Myvatn to Seydisfjordur

After being up late in the hotpot, we got up and got going on the rainy morning. We drove over to a nearby dormant volcano filled with water, and some other hot springs for a hike. It was foggy and rainy all morning, but the hike was awesome. The volcano was at first too foggy to see much, but after our hike, we came back to it and it was clear and awesome. The hike looped around some hot springs, too hot to be in, and some lava fields, which were steaming and smoking from the ground everywhere.

"Adorbs" says Mel

Friends!

 

???

??????

Walkways in place because the ground was pretty hot apparently 

Hot!

Steam rising everywhere

Lake in a volcano!?@

Oh, but then there was snow around too!

Geothermal power plant!

After our hike, we headed east towards the northeast of Iceland. We stopped along the road a few times, and even got to check out Detifoss, Europe's most powerful waterfall. There was so much water moving, it was crazy. Unfortunately, we were already wet when we started this part, and it was raining more, and was colder, so we didn't just sit around and look for too long, but we did take it in!

Dettifoss!!!

Creeping?

We like each other

Dave got close

Dettifoss!!!!

Pit stop on the side of the rode

Pit stop again

Looking the other way at our pit stop

After this, we decided to head to the coast near Seydisfjordur, which was an unplanned point prior to this day. Little did we know, this was the coolest part we visited (in Matt's opinion at least!). We got into town, found a camp spot just outside of town, along the fjord and right next to a nice stream and waterfall. After eating, we headed into town to a cafe to check out a free show of a Polish folk band called Domowe Melodie, which we saw a poster saying they were playing in town that night. They were awesome! None of us expected much, other than something different to do that night, but they were sooooo good! It was awesome just hearing another language being sung, and in a smooth, fun, and energetic way. Here's one song from them - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PjpdgvPnOEQ

We were all pumped to have a dry night, listen to good tunes, and fell asleep very quickly.

Setting up camp

"Our" waterfall for the night

Domowe Melodie!

One of our better campspots

Stream/kitchen sink for the evening

Couldn't complain about this spot

Akureyri and Myvatn

On our second day of the trip we continued north towards Akureyri, the second largest city in Iceland which is shocking once you see how small it is. We drove a lot this day but managed to make up for it in a big way. The drive out of the Sneafellsnes Peninsula took longer than expected but the sights were beautiful on the mostly gravel road. When we arrived into Akureyri we stopped by the bank to exchange some money, only to discover that banks in Iceland offer free coffee and ice cream to their customers! We were thrilled. We walked around the city some, but then continued on towards Lake Myvatn. On the way to Myvatn we stopped at a large waterfall, Godafoss. Once we got to Myvatn, we headed to a hike on the east side of the lake, which led to a dormant volcano. The hike was a bit longer than we expected, but went through lava fields with awesome formations, then black sandy areas, and ultimately to the volcano, which was  steep hike up! 

Godafoss

Lava hole

Lava rock formations

hiking to Hverfell volcano

almost there

Steep....

The rim 

Worth the hike!

Yule Lads

After surveying the volcano some, we headed back down and then went in search of hot springs; "hotpots". We went to one known hotpot, which was large and within several caves, but we were a bit timid since they had signs saying that rocks had fallen from the ceiling of the caves recently. We found a spot nearby to cook and hopefully set up camp, and while cooking, we noticed several people come and go with towels from a nearby trail. No hotpots were "advertised" nearby, so we thought maybe there was a "locals only" one near. After eating (about 11 PM), we headed back on the trail, but it seemed to dead end shortly after. We all walked around for a while in different directions, and finally noticed a long crack (about 5 or 6 feet wide) in the ground amidst large rocks (see pictures -it's hidden in plain sight) and then noticed it dropped about 20 feet down. We could hear people talking, so we followed their voices and noticed a path down the crack. Low and behold, there was a super long section of heated water at the bottom of this crack! It was incredible! Crystal blue water from knee deep to 10-15 feet deep and you could see the bottom everywhere. The water was only ever 5 or 6 feet wide at most, sometimes skinnier. AND, it was about 11:30 PM and still light down in this canyon! We stayed down there for about an hour or more, in awe of how incredible this was, feeling fortunate to have stumbled on it. We got out at 1:30 AM, and headed to camp, feeling incredible and giddy and exhausted.

First hot pot, Grjotagja

Sunset

This crack went down 20ft to the hotpot

Half way down, pictures don't do this justice 

Small dock and ladder led down to the hotpot

Looking up

Climbing out, 1:30AM

1:30AM

Giddy!

Camp spot for the night

Arrival to Stykkisholmur

We arrive into Keflavik around nine in the morning. The little bit of jet lag we had quickly faded once we got our bags, went through customs, and were met with the excited smiling faces of Jessica and Dave! It all hit me, this is real. We are fortunate enough to travel around Iceland with the best of company. We got the rental car, took advantage of the free coffee, and hit the ground running. We started driving on the ring road in a clockwise manner with a detour to see Sneafellsnes Peninsula. We went hiking around Snaefellsjokull, the volcano of Journey to the Center of the Earth. Unfortunately the clouds were blocking our view of the volcano and glacier. This area is also known for it supernatural forces though those were not felt either. We did a quick and pretty hike and then continued around the peninsula to Stykkisholmur. The views all around were stunning with waterfalls, jagged peaks, and shades of green never seen before. Once we arrived in Stykkisholmur we walked around the town, then set up camp just north of town.

Lunch break at a random picnic table 

Views from the car

Hiking around Snaefellsjokull 

Views from the hike

Happy to be in Iceland

First taste of Icelandic water

Friends!

Awkward, as usual

Roadside attraction

Kirkjufel

Stykkisholmur

View from the campsite

Just a couple friends camping

First night in Iceland

So we went to Iceland

This was probably one of the better ideas we've ever had. We spent nine days in Iceland and did the ring road in seven days. We spent a good amount of time driving but the views were well worth it. Any and all expectations were blown out of the water, simply Iceland is stunning. We just got back and I am ready to go back. I think it would take years to see all Iceland has to offer. 
Here a breakdown of our trip

Day 1: Arrived and drove to Snæfellsnes Penninsula

Day 2: Stykkisholmur to Akureyri to Myvatn

Day 3: Myvatn to Seyðisfjörðu

rDay 4: Seyðisfjörður to Skaftafel

lDay 5: Skaftafell to Vik 

Day 6: Vik to Reykjavik

Day 7: Reykavik

Day 8: Reykavik

Day 9: Depart

If you are wanting to go around the ring road your best bet is to rent a car. Car rentals are expensive as are buses but you have the luxury of moving at your own pace. We rented our car through Geysir and had no problems. It was one of the cheaper options with better reviews. Iceland is rather expensive but if your willing to camp and do your own cooking, you can get by without spending much. Bonus grocery stores are a good place to buy food. Wild camping is permitted, just stay away from homes, farms, and in national parks. We were told by a local that as long as your by a steam its fair game. Also every town has a campsite which run on average around $10 per person. 

Iceland is by far one of the prettiest places on Earth.

Try to pack light....

There are more post to come...