The Return

We popped up when the alarms went off at 4:00 am.  We dressed and closed the suitcases up.

To save weight we left a few things behind - the shower floor mat that Bob ordered just for this trip, my river/shower shoes, two cans of spray disinfectant, half a pack of wet wipes, and the uneaten foods that we bought.  The big suitcase ended up 5 pounds lighter on the return trip.

We left the keys in the room door as instructed and went to the elevator.  It was windy and raining out side, so I left Bob standing just inside the glass door with our suitcases.  It was important for someone to be inside because if the door closed, we would not be able to get back inside.

While I was waiting the wind snatched my ball cap off and I ran down the street after it!

I waited in the street and soon I saw a van coming down Armuli.  He pulled up in front of the guesthouse, opened the back door for the bags, and I got Bob and the suitcases out of the lobby.  We got into the van and he told us to sit in the back because the van was going  to be full that morning.

We drove around to 4 more hotels and picked up 5 more people.  Finally we pulled out on to the highway and headed out of Reykjavik and down the Reykjanes peninsula.  It was dark and raining and the wind was gusting.  Sitting in the back of the van over the back wheels you could feel every bump and every swerve of the van.  

It was a little scary.  I know he wasn't going faster than 90 kph (about 55 MPH), but the visibility wasn't good, the roads were wet, and the wind was really blowing.

He got us to Keflavik before 6:00 am.  We left him a 5 USD tip.  

Inside we requested assistance with moving Bob to the terminal gate.  I checked the bags at the Icelandair counter and had to pay $138 for the baggage.  Then an assistant came and pushed the wheel chair through the airport all the way to the gate.

Having an airport employee push the chair was very helpful because that person knows where all of the elevators are, and she knew how to cut in line for Border Control and Customs.  Then we had to run the gauntlet of the TSA checkpoint.  This is always a huge hassle.  Taking off shoes, putting everything into plastic bins for x-rays, walking through the metal detector, putting your shoes back on, putting everything away, and trying not to lose anything.  Ugghhhh!

Finally we were at the terminal.  The airport assistant left us at a cafe where we got breakfast.  Our gate was just 100 feet from there.  We had yogurt and an oatmeal cookie for breakfast.  Then we went downstairs so that Bob could use the restroom.  Eventually we ended up at the gate.

While waiting at Gate C12, a man dressed in slacks and jacket came up.  His name tag said "Georgj".  He asked to see Bob's boarding pass and passport.  He said that TSA selected Bob for additional screening.  So we had to go upstairs with him to a private room where Bob and his carryon were swabbed and tested for explosive residue.

We were allowed to return to the gate.  There is no seating at the gates at Keflavik, and soon a line began to form.  Bob wasn't the only person selected for additional screening.  Names were called and people were led away.

At 8:50 am they began boarding asking for those who needed additional time to board to come first.  We were led down a tunnel to a small lobby at ground level.  Low buses came to take the passengers out to the plane where they would climb stairs to the cabin.  For those people who would have trouble climbing stairs, they had a special device call the ambulift. 

The ambulift had a small cab that was mounted on a hydraulic arm.  It drove up to us and then the arm lifted the cab up and set it down on the tarmac flat.  We walked up to it, stepped onto the porch, and the stepped inside to sit down.  There were 8 seats inside.  We buckled up and the cab was lifted up onto the truck and we drove out to the plane.

When we reached the plane, the ambulift lifted up to match the height of the cabin floor and then drove forward until the porch was just touching the fuselage door.  We walked out of the ambulift and right onto the plane.

We were seated in 30B and 30C.  This flight was not full and nobody came to sit in 30A, the window seat, so we were able to spread out some.

Because it was still raining with blowing wind, I was a little concerned about the safety of our takeoff.  We taxied out to the end of the run way and ran the engines up.  As soon as the pilot released the brakes the Boeing 757 began to speed down the runway.  He pulled back and rotated the plane up and Flight B65635 lifted right into the sky!  We circled the airport and turned the plane south.

We crossed the south coast of the Reykjanes peninsula and then the pilot turned us on a more westerly course.  We crossed the southern tip of Greenland and from the air you could see mountains and glaciers in Greenland.

After crossing Greenland we crossed the Laborador Sea and then Canada.  Soon we were over Maine and beginning our descent into Boston.  The flight took about 4 hours and 20 minutes.

At Boston there was a chair waiting with a man to push it.  This would be a huge help to us.  At Boston we had to go to Border Control and show our passport, then we had to claim our baggage, go through Customs, then re-check our luggage, and pass through the TSA Security Point again.  Huge hassle.  Having someone who could take us around the busiest parts of the airport was a help.  

Even though I collected our bags, we were able to bypass Customs.  Still, I had to re-check the baggage and get new boarding passes printed.  Here is where something got me upset with Jetblue.  The counter was understaffed and a long line was forming.  I honestly do not think they knew what they were doing.  They insisted that I had to pay to check my bags again even though I paid to check the bags at Keflavik and they were checked all the way to Raleigh. I was pissed, but we did not have a lot of time to make noise about it at Boston - we had another flight to catch.

Even the airport employee thought that the agents at the Jetblue ticket counter didn't know what they were doing.  I said, "That's fine.  Jetblue is going to send me a customer satisfaction survey, and I will unload then.  The squeaky wheel gets the grease, right?"

He pushed the wheel chair all the way to Gate C12 and left us to wait until boarding.

For this leg of our trip, we would be on an Embraer E190, and we were assigned to Seats 7C and 7D.  The flight down to Raleigh was 90 minutes long.

At Raleigh we let everyone else off of the plane because Bob moves slowly.  When we got to the Jetway tunnel, a chair was waiting to take Bob off.  He said down and the agent took us to Baggage Claim and finally outside to Pre-Arranged Services - the lane where taxis, buses, Uber and Lyft can collect passengers.

Bob summoned a Lyft ride and it came in about 16 minutes.  We were efficiently taken home where we immediately began to unpack, put things away, and start our laundry.  We were both beat from the long day and the 4-hour time zone difference made the day even longer.

I went out to Sultan Deli and brought back chicken kabobs with salad for dinner.  This was an exciting and challenging trip for us!

Days 11 and 12

Around 12:00 pm we went out of the guesthouse and slowly, carefully walked to the COVID-19 Testing Site.  The testing facility is about 1000 feet from our guesthouse and Bob was able to walk over there and back.

We went inside and the lady at the desk scanned our bar codes off of our phones.  She called our names out to us and we confirmed our identities.  Then we were shown to the back where another lady took the sample with a very long nasal swab.  It was not pleasant.

Then we left and walked back to our room.  We got our results shortly after we returned to our room and we both tested NEGATIVE for COVID-19.  So, there, another hurdle crossed.

On Sunday it began to rain, lightly at first, and then heavier.  The wind began to pick up too.  I walked to Subway and brought back sandwiches and drinks for our lunch.  We ate in the room and then hung around and napped in the room.

Around 5:00 pm we dressed and put on our jackets.  We walked over to Ginger, a nice health-conscious restaurant on the other side of the block from the guesthouse.  I had the Spicy Chile Chicken with salad and Bob had Chicken Soup.  After that we carefully walked back to the guesthouse and began to pack our suitcases.

We took showers and laid out the clothes we would wear for traveling home.

At 8:00 pm we went to bed so that we could get enough rest.  We set the alarm for 4:00 am.

Day 10

This morning the alarm on the cellphone sounded at 6:00 am.  I dressed and left to drive the car back to Hertz Car Rental.   Finding the car rental in the dark was not as easy as finding it in the daylight.  I drove around carefully so that I would not get lost.  Eventually I pulled over, got the GPS out and plugged it in and began following its directions, but soon it led me right back to the closed street with construction going on.  I turned it off and went back out to the Miklabraut and went the way I had gone before.  In the dark I caught sight of the Flugvollervegur street sign, but the middle of the road was blocked off and I could not make a U-turn!  Arrgghh!

So I made a left on Miklabraut and went around again.  Third time is the charm.  This time I noticed the Iceland Travel sign on the building across the road from Flugvollervegur and made the right turn.  It took me 50 minutes to get the car back to Hertz!  There was a hole drilled in the wall of the office with a sign that said to leave keys here.  So I pushed the keys through the hole and heard them drop.  Then I began the walk back to the guesthouse.

I am glad it was not raining because I was already getting warm in my jacket.  I was really stepping out.  I was back at the Smoky Bay in 30 minutes.  Bob ate some skyr and some blueberries for breakfast.

Later I walked down to Subway and brought sandwiches back to the room for lunch.

This evening we went to the common bathroom and we took showers.  We plan to shower again on Sunday.

Tomorrow we are walking over to the COVID testing site to get our Rapid Antigen Test that is required for the return flight to America.  That's the big thing we have to do.  I will probably walk down to Bonus to get a few more things for us to eat as well.

Day 9

We were both up around 5:30 am this morning.  We spent time web surfing on our phones for a while, then we got dressed and ready to head out around 9:00 am.  The first stop was Braud & Co, a bakery,
where we got cinnamon rolls.  Then we went downtown to sightsee some more.

We went to the harbor and took some pictures.  Then we parked the car in a free parking lot and went to The Saga Museum.  This museum details 17 Icelandic sagas with very realistic latex mannequins and recreated tools and weapons.  The tour is self-guided and the audience listens to a narration with headphones.

Before COVID-19 you could dress up as a viking and take pictures, but we were not allowed to do that.  We still handled some of the helmets, shields, and swords.

After we left The Saga Museum, we drove around.  I popped into the National Museum gift shop to get a t-shirt, and then we drove around some more.  We went to a salad restaurant for lunch.  Bob got a wrap and I got a cobb salad.  Next we stopped at Domino's Pizza and got two medium pizzas.  We will eat these cold later.

Finally we returned to our room where Bob laid down and took a nap.

Tomorrow morning I have to return the car to Hertz Car Rental along with the GPS and the Iceland Travel tablet computer.  I will walk back to the room from the car rental.

Day 8

We went down to breakfast at 7:00 am and then returned to the room to rest.  I gathered all of our belongings up and carried them down to the car.

Checkout is at 11:00 am, but we left at 10:30.  

We drove down to the Icelandic Phallological Museum and parked in a basement garage.  The museum is in the basement of a 6 story building with only small signs at the street alerting you to its presence.  We spent about 45 minutes viewing the exhibits and on the way out we got t-shirts in the gift shop.

From here we walked to the Baejarins Betzu Pylsar famous hot dog stand.  There was already a line formed, but it moved quickly.  I ordered three hot dogs with everything and two Cokes.  While waiting in line, a seagull came down to one of the tables.  He knocked a hot dog onto the ground and flew off with the dog!  Then small birds came up and began eating the bacon and onions!

Bob sat on a bench across the street and I carried the hotdogs and drinks to him.  The hotdog was good.  Especially if you are cold and hungry.  It came with mustard and a sweet brown sauce.  It had bacon and fried onions under the wiener and raw onions on top.  Check that box off and let's go!

We parked and visited a few gift shops.  We got some Icelandic nesting dolls and a fridge magnet.

It was around 2:00 pm now so we headed out toward Smoky Bay Guesthouse.  We stopped to checkout the clinic where the COVID-19 testing is done, then we turned out of there and went to Bonus grocery to get more foods for the room.

At 2:30 pm we checked into Smoky Bay Guesthouse.  As I was bringing the luggage inside other guests would walk up and ask me how to get into the building or where the reception desk was.  They were as baffled as we were yesterday.

At checkin I was given the room key and the password for the WiFi.  The room key opens the door to the room and it unlocks and opens the motorized sliding glass front door.

We have the car for one more day, so we are going to take in a museum tomorrow and maybe something else that does not cost.  Perhaps a light lunch of salads or wraps.

On Friday I have to take the car back to Hertz.  I will drive it over at 7:00 am, park it and leave the GPS and the Iceland Travel tablet computer in the car.  I will drop the keys in the drop box.  Then I will have to walk back to the guesthouse - about 3.5 miles.

On Saturday we will walk over to the clinic and get our COVID-19 Rapid Antigen Tests done and wait for the results so that we can have a printed document.

On Sunday we will repack our luggage and set an alarm so that we can be up and on the street at 4:30 am Monday morning to catch our ride to Keflavik for the trip home.  It will be good to be able to sleep in our own bed.

Day 7

We went down for breakfast at Hotel Klettur around 8:00 am.  The dining room was very busy!  

After breakfast Bob waited for me in the lobby while I returned to the room to pick up our jackets and the bag of dirty laundry.  We got into the Suzuki and headed to Udafoss Drop-Off Laundry at Vitastigur 13.  I had to park up the block and carry the laundry in.  The attendent lifted it and said that he felt like it would be the minimum charge.  He gave me a laundry ticket to claim the cleaned, dried, and folded clothes in the afternoon.

Next we went out for sightseeing.  We drove up the hill and parked in the parking lot of a technical school right next to Hallgrimskirkja church.  We walked over and took pictures of the church and the statue of Leif Erikson, Norse Viking explorer and son of Eric the Red.

After this we decided to find the Rainbow Street.  The street it is on is called Skólavörðustígur,  The street runs from Hallgrimskirkja down to Laugavegur and we drove down until the street was blocked as a pedestrian area.  We turned left and pulled into a parking garage.  I paid for 16 minutes of parking at an electronic kiosk, and we walked over to the famed street to take our pictures.

Next we went down to the waterfront and found the Sun Voyager sculpture on Saebraut.  We had to wait for a tour bus to load and pull out, and then we went up and took our pictures.  We had been fairly lucky with the weather - no rain and partly sunny.

Bob did not feel very well so we returned to our room to rest.

In the afternoon we went back out to collect our laundry.  Then we went to a fish and chips restaurant a few blocks away for a hot dinner.

After dinner we drove out to Armuli 34 to find the Smoky Bay Guesthouse.  I parked behind the building and went to find the innkeeper.

I went to the first shop in the building, a baby clothes store, and asked the clerk about Smoky Bay Guesthouse.  She said it was 2 doors down.  I went out and went to the next door, a luggage shop, and the owner said that it was next door.  He walked out and showed me.  He said you needed a code to get inside and he did not know how. 

So, I rang the Ring camera door bell several times, but nobody came to the locked doors.  Soon another guy walked up with a backpack.  I asked him if he was staying here and he said he was, but he had not checked in yet.  After a few minutes he picked up his cellphone and called the phone number provided.  A man told him how to open the front door, and directed him to go upstairs and knock on Room 13.  This seemed a little shady.

We went up.  He knocked.  A short Indian girl answered and took his name.  She had him point his name out on her list, and then she took his credit card on a portable POS reader/printer.  She led him upstairs to his room.

When she came back down I told her that I was checking in tomorrow, but I had some questions like where to park, check-in time, etc.  She said we could check-in after 3:00 pm, and we could park behind the building.  She said that she already had our payment and that we would be staying right across the hall in Room 12.

I went back down and returned to the car.  I apologized to Bob for being gone so long, and I explained everything to him.  I hope this turns out okay.  Bob picked it based on price only.  Many of the reviews for it were not good.

About a block away from the Smoky Bay is the COVID-19 Testing Site that we will walk to when we get our rapid antigen tests for the return home.  There is a Bonus grocery store about 3 blocks away, and there is a KFC and a Subway about 3 blocks away.  We just need a place to warehouse ourselves until our flight.

On Friday morning I take the car back to Hertz.  After dropping it off, I will have to walk back to the guesthouse.  Google Maps estimates it as a 45 minute walk.

Day 6

This morning we got up and packed our belongings up at Hotel Tindastoll and then we walked over to the main building and down into the basement for breakfast.  These buildings are very old.  The basement walls are smooth river rock cemented in place.  

The breakfast was the usual assortment of sliced breads, sliced fruit, sliced ham, sliced cheese, dry cereals, milk juice, etc.  We both ate sliced ham and sliced cheese with a couple of thin slices of watermelon.  We had some bread and butter.  Bob had a glass of water, and I had a glass of orange juice.  I also had a bowl of cereal in milk.

After breakfast we loaded the car and handed in the room key.

We drove out of Saudarkrokur and headed over to Hofsos just across the fjord.  Hofsos is a small town of about 200 people.  The little-known gem in Hofsos is the public bath/pool.  It is beautiful!  Built in 2010 and sited in the hillside right next to the fjord.  

We arrived about 10 minutes before it opened.  I got out of the car and walked to the end of the parking lot and down the hill to check out the basalt columns right on the side of the fjord.  The wind was really blowing and I just knew Bob would not like the cold wind!

Finally the facility opened and we started down the ramp to go into the changing rooms.  Bob walks slowly.  By the time we got to the front door, an old woman, and two German couples had already gotten inside.

We paid about $10 each and rented towels.  Then we went to the men's dressing room.  It would be wrong to call it a "locker room" - there were only very small lockers for your wallet, cellphone, etc.  You can either leave you clothes hanging on hooks and your shoes on a shelf, or you can pack your clothes into a basket and them them outside with you.

You are required by law to shower without your bathing suit on before you enter the pool.  So we showered and then dressed in trunks and thin shirts.  

It was a cold stiff wind outside and Bob made a beeline to the heated tub that has 38 C water.  It felt good!  I took some pictures and then began taking some selfies.  That is when the phone fell off of the selfie stick and into the hot tub!  I quickly retrieved it and tore the leather cover off of it to get everything dried.  The selfie stick did not survive.  

I went into the main pool - a large olympic size pool with an infinity feature at the back of it.  It almost
looks as if you were swimming in the fjord.  The views from the pool and tub are phenomenal.  I could have stayed here all day, but we got out after about 90 minutes to begin our drive back to Reykjavik.

We went out of town on Highway 75 and drove all the way down to Highway 1 and continued west and south for about 4 hours to Reykjavik.  We drove through a 5.5 kilometer tunnel under a fjord that saved about 40 kilometers of driving!

When we reached Reykjavik we went to the Hertz Car Rental lot in downtown Reykjavik to extend our lease on the Suzuki for three days.  They charged me about $240 for the three days and I will drop the car off on Friday along with the GPS and the Iceland Travel tablet computer.

Now we are back at Hotel Klettur.  I got a few things for us to eat from Bonus.  We are going to try to get laundry washed, dried and folded tomorrow at a drop-off service and do some sight-seeing.

On Wednesday we will checkout of Hotel Kleetur and checkin to Smoky Bay Guesthouse that afternoon.  Having the car for that transfer will be a huge help to us.

Day 5

We got up around 6:30 and began packing the car for the day of travel.  Shortly after 7:30 we drove the
car over to the reception and had breakfast in the dining room.  We had sliced ham, homemade bread, brown and moist geysir bread, apple wedges, orange juice, and cereal.  This was the first place we had eaten that did not water down thee orange juice!

Right after breakfast we checked out and hit the road.

We drove around the north shore of Lake Myvatn.  When we got to the east side of the lake and turn onto Highway 1, traffic was backed up.  A farmer was moving a huge herd of sheep across the highway, and bunches of urban tourists, who apparently have never seen sheep, were all out of their cars snapping pictures.

Soon we were on our way again.  Our first stop for the day was Dettifoss Waterfall.  We turned onto the road to the west side parking.  It was about 10 miles down the road through a Martian landscape that is so dry you cannot believe the most powerful waterfall in Europe is back there.

I am going to just say this - the walk to Dettifoss is not recommended for the disabled.  It is a 1 kilometer walk on a trail littered with rocks and boulders.  Bob had a difficult time navigating safely through all of the obstacles.

We slowly went back to the waterfall.  I held Bob's hand the whole way.  The sun was out, but the winds were blustering continuously.  It reminded us of being outside in Clark, Wyoming in the winter.

It took between 30 and 45 minutes for us to reach the cliffside observation area.  We took selfies here.  To the north we could see a steel observation deck with a steel walkway and handrail leading off to the west.  We decided to go over there and see if it went to another parking lot because it could have been much easier for Bob to walk out that way.

We probably took another 30 minutes to pick our way through the minefield of rocks to get to the stairs and up onto the steel deck.  The walkway was a cruel joke - it went west for about 100 feet and then was blocked off.  It was not finished.  I felt so bad.  The only way back to the car was the way we came.

So we slowly returned to the car.  It took over an hour.  We stopped three times to take breaks.  I was sweaty and wet under my jacket.  Bob's legs were very tired because this was a lot more walking than he is used to and the walk was full of obstacles.

The iPhone Health app said that we walked 2.5 miles in and out.

It was nice to be back in the car and out of the wind.  We headed out of Dettifoss and turned right to continue north.  We drove to the end of the road and turned left on Highway 85.  This took us northwest and up to the Arctic Ocean coast.  The highway runs along cliffs above the ocean and the views in the distance were beautiful.

We really lucked out again because the weather was sunny.

After another hour we drove into Husavik, a small village that runs whale watching tours on boats.  There is also a seafood packing business and a plywood factory here.  We had our hearts set on eating at Fish and Chips right on the waterfront here, but because today is Sunday, the restaurant was closed.

We fueled the car at N1 and there was a convenience store offering food, so we had to settle for gas station fish and chips.  It was edible, but I am sure Fish and Chips would have been much better.  The poor gas station was overrun with people because a tour bus had disgorged all of its passengers in there.  I was sure to wear my mask.

After lunch we got back on the road and drove Highway 85 down to Highway 1, turned right and continued west to Akureyri.

There is a big mountain next to the fjord on the way into Akureyri.  You can drive up the mountain over a road full of switchbacks, or you can the tunnel through the mountain.  The tunnel is about 7 miles long and you have to pay a toll.  The toll must be paid within 3 hours of passing through the tunnel or the car rental agency will be billed for the toll.

You have to pay the toll on a website (http://tunnel.is).  We pulled into the N1 gas station on the Akureyri side of the fjord and using WiFi there, logged into the website.  We put in the license plate number for the car, and paid the 1200 ISK toll with a credit card.

We drove through Akureyri and continued on Highway 1 through a beautiful mountain valley.  We turned off on Highway 75 to go to Saudarkrokur, a small town on the Arctic coast where a hotel room was reserved for us for the night.

On the way up Highway 75 we passed a small village of sod houses that is part of a museum.  We turned in and took a couple of pictures and then continued north up the highway.

At Saudarkrokur we had no trouble finding the small hotel and we were easily checked in.  Our room is in the front of the building and we can see the fjord from our windows.  If there is an aurora tonight, and if the clouds blow away, we will be able to see it from our bed!

I asked for directions to the one small grocery in town and brought back some drinks, canned food, and more fruit for us to make a small dinner from.  

Now we are ready for showers and sleep.  This was a very tiring day!

Day 4

This morning we dressed and stepped out of Room 104 and into the dining room at The Milk Factory. 

A breakfast buffet of breads, sliced cheeses, sliced meats, cereals, sliced melon, sliced oranges, cut bananas, coffee, and juice were prepared and being maintained by a tall blonde lady.

We ate a hearty breakfast and then checked out.  I loaded the bags into the car and started it up.  The blue coolant light came on again.  I popped the hood and checked, but the reservoir was still full.  After a few minutes the light goes out.  I think it comes on blue when the coolant is cold and it comes on red if the coolant is too hot.

Headed out of Hofn and turned onto Highway 1 - The Ring Road, going north from Hofn.  There was so low cloud and the top of Vestrahorn was in the clouds.  There were lovely views of the Norwegian Sea as we drove along the coast.

We stopped a couple of times at small pull outs to take pictures.  During one stop, Bob spotted whales slowly swimming south in the water about 1000 feet off shore.

While planning the drive for the day, I came across two "shortcuts".  The first one took you across 20 miles of gravel roads for less distance.  The second one was paved except for about 4 miles unpaved gravel going up a switchbacking mountain, and it only saves 4 minutes.  So, we decided to continue following Highway 1 the whole way.

We drove through a tunnel that was 5.5 kilometers long boring through a mountain and headed inland to Egilstadir, a town of about 2000 people.  We stopped and filled the gas tank at Orkan.  Here there was a restaurant that had a Big Boy statue out front.  Amazing, the things you find that remind you home!

We crossed the bridge over the long lake and headed into the northern interior.  We kept a watch for the Rjúkandi waterfall. which would appear on the right  After the waterfall we closely watched the left side of the road for the turn off to Studlagil Canyon.

I was not sure I was going to try to see Studlagil Canyon.  It is 15 km back down a gravel road.  If the weather were rainy, or if the car was not running well, or if we did not feel good, I was going to skip it.  But everything lined up, and I know that I am not coming back to Iceland, so I decided to go for it!

It took over 30 minutes to drive way back on the washboard roads.  When we got there, there was a parking lot with toilets.  We parked and headed to the observation deck.  The observation deck is accessed via steel stairs installed along the hillside and cliff face.  There are 16 flights of stairs.  Bob made it all the way down.  Slowly and carefully, but he made it!

We took pictures from just above the canyon and then began the climb back up.  Bob made it.  We stopped a couple of times to rest.  Then we started the car and headed back out to the highway.  The detour to Studlagil probably cost us 90 minutes of time.

The trip to the Myvatn area is very long and monotonous through very old lava fields.  

As we came into the Myvatn area there were some trucks and trailers parked right on the highway.  Men on horses were herding sheep into a small area at the intersection of Highway 1 and the road to Krafla Geothermal Power Station.

We decided to pass on the Myvatn Nature Baths and headed right to Guesthouse Stong.  This is west of Lake Myvatn and about 3 miles down a dirt road on a family farm.  The farm has 22 rooms and 3 cottages for guests.  The room is clean and nice!  The views are awesome from our windows.  The buildings and the two hot tubs are all heated with geothermal heated water from a 2000-foot-deep borehole.  They get 3-liters of 60 C water out of the borehole every second!

Tonite we intend to visit the hot tub and watch for the aurora borealis, northern lights.  They are very fickle, and the sky is partly cloudy right now, but who knows?

Day 3

We got up around 6:45 and dressed.  I took a few things out to the car early.  Then we went to the
dining room for the complimentary breakfast.

We had slices of melon and pineapple, scrambled eggs, bacon, and bread with butter and jam.  We both drain water infused with lime.

Around 8:00 am we had checked out and had loaded the little car.  When I started it I noticed the blue water symbol with a thermometer in it lit up on the dash - low coolant alarm.  I checked the reservoir under the hood and indeed, it was low.

We bought gasoline and asked the attendant about antifreeze, or even just a hose to fill it back up.  He didn't have anything, but he recommended a mechanic 2500 meters down the road.  We went in and explained what was happening.  The mechanic loaned me a pouring pitcher of water and antifreeze mixture and I added about 2 liters to the reservoir.  I thanked him gratefully and we drove out.

We went back to the west first and around the mountain in an attempt to visit the black sand beach a Reynisfjara, but when we got back there it was raining hard.  Many people were still walking out to the beach in the rain, but we didn't want to do that.  We drove back to the highway and started going east.

It rained for the first 30 to 45 minutes driving, but it started to let up.  It was very gray and overcast and drove in an out of medium fog.

Much of this stretch of highway was vacant - no people at all, just some sheep.  The landscape resembled the flat plains near Clark, WY, with a mountain front on one side.  The land is covered with old lava rock covered in moss and lichens.

After about an hour and a half we began to approach some beautiful blue glaciers streaming down the mountainside.  We stopped at a picnic table and took some pictures of Skaftafell Glacier.  We continued around the mountains with beautiful views of rock formations and glaciers.

Soon the sun began to come out and everything got much brighter and much more cheerful.  The glaciers were so bright with the sun shining on them!  The glaciers were blue with white snow on top of them.

About 45 minutes to an hour later we crossed a one-lane suspension bridge and pulled into Jokullsarlon Glacier Lagoon.  We parked the car and I paid a visit to the restroom.  Then I asked an attendant how much it would cost for two of us to ride a Zodiac boat on a lagoon tour.  It cost about $100 per person, but they were booked full.  I thanked her, relieved that I would not have to make an excuse for not wanting to fork over that much money.

We took a few selfies at the lagoon.  The sun was out and everything was well lit.  There was a large number of people gathered here. We stayed here for about an hour, then we drove across the highway to Diamond Beach.

The ice bergs in the lagoon calve off of the Vatnajokull Glacier - the largest glacier in Europe!

After snacking on apples, we got out and walked up to the black sand beach.  Glacier ice that flows into the Atlantic is washed back ashore here.  I ran down and picked up a medium sized chunk and had Bob hold it while I took pictures.  There was some thin fog blowing in from the ocean here too.

Because Bob walks so slowly to and from the beach over rocks and sand, we probably spent an hour here too.

When I started the car up, the coolant light came on again, but it quickly went away.  I checked under the hood and the reservoir was still full.  It must be a faulty sensor.

We drove out of Jokulsarlon on Highway 1, The Ring Road, going east to Hofn.

At Hofn we had accomodations at The Milk Factory.  This is an old dairy that was converted into a guesthouse with 16 rooms.  It is very nice!  From our window in Room 104 we can see Vatnajokull Glacier and Vestrahorn Mountain!

We got a hamburger with fries for dinner and I went to Netto Grocery store to get a few more fruits and crackers for us to snack on.

We are back in the room now planning tomorrow's events and getting cleaned up.  I am sure we will sleep well tonite!

Day 2

This morning we got up around 6:30 and dressed.  I packed our electronics and other items from the
room, and then we went downstairs for the complimentary breakfast buffet.  The breakfast is served in a room in the basement at Hotel Klettur.  There was a salad bar with sliced lunch meat, sliced cheese, melon, hard boiled eggs, and cottage cheese.  There was a table with cereals and milk.  There was another table with breads, cookies, crackers, small croissants butter, jam, and a toaster.  There was a machine dispensing orange juice and apple juice.  There was a coffee machine.

I had sliced lunch meat, sliced cheese, two shelled hard boiled eggs, and a couple of croissants.  Then I had a bowl of cornflakes in milk.  I had a small glass of the watered-down orange juice.  Bob had lunch meat, cheese, and eggs with a glass of water.

After breakfast I brought the bags down to the lobby and checked out.  Then we loaded everything in to the car and got started.

The GPS did not recognize the name of Thingveillir National Park, so I tried to wing it.  After a few false starts, I got the car out onto the highway, but the roads are not marked very well.  We ended up passing our turn onto Highway 1 - The Ring Road, and found ourselves headed south toward Keflavik.

I an idea - instead of putting the park or site into the GPS, let's put the next town into the GPS and let her give us directions to that instead.  It worked.  Finally we were on our way out of town and headed in the right direction!

It was trying to rain as we headed toward the Thingveillir Park.  We drove down a paved two lane road at about 70 kph.  We turned into the park when we got there and drove up to the visitors' center.  They had pay parking here.  I could not think of a good reason to stop here and go inside, so we drove back out and continued up Highway 35 toward Geysir.

On the way we pulled into an N1 gas station to refuel.  I put 7 liters in the car and the total was 3600 ISK (about $28.00).  Yes, Iceland is a pricey country!

Geysir is a thermal feature on the Golden Circle.  It is the geyser that all others are named after.  We could see the vapor from the thermal features from a distance.  At Geysir, there is a visitor center and gift shop.  We went inside first and browsed the expensive woolen goods and other gifts.  We got a fridge magnet, a small book, and a small viking long boat model.

We went across the highway and (slowly) walked back to the geysers.  We stood waiting for about 10 minutes and then got a selfie while Strokkur erupted behind us!  

Then we returned to the car and continued up Highway 35 to Gulfoss waterfall.

When we got to Gulfoss we turned into the first parking lot and drove up to the front to park in the handicapped parking space.  It was a short walk to the overlook.  We took 6 or 7 selfies here with the two-tiered waterfall behind us.

We returned to the car and drove up to the road.  I turned left and went up to the second parking lot.  We had noticed a lot of people up on top of the cliff and could not understand why they all climbed the stairs to go up there.  Plus there were more people there than there were cars in the (first) parking lot for.  Now it was revealed to us that the Visitors' Center was up there!  We drove through and drove back out.  There were tour busses disgorging tourists into the place.

Back onto Highway 35, we now headed down into Reyholt to find Fridheimar, the restaurant I made reservations for lunch at.  We were making such good time, we got there at about noon.  My reservation was for 2:00 pm, so we had some time.  We drove back to the highway and went south.

We went south to the Kerid Crater.  Parking was free at Kerid Crater, but they charged 400 ISK ($3.15) entry fee for each of us.  We went in and climbed a short hill to look down into the crater at the blue water that filled the crater from the water table.  It was trying to rain.  We took a few selfies, but we were not going to hike around the crater rim or descend into the crater like many others.

So, we  returned to the car and drove back to Fridheimar.  We went in around 1:10 pm and announced that we had a reservation.  The hostess told us there would be a wait of a few minutes for the table.  So we explored the facility.

Fridheimar is a restaurant located inside a greenhouse that grows tomatoes, basil, lettuce, and cucumbers.  There are bees housed in cardboard hives that pollenate the tomato plants.   The house specialties at Fridheimar are all tomato-based foods.

They made a table ready for us early and we sat down.  We both opted to have the tomato soup and bread buffet.  I also had a "Happy Mary" Bloody Mary cocktail.  The soup was nothing special, not a cream-based tomato soup, just like a thick tomato juice.  The bread and butter were very good.  The bill came to 6800 ISK (about $54.00).  Not a great value.

We drove out of Fridheimar and headed down to the South Coast.  We joined Highway 1 - The Ring Road and turned southeast.  The speeds were 70 to 90 kph on this road.  It is a major road in Iceland, but it is only two lanes.

We saw Seljalandsfoss waterfall from the highway, but opted to pass it by because of time constraints.  However, when we got to Skogafoss, we turned off and drove back to see it.  We carefully walked down to the rocky river bank and took several selfies and a video at the waterfall.  Then we returned to the car and continued driving counter-clockwise on The Ring Road.

As we neared Vik, we saw the turn off to Dyrholaey Promontory and we took it.  We drove way back through horse farms to the site and then we drove up a switchbacking gravel road up to a parking lot over 300 feet up on a rocky bluff looking over the North Atlantic.

There is a small lighthouse here and we got out to take pictures.  The sky was still overcast but there was no rain.  We had views for miles up and down the black sand beaches from up here.  The Dyholaey rock arch formations were even better than I had seen in pictures!  We took lots of pictures and then returned to the car.  We drove down and headed into Vik.

At Vik we (eventually) found Hotel Vik and got checked in.  We had dinner in the hotel restaurant.  I would have been content to get a hot dog from the gas station across the road, but Bob wanted to eat in the restaurant on-site.  I had a Moscow Mule with a shrimp salad.  Bob drank water.  We both had the Arctic Char for our main course.  There was bread and butter.  The bill came to 12000 ISK (about $94.00).  No doubt this will be the most expensive vacation I have taken.

Now we have showered and we are planning our activities for tomorrow.

Long Day On Vacation

We got up at 6:30 to begin our vacation.  We were already packed and the itinerary had been planned
for weeks.  I made a breakfast of eggs and sausage.  After breakfast I took the trash and recycling out.  I watered the plants thoroughly since we would be gone for a couple of weeks.

Next I showered and dressed.  After Bob was dressed I closed the suitcases and carried them downstairs.  Bob called for a Lyft rideshare to pick us up and take us to the airport.

We have our large suitcase, the small suitcase, a backpack, and a messenger bag.  We are checking the two suitcases, and taking the other two as carry-ons.

At 11:30 am, our rideshare driver, Azziz, showed up in a gray Chevy Tahoe.  He is 68-years-old.  I loaded the bags into the back and he drove us to RDU International Airport, Terminal 2.

We (slowly) walked to the north end of the terminal to the JetBlue counter to check our bags and have boarding passes printed.  We found out that our flight to Boston had been delayed because the airline was moving some workers from Orlando to Raleigh to handle cabin cleaning and luggage handling.  The attendant wanted to see our passports, our COVID-19 vaccination cards, our negative COVID test results, and the barcode for the Iceland COVID Pre-Registration Form.

Next we had to deal with the TSA.  Uggh!   Poor Bob - he shuffles and moves so slowly!  The TSA checkpoint is a gauntlet of plastic bins and x-ray machines that you and your belongings must pass through to proceed to the flight.  Because Bob appeared unstable, they sent him for a pat-down and nobody even touched him!  

On the other side, flabbergasted, I hurriedly put the passports and other papers away again.  Then we pulled our shoes back on.

Our flight was departing from Gate C10, about half-way down the terminal.  This leg of the flight was a 2-hour trip on an Embraer 190 to Boston.  We were in seats 7A and 7B.  I really like travelling with JetBlue because they have more legroom in their passenger cabin and the seats are comfortable.

We took off around 2:55 pm and we were in Boston at 4:55 pm.  We arrived at Terminal C, but our Icelandair flight was departing from Terminal E.  The terminals are next to each other, but it was still a half mile walk and it took Bob about an hour.

We had a four-hour-long layover in Boston, so there was plenty of time to get to the terminal.  It was deserted when we got there, but it slowly filled up.  I got a bag of pretzels and two drinks from the convenience store and that cost $12!  Airport food!

The plane came in from Keflavik about 10 minutes early.  They had to get the people off, unload the luggage, service it, fuel it, and get it boarded again in two hours.

We flew out of Boston at 8:55 pm.  The flight was four hours, but it seemed like an eternity.  The cabin was hot.  The seats were small and painfully hard.  There was too much noise in the cabin to sleep.

Touched down at Keflavik, Iceland at 5:10 am (local time) and went to Border Control.  They stamped our passports and directed us to Baggage Reclaim.  No kidding, it was another half-mile walk in the terminal (750 meters) and there were no people movers.

After we collected our bags we headed to Customs.  We had nothing to declare, so we headed to the health screening where they scanned our COVID Pre-Screening Form, checked our negative COVID test results, checked our vaccine cards, and our passports.  

Once we were past that point we were free!

We walked over to the Hertz Car Rental counter and gave my name.  They had a car reserved for us with a satellite GPS and a tablet computer with information about our tours and itinerary.

First we had to go to the restroom, so back into the airport, pushing all of this luggage.  The restrooms were downstairs in the basement.  Fortunately I found an elevator down there.

After we took care of that we went outside.  I left Bob to watch our belongings while I retrieved the car from the parking lot.  It is a Suzuki Swift 5-door.  It is white.  It has a manual transmission.  Driving a standard is like riding a bike - if you did it for years, it comes right back to you. 

It took me a few minutes to figure out how to get the car up close to where I left Bob.  I had to enter a pay parking lot, park in the handicapped space, load all of the bags, load Bob, and get out of there.  We were there for such a short time that we were not charged.

We headed over to Njardvik to visit Viking World.  I made several wrong turns before we found it.  One reason I was making wrong turns was because the GPS was not working.  We took the tablet computer out and used Google Maps on it to find our way.

Alas, Viking World is open from 10 am to 4 pm.  It was 7 am.  So we left in search of the Bridge Between Two Continents.  We headed south along the coast of the Reykjanes peninsula and after about 20 minutes we came to it.

We drove into the parking lot and parked,  I unpacked our jackets, and we walked the short asphalt path to the bridge that spans the gap left by the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  We took pictures.  Then we headed back to the car.  It was downhill going back to the car.  We were both cold when we got back in and started the car.

After the Bridge Between Continents, we continued along the coast to Grindavik.  We passed through Grindavik and continued east.  We passed the two parking lots for people hiking in to see the active volcano, Fagradsfjall.  We saw steam and smoke, but not even any lava.  Local authorities are planning to close the highway when the lava reaches the roadway.

We turned onto Route 42 and went northwest searching for the Lava Cave.  We found it down at the end of a long unpaved road.  As it turns out you have to have a guide to enter the cave, and we didn't have one.  There is a parking lot at the end of the road and there is path to the cave entrance marked with string and tape.

We returned to Highway 42 and continued toward Reykjavik.  On the way there we saw a Hertz dealer, so we pulled in to trade the GPS for one that would work.  As it turns out, we were given a charging cord for a camera!  One of the guys went inside and found the correct charging cord for the GPS, and now it works.

Back on the highway we continued toward Reykjavik.  I had to be careful to keep my speed down.

Soon I became falsely confident that I knew where I was and began driving the back streets.  Then we became truly lost.  We had to pull over and set up the GPS with her curt British accent and ask her for directions to Hotel Kletter.

The GPS knew its way around the city and it knew how to pronounce the un-pronounceable street names.  We were at Hotel Kletter around noon.  Check-in is at 3:00 pm, but our room was ready, so the front desk gave us the key and let us go to the room.

I carried all the bags up to the room and sorted everything out.  Then I walked over to Bonus Supermarket and got some foods for us to bring with us in the car.

Now we are showering and getting ready to sleep.  It's only 2:04 pm, but jetlag is a bitch.