An October odyssey in Iceland with a Toyota Landcruiser

Join Date: Dec 2019

Location: Kolkata

Posts: 62

Thanked: 374 Times

Prologue

Iceland, the onshore of occurrence and ice, adorned with volcanoes, ethereal bluish lights, embraced by majestic glaciers, and framed by the silhouettes of ice-capped mountains and countless waterfalls, had agelong held a cherished spot successful our imagination. A serendipitous speech with a person regarding harrowing communicative of my 2010 ordeal of being stranded successful Heathrow owed to Iceland volcano eruption laid the instauration of our travel to Iceland.

Iceland unveils its existent essence successful its profound isolation, successful that ungraded roadworthy going nowhere, those winding hiking trails, successful it?s equine farms by the roadworthy side, successful its tiny villages and state stations, and successful its unending panoramas of volcanoes, mountains, lave fields, glaciers, coastlines and waterfalls and astir importantly successful its capricious upwind conditions and unforgiving yet glorious terrain. So, nary wonderment that embarking connected a autarkic self-driven roadworthy travel is the champion mode to afloat immerse oneself successful the captivating quality of this land country. And to spell astir the country, the champion mode is to question via Ring Road oregon R1 which runs successful a ellipse astir the full state .

Planning

Important Information astir Iceland:

• Population : 337 K
• Capital : Reykjavik
• Currency : ISK - but EUR is precise common.
• Area 103 K sq km
• Emergency Number : 112
• Calling codification +354
• Plug benignant : C + F connected 230 V
• Language : Everyone understands and speaks bully English
• Almost each Icelandic past sanction ends successful -dottir (female) oregon -son (male). Kirkja is church, 'foss' is waterfall, 'jokull' is glacier, 'fjall' is mountain.
• TIPS is not successful vogue successful Iceland ? nary 1 expects you to tip

Important web-sites:

• Road conditions: www.road.is
• Local weather: www.road.is
• Iceland transport and Drone controller https://www.icetra.is
• Safe Travel: www.Safetravel.is
• Tunnel toll www.tunnel.is
• Car clang app http://www.carcrash.is

Grocery and food

• Kr?nan Supermarket and Bonus are 2 large ones. B?nus Iceland typically opens astatine 10 a.m. and closes betwixt 6 and 8 p.m. Kronan is much costly than Bonus. Larger Kronan stores whitethorn person pharmacy and caf? arsenic well
• Websites: https://kronan.is/grocery-store and https://bonus.is/english/
• Others are Costco, 10/11, Nett?, Samkaup, Kj?rb??in + Kjarval, Hagkaup
• Water : No request to bargain bottled water! It's precise costly. Use your reusable h2o bottle. In Iceland you tin portion the h2o from the pat - it pure.
• Skyr (Icelanding yogurt) and Pylsur (Hot Dog) are the astir fashionable nutrient and your usher to endurance successful costly Iceland. Real foodies tin effort section specialities similar Reindeer nutrient and H?karl (fermented shark). Also Licorice (liquor filled chocolates) are implicit favourites.

Timing

This year, the Puja holidays were starting overmuch precocious successful October which opened up a large accidental for a 10 time travel crossed Iceland. In October, you get a bully magnitude of daylight from 8AM to 6PM for exploring Iceland?s stunning scenery and astatine the aforesaid clip you person precocious accidental of witnessing the elusive bluish lights. Also October being a ?shoulder? play betwixt summertime and winter, assemblage is little and you person perchance much budget-friendly rates compared to highest summertime season. However, the biggest drawback is that October is the windiest and the wettest period often accompanied by occasional blizzard oregon storm, which whitethorn pb to impermanent roadworthy closures oregon question restrictions.

Clothing

Prepare for cold, upwind and rain. Good windproof jackets arsenic good arsenic waterproof rainfall jackets are perfectly essentially. Also, arsenic we would learn, successful wintertime oregon enarthrosis play 1 indispensable rent oregon transportation microspikes arsenic successful galore places it gets highly slippery

Itinerary (initially planned)

As this is astir winter, truthful tourists won?t beryllium allowed to task into Highlands successful aforesaid driven vehicle. So champion enactment is to spell astir Ring Road ( R1) and instrumentality detours to research antithetic parts. At the aforesaid time, we person lone 10 days which is overmuch little to research Iceland. Ideally it is amended to take 1 oregon 2 areas and research those successful this clip alternatively of attempting full of Iceland. But again Iceland is not a spot wherever you tin travel often. So we tried to equilibrium our itinerary arsenic pursuing and besides planned for immoderate escapade activities:-

• Day 0 - Start from Kolkata via Doha, Copenhagen
• Day 1- Reach Iceland . Take car rental and thrust to Hotel Ion Adventure ( distant from Reykjavik truthful arsenic to maximise accidental of Northern Lights)
• Day 2- Golden Circle and determination to Snaefellsnes
• Day 3- Snaefellsnes Peninsula
• Day 4- Snaefellsnes to M?vatn successful Northern Iceland
• Day 5- M?vatn to Easter Fjords
• Day 6- Egilssta?ir to J?kuls?rl?n (zodiac ride)
• Day 7- J?kuls?rl?n ( snowmobil, glacier caves)
• Day 8- J?kuls?rl?n to Hella
• Day 9 - Hella (Landmanalagaur Super Jeep Tour)
• Day 10- Hella to Keflavik via Sk?gafoss, Seljalandsfoss and depart for Kolkata

But Iceland is not a regular roadworthy trip, truthful you truly cannot program everything to perfection. As we would larn implicit adjacent 10 days, that, successful spite of readying each item of our itinerary, determination was nary mode we could expect the storm, the rainfall oregon the snowfall which from clip to clip would unit america to alteration our plan. But judge it oregon not, we would not commercialized this uncertainty oregon unpredictability for thing else. It is these diabolical uncertainties which adds to the amusive of driving astir this astonishing land state located betwixt the North Atlantic and the Arctic Ocean.

Adventure Activities Planned

1. Landmannalaugar Super Jeep Day Tour (in Highlands of Iceland) - South Coast Adventure ( https://www.southadventure.is )
2. Glacier Ice Cave hike successful Vatnaj?kull glacier - Local Guide of Vatnaj?kull(localguide.is)
3. Snowmobile thrust connected Vatnaj?kull Glacier - www.glacierjourney.is OR adventures.is
4. Zodiac vessel thrust successful J?kuls?rl?n - Glacier lagoon tours (www.jokulsarlon.is)

However, fixed this is simply a enarthrosis play bordering winter, determination is precocious accidental that immoderate oregon aggregate of these tin get cancelled owed to weather.

Flights

We booked our instrumentality tickets to Keflavik connected Qatar Airways. However, connected hindsight, Finnair formation from Delhi via Helsinki is simply a amended enactment arsenic Qatar Airways reaches precise precocious successful Keflavik. Remember Iceland is 5:30 hrs down India time. Ideally if you get late, you should enactment adjacent Airport and instrumentality remainder earlier embarking connected your travel adjacent day. Otherwise it volition beryllium tiring arsenic we learnt from our experience.

Visa

We request to person Schengen visa for Iceland. It?s usually issued for a period with azygous introduction if you are lone going to Iceland. Though Schengen visa is easy, its champion to marque definite appointments tin beryllium obtained successful owed clip and each the close forms are filled up (Iceland authorization changes their forms often and 1 should ever cheque for the latest one).

Clockwise oregon Anti-clockwise

Most radical successful Iceland prefers to question from eastbound to westbound successful anti-clockwise direction. If you are going connected summertime oregon wintertime it does not substance which mode you take. But if you are travelling successful enarthrosis seasons similar October and successful a choky docket past you request to determine whether you privation to optimise your time airy clip Or mitigate risks of atrocious upwind - accordingly you whitethorn take the direction. If you question eastbound to westbound anti-clockwise, past you person aboriginal sunrise successful eastbound and precocious sunset successful westbound giving you maximum daylight hours - a bully half-an hr gain. However, if you question from westbound to eastbound clockwise, you volition spell done Northern portion earlier wherever upwind is expected to deteriorate rapidly arsenic you determination person to wintertime from enarthrosis season. We decided to bash a clock-wise circular tour.

Accommodation

Initially, we thought astir hiring a camper van and staying determination arsenic it would springiness america much flexibility and forestall america from the hassles of predominant check-in and check-out. But aboriginal connected realising that October is wet, windy and cold, we decided to discard the thought and started looking for accommodation. Soon, we recovered retired wherefore Iceland is considered arsenic 1 of the costliest countries to sojourn - the prices of Airbnb and hotels are mode higher than immoderate spot we person ever visited. Probably we should person started booking 6 months successful beforehand oregon more.

Car Rental

After finalising the itinerary, it was clip to rent a car. Generally, I bash not similar a aforesaid thrust excursion without my ain conveyance - but present I had hardly immoderate choice. We rented our car from ?Blue Car Rental? which has a bully standing and whose bureau is located conscionable crossed the car parking batch extracurricular Keflavik airport, truthful it is efficaciously a 6-7 minutes locomotion from the airport. This was precise important for america arsenic we were scheduled to onshore Keflavik airdrome astatine 6 PM. Now the shuttle to car companies usually runs upto 6 PM only. So the rental institution amended beryllium walkable. We decided to rent a Jeep Compass Trailhawk 4x4, the aforesaid car exemplary which we have. However, Trailhawk was not available, truthful we settled for a regular Compass 4x4.

F-roads of Iceland

F-roads (short signifier of fjalli? roads oregon upland roads) are mostly closed by September extremity (https://epiciceland.net/list-f-roads-iceland/). Unless you are driving connected F-roads oregon icy roads successful Icelandic winter, you bash not request a 4x4. Since we were going successful October, we opted for a 4x4 envisaging that aboriginal snowfall tin make problems successful accessing immoderate areas.

Parking

There are some paid and escaped parkings successful Iceland successful assorted tourer attraction locations . There are app wherever you tin wage arsenic good arsenic carnal kiosks. However, champion portion successful Iceland is that portion driving down country, from clip to clip you volition travel crossed beauteous remainder country parkings by the roadside which person unparalleled scenic quality each around. Iceland upwind is notorious. In fact, aft Antarctica, Iceland if the astir windy country. While parking, unless you parkland against the wind, determination mightiness beryllium situations wherever your car doorway tin beryllium blown distant during ingress oregon egress. So beryllium cautious arsenic nary security volition screen specified damage.

Network and Wifi

There is an optional wi-fi transportation instrumentality offered by rental car companies. You tin instrumentality wi-fi instrumentality successful airdrome arsenic well. We opted for the wi-fi transportation provided by the rental institution because:-

1. we are arriving precocious and getting the instrumentality from the airdrome would beryllium time-consuming. Otherwise you tin besides get the instrumentality from 10-11 store successful airport. You tin pre-book a SIM paper connected https://iceland.trawire.com from 10/11 store successful Keflavik airdrome . You tin instrumentality it to the aforesaid spot portion returning oregon take to nonstop to a mailbox done pre-paid envelop .
2. they connection SIMINN web which is the champion web successful Iceland successful presumption of dependable and information connectivity
3. this comes arsenic a standalone instrumentality which tin beryllium carried to the edifice oregon impermanent house.

Car Insurance

Understanding car security successful Iceland tin beryllium a taxable by itself. Most of the insurances travel bundled with car rent, nevertheless we besides opted for soil and ash protection, liability waiver, roadside assistance waiver etc.

Driving successful Iceland

Iceland has left-hand thrust vehicles with postulation travel connected the close broadside - akin to USA. You bash not request immoderate International driving licence to thrust successful Iceland. If your driving licence is successful English, it is bully enough. But driving rules are precise strict here, particularly velocity limits are rather stringent and penalties are precise high, moving into hundreds of dollars, truthful it is recommended to beryllium alert of the driving rules and recognize the roadworthy signs earlier embarking connected a self-drive circuit successful a rented car. Most of the roads are paved, though from clip to clip we encountered galore gravel roads and a fewer ungraded roads. Also determination is nary conception of 'off-road' oregon greenlaning. In information they are strictly prohibited. Weather plays a precise important relation successful this strangely beauteous country. So each time earlier commencement of trip, you request to cheque the roadworthy conditions successful road.is app to corroborate if your planned way is unfastened oregon you request to instrumentality a detour.

NOTE: Fuel terms is precise costly. Iceland is lone 2nd to Hong Kong with respect to state price.

• Do not halt connected roadworthy to bask a presumption unless determination is emergency. Park lone successful designated roadside country if you request to stop
• Always headlights connected - not lone DRL
• Two lane Roundabouts : Inside lane has close of mode and hence its champion to usage lone outer lane if taking archetypal exit. Watch for little velocity limits erstwhile you spot the roundabout sign. If you are taking the archetypal exit, usage the close (OUTER) lane. Otherwise, amended to instrumentality the near (INSIDE) lane.
• Speed limits : Paved highways : 90 kmph, Gravel roadworthy : 80 kmph, City limits : 50 kmph
• When you scope metropolis bounds oregon exit metropolis bounds the velocity decreased oregon increases successful 3 steps - 90-70-50 oregon 50-70-90 . Look retired for signs of City bounds ending oregon starting
• Narrow bridges : You volition spot motion of constrictive bridges. Once you spot the sign, you request to spot if different conveyance has already entering the bridge. If so, past you request to halt determination till the conveyance crosses over.
• Watch retired for motion of paved roadworthy turning into a gravel road
• Few ad-hoc materials which I collected to work astir roadworthy signs and rules successful Iceland - Iceland Driving.pdf

14th October - and the travel begins

We came backmost from bureau connected 13th October evening, gave our packing a last interaction and started for airport. All anticipation and readying was astir to culminate successful adjacent 11 days.

Kolkata to Keflavik, Iceland

Flight QR541 started from Kolkata astatine 03:50 and reached Doha astatine 06:30 AM. Flight QR6126 from Doha started astatine 08:05 AM and reached Copenhagen astatine 13:50. There was a 3 hrs layover astatine Copenhagen. We had our luncheon astatine an airdrome cafe and rested a bit. As Copenhagen was our archetypal constituent of introduction successful Schengen zone, we had to bash migration here. Though, we were amused to find that determination was cipher astatine the migration antagonistic - we had to telephone a idiosyncratic from his table and inquire him to bash it. The past limb from Copenhagen started astatine 16:40 successful Scandinavian hose formation which does not adjacent connection a solid of h2o free. The attack to Keflavik implicit snow-capped mountains and the last descent implicit the water was precise scenic. Finally we landed successful Keflavik planetary airdrome connected Saturday 14th October astatine 18:25.

The past limb of our travel was rather tiring. Thankfully we did not request to bash immoderate migration arsenic it was already done successful Denmark.

At the airport

Today we request to thrust astir 84 km to our edifice which is located adjacent Thingvellir National Park. We chose the place, due to the fact that it is overmuch distant from the brightly lit metropolis of Reykjavik, and this being adjacent to New satellite day, an Aurora volition look stunning . But fixed today?s weather, that?s conscionable a tube dream. As it?s already precocious (in Iceland terms), by the clip we scope hotel, room would beryllium closed . Also the supermarkets astir Reykjavik, similar Kr?nan and Bonus each closes by 8 PM. So, we picked up immoderate tiny nutrient items, drinks from market astatine the airdrome and had an aboriginal meal with celebrated Icelandic hotdog ( oregon Pilsur arsenic they telephone it) successful B?arins Beztu Pylsur which is simply a aged and celebrated concatenation for Icelandic hotdogs located wrong 10/11 supermarket successful airport. Hotdogs costing astir 600 ISK , on with fried bulb and chromatic mustard tasted awesome . As we volition larn successful adjacent 10 days that these blistery dogs are not lone the lifeline for radical connected a footwear drawstring fund but they saves batch of clip and tastes awesome. Otherwise, arsenic we volition discover, everything successful Iceland is mode excessively costly. Since each azygous usage integrative is banned, we request to wage for the market container arsenic well.

At Keflavik Airport

The weather

As soon arsenic we landed successful Iceland, we started getting sensation of unpredictable yet fascinating Icelandic weather, erstwhile we got a notification that our snowmobile circuit has been cancelled pursuing a aboriginal termination of the play owed to atrocious upwind successful South Iceland . Coming retired of airdrome we tin consciousness the vicissitudes of Icelandic upwind arsenic we spot antithetic parts covered with a furniture of snowfall and a airy drizzle .

Car prime up

It took america astir an hr to prime up our luggage, wide customs and person our dinner. When we started walking towards Blue Car Rental office, it was 7-20 PM. It was rather acold outside. We exited done the Departure gross ( not accomplishment gate) and walked crossed parking batch towards Blue Car Rental from wherever we rented our Jeep Compass. Usually, you tin instrumentality an airdrome shuttle which drops you to antithetic car rental companies . However, those shuttles tally up to 6 PM. So we person to locomotion . It?s a abbreviated locomotion . But successful days of atrocious upwind similar this, this 5 minutes locomotion with luggage seems agelong and arduous.

The Steed

Once we scope the rental company, we recovered that the car that was fixed to america was not the 1 we booked. We had booked a Jeep Compass 4x4, but present is simply a elephantine Toyota Landcruiser 4x4 waiting for us. As we did online checkin and prepayment successful Copenhagen itself and got the codification successful mail, we picked up the car cardinal from locker. Now, similar successful each rental companies Blue Car besides person a argumentation that if chosen conveyance is not disposable astatine that constituent they volition supply a akin oregon amended vehicle. So they upgraded maine to a Toyota Landcruiser. Alas, small did they cognize that I americium not a large Toyota fan. Seeing that I was not rather impressed with the upgrade, the idiosyncratic astatine rental institution wondered wherefore I americium not precise delighted with the upgrade. Of people this car comes with tons of bells and whistles and 4x4 with Transfer lawsuit dissimilar my JCT backmost home. Though the pickup process was precise easy, we recovered determination was a informing motion connected the power sheet saying ?Pre-Collision System Malfunction?. We asked the enforcement who had handed implicit the car to america if we should interest astir it, but helium was not capable to connection immoderate help, though helium assured america that it was not a occupation arsenic this impacts ADAS. Anyway, I was ne'er going to usage ADAS and truthful did not springiness it a damn. The achromatic Landcruiser looks gargantuan successful size with a precocious operator view. We checked the different controls, substance benignant (normal Diesel), substance level, AdBlue levels, tyre pressure, lights, wiper, artillery indicator and the wi-fi instrumentality . We took immoderate grounds photos and loaded our suitcases and bags successful the car (nothing to kick astir the footwear abstraction - it's HUGE) and rolled retired of the parking lot.

Getting onto near broadside aft a agelong time

Road from Keflavik to Reykjavik

Driving way from Airport to Hotel

We came retired of Blue Car Rental bureau astatine 8:15 PM and turned onto Route 41. The GPS was moving good and the heating strategy was excellent. It was inactive drizzling lightly and determination were precise fewer cars connected the road. Outside somesthesia was 4 deg C. Our edifice ?Ion Adventure? was 84 km from Keflavik airport. It was 33 km distant from Reykjavik. Reykjavik is the superior metropolis of Iceland with a colonisation of 130000 meaning each 1 of 3 persons successful Iceland lives successful Reykjavik.

Reykjavik to Hotel Ion Adventure

We continued connected Route 41 for astir 50 km. As we moved retired of the city, velocity bounds accrued to 90 kmph, which is the highest bounds successful Iceland. In the metropolis it varies from 30 to 50 kmph depending connected the density of the locality. There were nary thoroughfare lamps extracurricular the metropolis limits, which is apt, arsenic you request cleanable acheronian for bluish lights. The roadworthy markers were glistening successful the acheronian From Reykjavik we took roadworthy no.36 and turned close onto roadworthy no.360. This way remains unfastened passim the year, dissimilar a shorter way via roadworthy no.435 (suggested by GPS), which remains closed from October to April.

Light snow-laden road

The past fewer kilometres, particularly the past mile was covered successful crystal and precise slippery. Thankfully, we had nary problems arsenic the onshore cruiser was a 4x4. The upwind was howling outside. As we reached the parking batch of edifice Ion Adventure, we find it a situation adjacent to locomotion fewer meters to the edifice arsenic it was excessively slippery. We were gladsome to beryllium wrong the hotel. After having a champagne arsenic invited drink, we registered ourselves for an Aurora aftermath up telephone and went to slumber knowing rather good that it's intolerable to witnesser Aurora contiguous fixed the upwind conditions.

15th October - Golden Circle to Sn?fellsnes

Route done Golden Circle upto Snaefellsness

Waking up to a snowy landscape

It snowed passim the night. As expected, determination was nary aurora adjacent though we did acceptable up our camera and remained awake till midnight waiting for that elusive airy and past fell asleep. We woke up a small precocious connected 15th owed to pitchy lag.

Snowscape from our hotel

As we aftermath up, to our amazement, glimpse of snow-covered surroundings done the model panes revealed similar a fairyland. We had an elaborate meal successful the beauteous Silfra edifice watching the snowfall peaks successful the distance.

After breakfast, I tried to look into car manual to get utilized to the controls (it?s ever hard for maine to accommodate to caller controls). Last night, I was not capable to thrust successful cruise power and thought I was doing thing wrong. When I called up the rental company, they told due to the fact that of this ADAS issue, Adaptive Cruise power (or adjacent modular cruise control) volition not work. They told they tin nonstop america a replacement oregon I tin bring it to their bureau successful Reykjavik oregon Snaefellsnes. I gave them a beardown connection that this is not acceptable but decided not to marque a fuss implicit it as, to beryllium precise frank, cruise power is not worthy of losing your clip on.

Golden Circle

After clearing the car from a spot of snow, we acceptable retired connected the roadworthy astatine 11 AM for our circuit of Golden Circle. As we were moving late, we decided to spell consecutive to Iceland?s astir celebrated waterfall successful the Golden Circle - Gullfoss - which is 82km from here. Golden ellipse is simply a way from Reykjavik to Thingvellir nationalist park, Geysir geothermal area, Gullfoss waterfall and backmost to Reykjav?k. This is simply a communal way taken by astir tourists who walk 2-3 days successful Iceland and privation to get a speedy glimpse of the country.

Landcruiser en-route aureate circle

We checked retired from Ion Adventure edifice and drove from R360 to R36. Then we kept driving done Thingvellier National Park. There is simply a airy drizzle and the roads person a bladed snowfall cover. One important constituent - successful Iceland, its a regularisation that you request to thrust with your headlights connected ever - lone DRL wont suffice. We were driving done volcanic scenery and would often get the faint odor of H2S. Even the moving h2o from pat successful the edifice smelled of H2S. Our edifice was located successful Mt Hengill geothermal area. Here, similar successful galore parts of Iceland, geothermal h2o (or alternatively steam) is utilized to lukewarm up acold h2o for home use. In vigor stations, the tiny quantity of steam containing acerb gases is mixed with the h2o to destruct dissolved oxygen and to little pH successful the h2o to forestall precipitation. That?s wherefore the h2o strategy adjacent geo thermal powerfulness stations often has a a faint odor of H2S. It was a small hard to set to the odor astatine archetypal arsenic we drank the aforesaid h2o but soon we got utilized to it. In Iceland you tin portion h2o from the tap. It comes consecutive from the glacier. You don?t request to bargain h2o astatine all. In information bottled h2o is highly costly.

Thingvellir National Park

Iceland is divided betwixt Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. As a effect of this tectonic drift, heavy rift vale has formed successful the area. Every twelvemonth 2 sheet drifts distant 2.5 cm successful other absorption dilatory tearing isolated iceland and expanding its size . Thingvellir National Park country is portion of the Atlantic Ocean ridge, a portion of North American tectonic plate. Nearby you person snorkelling installation successful Silfa fissure wherever you tin snorkel betwixt 2 plates if you don?t caput getting numb successful cold. Within a 10 minutes of our drive, we were compelled to halt by the captivating presumption of serene Lake ?ingvallavatn. There is simply a parking country conscionable by the roadworthy broadside wherever we parked our car. In coming days, we volition find retired that passim Iceland, specified parking areas are located successful the astir obscure yet astir scenic locations wherever that 1 tin unbend and bask the countryside. We enjoyed the presumption and walked by the lakeside. There was besides a Dacia Duster parked. In information Landscruiser, Dacia Duster and Jeep are precise fashionable here. In Iceland, you conscionable cannot halt connected the roadworthy - particularly connected a 2 lane road. That?s wherefore it?s truthful hard to bash a ?Follow me? drone changeable connected your car.

Stopping astatine a remainder country surrounded by snowscape

We continued our thrust done the drizzle and moss covered volcanic landscape. Now determination is nary snowfall connected the road. Soon we reached the celebrated one-lane bridge. Before each 1 lane bridge, the velocity bounds slows down to 70 and past 50. You request to ticker if idiosyncratic is coming from different broadside oregon not and past proceed. By the way, this full roadworthy what we person driven truthful acold is simply a 2-lane roadworthy - not 4 lane. As we thrust along, the presumption of Langj?kull glacier opened up each connected a sudden, piercing the overcast sky. But the show was abbreviated lived and soon covered with haze. Though the roadworthy aboveground is good, successful fewer points determination are tiny craters reminding maine of EM Bypass successful rainy play oregon erstwhile NH34. After immoderate much clip we encountered a precise good maintained gravel road. In each gravel roads, max velocity bounds is 80.

Aerial presumption of snowy scenery with Langj?kull

We reached a T junction from wherever we took close onto R365 towards the municipality of Laugarvatn. After immoderate time, again immoderate airy snowfall started appearing connected the road. We spotted a parking spot connected the wayside, covered by airy snowfall each astir with a stunning presumption of Langj?kull glacier. It was wide that the fig of stops connected the mode would beryllium innumerable and you person to beryllium determined to instrumentality to your itinerary and disregard the earthy quality that is perpetually beckoning you to stop. We took immoderate drone shots and continued our journey. At 12:30 we passed done Laugarvatn. We crossed the intersection from wherever a roadworthy connected near goes to Br?arfoss (3 km from here) which is different gorgeous waterfall.

Gullfoss

At 1 PM we reached Gullfoss Parking. It is connected Route 806. Waterfall is 400 m locomotion from parking. This is our archetypal large waterfall successful Iceland and we were wholly mesmerised by its sheer volume. The Gullfoss, which means ?Golden waterfall? is simply a two-tier waterfall connected the stream Hv?t?. After dropping down 32 m implicit 2 main cascades the stream continues its travel successful a constrictive gorge. The sanction astir apt comes from the information that the h2o droplets sparkle similar golden successful agleam sunlight. We parked our car astatine the parking abstraction and went to the viewing constituent astatine the little level. You tin spell each the mode up and adjacent to the h2o successful little level. But during wintertime this way remains closed owed to icy condition. We climbed up to the precocious level. It is intelligibly written each implicit that drone is not allowed here. The presumption from the precocious level was amazing. Even though it was raining, we enjoyed the view. The full country is misty arsenic Gullfoss sprays retired a monolithic volume.

After spending fractional an hr astatine Gullfoss, we went to the Gullfoss cafe adjacent to drawback immoderate lunch. We had a bully luncheon with Chicken Panini, Ham Croissant, filter java and cocoa barroom and past bought fewer tiny souvenirs.

At Gulfoss Cafe

Fri?heimar Tomato Farm and Skjol basecamp

Fri?heimar Tomato Farm and Skjol basecamp

It was astatine 2:15 erstwhile we near Gullfoss to spell to our adjacent destination - Geysir / Strokkur, which is astir 10 km from here. Beyond Gulfoss R35 changes to F35 and is closed successful wintertime but for the SuperJeeps. Anyway, we turned onto way R35 and drove towards our adjacent destination. Due to its geological determination implicit a rift successful continental plates , Iceland is brimming with geothermal areas. One of the astir visited is Haukadalur geothermal country , wherever determination are a fig of blistery springs and mud pools. On the way, we saw the celebrated Fri?heimar Tomato Farm astatine Fludir. You tin person herb crockery oregon herb brew here. You tin besides bargain herb oregon herb juice. Also beside the workplace you person Skjol basal campy which is the starting constituent of galore escapade tours similar snowmobil, crystal cave circuit etc. As we had conscionable had our luncheon and not overmuch of a herb fan, we moved on.

Haukadalur

We reached Haukadalur astatine astir 14-30. The Great Geysir is known to person ejected blistery h2o much than 120 m precocious for galore years, but present it is successful dormant phase. However ?Strokkur?, a adjacent smaller geyser is arsenic vigorous arsenic ever erupting each 10 mins and shooting 20 m precocious fountain of lukewarm h2o and steam. We spent immoderate blessed moments there, trying to drawback the nonstop clip of eruption successful the shivering cold. Walking done the area, we came upon fewer fumaroles. Everywhere astir america determination are small pools of h2o bubbling and the aerial affluent successful odor of sulphide. It was fascinating to basal amidst those blistery geysers and mud pools.

Efstidalur II

At 3:20 p.m. we started from Geysir. We volition spell to Borgarness which is 146 km and wherever we program to person an aboriginal meal and prime up immoderate snacks and casual to navigator food. On the way, we went to sojourn Efstidalur II workplace astatine Laugarvatn which is celebrated for crystal creams made of beverage from their workplace bred cows.

From R37 we took a close crook and drove a spot uphill to scope Efstidalur. It has a equine workplace too, wherever connected sunny days it indispensable person been fascinating to spell for a horse-ride. There were strawberry, chocolate, banana, blueberry and different regular flavours of ice-cream, but we took ?Stracciatella?, which is their peculiar flavour and it tasted truly good. There are besides rooms disposable for staying successful farmhouse. We spent immoderate clip seeing the workplace horses earlier moving connected to our adjacent destination.

Road climbing down from Esftidalur farm

Ring Road

After leaving Efstidalur II astatine astir 4 PM, we took R37, past astatine the T junction aft Laugarvatn, we drove consecutive to R365 and we are backmost successful Thingvellier National Park astatine 4:30 PM. There was snowfall successful immoderate parts of the road.

Towards Ring road

It was raining heavy and we were 87 km from Borgarnes, a picturesque municipality successful West Iceland. We saw a ample equine workplace connected the way, called Laxness equine farm. At astir 17-00, we came to a junction, wherever we conscionable Ring Road oregon R1 of Iceland. Here the near roadworthy went towards Reykjavik. We turned close towards Akureyri. From present Borgarness is different 56 km. We are present driving connected R1, the Ring road. The measurement of cars accrued arsenic we touched Ring roadworthy - doesn?t look to beryllium a thin play going by the fig of cars.

Hvalfj?r?ur tunnel

Hvalfj?r?ur tunnel

When we were 39 km from Borgarnes, we entered the 6 km agelong Hvalfj?r?ur passageway nether Hvalfj?r?ur fjord.. Speed bounds wrong the passageway is 70 km/h. There were cameras wrong the tunnel. You bash not request to wage toll successful this tunnel. We came retired of the agelong passageway astatine 5-20 and took a interruption for 10 minutes astatine the road-side parking. Outside aerial had turned overmuch colder than before.

Borgarness

Rain again go dense aft we started but subsided soon. We crossed a picturesque oversea span conscionable earlier Borgarness. Just earlier the bridge, determination is simply a close crook to R50 which goes to Hraunfosser and Barnafoss waterfalls. Hraunfosser is simply a postulation of countless creeks and cascades tiny and large streaming retired of the lava implicit a region of 1 km. Had we person clip we decidedly should person visited there. Anyway, we crossed the span and reached N1 state presumption astatine Borgarnes astatine 6 PM. 


The main crushed for stopping astatine the state presumption was to person our meal astatine the cafe and to bargain thing for meal for the adjacent 2 days . We are going to enactment astatine Dis Cottage adjacent Grundarfj?r?ur which has nary restaurant. But determination volition beryllium a room with each modular facilities wherever you tin navigator breakfast. After dinner, we bought a mates of Skyr bowls. Skyr is Icelandic yoghurt, which is disposable everywhere. If you similar yoghurt, you volition similar Skyr. As it was getting acheronian outside, we hurried our mode crossed the thoroughfare to a discount supermarket ?Netto?, which is unfastened till 7 pm. We bought immoderate eggs, sausages and a tiny vessel of olive lipid for cooking. This past point took immoderate clip to find, arsenic astir cooking lipid comes successful 1 Litre bottle. Finally we paid for the items successful the self-service antagonistic and came retired of the store astatine astir 7 PM.

Grundarfj?r?ur

We started for Grundarfj?r?ur and turned near connected to R54 astatine astir 7 PM leaving R1. Dis Cottages is 87 km away. Weather is getting amended which was confirmed by our upwind boards. At 8 PM, we came to a junction from wherever the roadworthy connected our close went towards Stykkish?lmur (18 km), which is the largest colony successful this country with 1200 inhabitants . We turned near towards Grundarfj?r?ur. The last 1 km-long agelong was a gravel road, which went up to Dis cottages. We met the landlady, who besides lived alongside the cottages and past checked into 1 standalone cottage. It is simply a cosy one-room flat with each amenities including a tiny room with an induction oven, microwave, toaster, coffee-maker, refrigerator, cups, plates, cutlery, brackish & pepper. The brightly lit municipality of Grundarfj?r?ur municipality was disposable astatine region from these isolated cottages. We had our dinner, acceptable up the camera for Northern lights, acceptable up fewer alarms successful lawsuit some of america fell dormant and waited for the Aurora............which ne'er appeared, though the entity was wide and chances were high. But specified is the probability of Aurora sighting.

(End Part 1 of 6 ... to beryllium continued)