Iceland Adventure: Day 5

Wednesday 9/7: South Coast, Waterfalls, and Glacier Hike

Today’s adventure was to the South Coast. This was our longest tour of the bunch -- departing at 8am and returning near 8:30pm. We had a "convenience" stop (e.g. restrooms and snacks) on our way to the first two waterfalls, Seljalandsfoss and Gljúfrabúi. As we drove through the landscape and into a valley, we transitioned from sunny skies to clouds and fog, but luckily the nice weather returned by the time we reached the waterfalls.

Then we continued on to Reynisfjara, another black sand beach, where I made sure to keep a safe distance from the water! Ha, ha. We stopped for a quick lunch at the on-site restaurant before exploring the beach. Both of us were fascinated by the rod-like rock formations and caves.

Our primary activity in the afternoon was a hike on the Solheimajokull glacier. The weather wasn't quite as cooperative, so although the morning began with sun, the clouds had fully moved in by the time we were getting onto the glacier, and we even had some drizzle during the hike. But it was still a great experience and very different from the glacier hike we did in New Zealand several years ago. Mr. E stacked some rocks near the parking lot as we waited for our hike. And once we were on the glacier, we both got a chance for a "Viking push-up" using our climbing axe as a way to sip the clear water melt on top of the ice!

Our final stop of the day was the Skogafoss waterfall, and then we continued on our way back to Reykjavik. 

I stayed up later in the evening to try to see the Northern Lights, since Mr. E had been lucky enough to get a glimpse of them from our balcony on both Monday and Tuesday (when I was already in bed). Unfortunately, the cloud cover had drifted into the city as well, so no luck for me. Next time!