Sep 1 – Waterfalls and Crater

I am getting farther and farther behind at posting each days activities.

On top of having long days and being very tired each night, my laptop is getting old and the battery doesn’t last as long as I need. We can’t plug into electric power each night so must charge the laptops from the van batteries.

It seems that charging them from the auxiliary batteries that powers the heater and cooler draws too much power and causes the cooler to stop working so the only time we can charge them is when the engine and its alternator are running.

The cooler kept displaying an error code. To try and figure what it meant I tried to google the brand name on the cooler but no luck. Then I took a picture of it and used Google Lens to identify it. It took me to a Romanian website that sold the cooler under a different brand name, I got Google to translate the web page and was able to download the manual, in Romanian of course. I searched for the error code and copied the text for the error meaning and what to do about into the Google Translate app. Whew! Basically my inverter was drawing the battery voltage down so low that the cooler couldn’t start it’s compressor.

Another long day. Three waterfalls, a crater and a thermal area.

To get east from Akureyri you have three choices.

Most people pay to take the expensive tunnel under the mountain, Cheaper people take the paved road around the mountain. We took the dirt road over the top of the mountain.

It had great views.

A photosphere.

Over the top we go.

Heading down the far side we came to this closed bridge and at first thought we would have to go back but then saw the creek crossing beside it.

And down to get back on the ring road.

Our first stop was the Godafoss waterfall right next to the highway. Nice but nothing special.

Just a bit farther downstream was a smaller falls and if you stood in exactly the right place there was a bit of a rainbow.

With a nice arch.

Then it was off on a long dirt road into the interior to one of the most interesting and beautiful waterfalls we have visited.

The road was in good shape so most of the time you could do the 80 kph speed limit.

We crossed the river on the old suspension bridge out in the middle of nowhere, about half way there.

To get there you have to cross a farmer’s land so Jennie had to open and close two gates while I drove through.

Aldeyjarfoss is surrounded by the most amazing basalt columns.

You first have to climb down a rather steep and rocky path to get close.

An overview photosphere.

But wow!

And the photosphere.

We spent a long time staring. I am allowed to fly my drone here but it was just way too windy.

On to Hrafnabjargafoss, which was just down the road but the road got way rougher. 4x4 only.

The sun was at the wrong angle for this one.

Me out getting very wet taking this photosphere.

Back on the ring road we headed farther eat to the Lake Myvatn area. Lots of volcanoes and steaming vents around here.

I must say that even though people rave about the area we we a bit disappointed. The big attractions are: The Myvatn Nature baths  but at $70 a person our hot tub at home suits us just fine. There is a walk through a lava field but we had just done that at Lnadmanalauger.You can climb a volcano and walk several kilometers around its rim but it is just a black sand cinder cone with not much to look at.

We did go to Krafla Viti Crater. It has a beautiful blue green pool at he bottom.

The photosphere from here.

You could walk up to the top of the rim.

And the photosphere from the top.

But the wind was actually more interesting than the crater. It was so strong that we could barely stand up.

When I stood near the edge I really had to brace myself or in i would go.

To get to the crater you have to pass under the steam pipes feeding the nearby geothermal power station.

Right next to the road to the crater is a perpetual shower fed from underground.

The temperature was perfect and someone had just finished having a shower. Some do it with and without clothes.

Our final stop for the day was the Hverir Thermal Area. Again we felt a bit disappointed. It is built up so much on the online blogs and videos but I guess once you have been to Yellowstone everything else pales in comparison.

You just around to the various fenced in features.

Bubbling pools.

Mud pots

Little steaming volcanoes.

And big steaming vents.

It was really windy here as well.

Then off to the nearby campground for dinner and an early night.