reykjavik. Heimay is part of the Westmann Islands and is famous for a volcanic eruption Jan. 23, 1973. The eruption and resulting lava flow threatened the entire town. Luckily fishing boats in port where able to evacuate threatened residents.

The 1973 flow was on a course which would close off the narrow channel leading to the island’s port. At this point, it was decided to pump seawater on the molten river. This cooled down the lava, causing it to harden in its tracks, thus saving the harbor. The massive eruption increased Heimay’s size by 15 percent. During our tour, we saw homes still submerged in barren lava fields. Luckily no one was killed.

On our final day, after disembarking, we toured more historic sites in Reykjavik, finishing the day at Iceland’s most famous tourist attraction–the Blue Lagoon. The lagoon, which gets its color from blue-green algae, is a natural geothermal lake developed into a spa where people now relax and bathe in warm, soothing seawater. Buckets of white silica mud are available to rub on your body which reportedly has a beneficial effect on your skin. After soaking in the waters, we were relaxed and ready to face our long flight home.

For information on Explorer cruises, call A&K at (800) 323-7308 or check the web site: www.abercrombiekent.com . All daily excursions, as well as all liquor and gratuities, are included in the price.

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