Anirudh Tomer

Anirudh Tomer

I enjoy conducting scientific work, visiting mountains, cooking, landscape photography, and solving problems. I am currently doing statistics/machine learning in the field of medical science and biology for a living.

Iceland (2017, 2019)

I have visited Iceland twice, for 15 days each time. It is hard to describe the landscape in words, but the least I can say is that it is a unique place on our planet. I feel fortunate to have visited this incredible country which defies the common stereotype that 'colder the country, colder the people.' I cannot get enough of Iceland and want to visit it many more times.

Trails

Laugavegur, Skaftafell national park, Kerlingarfjoll, Hveragerdi, Hveravellir, and Trollaskagi.

Food

Never went to Iceland for food. The local Rye bread in Hveragerdi (baked under the ground) and Skyr in the supermarket is pretty good. Besides, I have had the best Thai and Vietnamese food in Reykjavik.

Transportation

Public transportation is fairly reliable but very expensive. Hitchhiking is fairly easy.

People

Icelandic people are the nicest people I have met in Europe, and I am grateful to them for their hospitality. In one case, my Airbnb host picked me up from a hospital where I had to go for an emergency injury from hiking, and later they gave me a souvenir from their house. A bus driver with whom we traveled as his only passengers for 6 hours offered us a place in Reykjavik at his in-laws' place. Icelandic hospitality exceeded my expectations on both of my trips.

Special Experiences

Taking a hot water bath in a hot river while the outside temperature was less than 5 degrees and the weather was misty and foggy. Also special was taking baths in ice-cold rivers, getting stuck in rainstorms multiple times, and barely managing the tent from flooding from rain. Watching a Glacier while sitting in hot water swimming pool in Dalvik after a 12km hike and sore legs.