Water, water everywhere, WTRD 5, Saturday, August 13, 2016

Iceland, North Coast, Day 4

It is late in the day, and we are bumping along on a 1 lane washboard of a gravel road on the way between Dettifoss Waterfall (the largest in all ofEurope) and Asbyrgi Canyon in the northern fjords. Just as I think I can't stand one more mile of trying to type on the bumpy road, the gravel gives way to a newly surfaced two lane road. Yeah!

We had a little drama this morning when we realized we did not have our  credit card to pay our hotel bill. We thought we may have left it at a gas station chip reader the day before. Great! Our hotel host called the gas station. While she explained over the phone in Icelandic, we held our breath until, she looked up smiled and winked at us. Phew! Since we both had a card, we asked that the gas station owner cut up the card that had been left, which she did while she spoke with us. Thank goodness for human integrity.  All is good.

Our drive today crossed long agricultural valleys,

over undulating miles of rocky lava flows

and a variety of topography with hues of rust, green, and dark grey.

We continued to take photographs of waterfalls falling from higher plateaus, taking a hike to one of them.

There were patches of blue sky and the morning walk was exhilarating. Back in the car we continued on our way to the Detitfoss Waterfall.

Before hiking to the falls we quickly ate our lunch at a picnic table. There are three consecutive falls on the same river. We hiked to the two that looked most impressive, the Dettifoss and Selfoss.


 The Sellfoss is the upper falls where several various streams and rivers lazily flow cross a plateau and tumble downward uniting in a single glacial river Jokulsa a Fjollum in the Jokulsagljufur canyon.

 The upper falls are beautiful because there are many of them fanning around a horseshoe.

Selfoss

The main glacial river travels for about a kilometer before the combined waters drop once again. The rumble, thunder, and mist created by the drop is a powerful experience. All very impressive.

Dettifoss

Well shoot, we are coming in to Husavik as I look up from blogging. I think I should have been navigating better. We missed the turn to Asbyrgi canyon....oh well. We are not going back now. Dusk is coming and we are hungry for a sea food dinner.

Russ and I check into the Husavik Foss Hotel, wander around town. The Fjord port looks a lot like Ushuaia to us, ships in a harbor with the back drop of snow capped mountains.

We find a little restaurant. Russ has charr (pink salmon), and I have shrimp creole that we drink down with a rich dark Icelandic Porter.

Back in the room, we're beat. Time for bed. We'll be dreaming of waterfalls and rainbows tonight.

All is Well with the Worrall Travel Rs in Iceland.