I had booked the hostel for that night quickly via booking.com based on its location and price and hadn’t spent much time looking at the details or the pictures. I couldn’t have found a better spot if I had tried. Located between the geyser Strokkur (Cylinder) and Gullfoss waterfall (Golden Waterfall), it offered the perfect base for my adventure. I had a booked twin room with a shared bathroom for only £56/€64 per night. The common area was spacious and inviting, with fantastic views over the countryside. Everything was spotless and designed with lots of attention to detail. My room had a little sign with my name on it and easily big enough for me and my luggage. However, the best surprise to me was that Geysir Hestar was home to a hundred Icelandic horses!
Of course, I instantly booked a riding tour for the next day. Unfortunately, I realised I had forgotten to take my food from the hostel fridge in Reykjavík, so I asked for directions to the nearest shop. The answer seemed simple enough, so I set off without bothering to use the navigation. After about fifteen minutes of driving through beautiful but utterly deserted landscapes, I stopped and quickly checked on my phone to see if I was still on the right track. I was not even far away from Flúðir/Fludir and its little shop, Krambúðin (Huggie shop as in so small it hugs you when you enter), where I got what I needed. Next time, I’ll do my shopping on the way to the hostel to save me the 45-minute return trip. The alternative would have been to buy the overpriced offers from the nearby Geysir village or get a pizza from the restaurant next door. Cooking my dinner while watching the sun go down through the panorama windows made up for the drive, and I enjoyed my food with a nice glass of wine.
