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My unit has been very fortunate in several of our annual training
assignments. We have been sent over seas several times. My
first over seas experience with them was to Australia with
layovers in Hawaii. Our short time in Hawaii was spent surrounded
by lush green tropical forests with the vibrant colors of
birds and flowers providing accents. All of these trips were
at the request of ambassadors or the top brass at the Pentagon.
It appeared that this year our trip would not have the same
luster as years past. This year we would be at a place where
the cold North Atlantic is inhaled by the clouds and constantly
dispersed over the rocky island. I was not looking forward
to that.
I emerged from the plane with the sun low in sky and took
in my first view of this Nordic land. As I looked over the
surrounding landscape, I felt that my apprehension was justly
founded. The sun was fading far in the distance while all
around, a blanket of cool mist completely enveloped me. Trees
and bushes were seemingly non-existent. Slowly the clouds
passed over the island and the sun fell below the horizon.
In the distance a faint glimmer of light was still visible
but I was in a grey darkness. I was on the edge of the habitable
world. Morning arrived slowly. Fingers of light from the far
glow danced on the oddly calm ocean. The shimmering tempo
gradually increased until they converged into a single beam.
The beam slowly connected with others and then in one instant
the sun appeared and shattered the darkness, and soon all
my trepidations as well. Iceland has long been known as the
Land of Fire and Ice with good reason. Volcanoes erupted in
the North
Atlantic creating a small island at the edge of humanity.
It is in this paradox of heat and cold,
fire and ice, that a land full of unique beauty exists. It
is beauty kept hidden until you can see
past the apparent barren landscape. Indeed, it is precisely
because of this starkness that such beauty exists in Iceland.
Most of the landscape I saw was quite empty. A harsh, craggy
tundra like surface devoid of any large vegetation. While
walking around the base I noticed that there was much more
grass than I originally thought. It did not always completely
cover the rocky ground. Rather, it was mostly dotted throughout
the terrain like polka dots on material. While I continued
my meandering I came upon a small group of wildflowers. They
were beautiful. Exquisite shades
of lavender, blue and yellow grouped in a tiny crevice. They
were not like the acres of wildflowers I’ve seen in Alaska,
it was just a small isolated community trying to survive in
this harsh environment.
That is exactly what made them so beautiful. As I looked closer,
I could see many more of these pockets scattered all around.
Each group had found a spot that was suitable in which to
grow and provide respite from the surroundings. This phenomenon
is mirrored almost exactly in the way humans have chosen to
live on the island. Towns and cities are not spread evenly
throughout the whole island. Rather, most are situated on
the coastlines and harbor areas. Much of the land is not able
to support such an endeavor on a major scale. The volcanic
rock is often broken up only by glaciers that provide much
needed fresh water to the coastal communities. Just as the
flowers had to find suitable pockets to survive, so have humans
done the same. When I saw the town of Keflivik I was pleasantly
surprised. There were colors everywhere.
It reminded me of the little villages I used to build for
my model train set. Most of the buildings were white with
either red or green metal roofs. Interspersed throughout were
houses in subtle shades of pink, yellow, or any number of
other colors. It was not garish at all. I likened the white
to be the intermittent grass back at the base and the colorful
houses to be like the small groups of wildflowers.
The people had taken their cue from nature once again. Down
on the docks men worked in colorfully painted boats. It seemed
that because there wasn’t much natural color on the island,
when people had the opportunity to use it, they would use
as much color as they could. That way they could break up
the bleakness of their surroundings. The people were friendly,
yet reserved at the same time. What made this whole experience
complete was the beautiful sunny
morning. All of these elements were truly enjoying and had
changed my opinion of the island.
There is beauty inland as well, but sometimes it is a mental
beauty, not a physical sight. It is more an experience than
a reality. The Blue Lagoon is about one half hour inland from
Keflivik and the scenery is much the same as that on the naval
base just outside town. In fact, the closer you get to the
Blue Lagoon, the terrain becomes even more rocky. All around
the coal black rock jutted out at strange angles. Fog swallowed
up the car. Outside, jagged rock formations drifted in and
out of sight. Steam hissed from cracks in the ground. If it
weren't for the chilly temperatures outside, I could have
sworn we were descending into the depths of hell. Then a hint
of blue appeared, a small pool of water with dark green grass
all around it. Then there was another that suddenly faded
back into the mist and steam. Then the mist slowly parted
and there were the mystical, healing waters of the Blue Lagoon,
a natural hotub.
The mineral enhanced waters are heated by magma flowing underneath.
To reach the water you must first leave the indoor safety
of the check-in and locker area. We scurried outside and quickly
proceeded in the cold drizzle along a rubber coated walkway.
Soon we arrived at the waters edge and went in. The water
felt like a comfortable pair of jeans just out of the dryer
on a winter morning. As I gently floated around I realized
I was in a surreal, magical world. Steam from the nearby power
plant mixed with that of the lagoon. Rain gently fell on the
whole area creating an aura of a prehistoric experience. Druids
floated in and out of sight, but they are not druids, they
are other people enjoying a similar experience. There was
something magical in this whole moment. It was the combination
of the surroundings and the relaxed mental state that created
a beautiful, unique experience.
One thing I learned in Iceland was to savor the beauty whenever
and wherever I could find it. It is not a lush, tropical paradise.
It is a harsh, barren environment that has small pockets of
beauty. Whether it is a visual or mental beauty you must cherish
it. It is because Iceland has only small pockets of beauty
that makes them standout. If I wasn't able to see past the
isolated landscape, I never would have found a truly beautiful
land. I have since become excited whenever we have returned
to this tiny island. A garden of roses is beautiful, but a
rose within a stone is truly a unique and wonderful sight.
Texts © Peter L. Scott
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Travel Writers: Beauty in the Mist by Peter
L. Scott
Globe Trekker: 
