Iceland, 6: Heading Back West

From Djupivogur we did the Stovar fiord and then the Faskruds fiord, following Route #1 up through a long tunnel and pass, and eventually to the town of Egilsstadir. From there, the road turned west across some of the most desolate country we have seen, the Holsfajoll, so desolate--90% without vegetation, not even bluebonnets--we took pix only of the signage. From there we headed on to the next great waterfall, the Dettilfoss, another thermal area, and then spent the night at a campground in Reykjahlid. We were at about the midpoint of our circumnavigation of Iceland.

Of course it started out with a waterfall, another impressive one

Skerries, we'd call them in Scandinavia

Standing their ground

Aqua-farming in the Faskruds fiord (I think); hopefully mussels
or salmon or something else I like

Pitstop at the Skalinn Diner, in Egilsstadir

The sun never sets on American kitsch

And more waterfalls

A three-fer

Sooner or later even the waterfalls run out

It gets more and more desolate

So desolate you can't even walk barefoot on the bluebonnets

You are in the Holsfajoll

[click to enlarge] But don't despair: the bishops' cairns will lead
the way

Thus; and besides, there's another waterfall just over the hill...

Iceland, 5: On Diamond Beach

The Jokulsarlon lagoon has an outlet, and beyond it is a long black beach, Diamond Beach, on which some of the icebergs escaping the lagoon wash up. The connection with diamonds is obscure, unless some of the icebergs become very small.

Driftwood; travelled many miles, no doubt

Diamond Beach; and North Atlantic Ocean

No diamonds

A few fugitive icebergs

Vicki in east Iceland beach attire

Now back on the lagoon

Dang! I was looking forward to a cold plunge!

Us, there

In Hofn now, trying to get a shot of all three of the glaciers
emptying into its bay

Hofn municipal rock garden

Serious fishing village

H for Hofn

Reminded me of Hokitika; sort of

We were there because Route 1 passes through it

And I wanted to try the famous langoustine roll...interesting; sort of

We drove on to Djupivigur and stayed at a popular campground
there

Iceland, 5: Under The Glacier

Our fifth day found us driving along the southeast coast, under the vast icefield Vatnajokull and stopping at a few of its many glacial outlets.

Vatnajokull is the big white thing in the middle there; relatively 
huge as icefields go

Another big waterfall; didn't get its same

There are few towns out here, but every now and then a rest stop

More basalt

Barns built into the hill

Driving south of you cross the Skeidarsandur, the Spoon River
Sands, the largest glacial outwash delta in the world, 500 square
miles; here's a bit of it

It was a dark and rainy day, but you could still see up into what I
think was the icefield

Remains of a bridge washed away by flood

Road not taken

Straight and narrow road going not quite ever on

Now looking into the Jokulsarlon "lagoon" and the glacial
tongue

But first, we're heading out to the beach

Iceland, 4: Some Out-takes And Observations

We certainly knew of Icelandic horses, but we were amazed to

see them so often and in such numbers; it seemed like every farm

had a few, or a dozen, or sometimes scores; they're larger than

ponies, but still on the smallish side...bred by the Vikings for travel

aboard ships, yet strong enough for work

They're bred now partly for hobby and riding and partly for
export to horse fanciers abroad; The Althing banned importation
of horses in 982, and Iceland ponies have been pure bred since...
over a thousand years

One of the things that surprised us was the prevalence
of lupine, bluebonnets, to those of us who have done
time in Texas; they're everywhere that anything can
grow

They are the Alaskan lupine, introduced deliberately in 1945 to
stem erosion and to enrich the soil...they are "nitrogen factories";
global warming is helping them along, and the populace is
divided over whether they are useful and pretty or invasive and
alien

Small unpaved runways are sprinkled around the countryside;
we never saw a windsock hanging limp

The government must have printed millions of these signs;
apparently the island was over-run by wild camping several
years back, and "freedom camping," as the Kiwis call it, is
pretty much outlawed; rather few of the rental campers are 
self-contained

Another familiar sight...a hydro-thermal works, producing power
and heat; a spa, like the Blue Lagoon, is generally not far away

Much of the terrain we passed through, especially in the north
and east, is like this: lichen-covered volcanic wasteland

Don't know whether it's COVID-related contactless
pay or simply the northern-European trend, but
Iceland is definitely going cash-less; this is a
contactless pay point in a restroom; on Rickie Stevie's
advice, we got less than $100 from a cash machine
on arrival, but barely spent it all in 11 days

Another similarity with Scandinavia: apart from 2% beer at the
supermarkets and convenience stores, during limited hours, you
can buy alcohol only from the state liquor stores...at tremendously
inflated prices

Picnic tables...seemingly about every kilometer there's a picnic
table; here, with an unobstructed view across the volcanic
wasteland to the distant icefield; unshaded of course; not even
bluebonnets

Washing machines instructions at a campground