chasing the lights in Iceland

Our expedition to chase the northern lights (aurora borealis) in Iceland failed because the elusive lights were playing hard to get with us despite four nights spent here, camping in the dark every night hoping to catch a glimpse of them. Nevertheless, in my opinion, it was my best Christmas in my life ever, thanks to Jóhanna and family who gave us the best Christmas celebration ever, Icelandic style. Our host family is just so friendly and accommodating, they treated us like family. We even exchanged presents on Christmas eve, Johanna gave us a handmade beanie made of Icelandic wool. It was so warm and comfortable, a gift that will always remind me of the good times in Iceland. During the day, we did the Golden Circle tour which included Thingvellir National Park, Geysir and Gullfoss waterfall. We wanted to ski in Iceland as well but the ski slopes were unfortunately closed. Driving along the icy roads in Iceland was an adventure and despite not renting a 4WD, my car survived the whole trip without incident unlike my friend Mak. He got stuck in thick snow while entering the guesthouse and he was also caught in a snowstorm on the way back from Reykjavik, how unlucky!

Iceland is just so breathtakingly beautiful and full of natural wonders. To be able to spend Christmas week here with friends is just so awesome.Kerið crater lake is one that has the most visually recognizable caldera still intact (ikr so geog!) and it is one of the popular stops along the golden circle tour. We tried to learn some Icelandic from our host family, but it was quite difficult and the words are hard to pronounce. We laughed about Ejyafjallajökull volcano which erupted in 2011 and caused flights in Europe to come to a standstill. So Iceland is the only country in the world that can stop flights in Europe and cause so much trouble to air traffic. Iceland is rich in natural resources such as water and fish, but they do not want to join the EU because their country’s natural resources would be exploited. I think it would be better for them to remain this way and keep their own currency, but I wonder why I did not get a passport stamp when I flew from France to Iceland.
While we were nearly blown away by the strong winds and slipping along the ice, it was the most fun adventure we’ve had and definitely an unforgettable one surrounded by this white winter wonderland.
Merry Christmas! Joyeux Noël! Feliz navidad! Frohe Weihnachten! 圣诞节快乐! 메리 크리스마스!

While nature beckoned in Selfoss, we also could not forget about Reykjavik which is the coolest of cities, not just because it is the northern most capital in the world. Set in an expanse of lava fields, close to both the largest desert and biggest glaciers in Europe, this remote outpost is so far off the European map tha it has virtually been granted a license to the quirky, unconventional and groundbreaking in its music, architecture, sculpture and lifestyle. With a population of only around 113000, it is hardly a teeming metropolis but what it lacks in size, Reykjavik more than makes up for in the brio and creativity of its youthful population. This restless energy is reflected in powerful, subterranean forces of nature which have been harnessed to make life more bearable in this harsh, unforgiving environment.