Leaving the Skogafoss campground, we made the quick jaunt to the nearby Skogar Museum - while the museum didn't open until 10am, we were mainly there for the walk behind waterfall Kvernufoss, which had been closed the first time around the Ring Road as it was being used as a film set.
We donned our rain gear (it was also starting to rain), and made the relatively short (20 minute) hike to another marvel - a powerful cascade tumbling over green rocks, with an ample ledge to walk behind. Being quite early, there were only two other people there, and we really soaked up the experience.
When we finally did leave, we drove the relatively short distance to Landeyahofn, where we caught the 1045am ferry Herjolfur to the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), a series of small and rugged islands off the south coast.
We knew we could only spend a few hours over there, but considered it a scouting mission for next time. Just the views on the way in alone were worth the trip! It was also nice enough (and too busy inside) that we spent the entire crossing out on deck.
We docked in Heimay around 1130am, and went in search of the day's first coffee (and a cinnamon bun) at a nice local bakery. We visited the Sea Life Trust Beluga and Puffin sanctuary, which was also an aquarium of local sealife. After that, we walked around the town, then up the hill and down to some rugged cliffs with some glamping and golfing at the base.
We returned to the harbour and had a very quick lunch, as we watched our 2:30pm ferry come flying into the harbour - Jane had fish and chips, while I had chocolate cake and beer! The look on our server's face was priceless.
All in all, the islands were well worth a return visit - we only visited Heimay, given time constraints. All local tours (islands, puffins, whales, etc.) had also been fully booked for the day, likely due to the cruise ship that was already in town when we got there.
On the way back to the "mainland", we were in for a special treat - school children releasing baby puffins (pufflings) off the back of the ferry. Apparently, sometimes the young birds get distracted by the lights and fail to follow the adults out to sea. Icelandic schoolchildren are taught to round them up and then return them (properly) back to sea from headlands or the ferry. (see videos below!)
Back at the van around 3:15pm, we headed west and made a stop at Hvolsvollur, where I grabbed some beer and then we checked out an art gallery cafe across the street, where we came away with a nice locally made pottery chalice. We carried on to Hveragerdi, where we had expected to camp, only to find the campground fully booked on a Saturday night.
Plan B was to head south about 20 minutes to the coast, where we camped instead in the rain at Thorlakshofn and enjoyed a quick dinner of boil in bag meals. A little while later, the rain abated and we were treated to a marvelous and FULL rainbow - we had been seeing rainbows pretty much every day during the trip, but this one certainly took the cake (my lunch notwithstanding).
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