Iceland - Day Four, Skógafoss waterfall

After all the excitement of our third day (glaciers, icebergs and Northern Lights) the fourth, and final full day in Iceland had a lot to live up to. Even though we had got back very late from our Northern Lights expereice we woke early in Vik, hoping to do a bit of exploring before we had to leave.

Unfortunately we really did not leave enough time to explore this small town. We tried to see what we could but I would love to go back and spend a day wandering along the black beach and exploring the nearby hills. I guess it's always nice to have a reason to go back to Iceland!

With a fond farewell we jumped back on the coach (our second home all week!) and drove just as the sun was rising to Skógafoss waterfall. 

This was to be our first waterfall stop of the day, and as you can see quite impressive and very powerful. It is about 80 ft wide, has a 200 ft drop and is one of the biggest waterfalls Iceland has to offer.

Now I have to admit, when we arrived at the waterfall I was a little overtired, and quite irritable. I know dear reader, can you ever imagine me in a bad mood? I'm all sweetness and light. But I'd had less sleep than I am used to and the people on the coach next to us wouldn't be my first choice of travelling companions, it's no excuse but I was downright grumpy. However I found a wonderful cure and possibly my new favourite thing. I decided, damn all the water and tourists trying to take photos I wanted to get as close to the spray as I could. I walked towards the waterfall, my coat got quite damp. I kept walking, and had to put my camera away as the water threatening to overcome it. Then I was stood at the rim of the pool where the waterfall finishes and I felt completely refreshed. I was so drenched that I could have jumped in the pool and probably be no wetter but I refrained from going quite that far. As the water sprayed over me my bad mood was washed away.

Plus, it's very hard to stay in a bad mood when this is your view for the morning!

Iceland - Day Three. The Northern Lights.

The Northern Lights are a natural phenomenon which I was lucky enough to see on our first trip to Iceland. However on that trip I have to admit I wasn't all that impressed with my experience of the aurora borealis. To me it was just like watching a pale green cloud float across the sky. This meant I wasn't desperate to hunt for them on our second trip. We were tired and wet from our day at the glacier and lagoon so I almost decided to give the Northern Lights trip a miss. At the last minute though (and after a quick nap) I came to my senses and we ran to catch the coach, and I am sure glad we did!

We drove for a good hour or so away from Vik to try and find the best place to watch the Northern Lights finally stopping in a field in the south west of Iceland. And then we were treated to an amazing show.

In the distance a section of the night sky seemed to come to life with dancing, swaying lights. It was hypnotic, and from this experience I realised the lights can be different each time you see them. The first time they had been dull and quite static, but this time I was watching space give me my own personal light show.

For a good 20 minutes we just stood and watched this spectacle, whilst also trying to photograph the phenomenon. If you have never seen the lights there is one important thing I need to point out. When you see photos of the aurora borealis you must remember that a camera lens can take in far more detail than the human eye. This means any photos of the event are brighter and more dramatic than what you may experience. I don't want to put you off, just the opposite. I think I forgot that photos aren't the same as the real thing the first time I saw the lights, which meant I was disappointed in what I did see. Although the second time was 100 times better, keep in mind photos can be misleading. Pretty, but misleading to what you may experience. As proud as I am of these photos they don't fully represent what I saw, which was more fascinating than I can capture on film. But still they are all I have to try and convey what we saw, which in my mind was pure magic.

And then, without any notice a huge section of fog came and hid the lights from our view. We had driven for over an hour, waited for 20 minutes for something to happen and 20 minutes later it was all hidden. The show was still going on but the curtains had been closed on us. So tired but elated we headed back to the hotel.

Iceland - Day Three, Jökulsarlon Glacier lagoon

After the excitement of the glacier we headed to the Jökulsarlon Glacier lagoon. Although the weather had cleared up during the day it took a turn for the worse as we reached the lagoon. But a little rain wasn't going to stop me enjoying my first ever iceberg field.

Although not as dramatic as the glacier the lagoon was equally interesting and beautiful. We were able to walk along the black rock beach and watch the icebergs gently floating towards the open sea. In the pouring rain. It was very romantic.

The lagoon developed around 60 years ago with a continuing process of calving and falling of icebergs from the glacier tongue. Our guide told us seals gather in large numbers at the mouth of the lagoon to catch the fish during the winter, unfortunately we only saw a few birds hanging around, so I'll have to visit again to try and see some of the wildlife!

After a while though we gave into the rain and headed back into the coach. Well, we did have an exciting evening planned!

Iceland - Day Three, Myrdalsjokull Glacier

On our third day we woke up to this view;

After we had left the farm on day two we drove, as the sun set, to Vik, a small town in Southern Iceland. By the time we had arrived it was pitch dark and we had no idea what Vik looked like until the morning. Unfortunately we didn't have anytime in day three to explore as we had to leave early to head out towards the Myrdalsjokull Glacier. 

On the way we stopped (in the rain) to check out one of the many lava fields that cover Iceland.

As pretty as they were I was keen to get to the main event, the glacier.

Our first stop was a little museum which had the glacier in view in the distance. We only had a 30 minute stop here, so whilst the rest of the coach wandered inside the museum Stuart and I decided to be rebels and see how close to the glacier we could get in the short time we had.

It seemed no matter how quickly we walked, we just weren't getting close to base of the glacier, but we did get to see some of the beautiful Icelandic countryside.

Finally we admitted defeat and headed back to the coach so they could take us closer to the glacier on the official route.

It was really worth the wait. I think it may have been my highlight of the whole trip. The colour of the glacier against the murky water, along with the black ice made for a magical scene.

I don't feel my words can do it justice, all I can do is show you more photos and tell you, if you get the chance make sure you visit the Myrdalsjokull Glacier. It has been receding dramatically over the past 10 years and a whole lot of beauty will be lost from the world if it keeps melting away.

Icelandic Ponies

Our next stop was at a greenhouse and horse farm.

The greenhouse was interesting, we saw how they produce crops throughout the year, and only use green energy to do so, but I was more excited about meeting the horses.

Icelandic horses are quite small, almost pony sized and very hardy. When you drive through Iceland you can see them out in fields, whatever the time of year. They are famous for their five different gaits. Most horses have three gaits (walk, trot and canter/gallop) but the Icelandic horses have two more called tolt and pace.  The owner of the farm was kind enough to show us the different gaits. 

It was very captivating, seeing how they move differently to your standard horses. At one point he even went round the course with a pint of beer in his hand to show how smooth the pace gait can be.

And after the show we got to my favourite part, we got to meet the horses. They were extremely friendly, and had the best emo fringes I've seen since myspace. 

In my mind any trip in enhanced by getting to meet and stroke an animal, and this was the perfect way to end our second day in Iceland.