Caro: We hit the road early which meant we had the pleasure of being the second car to arrive at Jokulsarlon. Yesterday we were the first people at Gulfoss – it’s definitely worth being the first tourist on the scene when it comes to seeing places unspoiled by other bods.
Jokulsarlon is where the glacier meets the sea. Big chunks of ice break into iceburgs. In summer they float in an enormous lagoon. In winter the sea freezes around them. But regardless, you get to see some big blue (from the sulphur) burgs making their way out to sea. Plus, there’s a couple of gangs of seals hanging out here, providing entertainment and making horrible noises. Some of the iceburgs wash up back onto the beach so there’s some stunning scenes of shiny ice on black volcanic rock and sand (yes, the sand here is black – striking!).
Onto Strokkur where we ate a picnic lunch whilst looking onto the edge of the enormous blue Vatnajokull glacier (8,100 km² and covering 8% of Iceland!) and listening to ice melting (surprisingly loud as it cracks) and mini avalanches.
The drive today was pretty intense. Yesterdays ice and snow covered road had been blown away by the wind. But this brought a new set of challenges – snow was whipped up around us, so sometimes we couldn’t see more than a few feet in front of us and the car was being buffeted. Tim had to hold the car on a permanent 30 degree lock to keep it moving straight. At times we would emerge into a calm and sunny patch like an oasis in the desert – but it would soon be replaced by the mad winds.
Anyway, we made it to Vik where we’re staying in a bustling hostel. The place is full so we’re in a dorm tonight. But everyone’s lovely and we just got back from a walk up the hill with a couple to see the Northern Lights. Success! We saw them. Though not a great example compared to the night I saw them in Finland a few years ago. Hopefully we’ll see better next week…
