Glaciers and Icebergs

Today is all about the cold part of Iceland.

First up, hiking up a famous glacier. We went to Vatnajökull National Park and paid ISK 10900 per person for the hiking up Fjallsjökull which is one of the famous glacial tongues of Vatnajökull icecap. This icecap covers 8% of Iceland's land. We hiked up in a group with a guide and it took us 3 hours both ways. Crampons were handed to us in order to help us walk on the glacier. These are spikes places at the bottom of the shoes. Along the way, we had some geology lessons on glaciers. There is something called a glacier mouse, which is small pieces of glacier rolling down and collecting organic debris along the way. Eventually moss forms evenly around it and this process takes about 20 years. These glacier mice have their own little ecosystem on them with tiny creatures inhabiting them. Another fun fact: Iceland's glaciers are dirty white because they contain volcanic ash as they are actually formed on hidden volcanos.

After that educational hike, we visited more places with ice. Just so happens we passed by a place where many other cars were parked and so we decided to check it out. Fjallsárlón Iceberg Lagoon we discovered had many chunks of fallen glaciers in a lake and to me was a spectacular site. Looks pretty heavenly in my opinion. And the best part, its free!

As we continued driving eastward, we stopped by at the Diamond Beach. This beach is a strip of black sand belonging to the Breiðamerkursandur glacial plain, located adjacent to Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. So thr glaciers from that lagoon drift into the sea and gets washed ashore to this beach creating a black (the sand) and white (the ice) contrast.

So the next stop was obviously Jökulsàrlòn Glacier Lagoon, you know, since it was nearby. The ice here is huge. Bigger than that of Fjallsàrlòn's and they have a bluish hue. Tourists were way more here. Not only that, they were many seagulls hovering and seals swimming in the water.

By the time that was done, it was already 6pm. We wanted to visit Stokkness, which is one of Iceland's most photographed mountains by the coast but it was raining and it was getting dark so we just drove to our next stop: Framtiđ Hostel in the village of Djúpivogur. Its a quaint little place built in 1906 and its unbelievably cozy. It had a kitchen so we cooked our dinner and then got ready for bed. My legs were hurting thanks to that glacial hike so a good rest was warranted.Read more