Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon

After a night in a quaint guest house, we hit the ground running in the Southern side of Iceland. The grand plan was a glacial hike, but first we returned to the glacial lagoon (some of the group booked a boat tour); then we went to another glacial lagoon where you can also see the glacial ice clearer. Then we headed to the glacier to hike – I was nervous as heck I wouldn’t be fit enough but it was A OK. Not too much of a climb (or at least gentle enough!). Then we raced the wind storm back, and won (I think!?) to Reykjavik. Of course, it was something like 8.30pm when I checked into my new hostel, but it’s bright so it’s hard to notice the time! I need food. A shower. A load of washing. And… Instead I’m charging devices and uploading photos.

So you have an idea of where we were (ha! So I have an idea too!)

Black sand beach (again – third time did charm) and ice bergs melting

The blue tones are for where oxygen has been squeezed out of the ice

Same glacial lagoon from yesterday’s photos, but morning light

A temporary jetty around where one of us found seals and dragged me to see (thankfully!)

Seems obvious not to walk onto icebergs, but 25 people did in one tour group and a full scale rescue was needed, as these drift out to sea and move around the lagoon

A cairn at another glacier lagoon, two lagoons south of the main one. It’s better as you can see the glacier better and where ice bergs cleave off

Pre Glacial hike selfie – pure coincidence to have a matching beanie and scarf

So water/rain ‘drills’ down into the glacier, and runs under the glacier

I was sort of disappointed there was so much black – I’d not accounted for the ash which is inherent in volcanic areas.

Supposedly a heap of movies have been filmed on these glaciers (third largest in the world, after South Pole and Greenland)

I wasn’t actually cold at all – between wind proof pants with leggings underneath, and a 11 year old Land’s End jacket rated to 35C, I was toasty warm, so much so, I unzipped on my way down when there was no wind or rain 🙂 It was a long drive back to the capital, but we have wifi on all the minibuses (and I have a charging block – looks like a stone… the ones I’ve seen all over Iceland!). The bus trip home was filled with spotify music, uploading to Facebook and chatting online. It was quite lovely – given it was blustery and rainy a large portion of the drive home.

Despite spending the better part of the day sitting in lovely coaches and mini buses, it takes it outta of you! Say nothing for eating service (gas) station food mostly! So another photo heavy post. Some day, I may come back and spell the heck out of Icelandic to help y’all!

This is a water fall you can walk behind… and get drenched!

Over one shoulder is water the other is the walking path behind the waterfall. It used to be a sea cliff, back in the stone ages or some time a VERY long time ago. Our guide was a geologist, so we learnt a heap!

So remember this – when all the Europe flights were disrupted

Here’s the now dormant volcano, it’s to the top left of the last red roof

Transition of the ass all down the mountain

Another ‘foss’ or water fall… (Skogafoss Waterfall)

Before taking the waterfall photo, I noticed these sheep. Only in the past week have sheep (and cows) come out of stables. And with it, all the lambs. Watching them cross was so cute!

Black sand beach with basalt cliffs – fricking FREEZING as I ate lunch on a rock… Reynisdrangar sea stacks

The rocks are fokeloric – when trolls are hit by sun light, they become stone, so they are trolls – from the town of Vik

Vik church. Vik is the most South most town in Iceland, then it’s lava fields. I spoke to a cashier – sounded SO British, but he was French – so curious

Carins are built as a way to ensure safe travels eastward…

Lava fields – the moss takes 80 years to grow. It has to wait until the lava cools of course. It dies from footfall, and goes brown

I was curious as to how thick the moss was – WAY deeper than common moss in Australia!

Weather is so changeable in Iceland – this is our first glimpse of a glacier. We learnt what a glacier was – it’s compacted ice, losing all the air. 6m of snow ends up compacted to 50cm!

Gob smackingly gorgeous glacier lagoon (save for blustering rainy cold weather!) Jokulsarlon

There were both ducks and seals in the water. I took a video as some of these ice pieces were moving int he current.

The guide was so kind to wait til the other people were out of frame… Whilst I bemusingly smirked

We are staying in a guest house, and it was WONDERFUL to get a hot meal. I’d just subsisted the past nights, with a cold noodle salad. The price was eye watering, but thankfully a huge serve (even the Americans thought so!).

Tag: Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon

South Coast of Iceland – day 2

South Coast of Iceland – day 1