- The Nordic Sojourn 2022 — start of trip
- Western Norway — Fjords, mountains, and a lot of rain!
- Longyearbyen, Svalbard, and start of the cruise
- Magdalenefjorden and Gravneset
- Texas Bar and…
- Arctic pack ice and polar bears — what a day!
- Ny London, Ny Alesund, and the massive glacier!
- Poolepynten and fin whales!
- Northeast Greenland National Park and Scoresby Sound
- Ittoqqortoormiit, Greenland
- Patreksfjordur, Iceland and the bird cliff
- Reykjavik and the start of our Icelandic sojourn
- The Golden Circle, Iceland
- Reykjanes Peninsula, Iceland
- Westman Islands, Iceland
- The South Coast and Waterfalls, Iceland
- Vatnajökull National Park — Svartifoss, Skaftafell and Glacier Lagoon Jokulsarlon, Iceland
- The East Fjords, Iceland
- Working our way north — canyons, wastelands, fumaroles, pseudo craters and lakes!
- The Diamond Circle
- Akureyri, a breakdown, and a detour
- VR Viking battle, Glaumbær, Icelandic horses, and back to Reykjavik
- Husafell
- Into the Volcano!
Today, we spent our time in the Husafell area, which is about a 1.5 hour drive from Reykjavik. The main reason to go was the Langjökull Ice Cave Experience. Basically, this means climbing the Langjökull glacier in a 20-ton truck that used to be a NATO mobile missile launcher to get up to world’s largest man-made ice tunnel called “Into the Glacier.” The tunnel is located 4134 feet above sea level and it splits into two ice caves that stretch 1640 feet deep into the ice cap. This sojourn was more or less doomed from the start. First, at the base camp, there weren’t any overshoes my size, so I was just going to go in my sneakers. Then they told us that there might be a problem in the tunnel, given the rains they had over the previous two days. Undeterred, we rode up the glacier in deteriorating conditions and by the time we got to the tunnel, it was snowing pretty good. Our guides went out to look in the tunnel and returned, announcing that there was water up to mid-calf in the transition area between the tunnel and caves. They said they had pumps working on it, but after about an hour there was negligible change. They then let us go down and look for ourselves. It was clear that the water was pouring in faster than the pumps could take it out. The choice was then made to return to base camp. So the bad news is that we never got to go in the caves; the good news is we got a free ride up the glacier and got to at least see into the ice caves.
To ease our disappointment, we made an unscheduled stop at Giljaböð, the Húsafell Canyon Baths. This is a hidden hot spring that is in a volcanic canyon with a couple of different pools and a changing room, nestled within a natural setting. Only 20 people can be there at any time and our guide worked a deal that allowed us to have the place to ourselves for about 45 minutes. It was pretty nice and definitely soothed our psyches!
Our last stop before heading back to Reykjavik was at two waterfalls — Barnafoss and Hraunfossar. The former is less a waterfall than a series of rapids that rush through the Hvitá River. It is know as the “Children’s Fall” due to an accident where two boys fell to their deaths from a bridge that crossed the falls. The latter, the sister to Barnafoss couldn’t be more different. While still part of the Hvitá River, this is a beautiful series of waterfalls that cascade about 50 feet from a lava field behind. The multiple small waterfalls almost look manmade, but they are totally natural.
That night, after dinner, we were wandering around downtown Reykjavik and found ourselves in front of the Lebowski Bar. And they were having movie trivia night that night. Of course we had to go in! After several rounds of trivia and a few Black Russians (I can’t stand White Russians!), we felt confident, but didn’t even place. We licked our wounds and went back to the hotel…
I am a traveler and sometimes clay sculptor, following a long career working in consulting. My work allowed me to travel the world extensively and I was hooked. Today, I travel with my wife/best friend to explore new places, meet new people, and learn new things.
