July 24, 2019

July 24, 2019

Our hotel room in Skaftafell has a view to a glacier looming above us. It gives Aimee the creeps; fortunately most of the night it was hidden behind clouds. We only saw it clearly after we woke this morning.

Our goal today is to explore Vatnajokull National Park. It became a World Heritage Site earlier this month. The Park covers the huge central Ice Cap of Iceland and the many dozen glacier fingers that flow from it. From the Visitor Center we hike west a short but strenuous uphill trail to Svartifoss Waterfall. It is nicknamed the Black Waterfall because it is framed by dark basalt columns. Back at the Visitor Center we watch the park film and warm up.

We next hike east toward the Skaftafell Glacier. Despite wearing all the clothes we packed, we are chilled. Living in Arizona has thinned our blood. I thought I was going to be able to hike all the way and walk atop the glacier, but it turned out to have a rushing river of melt water in front, leaving me just yards short of my goal.

After a quick lunch in Skaftafell we continue our journey east. We pass a dozen glacier fingers flowing down the escarpment. It is a beautiful drive. Our next stop is at Fjallsarlon. This is another finger glacier that has a large lagoon at its toe with lots of mini-ice bergs in the water. We fight a gale force wind to reach the water edge.

Just east is another glacier fed lagoon called Jokulsarlon with even larger bergs that have calved off the glacier face. The new bergs have a beautiful blue tinge.

Jokulsarlon has a short river that connects the glacier lagoon to the sea. We watch as some of these bergs flow down the river. Once out in the sea, the surf pushes many of them up against the black sand beach. The water-washed crystals of ice resemble giant diamonds. The beach is filled with hundreds earning the nickname of Diamond Beach. I have a blast photographing this spectacle. Aimee laughs the entire time watching me try and avoid the incoming surf during the process. I am mostly successful. I get the bright idea of standing on a berg to keep my toes dry. Unfortunately my shoes get flooded when a large rogue wave breaks above my lofty perch.

From Jokulsarlon we drive an hour to our accommodations outside the town of Hofn (pronounced "hup"). This name literally means ‘port’ in Icelandic. Appropriate as it is a picturesque fishing village. For dinner we eat at a trendy harbor-side restaurant and have grilled Langoustines, the Lobster of Iceland.