Myvatn and Springs

I think I should warn you ahead of time this silly Google app 'Blogger' has mixed up the pics a bit again... But here goes: Today is one of those days you just have to laugh off to experience.. not the type that makes you want to cry, but the oh well, try again kind of day! The weather is still yucky.

Below is Godafoss, the waterfall of the gods - when Iceland became Christian all the nordic god images were thrown in here. Why? Good question, no one seems to have asked at the time so now we don't know.

 These are lava domes, just like in other places that are volcanic, they are not craters, just magma that welled up under the ground and made domes or bubbles. In the distance are supposed to be some mountains, but how can I know for sure? they have been erased by the blowing snow.

 This stop here at a small hotel was in the same jeep as yesterday, with a different driver and new passengers, one guy who works at Brussels airport, had a fight with his wife and came here and left her at home and an East Indian couple who live in Munich.

 They all took pictures here of the blowing snow. There is perhaps no one in Christendom who despises snow, ice and all that crap as much as I, but for them, this was an experience. For me, it's like gastro-enteritis while in a swimming pool.

 In the coffee shop they have this algae growing, because this grows in the big lake here, Myvatn, which is 100km from Akureyri and it's where we're going. It is also found in one lake in Japan. That's it. The claim to fame? It's highly oxygenating for the water... and is hoped to be some new water cleaning treatment to sell.

 Trolls have children. And 13 of the Trolls sons are the Yule Lads. They are somewhat Christmassy and not very good behaviour is seen from them, I suggested they are like Christmas Personality Disorders and I got a stern look - one slams doors, one licks spoons, one steals meat off your plate - hardly positive role models. They seem to be hugely popular here. Why? Je ne sais quoi.

 Lake Myvatn undulates and waves through the lava...

 And nearby is the dark city a wide expanse of lava spires.

 We then drove to Krafla, a volcanic hotspot. The guy drove the suv into a pile of snow taking a real good charge at it. Why I ask again! Same answer.

 Pic below is Akureyri from a distance. It was supposed to be pic number 1.

 Back at Krafla you see steam and rotten egg smelling volcanic sulphur oozing from everywhere, water boils..

 The hot gases rage out of these piles melting the snow all around.

 Back at the car, it's stuck and the driver is trying to dig it out.

 All that heat and steam and we are stuck in snow.

 A tow truck had to come in the end after 1.5 hours in the freezing wind...

 Another hot lake here, this one is near a geothermal plant that makes electricity from the heat. The minerals make it look bluish... just like the Blue Lagoon near Reykjavik that I likely won't go to.

 This rift in pic below runs right across Iceland and is the only place in the world where tectonic plates move apart on land. It's under the ocean everywhere else. On the right in the pic below is America on the left is Europe. They push up and out about 1 inch a year.

 Here is our driver falling off the rocks - from here America is left, Europe right.

 In warmer weather warm water can be seen down in the gulley.

 In pic below I am standing in America but the car is in Europe.

 From the ground you can see it goes up more than a few metres.

 Lunch next, where I had to defrost, my feet were wet and cold, so I ate arctic char on rye bread baked in the hot lava rocks... Then beef stew and more bread. The floor was heated here so I took my shoes off and warmed my toes on the floor.

 This papa is some of the lava bread, they call it geysir brot.

 And here is where took a dunk in a blue hot spring, the Myvatn Nature bath, water is 31-38 degrees celsius depending on where you are in the pool, the lovely blue is there and would have been awesome in the sun. But alas, no sun.

 More steam pots here melting the snow..

 And an explanation of the yule lads...

 Ok another one way out of place it belongs where the car was stuck, you can see the boiling water here.

 So that was the day, driving icy roads, getting wet feet, freezing my ass off in horrible wind, stuck in snow for ages, etc etc. It probably looks amazing in sunlight and with the snow gone... C'est la vie. Back into town, I ate sushi for supper then you guessed it the northern lights were off. So I and a few others went back to the cow shed with the robots. They have a cafe upstairs with booze and overlooking the cows. A G&T to finish the day. This one cow was heavy and about to drop yesterday, today her calf is born. Less than 1 day old. Very cute.

I fly out of Akureyri to much better weather in Reykjavik tomorrow, so the northern lights are a wash. I guess it means I have to do this all over again, I have seen them in Canada, but this was the peak year, boo hoo!

Oh well. I blame that idiot Brad Wall. Oh and Stephen Harper too!

Good Night!