Thermal springs, waterfalls, glaciers, beaches, mountains
As the above title indicates, over the past few days, we’ve seen it all. On Tuesday, 7/18/23, we left MyVatn for two nearby stops. First stop is the thermal springs. It is Iceland’s version of Yellowstone. We saw small geysers, lots of bubbling pots, and even more steam. There is that sulfur smell in the air. From there, we moved quickly to the Dettifoss waterfall and the nearby Selfoss. It was a 30 minute hike and well worth it despite the rain and hammering wind. Pictures, due to rain and fog, do not do it justice but it s a scene we will long remember. From there, we begin the long, almost desolate ride through what some call the lunar area. It did look like the moon shots form the 60s with miles and miles of black volcanic small rocks and boulders perched on the hillsides and mountain tops. Gone are the lush green pastures of yesterday.
We note as we drive for a few hours the long distances between the homes. It is not a place I’d want to spend dark, cold, probably lonely winters. Interestingly, almost all houses are small white structures with red roofs. We saw one house with a black roof today and I imagine that was a rebellious statement of some sort.
The tunnels here are an engineering feat. Most are 4 -6 km long and again, it doesn’t bode well with my claustrophobia but I am amazed to pass through huge mountains with never a hill. I’ve never seen tunnels like this in the US although I do remember amazing tunnels in Switzerland. After leaving the lunar area, we returned to the picturesque fjords with either winding roads or a tunnel straight to the next one. Some tunnels were one-lane with picture directions of how to proceed should we meet a car coming toward us. Luckily, most vehicles pulled off and let us through. I wonder how they knew we were new at this and they needed to make the first move.
Toward the end of the day, we made our way over the scariest road yet. We went over a large mountain with many beautiful roadside waterfalls along the way. The landscape was breathtaking but the roads were treacherous. Thankfully, we had clear beautiful weather and descended into a small village on a beautiful fjord that we’ll be visiting again aboard the cruise – Seyoisfjorour.
This campground, a zoo, was a place we really didn’t want to move from as we had a coveted spot near the bathroom. Therefore, we walked across the street to El Grillo Bar for dinner and drinks. It was a great place to people watch and the lamb (yes, again) was outstanding. We walked throughout the picturesque community that boasted colorful buildings, an iconic church and lots of artwork throughout.
The next day was a marathon drive as we begin to worry about returning to Reykjavik on time. While covering only 260 km on Tuesday, we managed to cover another 550 km on Wednesday. Early in the day we traveled back over the treacherous path to Isafjorour and on toward Vic. We saw many large glaciers for the first time along with more beautiful fjords and long tunnels. The afternoon got even better! We lunched at PakkHus in Hofn. That was a recommendation from Josh and Jill and they did not steer us wrong. We tried their specialty – humar. It is a small lobster cultivated in the waters right there by the restaurant. It did not disappoint and I’m not even a lobster lover.
The last leg of the day brought us to Jokulsarlon Glacier and the glacier lagoon. This might be the most impressive thing I’ve seen yet. Lots of small, and, well, not so small, icebergs floated in the lagoon. From there, we went right away to Diamond Beach where the small pieces of the icebergs wash right up to the shore of the black beaches and sparkle like diamonds. I, of course, managed, to get my one and only pair of shoes wet and was left only with flip flops for the rest of the day. We arrived later than usual in Vic, very tired but happy with our experiences of the day! The wind sent us inside early to eat snacks and play a few hands of spades before settling in for the night.
