Ice and glaciers and lagoons, oh my!

Turns out, Höfn is the first big service town after contouring all the fjords, and the last before heading into the vast emptiness of the glacial run-off fields, or Sandars, so everyone driving the Ring Road stops here to rest and refuel. This means that the one campground in the center of town is happening place at ALL hours. Late into the night, we could hear campers talking loudly, banging pots and pans around in the kitchen area, setting up tents much more noisily than seems physically possible. Somewhere around 2 am, a group of Russians got into an argument, and THAT lasted an extra hour - and then the sun came up. So when we sluggishly rolled out of the tent, both Mario and I were EXHAUSTED, and DIRTY, as the campground offers over 400 spaces to camp, but only TWO showers.

There was only on way to fix this problem - we headed for the Höfn aquatic center. Every town in Iceland has one, and because of the ample amount of geothermal energy, all the pools are heated! Here, we were able to enjoy the relaxing benefits of hot tubs, a heated lap pool, waterslides(!), and plenty of shower and changing rooms with heated floors. On this quiet weekday morning, only a handful of locals were on site, reaping the benefits of the warm waters, so we joined them, soaking away the horrible night, steam rising into the air around us as a light drizzle fell. And the long hot shower afterwards couldn't have felt more refreshing or invigorating. We left an hour later, completely relaxed and ready to begin our day again.

Now we are heading along the south side of Iceland, known for the tongues of the Vatnajökull glacier, and the resulting run-off plains, or Sandars. It's a long, flat drive, not as visually intriguing as the fjords, but the reward is the glacier lagoons hidden at the end of each tongue. Large chunks of ice break off the glacier, and can sometimes float(or sit) in a lagoon for up to 5 years before becoming small enough to follow the evacuation river out to sea, where they eventually melt into nothingness. The most famous of these lagoons is Jökulsarlon - surrounded by outfitters providing Zodiac tours, amphibious boat rides, this is the lagoon all the tourists come to, with its big parking lots, on-site cafe and food trucks. It's awesome seeing such large glacial icebergs bobbing about, but the REAL fun is on the other side of the highway, where the same chunks of ice head out to sea, get stuck in the rising tide, and end up beached on the back sand. Imagine the clearest chunks of ice, some the most brilliant blue or the brightest white, the sand pitch black - then throw in striking beams of sunlight. It's magical. We could even pick up pieces of the bergs on the beach, breaking off chunks to taste. That's ice that has been frozen for thousands of years - try putting that into your scotch!(We saw someone in a campervan who did!)

Next stop, smaller and lesser-known Fjallsarlon. With brand-new facilities and walking tracks, this place is trying to draw some of the attention away from its more popular neighbor, but for the moment, it is a hidden gem of a place. The lagoon show for us was more impressive, with one particularly impressive chunk looking like a broken ring and garnering all the attention and photos, especially when the sun hit it just the right way. Obviously glacier lagoons experiences are different for everyone because they are ever-changing, but for our moment in time, it was an awesome show.

During these lagoon visits, we crafted ANOTHER script, this time for an online Japanese Anime short, where our hero, a run-of-the-mill ordinary guy, approaches people with there heads down in their devices. He first round-house kicks the phone from their hands, then open-fist punches them in the forehead. When they finally look up, dumb-founded, he yells much too loudly, as any good Japanese Anime character would, "LIVE IN THE MOMENT!", the cellphone flying into the sun overhead, where it disappears with a gleam.

From here we opted to chart a course for Skatafell, the main base camp for exploration of the Vatnajökull glacier and surrounding area. Many expeditions depart from here, as do a bunch of hiking trails. Plus, there is a great visitor's information centre and camping complex, which made it the perfect place to stay. And upon seeing the campground amenities(including the
BEST.BATHROOMS.EVER.), we opted to stay not for one night, but two.

In the Fjord, Out the Fjord. Repeat.

The night was cold and wet, and the morning much of the same - we hosted a baby goat in our tent vestibule overnight. Chilled to the bone, we moved slower than normal, hunched over hot coffee and oatmeal in the sunken turf roof kitchen, pouring over our map and guidebook. Given the weather, we opted for a travel day - more driving, but more time to relax in the warmth of Duster, charge our devices, with hopes of finding the sun somewhere on the east coast, hiding between the fjords.

It wasn't long before we reached Egilsstadir, stopping for an Icelandic lunch at the N1 gas station. Since distances between towns can be vast and empty, these service stations are the place for travelers to stock up. They supply fuel and car supplies, basic foodstuffs and camping gear, super-clean washrooms and phenomenal restaurant service. This is not your average snack bar fare - no, the food is remarkably high quality, with a full kitchen staff churning out dishes like Icelandic lamb stew, and a fish gratin called plokkfiskur, with fresh bread and butter. In the comfortable dining area, even in the middle of nowhere, we could enjoy a delicious meal while enjoying the view of the nearby mountains.

Following lunch we began chasing waterfalls, part two. After all, in a country covered in ice, being melted by so many underground volcanoes, the waterfalls are practically being thrown at us as we drive down the highway. More so heading east, where there is a significant drop in elevations from the highlands to the coast. As we descend into another fjord, heading for the picturesque town of Seydisfjordur, we are weaving back and forth over glacial run-off, with each drop producing another spectacular view and breath-taking waterfall. It's almost too much.


A moment to geek out: as we walk around the pretty little fjord-side town, we discover apples and oranges discarded in a large planter in the park(likely left behind by one of the patrons of the large cruise ship parked in the harbour). We come to the realization that we have been travelling through a real-life version of Legend of Zelda - Breath of the Wild. Wild horses grazing in fields, waiting to be mounted and tamed? Check. Tall craggy volcanoes, indicative of Death Mountain, and home of the Gorons? Check. Ice covered cliffs and cold temperatures of Hebra? Check. Rolling verdant hills of Hyrule to the west? Check. And now we are discovering fruit in hidden locations? I just wish we had already found the old man in the cave, because getting down from some of these mountain climbs would be so much easier with a handglider!


After climbing back out from Seydisfjordur, and contouring a whole bunch more, such as Fáskrúðsfjörður, Stöðvarfjörður, Breiðdalsvík, Berufjörður, and experiencing a small hiccup with the Duster(a useless sensor tripped - we called the rental company and it's a common fault for this make of car, so nothing to be worried about), we decided Höfn was as good a place as any to call it a night.

How wrong we were...

Foggy Volcano-crossing

Even bigger adventure awaits today, as we pack our gear, inhale bowls of oatmeal and Skyr, say goodbye to the duckies. The volcanoes are calling, and we must go. More specifically, Askja, a 50-km-square caldera, and hidden within, the mineral-rich blue water of the Viti crater. Plus, a challenging 80 km drive along the F-roads into the Highlands, using our little Duster to its fullest potential, with a couple of river crossings thrown in for good measure - Let's go!

It's not long before we turn off the Ring Road onto gravel. We pass by a village farmstead, with turf roof houses and a goat wandering about. Last stop before leaving civilization - there's gas, snacks and washrooms, plus camping and guesthouses available. We buy lamb's wool sweaters and coffee, and keep the camping option in mind.




Next came the most strenuous 80 km of off-road driving I've ever witnessed, and I give all the credit to Mario for getting us through unscathed and still happy. First it was gravel - easy. Gravel lead to small rocks, which lead to bigger rocks. Streams lead to small puddles, which lead to large puddles we had to cross, which lead to actual rivers we had to FORD - and successfully, I might add. Luckily, the BIG rivers had bridges(and thank goodness for that!), but then we entered the lava fields, with sharp rocks to contour, bumps and climbs to navigate. We traverse soft, deep black sand - the only easy part since it reacts the same as heavy snow back home.

At some point in all of this, we reach the Dreki base camp next to the Askja crater. One last climb to the car park awaits, but as we begin the ascent, heavy fog descends upon us. And when I say heavy, I mean so dense that can barely see the road, and are basically navigating from on road marker to the next. And they are maybe 20 ft. apart. It's scary, because we can't tell what surrounds us. We could have sheer cliffs on either side, and be inches away from certain death. There could be marauders, or vikings, or dragons! Relief washes over us when we spot other vehicles, an outhouse, the car park, but then torrential rain falls. GREAT. So we stretch out in the Duster, myself in the front, Mario in the back, make PB & J sandwiches, and wait out the storm in comfort.

Once we finally venture outside, the rain has lightened up, bu the fog is just as dense. We have to navigate the 2.5 km hiking trail along the crater much the same way as the drive up here, route marker to rote marker. But then the sky begins to clear, just enough to reveal the crater lakes and the vastness of what we just walked over. BREATH-TAKING.

We climb down the sticky mud slope to the edge of the lake, and find ourselves on a beach of multi-coloured lava stones. It feels, and sound, like we should be in a national park in the middles of Ontario. Instead of pine trees, the view across the water is lava cliffs, black rock striped with yellow sulfur and white silica. Small tidal pools along the shore are steaming, heated by underground geothermal vents. We admire the ability of a bright green algae to flourish here of all places, where no other life exists. Primordial soup.

Back up to the crater, Mario decided he wants to swim in the milky blue waters of Viti - which is totally do-able, the pool being a warm 25 degrees C, but the climb down is steep and slick with mud. So he makes like a seal, sliding his way down to the bottom, and then into the water he goes. I watch along with a few other spectators from the rim of the caldera.

The route back down is just as breath-taking, now that the fog had lifted and we can see everything! The volcano is SO vast, SO gaping, it seems to go on forever. The driving route is much the same, but new again now that we can gaze upon it. It's like driving a new road even though we've been here before! So we head back through the sand and lava fields and boulders, through the big rocks and small rocks into the gravel. We successfully ford those two rivers again, making all the quips about Oregon Trail and Tom dying from Dysentery. We splash through the puddles as it is getting late, but happen upon the campground in the farmstead with the turf roof houses, Modrudalur, or "sweater town" as we now affectionately call it. We decide the day has been long enough, and this is a great place to call it quits.

Myvatn rest day

I'm tired from lack of sleep - well, YOU try sleeping with the lights on all the time! Mario, on the other hand, is tired from all the long distance driving he's been doing - which I can't help with since we rented a manual vehicle. Mario proposes a "rest" day: We stay another night on Lake Myvatn, and explore the area further through several small excursions, given than this is a highly active volcanic region and there is lots to see. I agree.

A quick stop for postcards, money and hike information for later on, and we hit the road for nearby Viti crater lake, in the shadow of Krafla mountain. Brilliant blue from mineral content, and surrounded by sulfur gas vents, Viti is at the northern end of the Krafla power plant zone. A trail runs up and around the caldera, and then down inside, near the vents. We follow the path, gazing down into not one, but three separate pools of milky blue water, as the volcanic mud cakes our hiking boots. Next to us, large white pipes carry highly pressurized steam to the geothermal plant. This very image inspired the impromptu writing of a movie scene where the main character, a spy, injured and cornered, uses a nearby sharp rock to break the pipe, releasing the steam and burning his enemy in the process. I'll spare you the rest of the details here, but suffice it to say, we were cracking each other up all the way down.

Heading back down further cakes our boots with Krafla(our affectionate nickname for all this sticky mud)- so much so that it adds about an inch of height and several extra pounds of weight. And it's not easy to remove, either, forcing us to remove our boots upon returning to the Duster.

By now, the drizzle that has set in has turned to full on rain pelting us in our rain jackets, but we press on - aiming for the Leirhrjurur Solfatars, the lava fields just across the valley from us. Jackets on and hoods up, we venture forth, into the black, craggy landscape, riddles with sulfur vents and bubbling mud ponds. We climb above the valley into the hardened path of a once-erupting volcano, lava flow sometimes porous and light, sometimes smooth and ribboney, and hard as glass. We think the path is circular, but it seems to pull away from our starting point, and if we keep going, we could end up walking all the way back to our campsite...We instead turn around.

It's a quick hop down to the Krafla Geothermal Power Station, where we take a quick look around the information centre, indulge in a complimentary coffee (or two), and remove most of the Krafla from our boots, then another short jump back to the Ring Road towards Lake Myvatn.

We briefly stop at Grjotagja, a grotto hiding an underground hot spring, made famous in the television series Game of Thrones. This means that all the big bus tours stop here, and suddenly the rather small cave is flooded with people, climbing in and out and all over the place in the ultra-small cave. We manage to just squeeze in a grab a couple of shots, before hightailing back out again - just another check on the list, really.

As per the conditions of our "rest" day(which has not been super restful thus far!), Mario drives me back to the campsite, with the lake view, and the duckies. Not one to sit still for long, he heads back out to hike another crater, while I relax the afternoon away. I watch the ducks paddle by, I take a nice LONG hot shower(thank you, geothermal energy!), I do some laundry, and catch up on my blog. Oh, and I might have indulged in a glass or two of the Icelandic drink of choice, Brennivin, a bottle of which has followed us throughout the trip.

This evening found us, and just about everyone else in the campground, sitting on the grassy knolls by the water, eating supper and watching the most AMAZING sunset over Lake Myvatn. Two loons floated by, joining the families of quackers casting silhouettes in all my photographs.

Chasing Waterfalls

It's a beautiful, sunny morning in Siglufjordur. In the back of the truck, we wake up to perfect blue skies. It's like the country is inviting us in, apologizing for yesterday's damp weather, encouraging us to have a look around. We take the offer, wandering through the little fishing village, morning fog still hanging low in the mountains. We stop in at the town bakery for a bag of kleinur, a local fried pastry twist, not unlike a doughnut. This would be an interesting place to stay a while, get to know better, especially with its upcoming herring festival(!), but for now, the fjords are calling.

Back on the road, we experience what is considered to be the more "accessible" Iceland. Once, these northern towns were isolated, accessible only by boat, or by roads winding in and out of every fjord up here, some reaching as deep as 60 km! Recently, tunnels have been dug THROUGH the mountains, cutting the travel time down from days to only hours. It also opened up some pretty incredible vistas to the casual traveler, which we discovered every time we exited into the light. Amazing AND breath-taking.

Existing one such tunnel brought us to the town of Akureyri, the second-largest in all of Iceland. We discovered that it is also the home to the Northern-most botanical gardens in the world, which of we just HAD to visit - after all, they were free! Plus, what fun to see gardens that so closely resemble our frigid Zone 3 plots back home! I am so jealous of the towering delphiniums, the gorgeous variety of poppies, the bug-free Columbines in a myriad of colours and sizes...I took a few reference photos for varieties to seek out at home!

A quick snack of kleinur doughnuts with blueberry jam(left behind at the rental office - score!) on the cliff overlooking Akureyri, and off we went to continue our exploration for the day, this time in search of waterfalls!

In Iceland, all these glaciers give off lots of run-off, which means lots of waterfalls - and big ones at that! Heading towards Lake Myvatn, we found several, beginning with Godafoss, right off the Ring Road. This meant that it was very accessible, and so very popular. We opted to hike up to the back of the falls, along newly constructed pathways - leading to gravel - leading to corded-off areas - leading to a simple "BEWARE" sign. Iceland is growing exponentially - word is 1.3 MILLION tourists will visit the island of 300,000 inhabitants this year ALONE - and so the major attractions are in a constant state of growth and expansion. However they are still following the European model we've seen, and relying on people's ability to use their own common sense to stay safe. I worry that at the rate of Iceland's popularity growth, it soon won't be enough, but I digress. Either way, Godafoss was beautiful and worth the stop regardless of the people, and I knew better than to get too close to the edge. Mario, on the other hand, does like to push boundaries...

Sailing past Lake Myvatn on the N1, we headed north, on to a rather lunar-esque desolate plateau, strewn with lava rocks, aiming for the the twin falls of Selfoss and Dettifoss. In the middle of NOWHERE, we found a beautiful yet empty rest stop, where we paused for lunch. We ate ham sandwiches sitting in our IKEA folding chairs, looking out at the emptiness of it all. Only here - the was absolutely NO ONE else.

Selfoss and Dettifoss were large and impressive, and surprisingly opposite to each other. Selfoss was the narrowing of a larger delta, the power of so much water being forced into such a small space, intense and humbling. The surrounding basalt cliffs were angular and alien to us. In contrast, the larger Dettifoss was more thundering and messy - its mist soaring into the sky, casting not one but two rainbows, covering the neighboring rocks with carpets of moss, ferns and other curious vegetation. Here we could venture farther, down into the valley, close to the mist, into the splash zone. We got wet.

After another day full of lots of travel and lots of exploration, it's not surprise that we only pitched our tent at 10:30 pm, in Reykjalid, right next to Lake Myvatn, where we could watch the ducks glide by just out our front door. We cooked a meal of Icelandic lamb with rice pilaf in the windy night while the sun slowly lowered in the sky. Somewhere around 11 pm, people all over the campground emerged from the shelter of their tents to gaze upon the colourful spectacle above. Drizzle fell, and suddenly the sunset was competing for our attention with a double rainbow. Of course, with the onslaught of rain, everyone was forced into the comfort of the sleeping bags for the night.

First impressions to Siglufjordur

On the road we go! With lots of places to see, and distance to cover, we get moving from Reykjavik as groups of campers gather their equipment and pack up their cars. Out of the city, along the Ring Road we go, and then its off of the Ring Road as soon as we can to take the way less traveled through prettier countryside.

Our forward motion doesn't last long, as we find ourselves stopping at every rest area and pull-off, finding some old farmhouse ruins here, a gorgeous little waterfall there - plenty of paces to be awed by the wonders of Mother Nature in Iceland. But still we pushed on, drawn to the twisting roads contouring the fjords, hugging every curve, gasping at every new vista revealed. Driving in Iceland can be VERY distracting.

We paused for a break at the Berserkjauraun lava field in the middle of the Snaefellsness peninsula, and lunched on cups of soup(borrowed from the communal kitchen in Reykjavik) and ham sandwiches made with the most delicious butter. We sat on the edge of a hill, food in hand, watching the flow of the river through a valley littered with lava stones. The wind picked up, chilling us to the bone, so we packed up and moved on.

Zooming through the fields of freshly-cut hay, wrapped in a rainbow of colours, we pulled up to Helgafell, a 73 m-high hill in an otherwise flat valley, once considered holy to the worshipers of Thor, and granter of wishes - if you climbed to the top in the right way. I didn't even bother looking into how, but I do know Mario was pretty solemn during the ascent, and I think there might've been something about looking to the East?...

We took an unsurfaced road back to the main highway, to continue our day's trek. The curling in and out of fjords, or up and down hilly landscapes can be quite interesting and diverting, while the opposite is true about the Ring Road being completely dull and boring. Thus, Mario decided that he needed a rest in Olafsfjordur. In the rain, we made coffee in the back of the car, and ate crackers smeared with more of that delicious Icelandic butter, and pondered the curious mounds of stones that surrounded us - could they be volcanic? Maybe the graves of long-dead Islandic kings? Maybe trail markers?




Into another fjord, somewhere past the views of stoic Malmey and Drangey islands, the clouds dropped down and covered the road with a blanket of fog. The sky got dark, the rain fell heavy and the GPS gave up and went black. Our descent along rather treacherous cliffs into tiny Siglufjordur was a hairy one. It was a great, albeit brief, relief to arrive at the campground in the centre of town.

Instead of setting up in the rain, we took advantage of the perks of geothermal energy and took lusciously hot showers, then hunkered down in the back of the Duster for the night. Cozy!

Relaxing in Reykjavik

- RANT - I am here to tell you all that the aisle seat is SERIOUSLY OVERRATED. You DON'T have more leg room, unless you like getting your foot stepped on all the time. You DON'T have more elbow room, or a free armrest, as your arm keeps getting bumped into by passing people. You DON'T have more peace and quiet, because the seat is constantly knocked by passersby. And to top it all off, MY aisle seat was the second-to-last row of the plane, next to the washroom and the galley, so between the toilet flushing and the flight staff constantly slamming doors, I got no peace and quiet. Five hours of flight time, and very little uninterrupted sleep. - RANT OVER -

We panicked - just a little - when we got off the plane and finally made our way to the luggage carousel. A screen warned that all bags were now unloaded, but our packs were nowhere to be seen. We mosied up to the lost luggage counter to calmly inquire about our missing bags, only to be informed that our backpacks - odd-size bags - were available on a belt coming from a large hole in the wall. Sure enough, as we approached, we discovered ALL the backpacks were spewing from this large hole! Onwards!

The rental car pick-up was quick and painless, and soon we were cruising down the highway on our way to...

WAIT!

OMG, Iceland is spectacular! It took us no more than 5 minutes of driving before we were stopped again, discovering a walking trail next to the highway where we could get out and enjoy the alien landscape. "Where ARE we?!" Repeated Mario, blown away by the unrecognizable beauty. Reluctantly, we got in the car and pulled away, headed for the next awe-inspiring destination. Onwards!

The Blue Lagoon: I've never read about a more polarizing tourist destination. People either love how relaxing it is and can't say enough about it, or hate how touristy and expensive it is, and can't stand the crowds. I was very much on the fence about this one, up until about 2 days before we left. I felt like if we DID go, we would be sell-outs, giving in to the tourist hype of the place. Gladly, this was not so, as we both thoroughly enjoyed the hours of rest and relaxation in the thermal baths right after the stressfulness of the flight.

The facilities are top-notch, with ample room for lockers, showers, and changing rooms. With a base package ticket option, we still had all-day access to the facilities, with towels, toiletries, silica mud mask and a free drink included! And soooo relaxing - I just melted right into that deliciously warm water. With the cool air and amazing sights surrounding us, it was absolutely heavenly. On a side note, of all the thermal baths in all the island countries in all the world, of course I had to run into people I know here, in Iceland, soaking in the Blue Lagoon. The world is a surprisingly small place. 

With bodies and minds soothed and refreshed, we got back in the car and continued on to Reykjavik. Onwards!

Before heading to the campsite in town, we made a pitstop for some cheap supplies at...IKEA! Yup, with cheap, lightweight furniture and bargain-basement pricing, I figured what better place to stock up on things to make our general camp life more comfortable? Especially since there no way you can fit everything in a suitcase! Plus, the restaurant on site is reasonably priced, good quality AND the top eatery in Reykjavik, as evidenced by the hoards of locals sitting down to lunch! We also took a moment to stock up on some basic food items for the days ahead at the grocery store. Onwards!

Insert here a brief intermission where we set up camp, check out the campsite, and take a well-deserved nap. After all, we had been going on little to no sleep since 8 am yesterday! ONWARDS!

While perusing the in-flight magazine(the only free thing on the flight over besides using the washroom), I discovered that WOW Air had recently partnered with the city of Reykjavik to begin a "city bike" pilot project, with 8 stations of 15 bikes each. You can rent the bikes by 30-minute blocks, by day or by week. Since the city is not incredibly large but still a little far from the campground, we decided to bike into the city and walk our way back back. Of course, we experience some of that famously indecisive Icelandic weather while biking, having to switch from hood up, camera away mode, to hood down camera out mode several times. We biked along the waterfront until the old town, near the Harpa Concert hall and the port, where big fishing boats were being repainted in the dry docks. The air smelled deliciously like fish and chips, and it made me hungry. Onwards!

Our walk took us past the cute little downtown area, the pedestrian streets of the tourist quarter, and the colourful laneways of painted wooden houses. We popped into a few trinket shops, comparing prices of hand-knitted woolen hats and mitts, hoping to bring some home. We paused for a moment at an outdoors outfitter, so I could replace my spork(which stayed conveniently hung above my desk at home), and got free coffees out of the deal! Throughout the entire walk back, the old adage regarding Icelandic weather being unpredictable repeated in my head: "If you don't like the weather, just wait 5 minutes". Sure enough, we'd walk 5 minutes, and the drizzle would start. Another 5 minutes, I could take my camera back out, and remove my jacket. Like clockwork. Onwards!

Sometime after 10:30 pm, we waltzed back into the campground and proceeded to cook up a mean dinner of one-pot lasagna, in a very crowded community kitchen, with the sky still light enough to make our way back to the tent afterwards. We are experiencing almost 24 hours of sunlight during these late summer days - it's so bizarre!

Off we go again...

Usually I take the time we lose waiting for our flight to board to come up with some witty quips of travel and our upcoming destination. However, since Mario and I have discovered Archibald, a comfortable place (with very tasty food) to relax at the airport, I am at a lack for free time in which to blog. Suffice it to say that we are full of excitement at the anticipation of a new country to discovered, and even though we are seated on separate ends of the same aircraft, I am sure that the flight will be smooth and uneventful. Here we go!


See you on the flipside -