Today's 14 hour tour is taking us along the
south shore of Iceland, with several stops on our way to and back from the
Jokulsarlon Glacial Lagoon, the #1 tourist attraction in Iceland.
As we drove along the highway, we passed a
wide variety of topography, from great expanses of lava fields (rock piles
covered in moss) to small hills to flat and barren spaces, flanked by a
mountain/volcano ridge with many waterfalls. Then the varied views of the
glacier as we drive past it for an hour. Quite fascinating to see the power of
volcanoes and earthquakes.
Enroute we had a brief stop at Seljalandsfoss
waterfall and were able to walk right up to the edge of the falls.
After a couple of days we are really
beginning to appreciate the benefits of a kitchen. Iceland is not cheap and
even a modest meal (ie. a sandwhich) for 4 is around $120. Coffee is $3 or $5
for a decent cup at a cafe.
The Glacial Lagoon boat door was hands down
the highlight of this trip. The iceberg dotted lagoon was awesome and we even
had the opportunity to eat 1,000 year old ice. Unfortunately I inadvertently
swallowed my piece and it was the strangest feeling as it cooled down my
stomach….
A brief stop in Skaftafell National Park was
only long enough to watch a video about the park and see a little of what you
could enjoy if you had a day or more to spend here.
Best tip from the guide was to grab a sandwich
at the first stop to have for your dinner at the beach stop. This ensures you
have plenty of time to go down to the black beach, a must see. If you're
interested in buying Icelandic wool or clothing, this is also a good place to
get it (better prices than in Reyjkavik).
Last stop for today - Skogafoss waterfall,
where the path takes you behind the falls. Lovely, although slippery and
nothing to hang on to - I slipped and got a little muddy.
Can't say this tour was good value at about
$750 for our family of four. While the mountain view along the drive and the
boat tour of the Lagoon were clear highlights, the other stops were perfunctory
and pit stops were often too short to get a snack/coffee and go to the
bathroom. Also, since the stops were so fleeting, I had trouble recollecting
where we had been. Perhaps it's best to rent a car and take a couple of days to
tour this area.
After such a long day, the kids crashed in
front of the TV and we made a simple pasta and salad dinner in our apartment.
No comments:
Post a Comment