Iceland: Hvammstangi to Borganes
The West Fjords. It is not really mentioned as a must do, but it is a shame if it is missed. The reason why it is not touted, is its out of the wayness and lengthy drive. We started from Hvammstangi, just on the cusp of reaching the fjordlands, which by the way are the oldest part of Iceland, coming in at 15 million years young. Geologically speaking, that is very, very young. Our first stop along the way was The Museum of Witchcraft and Wizardry. How did Harry Potter make his way all the way out here you might ask? Well, life back in the day was pretty awful. Especially in Iceland where the weather is tough most of the year. Even today with first world conveniences, Iceland is rough. Way back when, superstition reigned supreme, even with Christianity as the "official" religion. It was not uncommon to accuse neighbors, weirdos and even family of witch craft, often punished by being burned alive. This museum delved into the madness behind it all and was, in a word, unsettling. It was creepsville. The stuff these guys did and the punishments for doing said things was haunting. I took zero pictures inside out of fear.
Thoroughly creeped out, we stopped for comfort hot dogs before getting back on the road and into the fjords. We drove endlessly up and down the fjord highway to our next hotel in Heydallur. When we arrived we were greeted with one of the coolest/cutest sights ever: a wild Arctic Fox playing with the hotel's Golden Retriever! The fox was so beautiful and came so close to us. We learned from the guy checking us into our room that she has been hanging around since she was a little kit, but is still wild. This place was full of amazing things, including a small thermal pond on the property.
Arctic Fox that hangs around the hotel.
Fox + Golden = Adorable
The thermal spring was first discovered in the 1200's, blessed by a priest in the 1500's and used since then by the local and now lucky hotel guests! It was not a far walk away from our room and after crossing a river, we quickly changed into our suits and hopped in. It was magical.
800 year old thermal pool at Heydallur.
It began to rain, so we packed up and hastily made it back to our room for showers and dinner at the hotel. In the morning, we opted to not pay extra for the hotel breakfast, so we hit the road. One of the things we kept reading about Iceland was to fuel up at every gas station, no matter how full your tank is. Well, I was a bone head the day before and did not fill up. We had almost half a tank and the next gas station was just about that far away. After a stressful hour of driving, we puttered into a gas station on E. I vowed to never make that mistake again! There were a couple of highlights along the way that allowed me to stop thinking about the gas tank for a few minutes. We stoped and saw a bunch of seals lounging on rocks at one location. That was fun. Then, a few more miles down the road we saw breaching whales in one of the fjords! It was amazing! Kristin was convinced they were dolphins. She needs here eyes fixed :) Our next stop was the Dijayandi Waterfall, so with a full tank we set off. Again, the Westfjords are not talked about as a destination one must absolutely visit, but it is a shame to miss. The drive is long and feels like a burden, but the endless vistas and breathtaking landscape is truly a wonder to behold. Case and point: Dijayandi Falls.
The main falls with its little waterfall babies.
Dijayandi Fall. The only waterfall without a "foss" in its name.
Where the falls empty.
Technically, there were about seven falls here, all stepping down into smaller flows before emptying into the fjord. A small farm was first established in the 1200's and lasted until 1953. Talk about location. We hiked up to the main fall passing the smaller cascades along the way. Being so isolated, the crowds were thin, allowing us to get up close and linger. It was great being able to just stare at something so amazing without constant distraction from people clamoring over each other for a better photo op. We hiked around the surrounding area looking for the ruins of the old farm. The endless driving was all worth it to see this waterfall. In my opinion, was probably my favorite in Iceland.
We piled back into our awaiting steed and drove toward the next stop: a beached fishing vessel. Another hour plus of driving we came to it. Built in Norway over 100 years ago, it changed owners, purposes and names dozens of times. It was deliberately run aground in the 80's as it was way past its prime. Worst of all, by then its name at the time it was beached was "BA 64". Not too catchy. It was a cool thing to see, but was expecting something much bigger, like Titanic or something.
"Gardar" was its first name, before it ended with "BA 64".
BA 64's final resting spot.
A quick pit stop for pictures and then we were off to our final stay in the "country". Our last hotel was a stand alone cottage a couple of hours outside of Reykjavik. The owners were a super friendly older couple, who helped us get all checked in and showed us how everything worked. This place was so cute and it featured a hot tub, full kitchen and a grill! There were two other cottages next to us, but were not rented, so we felt like the only ones on Earth. We drove into the closest town for dinner supplies. We grilled burgers, made veggies and capped it off with a soak in the hot tub in the scariest looking weather we both had ever seen. Dark, windy, cloudy and rainy, it was the weather monsters are born into. Surviving the hideous weather, we made tea and went to bed.
Deck view from our cottage.
Final Thought: This was our last night staying along the Ring Road and I was sad, but a little bit anxious to get back to society. Along the way we saw simply some of the most beautiful things on the planet and racked up close to 3000 miles on the car. It was coming to an end, but it felt like we accomplished so much. There was definitely a sense of sadness when we left the cottage the next morning, but it was also followed with relief. Relief that we survived some crazy roads, volcanic craters and raging water falls and rivers. There is a sense of foreboding and dread here and any false step can easily ruin your day. We had accomplished something so cool and so amazing. It was definitely something we will both never forget.
