| Tuesday august 21'st Plans were to take a bus to Akureyri today. But a friendly advice from a
german tourist was, that I could save 8 hours of transport and 3.000 Ikr by taking a
flight instead. Weird!
So it's flying with Flugfelag instead. First from the spectacular airfield in Isafjörður
to Reykjavik. A few hours of waiting - and then another flight to Akureyri. Not the best
flight ever - some turbulens - and a very small plane is not the best combination.
In Akureyri
I check in at Hotel Edda, a boring summerhotel. From here it's out in the city. It's
mediumsized - about 15.000 inhabitants, but placed nicely at the fiord Eyjafjörður. A
little rainy, but later in the evening it really starts to rain. So its just time for some
food and back to the hotel. |
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Wednesday august 22'nd
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Plans were to go to Husavik for whalewatching, men it's very windy today, so
I decide that a 3 hours boat-trip is not the most fun you can have this day.
But other good options are to be found in the Lonely Planet guide. So I take a
trip along the west-side of Eyjafjörður to the small town of Ólafsfjörður. It
seems like I'm the only one doing this trip today. At least there is noone else in the bus
going to Ólafsfjörður, and I don't see any other tourist in town.
But Lonely Planet is right. It's a cozy and nice little
place. Take a walk around the area for about 3 hours, before heading back - as the only
one - on the bus, to Akyreyri.This time the driver says hello - I am - so to say - a
regular customer.
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Thursday august 23'rd
Exit Akureyri. Bus to Myvatn, or more precisely the very
small town of Reykjahlið. Myvatn is a very active volcanic area, about an hours drive
from Akureyri. Check in at Guesthouse Elda
II. Here you also put your shoes in the hall.
At 1 pm its time for a 3-hour sightseeing-trip to the local
sights
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First it's Krafla. A very special area, where
there is a power-field taking advantage of the geothermical energy int the ground. There
is also a vulcanic crater called Viti (Hell !), with a nice lake at the bottom. Last
eruption around here was in 1984. From here to
Námafjall with bubbling mud-holes and steam rising from the ground. Very impressing to
watch - bus it smells like hell. The smell of sulphur is disgusting.
Then its on to Grjotagja and a hot spring. Earlier days you
could have a bath here, but after the last eruption things got a little too hot - that is
about 50 degrees celsius. Here you can actually see 2 parts of the world meeting
eachother. 2 geological plates meets here - that is the northamerican plate and the
european plate. The move about 2½ cm away from eachother every year. So that is how much
Iceland is growing each year. |
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Finally to Dimmuborgir (The dreamcastle), which is an area
with huge lava-formations. Some of the are many meters high. The awful guide on the tour
tells stupid stories of what they supposedly looks like.
At 4 we are back at Reykjahlið.
In the evening its dinner-time at "Gamli
Bærinn". A lovely fish-gratin with bread and salad - and coffee at the top.
That's about 20 us$ - which is cheap in this country - and it's lovely with something else
than the usual fastfood.
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Friday august 24'th
Dettifoss
Super Tour. Sounds promising. The trip goes to the nationalpark with the lovely name
of Jökulsárgljúfur. Leaving at 8.15 am. 7 people on the bus + driver + guide. First to
the 3 waterfalls of Selfoss, Dettifoss and Hagragillfoss. Dettifoss is supposed to be the
one in europe with most water falling down pr. second (I think). At least its very
powerfull. They are all placed in an almost moon-like area with huge stones and no plants
or flowers.
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On to Hljöðakletter (echo-cliffs) which are
remains of an old vulcanic crater. Very special basalt-formations around here. The guide
gives a long lecture about how the area was made - but I don't listen so I can't tell.
Here we spend a few hours. On to Ásbyrgi, a
canyon made by gletschers a long time ago. Its very impressive nature everywhere - and
best of all - there is time to watch - no getting back to the bus in 10 minuttes.
From there to the half-island of Tjörnes, where there are
supposed to be puffins. But they all left 2 weeks ago - so there is no puffins today. And
hardly any nature to watch as well - since it has started to rain, and it's pretty foggy.
Finally it's Husavik, before going back to Reykjahlið.
A lovely trip - that for once - lives up to it's name.
Dinner again at "Gamli Bærinn" together with Mr.
and Ms. Benvenuto from Milano that I met on the trip.
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| Saturday august 25'th Bad weather again. Cold, windy and rainy. Not much to do on a day like this.
I take af walk for the hot spring of Grjótagjá across the
lava-fields. There are strange holes in the earth here. If you throw a stone down there,
you never hear it hitting the bottom.
I have been considering to "climb" the 2.500 year
old volcano-crater of Hverfell, but the combination of the bad weather and my lazy mood
makes sure it doesn't happen.Instead I spend the rest of the day at "Gamli
Bærinn". |
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Sunday august 26'th
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This trip has reached its turningpoint. So I go back to Akureyri with the bus
from Myvatn at 8 am - stil raining cats and dogs out here.
In Akureyri I check in at Hotel Edda - again. I spend the day
taking a closet look on this town. There are some strange museums. No Louvre og British
Museum, but the icelanders take care about the past, so there are a few small museums
telling about it.
I see the Akureyri Folk Museum - and Nonnis house - the
former home of the writer Jón Sveinssons, who wrote the famous (?!) books about Nonni. |
Back to Reykjavik |