South Coast to Vik

The trip down south was amazing. Unlike the north, the grass and moss had begun to turn green so it gave the pictures a nicer contrast. Again, the trip was mostly about the landscapes, so there isn't too much to say about it.

The day after Ben and I got back from the west we decided to take the car down south for a last adventure. Our friend Lea, who is a local and a tour guide, said she would take us around and give us a tour for free. It was perfect because we didn't have the restrictions that tours have.

This trip was a little more crowded. Ben met his sisters old roommate at the hostel so he tagged along, and a journalist from Belgium also came with us. We had to fit five people into a really small car and by the end of the trip it got to be a little much, but it was worth it!

The first town we passed through was pretty interesting. We stopped at a lookout before going down the mountain to the town. The town is right on the Eurasian and North American plates, so when you look down at the mountains, you can see steam coming out of the rocks. Lea said every time there is a minor (or major) earthquake the exits for steam move. The way she describes it is that Iceland is always alive.

This steam is used in the city as an energy source to heat pools and the many greenhouses

Its really interesting because this town is filled with greenhouses that grow things like tomatoes, cucumbers and bananas! Its a great way to eat locally and its all powered by geothermal water!

From this town to the south, there isn't much. Its about an hour or so of driving through fields. Lea said its almost impossible to build in the fields because things will either get destroyed by earthquakes or flooded when a volcano erupts and the glacier melts. Its too bad because with the volcanoes, the soil is very fertile and would be perfect for growing food (which is rare in Iceland). She also pointed out another volcano that is expected to erupt soon. It would be cool to see, but this volcano is much bigger and more dangerous then Eyjafjallajökull.

We got out and took some pictures near Eyjafjallajökull. Unfortunately it was too foggy to see the glacier.

Eyjafjallajökull is somewhere up there

More Icelandic roads

...and more fences

It didn't take us long until we could see a really beautiful waterfall. the waterfall is run-off water from Eyjafjallajökull, and because all Icelandic water is pure you can drink it right out of the streams! Its very tasty.

Its really cool because you can walk behind the fall and sit in a cave. You get really wet though!

Nick

Ben convinced Sven to get naked for his article he is writing on Eyjafjallajökull

 It was hard to judge how much the volcano had effected the area until we drove further down the road and you could see the fields of volcanic ash. They had some heavy machinery in the fields to try and clean it up. I guess they have been trying to clean it since the eruption finished, and it still looks like there is a lot of work to do.

The river is constantly changing. The water shouldn't be this high.

The roads along these ash fields were incredible. Of course I had to stop to take a picture!

 We finally made it down to Vik. Its a really pretty town (where they specialize in wool, I may buy another sweater next time I go). It was hard because it was so foggy we couldn't see everything, so we didn't spend long there, just enough time to grab a bite to eat.

Woody Allan and Annie Hall lost in Vík í Mýrd

Again, too foggy to see, but these are giant rocks off the shore of Vik. I don't know the exact story, but I think I know a bit. Iceland has folklore about the Huldufolk, and these were trolls at one point and they saw a ship coming to shore, so they went out to go bring the ship in and the sun came up so they froze into stone.

On our way back to Reykjavik from Vik we made a few really cool stops. We stopped at another waterfall that was just as amazing as the first. There was also a staircase that goes to the top so you can hike through the glaciers.

On our way to the waterfall

The vikings

You can see the seagulls flying by the mouth of the falls.

View from the falls onto ash fields

More fences

Dogs were recently legalized in this country (along with beer). Its funny they have a no dog sign once you get to the top of the waterfall but not at the bottom

This would be considered a home for the Huldufolk (the rock, not the house) and it was interesting because as we approached the rock, the birds would caw louder and louder as if trying to protect something

These homes are built into a cave. They used the shape of the rock to their advantage. The cave in this one would be sort of like a backyard/storage space.

More roads (behind and in front view)

This is supposed to be the oldest house built in Iceland (I don't know if that's true or not)

View of the harbour from lookout point

And that was a great way to end our journey down to Vik!

Next road trip will be with Klara and Katrine and I think we are going to a hot river in the mountains!!