Re: Day 70 - Hofn - "Icebergs Ahoy" !

(Excuse the previous draft)

We had an 8.30 appointment for breakfast at my apartment but as H got little overnight sleep he thought he'd invite himself over at 7.50 and get an early start - I made a mental note to ensure that any future separate bookings are in rooms with double locks ! 

We left our high style Laurgavatyn apartments and took to the Icelandic circle route road (the main highway) that circumnavigates the island.

With fairly narrow roads, a speed limit of 90 km/hr and initial flat featureless scenery time seemed to go slowly until we stopped at the beautiful waterfalls that Iceland is famed for.

Seljalandsfoss had majesty and class while even allowing for a spray soaked walk behind the fall itself while  Skogadoss was sheer power with its melt running down from the Myrdralsjokul Glacier. Both waterfalls were a photographers dream.

Heading towards Vik the scenery started changing - while the road continued on its largely flat path along ancient sea beds the hills and escarpments took on a volcanic feel, jagged peaks, severe scree filled slopes & deposited boulders giving you a feel for an ancient time.

We passed the amazing moss covered lava fields from the 1783 Lavik explosion that sent tonnes of poisonous gasses around the world causing starvation in many parts of the globe and indirectly giving start to the French Revolution !

Further along the coast we reached the arms of the massive Vatnajokull glacier providing for spectacular close up views although an ominous memorial sign for two tourists who never returned suggested we should be a little bit careful !

With H passing in and out of consciousness we pulled in to the days highlight at Jokulsarkon with its floating chunks of glacier ice many working their way slowly out to sea.

With even H indicating he'd reached his wow factor limit for the day we drive on ti Hofn in the drizzle arriving at 7.39p.m. some 459 kms and 9 hours after leaving Laurgavatyn.

Enough memories for a lifetime !