Busy day. We’re staying on the South of the Island (I will highlight all the hotels in one post at the end of the trip) and it’s full of amazing things to do. It’s quite hard to pick where to go because everywhere looks amazing… but after consultation with the husband and the teenager we decided to start the day with a 7.4km hike to the Sólhemasandur plane wreck.
In 1973, an American DC3 Dakota crash-landed on the coast near here. Everybody survived and the remains of the broken fuselage have been left since. The landscape is incredibly barren and flat. Black volcanic soil, the only colour given by the yellow posts that marks the way. I imagine the moon to feel this way. Without the yellow way markings.
You park the car, walk in a straight line for about 3 1/2 km… till you see this…
It is quite a strange sight. You’re in the middle of nowhere and the only object is half a plane. Incongruous. Confusing. Out of place. But strangely fascinating.
Also where else could you stand on the wing of an airplane??
Someone told me Justin Bieber made a video here/around here/on here… I don’t know. I’m not going to start googling Justin Bieber’s videos at my age. It wouldn’t do.
Back in the car for a few minutes only and we arrived at the first waterfall of the day: Skógafoss, modelled here by the husband in full waterproof gear. A necessity in this country.
… and here by the whole travelling team:
You get quite (very) wet around these giant falls…
To the right of the waterfall a steep path leads you onto a platform to the top of the fall and continuous on to follow the river… we walked up it for a little while and it’s beautiful out there. I would have walked to carry on for longer… but there just isn’t the time if you want to cram as much as possible into the day.
I’ll have to come back…
Waterfall no 2 was Seljalandsfoss. Classic Iceland. The water comes from the glacier that surrounds the volcano with the impossible long name that erupted ten years ago and grounded planes all over Europe.
Just stunning. Must be incredible at sunset/when the sun is out.
if you then carry on the path to the left (ie turn away from the carpark) for about 500m… you reach waterfall no 3, Gljufrabui….
which is a really cool one and not many people get there, weirdly.
It’s inside a cave… almost….
… and totally magical…
the-wanderings.com 