Heading around the rest of the Ring Road

As I said, I decided to drive north, completing the Ring Road, rather than retracing my steps to get back to Reykjavik. Today was pretty much all driving and no hiking. I drove the East Fjords in light rain and fog. There were some really stunning areas...when I could see them.

When I started inland, the weather finally cleared and the terrain changed, with sweeping vistas and a nearly deserted road. There are many more tourists in the south than the north. I stopped for lunch at a diner and found a familiar figure! The lamb sub was delicious, and way too big!

My next stop was Hverir, a geothermal region with lots of hissing steam and boiling gray water. Oh, and the lovely smell of sulfur. It was interesting, but when you've seen Yellowstone, the geothermal features here like this are not as impressive. But, overall, there is an incredible amount of geothermal activity here. As you travel around, you see numerous geothermal power stations. The one I've pictured is the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Plant, the eighth largest in the world.

Have I mentioned the animals? I have seen very few cows and almost no dogs (🙁), but horses and sheep are everywhere. The sheep are frequently free range, and I've had them jump out in front of my car. There was one today that just stood next to the road—I was sure he was going to do a death leap, but he didn't.

I had a lovely soak at the Mývatn Nature Baths. The water was a milky blue color, and there was no odor that I noticed. I was lucky—I just paid my fee and walked in, but when I left there was a long line. Maybe a bus tour arrived. I didn't take any pictures there, but here's one from their website.

I had another 90 minute drive to the campsite I'd chosen. I stopped first in Mývatn for fish and chips, then heading out...and right into another fog bank. By the time I reached the campground just outside Akureyri, it was windy and quite chilly. It's probably the coldest it's been since I got here. But I absolutely cannot complain, because I had splendid weather for my first four days here. I think there's a lake near the campground, but I can't see it in the fog.

Spending money is very easy here. It's all touchless and you don't use a PIN (except for gas). I have had to sign for a big purchase like my hiking boots, but usually, it's just touch the card to the machine and go. And they ask if you want a receipt instead of automatically printing one. I wish they'd do that in the US! Buying gas is interesting. I've had trouble with the pumps taking my debit card, even with a PIN, but fortunately, Apple Pay works. The diesel for my camper van is quite expensive, about ISK 328 per liter. That's $2.34 per liter, which is about $8.90 per gallon!

I'd heard mixed things about how friendly the people are here, but I've found everyone friendly, both Icelanders and other tourists. Almost every Icelander I've interacted with has spoken English, as have most international tourists. The Germans I talked to last night were almost as fluent in English as I am. I wish my language skills were better. Also, I made no effort to learn ever basic Icelandic, which is pretty sad when I'm visiting their country. I should at least know how to say please and thank you. Maybe I'll blame it on how little time I had this summer. I have done better previously when I traveled outside the US.

So, tomorrow I'll head the rest of the way around the Ring to Reykjavik. It's only a 5 hour drive, so if the weather is decent, I should have some time for a hike along the way. Tomorrow evening I have to return the camper. I'm staying at a hotel near the airport, and head to Bergen Monday morning.