Iceland 2

October 29, 2016

Exploring the ICE in Iceland

Jokulsarlon

Jokulsarlon Glacier Lagoon Amphibian tour is a 30 min ride between icebergs, 5000 ISK/person. In my opinion, I thought the tour was boring and I would’ve enjoyed viewing the glaciers from the bayside. The boat is packed like sardines, no movement but the view from your seat. Here are some images from the boat:

These pieces of ice have slipped off Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, into this Lagoon and eventually out onto this beach. Only took 1,000 years!

I found the Lagoon boat tour a bit lacking, but the free beach across the way? Everything. Everything I hoped to see, feel and experience in Iceland. On my next visit to the country I am spending much more time on this black sand right here.

Skaftafell/Vatnajökull National Park

The hike to Svartifoss is uphill and takes about 2 hours round trip.

Svartifoss

Svartifoss means “black waterfall”. The basalt columns (the blocky kryptonite looking wall) are the result of lava rapidly cooled, with its contraction producing hexagonal pieces. This waterfall has inspired Hallgrímskirkja, the church in Reykjavik.

Reynisfjara

This is a black sand beach near Vik with basalt columns that you can climb. Skipped but will return next time.

Dyrholaey

An arc on the beach.

Icelandic Horses

The Icelandic Horse may be my favorite animal. Slightly larger than the size of a pony, hair like an 80’s rock star and demeanor super friendly. These guys are along most roads in Iceland and usually up for a roadside chat.

Solheimasandur

In 1973, a United States Navy DC-3 plane ran out of gas and made an emergency landing on a black sand beach on the south coast of Iceland.

Everyone survived.

The airplane remains as a haunting relic for photographers and tourists. It takes about an hour to walk from the ring road to the site, on a mundane, flat and extremely uneventful walk. As with the rest of Iceland, there are no trees along the route so the wind can be harsh and unrelenting.

Skógasafn

A museum of turf houses (those cute homes with grass on the roof). There’s a cafe there for some soup.

Skogafoss

A giant waterfall that you can walk right up to. There’s a staircase to the right that brings you to the top of the falls, and a trail that can bring you to another smaller hidden waterfall.