Trip Report! ABD Iceland Saga of the Midnight Sun 9/18 COMPLETE!! - Day 7 River Rafting & Farewell

Seyhello - I love your trip reports. Really looking forward to your Japan one too!
Thank you! I'm so glad you're enjoying it! I really need to work and finish this before I head out to Japan next month! I can hardly wait to share Japan with you guys!

Sayhello
 
Day 7 – Turning a New Leaf

This day we knew was going to be a long bus day. We were driving all the way back from Akureyri to Reykjavik, but we knew we had a couple of stops on the way there, including a spectacular one, so it really wasn’t that bad. When we got in the motorcoach we all noticed: the midges were gone! Our guides told us our bus driver had taken it and vacuumed them out. We applauded and cheered for him!

By mid-morning we arrived at our first stop, the place we were going to suit up and get ready for our day’s big adventure – white water river rafting on the Glacial River that comes off of the Hofsjokull glacier!

I have never had a more intense suit-up for anything before in my life! After once again waiting in a LONG line for everyone to use one of the 2 bathrooms, we headed into the warehouse to be handed dry suits, booties, thick gloves and helmets. Getting into these dry suits was quite a struggle, especially getting the booties over the rubbery footie part. You HAD to wear warm socks. But I struggled, and struggled, and couldn’t get the booties on. I felt a bit better when one of the people who worked there finally came over to help me, and *she* struggled to get them on, even using baby powder.

Once you had yourself into the foot parts, you pulled the suit up and zipped it up to your waist. We were going to do the final part of putting it on once we arrived at the river. We also had these aviator looking caps that went under the helmets.

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(I am going to note here that all of the River Rafting photos were taken by a professional photographer who traveled along with us both in a kayak in the water and from the shores around us. I think he did a magnificent job! Another cool included benefit!)

Once we got to the river (which was quite a drive from the staging place), we pulled up the tops of our dry suits, worked our hands through the rubbery wrists, zipped the whole thing up and then bent over and expelled all of the trapped air from inside the suit. Those things were amazingly air and water proof! (Thank goodness!) Then the caps, the helmets, gloves and life vests finished our prep. We then got our paddles and instructions for the rafting and got assigned to groups of around six.

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After that, we got into our rafts one group at a time, and then launched out. (The guides quite smartly wore different color combinations so that you could more easily spot your group in the photos. Ours had a red and black jacket with a blue helmet.)

Finally, after all that prep, we were off! Let me tell you, once the rafting started, all the hassle and effort and discomfort of suiting up was totally forgotten. This area was *gorgeous*! And we could not have had a more spectacular, beautiful day! Blue, blue sunny skies, and not a cloud in it. The river was *COLD* but the air was not. Just being out on the river was spectacular, and the Class II and III rapids just added to the fun.

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I'm the third from the left, in the back row.

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This *may* be where I almost fell backwards out of the boat, but was saved by Drew grabbing me by my ankle as it flew past him.

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It has been a decade since I went river rafting, and this was way more active than the rafting in Moab. You just never know what the river is going to be like. I had a blast!

We took a short break at one point, and our photographer got a shot of the whole group.

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Then it was back out in the water for more!

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At one point, they pulled into a pretty calm area and asked if anyone wanted to get out of the raft and swim. I had already decided that I was NOT going to do that. But sitting there, alone in the raft except for our Guide as everyone slid backwards out of the raft, I decided what the heck. The suit seemed really water proof; how many times am I going to have a chance to swim in a glacial river? So, I “took the plunge”. My suit held up, no water got in, but OMG the water was cold through the thick gloves and on my face!

Here I made my big mistake, though. I should have held on to the ropes around the raft. I was just sort of floating around, but apparently a current caught me, and I drifted away from the raft. I heard people yelling my name, and looked up to see the raft going in the opposite direction. I kept trying to swim in the direction of the raft, but the current kept pushing at me, so I was going absolutely nowhere. Now I wasn’t worried. There weren’t a bunch of rocks in the area, the currents weren’t *that* strong (just strong enough to keep my buoyant body from moving forwards). I was trying my best to get to the raft, but it just wasn’t happening. However, I knew there were 2 rafts behind us who could get me. And that’s what happened. The next raft pulled up beside me, and their Guide grabbed on to me to help me into the raft. Unfortunately, he was pulling me up on the side with my leg with the pulled muscle, so I did have some difficulty getting the leverage to push myself over the edge of the raft. He finally reached forward, grabbed both sides of my vest, and physically hauled me into the boat. He then caught up to my boat, and I transferred over. Well, that was exciting! 0_o It was a little embarrassing, but not that much, because I felt my only error was not holding on (no-one else had held on, but I think they ended up on the other side of the raft, where the current wasn’t.) And I found out someone else had actually *fallen* into the river, so I didn’t feel so bad.

We continued on down the river, and hit a few more rapids. It’s a testament to how fun this was that I really didn’t mind the prep time, the cold, the wet, any of that. And the dry suits truly worked like a charm! Even after my swim, not a drop of water got inside. I was totally dry afterwards.

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At the very end, they beached the rafts, and we climbed out, and faced what I considered to be the hardest part of the trip. We had to climb up from the river level, up shallow steps carved into the steep banks, to get to the upper level where the van would meet us to take us back to their headquarters. With rubber booties and big-*** dry suits on! It was REALLY steep. I had a very hard time with it. I can’t imagine small kids doing it, but I guess they do. Maybe it’s easier for them, but their legs aren’t that long. I’m not sure what they could do about it, but that was kind of dangerous, and not something I’d want to attempt if I was *really* tired.

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We took off our safety vests and helmets and gloves and pulled the dry suits back down to our waists, then headed back into the van. This time our van had the rafts attached on a trailer, and our driver had a REALLY hard time maneuvering the van out of the muddy plot of land he’d parked at. Personally, if it had been me, I’d have had us walk out of where we were, maneuver the empty van up and out of that area, and then had us re-board after he was out of the steep, muddy area. As it was, it took *forever* for him to get to the road, and then we had a *long* drive back to their headquarters. I won’t lie. I *REALLY* had to pee! And once we got back, we had to get out of our dry suits, and then get in line again for the bathroom. Once we finished with that, they had hot chocolate or tea for us, and had a slideshow going of the photos from our rafting trip. Ah, the wonders of digital technology! It was really fun watching that with everyone with it still fresh in our minds.

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I have to say, if ABD ever removes this activity because people complain about all the bus time, they will be making a huge, HUGE mistake! It was amazing, and totally worth it. If they were to fly back to Reykjavik instead, there is really nothing in the Reykjavik area that would compare.

Eventually, we all headed back to our motorcoach, and were off, heading to a rather late lunch.

Our lunch was at the Hotel Varmahild. It was not the best lunch ever (food was cold, and they didn’t have enough of some things, etc.) But no-one went hungry, and the desserts were good!

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Then it was back to the motorcoach. We joined up with the famed “Ring Road” that circles Iceland, and headed down towards Reykjavik. It was a beautiful drive, if a bit monotonous at times. Drew and Stebbi did their best to keep us entertained, singing to us, playing games, etc.

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After about an hour and a half, we made a stop at the Kidka Wool factory shop. This place makes all sorts of knitwear, such as hats, gloves, headbands, lopapeysas, etc. They showed us the complex machines they had that knit the materials, combed and softened it, etc., and how they cut the patterns out for the items they made and stitched together by hand. After the tour, we were given some time to shop in their little factory store. Some people saw a beluga whale in the water outside the factory. I bought a knit headband and some gloves. Several folks purchased lopapeysas.

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They gave us little squares of the material with the penguins on it as a souvenir.

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It was around 4:30pm at this point, and we drove the rest of the way to Reykjavik in about 3 ½ hours.

We drove through the incredibly long tunnel that went under the Hvalfjörður fjord. It was built to shorten the trip from the north & west to Reykjavik.

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*Finally*, we made it to Reykjavik. We headed straight to the Fjorukrain Viking Village, where we were to have our Farewell Dinner at their Viking Restaurant.

Our motorcoach was met by a couple of “Vikings” who escorted us off the bus to the area between the hotel and the restaurant. They lined us up out there, and put on a little introductory “Viking” skit for us.

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The weather was MUCH different in Reykjavik when we arrived. It was really cold, and *extremely* windy. Most of us were dressed for the much more temperate north, and standing out there, in the wind, in a line, it was seriously FREEZING cold! All we wanted to do was get inside, so it was kind of hard to enjoy the skit. They picked a young woman from our group, and “fought” over her. It probably would have been funny under other circumstances, but at this point, we just wanted it *DONE* so we could go inside!

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Unfortunately, that was about as Viking as our farewell dinner got. The inside of the restaurant was sort of generic “rustic”, and extremely crowded with everyone seated at long tables, and no separation between the groups. They had a couple of minstrels wandering around & singing for a bit, but that was all the “entertainment” we had. The servers were in pretty generic shifts and such, again, nothing that said “Viking” to me.

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The food was only OK, and just regular food, nothing themed about it. I had a lobster pasta that was so-so, others had chicken and stuff like that. Rather a disappointment.

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Drew and Stebbi did their best to make it a fun time, but I think they were fighting an uphill battle.

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One of the folks at our table had a bit of a fun back-and-forth with our server, who was trying very hard to be in “character”. We couldn’t quite understand her name, so she came back with it in writing.

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We were never sure if that was her real name or a “character” name she used for the restaurant.

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They pulled up a couple of folks from our group who were celebrating a birthday, and had a little ceremony that most of us couldn’t understand (bad microphone) and had them chug beer from a horn cup.

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And that was about it. We had to go outside in the freezing wind to cross over to the hotel to use a small conference room for the Farewell dinner slideshow, as there was nothing available at the restaurant. And that was kind of it. We had to walk quite a way back to our motorcoach, because our driver was not allowed to park it at the Viking Village, and had parked it at a church nearby. Fortunately, it was not nearly as cold and windy any more.

I’m really glad they don’t go there for the farewell dinner anymore! That was definitely a good decision!

Then we headed back to the Icelandair Hotel Reykjavik Marina for the night. I got a “normal” room this time, and found it much nicer than the accessible room I’d had the first time, even though it was smaller. As a bonus, it was at the opposite end of the building from the restaurant/bar, so I was able to get a good night’s sleep.

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Day 8 – Sjaumst Sidar (See you later)

The next morning, we had breakfast, and then folks started heading out to the airport. I said goodbye to Drew and Stebbi, and whoever else was around, got in a van with a couple of other folks, and headed back to Keflavik Airport. I did some shopping at the duty-free shop (although I couldn’t buy much because my suitcase was STUFFED with the addition of my lopapeysa!) But I bought a few tiny bottles of Brenvennin and some chocolate as gifts, and headed home.

It had been quite a trip. Iceland is gorgeous. We saw & did some amazing stuff. The weather, for the most part, cooperated nicely (which I realize is rare). There *is* a lot of bus time on this trip, and a lot of late meals. But, all-in-all, definitely worth doing. Everyone should see Iceland. Am I in any rush to go back now? Not really. I feel like I saw & did everything I wanted to. And it will be a while before I sign up for another cold-weather trip again!
 
Great trip report! I absolutely agree that the whitewater rafting was one of the best activities, we absolutely loved it. And also agree that the Viking dinner at the end was pretty lame - cutting that was the right thing to do.

The hike at the end of rafting was pretty challenging. The kids all did fine with it, but we definitely had adults on our trip who struggled throughout the trip with the physical activities including that last hike.
 


As usual, a great trip report, @sayhello! I don't think this one is for us, even though I would like to visit Iceland one day (and not just as a stop at the airport to change planes).

That sign in the last bathroom is everything!
 
Thanks for posting! It sounds like they're working out the kinks (or have done so) but I don't think it's for me, either. I hope you enjoy your trip to Japan and it's all you hope it will be.
 
Thanks for the report @sayhello! Everyone I know who's been to Iceland says how beautiful it is. I'd like to go someday but I don't know if I'm up for the cold and wind. Or the bathroom scarcity.

I like to check the pictures from trip reports for people I recognize from my ABDs. The couple sitting to your left at the farewell dinner were on my 2016 Bella Italia ABD!
 
Great trip report! I absolutely agree that the whitewater rafting was one of the best activities, we absolutely loved it. And also agree that the Viking dinner at the end was pretty lame - cutting that was the right thing to do.

The hike at the end of rafting was pretty challenging. The kids all did fine with it, but we definitely had adults on our trip who struggled throughout the trip with the physical activities including that last hike.
Thanks! :) Glad you enjoyed. I shouldn't be surprised the kids were OK with the climb. :) We had a few with issues throughout the trip, but it wasn't always the older adults!

As usual, a great trip report, @sayhello! I don't think this one is for us, even though I would like to visit Iceland one day (and not just as a stop at the airport to change planes).

That sign in the last bathroom is everything!
Thanks, @Chirple. Honesly, I began thinking it wasn't for me part way in. I guess ignorance is bliss (although I had a sneaking suspicion after people started posting reports!) I don't regret doing this ABD. Iceland is amazing. But I don't know that I would have signed up if I knew what I know today.

Thanks for posting! It sounds like they're working out the kinks (or have done so) but I don't think it's for me, either. I hope you enjoy your trip to Japan and it's all you hope it will be.
Thanks! Yes, they're still working it out, and will probably keep working it out. It's a hard trip logistically! I am *SO* looking forward to Japan! So far, reports from the Inaugural trip are great!

Thanks for the report @sayhello! Everyone I know who's been to Iceland says how beautiful it is. I'd like to go someday but I don't know if I'm up for the cold and wind. Or the bathroom scarcity.

I like to check the pictures from trip reports for people I recognize from my ABDs. The couple sitting to your left at the farewell dinner were on my 2016 Bella Italia ABD!
As I said above, I'm not convinced it was the right trip for me, either, but I don't regret going. That's cool about that couple! :) I do that, too, but I haven't seen any familiar faces yet.

Sayhello
 
@sayhello thank you for sharing your trip report! Very much appreciate all the work you have put into it! I don't think this ABD is for me -- between the time in the bus and the bathroom scarcity, it just doesn't appeal to me. If I do Iceland it will likely be a cruise. Just not sure it's on my radar at the moment.

You must be leaving for Japan soon -- I believe you are on the trip before ours (we leave in just over a month!)! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
 
@sayhello thank you for sharing your trip report! Very much appreciate all the work you have put into it! I don't think this ABD is for me -- between the time in the bus and the bathroom scarcity, it just doesn't appeal to me. If I do Iceland it will likely be a cruise. Just not sure it's on my radar at the moment.

You must be leaving for Japan soon -- I believe you are on the trip before ours (we leave in just over a month!)! Can't wait to hear your thoughts!
Glad you enjoyed my report. I think a cruise would be a much less stressful way to see Iceland!

Yes, I leave for Japan in about 3 weeks! I am getting *SO* excited! I'll try to post a bit while I'm actually on the trip, because you'll probably be off before I get back!

Sayhello
 
Glad you enjoyed my report. I think a cruise would be a much less stressful way to see Iceland!

Yes, I leave for Japan in about 3 weeks! I am getting *SO* excited! I'll try to post a bit while I'm actually on the trip, because you'll probably be off before I get back!

Sayhello

I always enjoy your trip reports!

Our times overlap -- we leave on either the 28th or 29th (I have 2 flights booked -- hoping to cancel 1 this week).

I'm also very excited for this trip! Especially since I was able to add an additional 3 nights in Tokyo (which gives us 3 full days in Disney - YAY! -- and 2 full days in Tokyo -- I booked a private guide for 1 day already).

I haven't seen any updates on the inaugural trip, but I hope it's fabulous!
 
I always enjoy your trip reports!

Our times overlap -- we leave on either the 28th or 29th (I have 2 flights booked -- hoping to cancel 1 this week).

I'm also very excited for this trip! Especially since I was able to add an additional 3 nights in Tokyo (which gives us 3 full days in Disney - YAY! -- and 2 full days in Tokyo -- I booked a private guide for 1 day already).

I haven't seen any updates on the inaugural trip, but I hope it's fabulous!
We do overlap. I'll be at TDR from the 29th to the 31st.

Here's the link to Mathmagiclands' trip report for the inaugural trip:

https://www.disboards.com/threads/abd-japan-april-2019-inaugural-trip.3744594/

Sayhello
 

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