Jökulsárlón

On our last day in Iceland, we drove 5 hours from Reykjavik all the way to the east coast, to see the ice glaciers in Jökulsárlón. This is almost like driving up from Johor to Kedah (and back) in a day. But seeing floating glaciers was an item on our to-do list - so we happily made our way early in the morning. As it was April, there wasn't a lot of snow around, and we were told not to expect the huge, ice formations that you'd get in winter. Regardless, when we got there, the view still took our breath away.


Jökulsárlón is a lake made of melted ice glaciers breaking up from the huge Vatnajökull ice cap. Big chunks of ice sometimes break off in the winter from the constant pressure, and over spring and summer, they melt to become the lake. In recent years the lake has grown bigger due to global warming. The google maps locations will take you to the Ice Glacier Cafe. Here's where the tour buses stop, and you can get refreshments and a toilet break. 

Initially we ended up here and was a little disappointed - there were a lot of people around, and maybe one ice chunk in the lake. But the opposite shore (it's a huge lake!) looked promising - there seemed to be a lot more snow, and less people. So we drove out and parked at a roped area by the side of the road. Then began walking through some rocky terrain to get there. After about fifteen minutes, we were greeted with one of the most beautiful sight on earth. 

I can show you these photos - but I don't think anything could ever capture the real beauty. At one point, the three of us just sat on the gravel shore, observing the ice moving slowly in the water. What these pictures don't tell is how soft the cold air was, or how the water stirred and made patterns across the surface, or the sound of the ice crackling as it melted into the lake. There was no one around us at this point. It was an incredible sense of calm. 

When we finally decided to walk back - Nael and Dhil took the route on the cliff side, while I walked next to the water. I wanted to stay as close to the ice as I could, because I couldn't shake off that overwhelming feeling I had, that I was so far away from home, so small, recalling all the things that I had gone through before I got here. I remember holding a piece of ice in my palm and thinking: I don't want to let go of this moment. Because I don't know if I would ever have the rezeki to be this young, this free, this at peace in this beautiful place ever again. 


I felt so indescribably humbled, amazed and grateful. There are just some moments in life where your soul shrinks in the presence of His power and beauty. It went beyond words. I sincerely hope you'll be blessed with moments in life where you'll feel as awed as I did here :) After all the incredible sights we had seen on the trip, this was the one that finally moved me to tears. 

Til next time :)