Iceland Road Trip: Day 3

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Europe's Most Powerful Waterfall meets the Yank without a Chain

Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall meets the Yank without a Chain

From Bakkagerdi I headed to the northern coast of the island and visited Dettifoss, “Europe’s Most Powerful Waterfall,” and the area around Myvatn – “Midge Lake” or “Fly Lake” in English. The road up to Dettifoss was the worst I experienced and I was terrified of getting a stone in my windshield. The insurance for the car doesn’t cover any windshield damage, which didn’t seem like such a big deal until I realized that it is actually very possible to get a stone kicked up at you from another car on these gravel side roads. Fortunately, this didn’t happen to me and I made the round trip to Dettifoss with my car intact.

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Iceland Road Trip: Day 2

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The port and mountain view at Seydisfjordur in eastern Iceland

The port and mountain view at Seydisfjordur in eastern Iceland

On my second day I drove along the gorgeous eastern coast of Iceland and visited the small towns of Seyðisfjörður (Seydisfjordur) and Bakkagerði (Bakkagerdi).   I had my first real meal at Seydisfjordur at Hotel Aldan – delicious Atlantic salmon and beet salad – and went on a nearly 6-hour evening/night hike at Bakkagerdi. It was great to get out of the car and stretch my legs for a little while!

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Iceland Road Trip: Day 1

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Where I slept in my Nissan Note on my first night, with views of a waterfall behind me and the ocean in front.

Where I slept in my Nissan Note on my first night, with views of a waterfall behind me and the ocean in front.

On the first day of my five-day roadtrip around Iceland’s Ring Road, I picked up my car at Keflavik airport at around midnight and drove through the night toward Dyrholaey on the southern coast. The first couple of hours I was driving through dense fog and was excited and jet-lagged and nervous all at the same time. I’d never rented a car on my own before, much less driven so many hours in such a short time. Around 2:30 in the morning the fog lifted and I saw the gorgeous summer sunrise and I knew that I had made the right decision in coming to Iceland.

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Chile Roundup

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The Artilleria funicular in Valparaiso

The Artilleria funicular in Valparaiso

I spent a total of 16 days in Chile and spent an average of $49 per day – although that would be significantly lower if I hadn’t done a ski trip to Valle Nevado (which cost $200 for the day). I enjoyed Santiago much more than I thought I would have. I had heard so many stories about how polluted (true) and boring (not true) the city was, but I easily managed to fill 10 days in the city without getting bored.

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Skiing at Valle Nevado

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Riding in the gondola at Valle Nevado, the first in Chile

Riding in the gondola at Valle Nevado, the first in Chile

Southern hemisphere skiing was another activity that had long been on my bucket list before this trip began. I got the opportunity to do it near Santiago, Chile at Valle Nevado in the Andes. Treated to stunning views of treeless landscapes, I had a very enjoyable – if expensive – day of packed powder thrills.

I rented all of my equipment and booked transportation through Ski Total and was quite happy with the experience. They were punctual and helpful, although returning the equipment at the end of the day was very disorganized.

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