I landed at 4am in Kefalik (the international airport is located about 45 mins away from Reykjavik), picked up my rental car and headed out into the drizzly mist. Jet lag was on my side for a change as it was only late evening California time so I planned to drive until I got tired then pull over for a nap. My first thought departing the airport was "barren", there just wasn't anything to see but crumbly fields of lava rock. Civilization slowly came into view in the forms of isolated houses, then apartment blocks, then big box stores as I approached the capital but I deftly swung out and around Reykjavik and headed north and west to the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The city can wait.
Once you leave the suburbs there really are very few people, and at 6am on a Saturday morning, few cars. I relaxed enough in the rental car to enjoy the scenery - green & grey. Bright green farms, (hay? Sheep?), sharp dark green volcanic cliffs to one side and the grey cold waters of the Hvalfjordur on the other. I decided to go around the fjord rather than taking the new tunnel as it had history as the Allied hiding place for 100's of subs hidden there during WWII. I also wanted to hike to Glymur, Iceland's tallest waterfall, which was at the head of the fjord.
The drizzle had kindly let up by the time I reached Glymur so with fingers crossed that my ankle would hold I set out on the walk. After about 30 mins of cautiously stepping over nubbly rocks, jumping small streams and ducking through a cave (!), I came to a raging torrent of water with the Glymur sign pointing straight across! Sure...if only someone would replace the first half of the log bridge that had been swept away! Urg. I turned to retrace my steps and the rain started. Double urg. Oh well.
Back in the car no worse for wear, and on I go. And I see amazing snow-capped mountains in the distance, a little perfectly formed extinct volcano to my right, more cliffs with tumbling waterfalls cascading down - and so little I can photograph as there is literally no shoulder to the road and virtually no pull-outs. I've learned since yesterday that because traffic is so sparse, tourists just stop right in the middle of the highway to snap a quick one, but yesterday I can passed those Kodak moments on by.
I detoured off the road to visit Gerduberg - a huge long wall of hexagonal basalt columns. A nice secluded spot with minimal tourists so it seemed the right time for a quick power nap.... I rented a station wagon and brought along an air mattress and sleeping bag so I could 'car camp' as desired. This was a perfect opportunity to try it out.
Funny, I woke up 1.5 hours not only refreshed but the sun was coming out! Fantastic. Onward Ho! Farms, waterfalls, gorgeousness. I saw I sign for Lysuholl's hot pool so I decided to try that out - basically it's a small community outdoor swimming pool of warm geothermal water, with a hotter 'spa' beside. It was lovely to soak away the jet lag in the warm sunshine. Air was still cold, btw, about 15°C, but the sun was nice.
I tried to see the seals at the famous Ytri-Tunga seal cony beach but they weren't having any of it, so I went on to look at the black church of Budir. Spectacular setting, between the beach and a crazy grassy lava field. I had a little wander there out to an ancient fishing village.
After my walk I decided I'd spend the night in/near Arnarstapi as I wanted to go on a snow mobile ride the next day, and as the company's based there, I'd better go see what their schedule was. When I arrived I learned that the snow mobiles stopped running June 15th, but they had huge Snow Cat tours, in fact one that night at 11pm, did I want to try that? Uhm, okay? As it was 7pm by that time, and not having slept on the plane, I was dragging. Time for power nap #2.
10:45pm, dressed in 7 layers on top, 2 pairs of pants, and 2 pairs of socks, I waddled onto the Snojfell bus to head up to the glacier. There were about 15 of us crazy people heading up into the Midnight Sun. My seat was facing backwards so I could see down the mountain as we chugged ever further upwards, the view expanding such that I could eventually see the whole peninsula. It was so frikkin' cool!
1:45am. Bed. Now.
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