Day 4, Part 2: EYVINDARÁ FARM, EGILSSTAÐIR to LAKE MÝVATN
The drive to Lake Mývatn was one in which we had cross what amounted to be a virtual no-man's (or woman's) land. We drove across a windswept plateau in which the swirling snow made it difficult to stay on the road. The gusts of wind coming across the plain were so powerful that they actually shook the truck! If we didn't pay very close attention, we could have veered of the road, and plowed into a snow drift or a plunged into a crevasse. If that had happened, we probably would still be there! Several times we wondered if we were going to right direction. The white surroundings, lack of road signs, and the vastness of the area in which we were, made for a disorienting experience. This wasn't the first time this happened to us Iceland but it was maybe the most disconcerting due to fact that we were essentially on our own if we got in trouble. This area was rugged and unpopulated. On the map, it showed a road and nothing else for miles and miles. But alas, we didn't have any real issues. We got off the plateau to find what in Iceland passes for a civilization...a sign and 3 houses. It was a relief none the less.
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| Closed! Maybe I can borrow this snow machine... |
We wanted to see the great waterfall Dettifoss and took a side road up along the Jökulsá á Fjöllum, Iceland's second longest river. Unfortunately, the road to the falls was closed due to the snow and ice. Again, traveling just below the Arctic Circle in early spring does not make for the greatest of road conditions. It was disappointing but not unexpected. You have to be flexible (which is one of the greatest keys to traveling in general, but ESPECAILLY went traveling with small children!). I won't lie, I did consider just driving around the sign to see if we could make it. I was dissuaded by the posted warnings that you would NOT be rescued if you got trapped out on a clearly closed road. I hadn't noticed that sign on the last couple off-road detours. Signs ruining our fun, I tell ya! I recommend watching this video for info on how to drive in Iceland. It may keep you from dying.
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| Hverir |
We eventually got to Lake Mývatn. We were greeted with a rotten, vial, smell. The sulfur from the steaming fumaroles at first had us thinking that our daughter was in her car seat farting up a storm! I think we even stopped to see if she needed a change. At that time we noticed the steam vents and realized that in fact it was the Earth who was stinking up the truck and not our kid...for once! We were at the Hverir geothermal field with bubbling mudpots and steaming vents. The vents and fumaroles were awesome. You could walk really close to them but you didn't want to get too close for fear of sulfur-dioxide poisoning or having your face melted off by the 500˚ steam. Needless to say, we didn't let our daughter run around...much.
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| Vogafjós Guesthouse |
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