Snaefellsjokull, Vidgelmir and Reykjavik. Days 13-15

Morning of July 26. We got up early and immediately looked toward Snaefellsjokull glacier. It was clearly visible from our campground. There were only a few clouds on top of it. Since it was still morning, we assumed that by the time we reached it the summit would be fully clear.

While we were packing, an elderly lady came over and started writing down our license plate number. It turned out she had come to collect the campground fee from the campers. So yes, the campground was not actually free. I reluctantly handed over 2,000 ISK, and after that we chatted for a while. When she heard we were from Russia, she said that we were only the third Russians she had seen at that campground. She also told us how she had once traveled through Russia by riverboat from Moscow to Astrakhan and was especially surprised to meet a beggar who asked for money despite having gold teeth.

She went on to collect money from the other campers, while we finished packing, boiled water, filled the thermos, and set off. We decided to try road 570, the high mountain road near the glacier. Some sources listed it as an F-road, while others marked it as a regular road. We decided to risk it. After several very steep gravel climbs we hesitated and stopped at a pull-off to think whether to continue or turn back. At that moment a minivan with a group of tourists parked next to us. I asked them about road 570, and in their opinion we could handle it in our car. We would just need to avoid some large rocks lying on the road.

In the end we continued upward. There was nothing truly critical about the road, but driving on a mountain gravel road was tiring. We took several beautiful photos there.

And here I could not resist walking on the snow.

After that we drove around the glacier on the asphalt road. The views there were also excellent.

Once we were done with the glacier, we drove on. We barely stopped anywhere after that because we had spent so much time there already. We reached some larger town, and there I found a hotel for us. It was unusual because it offered our beloved cabins. We booked one at a very reasonable Iceland price, about 72 euro.

Inside there was nothing extra. You could live in a cabin like that for quite a long time.

Morning of July 27. We got up, packed our things, and drove to Husafell. I had found a good but expensive tour into an ice cave on this site. But I had not booked it in advance because, as always, I preferred buying things at the last moment on site. When we got there, we learned that only one seat was left. So we had to choose another tour instead: the Vidgelmir lava cave. We had time before it started, so we decided to visit a place by the river where it was possible to wash the car. Off we went.

After that we drove straight to the cave. They put helmets on us there.

And down we went.

To be honest, caves do not impress me very much. I rarely find anything especially interesting in them, and this one was no exception. Still, there was one cool moment. They deliberately turned off all the lights so we could understand what it really means to be inside a cave without a light source: absolute darkness, not even the slightest trace of a silhouette or shadow. We stood like that for about three minutes, in darkness and almost complete silence. Then they turned the lights back on and we headed out. Here are a few more photos from inside.

That last photo shows the cave with a lava field around it. Long ago there had been an eruption there, or the earth had split open, and lava had flowed through it. Later it hardened and formed such a field.

On the way we stopped by a lovely little waterfall.

By the way, the weather around that waterfall was fantastic. The air warmed up to +20 C, and for the first time during the whole trip we took off the heavy gear we had been living in. We walked in ordinary shoes instead of hiking boots and wore T-shirts. But as soon as we drove farther away, the temperature dropped back to about +17 C and the wind picked up because we were approaching the sea.

We drove through Iceland's first and only toll tunnel, about 30 km before Reykjavik. It cost around 1,000 ISK, roughly 600 RUB. After that we headed to check in at a hotel in the town of Stokkseyri. I had booked a cheap place by Icelandic standards, again around 75 euro. But out of all the Icelandic hotels where we stayed, this may have been one of the best. To check in, you have to message the manager on WhatsApp. He sends you the room number and a code. You enter the empty building, go to your room, find a small lockbox next to the door, dial in the code, get the key, unlock the room, and behind that door you discover almost studio-apartment-level comfort: a toilet, a shower, a kitchen, and a bedroom.

That was exactly what we needed because the next day we had a flight and had to pack our suitcases. Places like that always make you lazy. You do not want to do anything. You just want to lie down, rest, and look out the window at the beautiful panoramic view.

I even managed, while leaving Sveta to rest in the room, to drive to the ocean shore. It did not really work out, though. There was no beautiful shore there, just a few hundred meters of shallow water with seaweed and stones. Waves were breaking somewhere far away, but you could not reach them without getting wet and dirty.

So in the end we struggled through packing the suitcases, ate some raspberries, and went to bed.

Morning of July 28. The weather was getting worse. We loaded everything into the car and drove off.

We passed another cave, but did not go down into it. It was probably smaller than the one we had visited the day before.

After that we drove into Reykjavik. We spent a long time looking for parking near the famous church. Eventually we parked and went for a walk.

After enough walking we took the elevator to the top of the church. That cost 2,000 ISK.

Then we drove to the famous sculpture. Nothing extraordinary, but we wanted to tick it off and kill some time.

After that we visited the famous hot dog stand where many well-known people had eaten. Then we rushed from the city toward the airport. On the way we decided to make a detour through places we had already seen. But rain started there, and in the end we did not really see anything new. While driving I noticed one place we had already been to and decided to tease Sveta by saying it was our next stop. She believed me. Later, when I admitted that we had already been there, she no longer believed me, and somehow we ended up going there on foot to prove it. While we walked she started remembering the nasty smell and that muddy little bay. Then I suggested climbing a hill we had skipped before. A light rain was falling, but we started up the steep slope anyway. We reached one point, the drizzle intensified, and we finally decided to turn back. By the time we got down, we were dirtier than at any other point in Iceland, even though Iceland should have been the place to get that dirty in the first place. So the mission was accomplished. On the plane we ended up sitting there with ridiculously muddy boots. At least now people could believe we were coming from Iceland.

Before the airport we stopped at a supermarket and bought some sweets for a snack. We ate them in the parking lot and drove to return the car. Everything went very simply. The employee walked around the car, said it looked good, took the keys, and let us go. It all worked on trust. He did not even ask us to sign anything. Along with the car we gave him an almost full gas canister for the camping stove. Then we waited for the shuttle bus and rode it to the airport. At the airport I weighed all the suitcases to make sure we were not overweight, and then I went looking for a place where luggage could be wrapped in plastic for money. I found nothing. Apparently that is not a common service there. I remember even in New Zealand it was easy to find, but not there. Fortunately we had brought large plastic bags just in case. We put the suitcases inside them and wrapped everything with tape. While checking in our luggage we hid an extra bag we had planned to carry onboard. It held a whole pack of toilet paper that had turned out unnecessary in Iceland and that Sveta had refused to leave at the hotel, plus jackets and other warm clothes. That was it. We waited for boarding, got on, and flew away. Departure was at 23:00. We took off almost on time and landed in Domodedovo at 7 a.m., right on schedule. Then we ran for the Aeroexpress and barely made it because one of the suitcase handles broke on the way. Dealing with that suitcase later in the metro and at Savyolovsky station was a whole story in itself. But anyway, we were home.