Reykjavík Grapevine - 16.03.2018, Blaðsíða 48

48 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 04 — 2018
It was just another day in Iceland in
February. Heavy rain was pouring
down, with howling winds reaching an
impressive 40 km/h. We had scheduled
a tour with our guide Erla from Fjal-
lahalla Adventures, and I was worried
that the inclement weather would affect
the trip. But we headed out undeterred.
Soon, we’d be out of the elements, as
our first stop was underground, at the
Raufarhólshellir lava tunnel.
Finding Joy Division

Raufarhólshellir formed around 5,200
years ago when a volcanic eruption oc-
curred near the Bláfjöll mountains.
About a 30-minute drive from Reykja-
vík, the lava tunnel is near the road, and
easily accessible. We put on helmets,
headlights and crampons, and we were
ready to go.
As we walked into this ancient lava
tunnel, it felt like we were entering a
sacred space. Snow piled up under three
naturally-formed skylights near the
entrance. As we ventured further down
the 1.4km long cave, the light started to
become dimmer. Colonies of cylindri-
cal stalagmites covered most of the
ground, with twin stalactites hanging
from the ceiling. If you look closely at
one of these natural sculptures, you’ll
see an intricate pattern. Oh, wonderful
nature.
While carefully
observing the tex-
ture of rocks, I dis-
covered something
surprising on one
side of the wall: the
album cover of “Un-
known Pleasures” by
British band Joy Divi-
sion. Well, not exact-
ly the album cover, but a geologic pat-
tern that bore a striking resemblance.
So in case you were wondering, you can
indeed find Joy Division in a lava tunnel.
Soup by the sea
Our second stop was lunch at the Blue
Sea Restaurant (“Hafið Bláa,” in Ice-
landic) located near Eyrarbakki on the
south coast. The restaurant is a beau-
tiful wooden house with an excellent
view of the ocean and the wide black
sand beach out back.
By now the rain had stopped, but
the wind was still going strong. Sip-
ping the delicious lobster soup, I
looked out to the window, watching
the ocean waves come crashing in. It
was a mesmerising sight.
Hot chocolate a nd soup had
warmed me up, so I decided to venture
out to the beach. Standing still in the
incredibly strong wind was a difficult
task, but it made me feel alive. The
wind blew away my worries, and the
roar of the ocean cleansed me. I was
able to focus on the present moment.
Elves and ghosts
museum
The final stop of the day tour was a
museum named Icelandic Wonders,
dedicated to elves and ghosts. The mu-
seum is in the small town of Stokksey-
ri. We learned about Icelandic folklore
centred around the invisible elves
(“Húldufólk,” or “hidden people”), and
a dozen vivid ghost
stories f rom the
past. It was slightly
spooky, and a good
insight into the dark
side of Icelandic cul-
ture.
All in all, the
day w a s noth i ng
short of amazing.
With focused atten-
tion from our guide Erla, the experi-
ence was inspiring, fulfilling and re-
laxing. I won’t forget about this trip
for a very long time.
Distance from
Reykjavík: 65km
Tour provided by
fjallhalla.com
How to get there
Fjallhalla picks you
up and takes care
of the rest
“As we walked into
this ancient lava
tunnel, it felt like we
were entering
a sacred space.”
The sea by the soup
The soup by the sea
Enter The
Underworld
Lava tubes and Ghost Museums in southern Iceland
Words: Jessica Peng Photos: Art Bicnick
“As we walked into this ancient lava tunnel, it felt like we were entering a sacred space.”