Nordur-Vik Youth Hostel

... out of a science fiction novel, and the cute little church overlooking the town is majestically lit up at night. We even discovered the tiny cemetary and the tiny red lights gaurding several of the gravestones from small lanterns. <br><br>There's just something about having the surf at your back as you look up at snow-covered mountains. If there were a ski resort here, I'd move in a heartbeat. Maybe I ought to start one of my own...<br>

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... Vik. My feet are tingling from the salty cold waters of the North Atlantic and a black sand scrub. The waves were thundering and huge. How could Vikings ever face those waves in their wooden boats? There are amazing rocks erupting from eh ocean, a little distance off the shore. Black and craggy like shadowy tombs of icy ocean graveyard. (I drew a silhouette in my journal, it looks cool). We had never seen a black sand beach before. The grains war alike black glass and smooth ...

... an hour of our estimated 3 hour drive, weather started turning on us. It had been cloudy but without rain until that point, but it started to snow. Remembering how quickly the weather had cleared up that morning back in Reykjavik, we continued. Over the next hour, it went back and fourth between snow, rain, and clear (but very windy) periods. Had we not been so close, we probably would have turned back. Around the 2 hour mark, it had yet to clear but the snow ...

Wednesday, August 6, 2008 Vikings, Geology, Folklore, Puffins Dear Readers: Just as we are all becoming painfully aware of our energy dependence, it is refreshing to visit a country that has most of its energy needs met by renewable sources. Of course, they are conveniently located above a geothermal hot-spot! Our first stop today is at the Nesjavellir Power Plant, where geothermal pressure is utilized to turn turbines for electricity ...

... into a river, a road definitely designed for four wheel drives, not a large coachload of tourists. We're then introduced to our guide, Reiki (yes, Reiki from Reykjavik) a lean Icelandic mountaineering machine (at this point I was somewhat distracted by his rugged Nordic hotness) in all the best gear, who puts down in front of us a box containing crampons (that's spikey shoe attachments for the uninitiated) and ice axes. Right, better pay attention, I might need to ...

... and with no distractions....no TV, no phone, no internet....just human interaction...now that for me, was a rich introduction to Iceland as well as a welcome to the rest of the world... the best way I can imagine to start this year of movement.... We take off to circle Iceland this evening after a rather trying day...it appears that Lisa's passport is misplaced....dealing with that is stressful...American embassy and all....can't imagine why we ...

... we approached Hveragerdi, she pointed out to the church which is built on some hot pools. God must be lucky, because some people already had to move as their kitchen was about to become a public swimming pool. I was dropped at Hveragerdi´s camping ground just after noon and thus had plenty of time for some hiking through the Reykjadalur valley to soak up some geothermal activity. Hveragerdi is indeed on top of one of Iceland ...

Next we steamed to Vik. We were booked on a trip to meet the ship in another town Flam. Our first leg was by coach where we traveled to Voss. There we had lunch and boarded a train to Myrdahl. At Myrdahl we boarded another train, the Flåmbana, to take us to meet the ship. It was a very scenic and interesting ...

... When it boils over, it melts some of the glacier over it--sending a wall of water, sand and silt to wash away everything in its path. The last eruption was 1918. Another is expected soon. The sign reads: "Please Note--Due to possible eruption in the Katla volcano, people are adviced not to leave the road." We arrived safely at Hotel Hofdabrekka, checked into room #25 facing the Atlantic and visited the large dining hall for a filling supper.