Iceland 2

A little bit of sleep deprivation. Not just from a jet lag but staying up till late to check for the aurora every 20 minutes or so. I hear some hotels offer an "aurora wake-up service" and guests dart outside with a coat over pajamas. But I gave up around 1:30am, as there was increasing cloud cover and stars could not even be seen.

We are done with the "southwest" and today drive further east to cover the "south" section of the island. The first stop is at Seljalandfoss Falls where a British youth group is having fun slipping and sliding on an icy path. Shoe spikes our guide lent us are a godsend.


Then it's on to the town of Skogar, where there is s delightful folk museum and an impressive waterfall. Before reaching the next town Vik, we stop for lunch at a black sand beach. Most of the route today was covered with black ash during the time of the massive eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (say that fast three times). Actually this volcano was a household name when it caused an unprecedented disruption in flights in 2010. 


Our hotel today is just past Kirkjubæjarklaustur, a small town that marks the boundary of "south" and "southeast." Another impossible name, you say? Just break up the word into kirkju (church) - bæjar (farm) - klaustur (cloister). Church - Farm - Cloister. Easy. The guide says if last night's hotel was in the middle of nowhere, tonight's is in the middle of no-no-nowhere.

Herring offered at breakfast buffet, including a red one. Actually the yellow-red light in the sky last night mimicking the aurora was a red herring!

Ring road: the base of Eyjafjallajökull Volcano is visible.

Seljalandfoss

Seljalandfoss: the main fall

Skogar: The climb up to the top of Skogafoss falls is breathtaking, literally.

Skogar: the excellent Folk Museum displays interesting objects of traditional Icelandic life of survival. A driftwood bowl with the lid acting also as a plate

Skogar Folk Museum: lacking primary materials such as clay, Icelanders of old used a whale vertebra as a receptacle.

Skogar: old turf-roofed farmhouses

This area was covered with black ash when Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 2010. The guide says it was like a color movie went black and white all of a sudden.

Descending to a black beach

Reynisfjara: impressive basalt columns on the black sand beach

Reynisfjara: sea stacks seen from the pristine black sand beach. Strong waves here have claimed victims, including an unsuspecting tourist who was washed away a few weeks ago.

From the black sand beach: this is a case of the picture not doing justice to the ambiance.

Vik: the church overlooks the town.

Vik: Reynisdrangur (sea stacks), believed to be trolls caught out in the sun

Our surrealistic hotel with box-like rooms, or are these actually boxes in a modular building? A bit like the eco hotel in the Bolivian salt flat that gets blown up in "Quantum of Solace."

The back side of our simple room opens directly to the lava field. Perfect for aurora viewing in pajamas. Except the weather is not cooperating.

Buffet dinner at the hotel, understandably overpriced, given the isolated location, includes arctic char and cod.