Day 3: Searching for Puffins

There was quite a bit of rain again overnight but for our morning jog we followed a nice, well-drained gravel road up some long, winding hilly-mountain-plateau thing. 

Not sure what Hamragarðaheiði is, but we went up it.

The road continued for several steep miles then we turned around before reaching the top.  I wish we found out what was up there!  No threat of rain that morning, though I wish there were at least some trees to block the sun and give a little visual contrast to the environs.  The blame for the lack of trees in the country is placed on the Vikings, and sheep have prevented any regrowth. 

Returning to the campsite.  It was funny to have tourists walking by our parked camper (and our sweaty running clothes drying on rocks lining the carpark!) on their way to view the waterfalls.

A larger nearby waterfall, Skógafoss.

Back on the road, we hit more patches of rain showers and sunshine as we continued southeast toward the coast. Still not a tree in sight.

The rugged promontory of Dyrhólaey, full of interesting black lava rock formations and rich in bird life.  One of our objectives was to look for puffins nesting in the cliffs.

Fancy rock shape in Dyrhólaey.

We wandered along a long path hugging the coastline in search of puffins.  The guidebooks didn't tell us that they only come to land at night!  At least we were lucky to visit Dyrhólaey because it would be closed the following week to help protect nesting birds.

By late afternoon we were in search of a place to spend the night.  We had more pre-season camping issues in that the site in Vík where we were planning to stay was still closed.  We were allowed to park there for free but there was no access to toilets, a real inconvenience since we were in a town.  The HI hostel in Vík saved the day; even though they were full they let us park, use their facilities, and included a super fancy Icelandic breakfast.  It was nice to be cozy, warm and indoors for a couple hours! 

Yay, a kitchen!  And heating! (Vík Hostel)

After dinner we waited for the rain to stop and headed to the cliffs on the edge of town (the other side of the cliffs is Dyrhólaey).  We tried again to find our puffins, this time around 10 pm, when they come in from the sea.  According the guy at the hostel, if you climb up the cliffs, you can find yourself "surrounded by thousands of puffins".  He admitted it wasn't safe so we brought our binoculars to view them from below.

.  The cliffs at Reynisfjall indeed was home to many puffins and other shore birds, like fumars! 

The puffins kept high on the cliffs, however we spotted one pair fighting and tumbling down to the beach.  It was a little upsetting to see ultra cute puffins trying to kill each other. 

Our only up-close puffin experience for the day.

The poor guy was really roughed-up after his fight!

Puffins on the grassy cliffs of Reynisfjall.

Day 2: The Golden Circle

It rained all night and when it finally stopped we bundled up for a jog through Þingvellir National Park. 

Our Plan A running route was unreasonably muddy and not agreeable.  We decided to change course.

One of the best things about Iceland is that lovely gravel roads with beautiful scenery can be found at every corner.  This makes for exceptional jogging, except for the crazy weather, of course!

We found ourselves at the waterfall Öxarárfoss.

We regathered, had breakfast in the back of the camper, then continued to explore Þingvellir.  This park has some really interesting features.  For one, Parliament was established here in 930 AD and continued to meet at this location for over 800 years.  Also, it is the site of an amazing rift valley formed by the separating North American and Eurasian continental plates.  The geologically young country of Iceland is physically tearing apart and is still growing and changing.

North America to one side and Europe to the other; a trail runs through the impressive rift wall Almannagjá.

Almannagjá to the left, Þingvellir church (founded 1018 AD) dead ahead, and the approximate location of the Alþing (General Assembly) to the right.

Our next stop along the Golden Circle was Geysir and its neighboring geysers.

Steaming activity in the geothermal area around Geysir 

The twin pools of Blesi.  One is clear and colorless and the other is opaque and blue.  The different waters connect in the middle. 

Geysir (yes, the word 'geyser' comes from this guy!) erupts infrequently these days.  However, the smaller Strokkur erupts every couple minutes.

Just down the road from Geysir is the two-tiered waterfall Gullfoss.

Turning south, not too far away is the cathedral, Skálholt, by the river Hvitá. From 1056 until 1785, it was one of Iceland's two episcopal sees.  The end of Catholicism in Iceland was marked in 1550 when the last Catholic bishop was executed here in Skálholt while trying to prevent the Danish king from forcing Lutheranism on the country.  Now a new church rests over the remains of the original church, which is being excavated.

 Skálholt

By late afternoon we ended up driving a little farther than originally planned due to lack of suitable camping.  Quite a few campgrounds were still closed for the season and don't open until June 1st.  While most sites don't mind campers just parking and sleeping for free, they might not have facilities (toilets, showers, kitchens, water, etc) in operation just yet.  So we made our way southeast on the Ring Road (Route 1) and entered the grassy plains that made up the setting of Njáls Saga country, which also happens to be Iceland's premier horse-breeding area.  

This next campsite, though basic, was incredibly beautiful.  It was right between two tall, elegant waterfalls.

The waterfall Seljalandsfoss.  A path runs behind it to allow visitors to view the falls from a different angle.  In the setting sun the waterfall glows gold.  If it weren't so chilly it would have been fun to try it out.  

The nearby waterfall Gljúfurárfoss, neatly hidden behind a narrow slot canyon. 

Campsite Hamragarðar, between two waterfalls and in front of the Mjarkafljot valley. The bathroom is in the triangular turf house on the left :o)

A short but sweet week in Iceland (Day 1: The Raykjanes Peninsula)

May is probably one of the best times of year to travel--school is out, it is just before peak tourist season, and the weather is still favorable.  This year we decided to try something different and travel to Iceland--'exotic', yet just a hop away over the Atlantic from Boston.  While many people are just starting to discover the richness and appeal of the island, it has not been developed enough to be considered comfortable and tamed.  For example, the primary road around the island, Route 1 (ie. The Ring Road), is not even completely paved!  Four-wheel drive is necessary to access the majority of the roads.  For our holiday, we decided to take it easy and enjoy the more conventional routes via campervan.  

A delay at Boston Logan was a blessing in disguise; we got to do some much needed trip planning in the comfort of the Lounge Club.

Despite the delay we still arrived in Keflavik around 6:30 am on Friday.  We were quickly introduced to the unpredictable weather of Iceland, which cycles between combinations of rain, strong wind, sleet, hail, snow, and spots of sun, and during our stay it was always chilly (mostly upper 30s and low 40s). 

We picked up our camper and naturally sought out a place to stretch our legs.  While waiting for the rain to diminish, we visited lighthouses and some hardy shore birds at Garðskagi, the NW tip of Reykjans Peninsula.

The rain continued, so we waited for the less-expensive grocery store, Bonus, to open (shops open late, usually at 10 or 11 am!) and stocked up on several days of previsions, including the ubiquitous bread, jam, oats, corn flakes, pasta, apples, canned beans, and tetra-pack soy milk.  Eating out in Iceland is incredibly expensive and the traditional cuisine isn't exactly fine dining (shark, smoked puffin, whale, dried cod, etc), so we were quite happy making our own snacks and meals for the week. 

From here the famous geothermal spa, the Blue Lagoon, wasn't too far away so we decided to see what all the hype was about.  Many people who have layovers in Keflavik spend many dollars getting bused 20 minutes to the nearby resort and going for a dip and massage.  While admittedly the milky white, steaming water against a black lava rock setting is visually stunning, and the bathwater-temp water is enticing against the frigid air, the lagoon is overpriced (there are other, free hot pools all over the island!) and it is, in fact, artificial.  It didn't exist 40 years ago!

   The Blue Lagoon

The glowing blue waters flowing into the Blue Lagoon are outflow from the nearby thermal power station.

After a little more driving around the peninsula the sun finally broke through, and we pulled over to the side of the road for a jog to Selatangar, an abandoned and supposedly haunted fishing village.

 The gravel road leading to Selatangar was surrounded by bizarre moss-covered lava rocks.

Distinctive black lava rubble cover the coastline.  

We couldn't find the remains of the village but at least the view of the wind-swept coast was spectacular! 

Unfortunately there were no showers in sight so after the jog we put on our same clothes, made a lunch of our dinner from the night before, and continued eastward in the camper.

The next stop was the geothermal field Seltún.  It was a lucky find since it wasn't listed in the guidebook I was reading at the moment and we spotted it just off the roadside. 

View of all the colorful, bubbling activity from the top of Seltún

After a very long day, we made it to Þingvellir National Park.  Conveniently, we were able to park our camper right near the Info Center for the night.  Since it was so early in the season they just opened the camp shower that evening and the wash basin water was still turned off.  Making dinner was a chore since the freezing wind kept our little butane burner from heating the pasta water.  We ended up making dinner on top of a washing machine in the enclosed drying room, and since it was too cold to stay outside we ate sitting inside the camper.  Keepin' it classy.

 Camping our first night in Þingvellir National Park.  This photo was taken around 10 pm and there was still tonnes of light out!  It was hard to sleep every night, partly because of the cold, and partly because there were only about 3 hours of darkness each night and the camper didn't have curtains :o( 

End of the year festivities with some steampunk

As we approach graduation and the associated festivities and stresses, I feel so thankful to not be a student anymore, yet I still get to have some fun :o) 

End of the year lab party!

These guys have been a really awesome group!  We might be a young bunch but we are dedicated.  Who needs graduate students, post-docs, and fellows when you have great undergrads and hundreds of fluffy Nile rats?

Seth and I spent a part of the weekend enjoying Waltham's kooky yet fabulous Steampunk festival.  I reckon it was much bigger and better this year!

They blocked off the train station for food trucks and performers

Not sure what this is but it looks really Steampunk

    

Waltham Commons was transformed into a funky fantasy land

I don't believe I have ever seen magic wands for sale

She made her own costume.  It was super cute to see a little girl run right up to her and give her a big bear hug!

These bicycles are quite the thing

Waltham Steampunk, located at the intersection of Geeky and Fascinating