For our last two full days, we opted for some relatively local touring. We set off early to visit Seljalandsfoss and Gljufrabui, which can get quite busy later in the day. While it was fairly quiet when we got there, everything near the waterfall was coated in a layer of ice, from freezing spray. We chose not to do the walk behind the waterfall, since the stairs and slopes were more than a tad treacherous.
Walking down to Gljufrabui, there was some more ice around the entrance to the cave. However, once we carefully picked our way through, inside the cave was wet but not icy. More surprisingly, we had the entire cave to ourselves for almost half an hour!
We drove a bit west and then explored Road 26 to the north, where it ended at the volcanic plains under the creepy facade of Hekla. The beautiful landscape changed gradually until suddenly there was no vegetation or signs of life. Apparently Hekla erupted several times between 1970-2000, leaving the area a desolate and decidedly lunar wasteland. An F-Road did head eastward and into the interior, but we chose not to follow in our little (albeit 4x4) car.
Back at the apartment, we made a nice dinner and then waited until dark to drive the short distance outside of town to enjoy another light show. We could have walked, but it was nice to have the car to stay warm in between aurorae.
The weather continued to grace us during what could have been a very rainy time of year. While the nights fell to slightly below zero, every day of the trip was sunny with daytime highs between 7-10 C.
Friday was another driving day, as we returned to Gluggafoss - the "Window Waterfall" - where the river tumbles into a cave and created a "window" partway down from which it re-emerges sideways. With more time today than during the jeep tour, we did the steep hike up to the top of the waterfall, then continued to follow the river up two more hills to see more waterfalls and enjoy the commanding view of the plains and ocean to the south.
Backtracking on the Ring Road, we took Road 32 north until a single-lane bridge crossed a large river, and we met up with yesterday's Road 26. Returning across the bridge, we took a slow (20 km/h) and very rough and rocky Road 332 about 7 km in to see the stunning Haifoss waterfall. The windchill was brutal, or we may have done the hike down into the valley itself. We settled for the view from above.
Bidding farewell to the Borg apartments on Saturday morning, we grabbed coffee at the N1 and hit the road. Our luck persisted and we enjoyed a sunny drive all the way. There was some snow on top of the mountain pass just west of Hveragerdi, but thankfully the road itself was bare and dry. The suburbs of Reykjavik were also mercifully tame, as we passed through on our way to the airport.
With time to spare, we ducked down Road 44 to visit the Bridge between Continents, where the Eurasian and North American plates visibly diverge. From there, we grabbed a few more snack souvenirs at the Bonus in Njardvik, topped up the fuel tank, and returned the car without issue.
Our flight left at 330pm with an interesting cast of characters seated around us. We lucked out again, as the gentleman beside us was able to move to sit with his wife, leaving us with an empty seat and room to spread out. Favourable winds saw us back in Hamilton a full half-hour early, and the customs and baggage collection process was also quick.
The only hiccup was the last hour of the drive home, squinting in the dark through a thunderstorm as fatigue and jet lag took its toll. We grabbed Pizza Hut to go in Tilbury and arrived home to happy cats. We relaxed and reflected on just how much adventure we packed into less than a week in Iceland!
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