After I got over the shock of going somewhere dark and wet and cold, I started to get a little excited for our trip.
We rented a 4-wheel drive SUV from Blue Car Rental so we could go on both regular and F roads. F roads are the more rugged roads around Iceland…basically anything that’s not in town or part of the ring road. They can get bumpy and muddy and so a 4WD is necessary. There are even more difficult roads, especially in the highlands that require a super Jeep or are closed in the winter. We arrived during a freak winter storm (of course we did), resulting in the early closure of some F roads already. At the rental car company they showed us a map of Iceland, and basically everything except the south of Iceland and west near Reykjavik were marked “no go.”
Luckily our first destination was the south coast of Iceland. We were headed to a hotel near the town of Hof. We were doing a straight shot drive down there “since the Fagradalsfjall volcano” isn’t erupting.”
Well almost a straight shot. First we stopped for cinnamon buns at Braud (because apparently they had the best cinnamon buns), and then Pokin needed to stop and get her camera checked out (because apparently it’s not a trip if Pokin doesn’t break her camera at least once.)
After those detours we got driving. My bud had just arrived from a redeye and Pokin picked out a 4.5 hour drive to our first destination. Neither my bud nor I was amused but that’s where we’re booked to sleep so that’s where we had to head.
The drive was scenic – or at least I think so. Both Pokin and I dozed off while my bud drove us. “You guys are the worst passengers to road trip with, you’re both always asleep,” Nicholas tells us.
We eventually got to a hotel situated right beside a waterfall. Both my bud and I took a liking to it immediately. Modern, clean, warm. We got a view facing out to the sea.
Of course we barely got settled before Pokin decided it was time to head out.
“It’s not raining, we should head to the lagoon for sunset,” she said.
By lagoon she meant the Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. “I need to scout it out for sunrise photos,” she added. Sunrise photos. I groan. I know the drill.
Jökulsárlón Glacier lagoon is one of many glacier lagoons in the area, but it’s by far the most popular and touristy — probably because it’s one of the most accessible lagoons, being situated right off the main highway and all. The lagoon is fed by the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, and it’s also reported to be the deepest lake in Iceland. You can see seals swimming in the lagoon. We immediately saw some seals. That was cool. And a tonne of tourists. That was less cool.
Visiting the lagoon area can be divided into four quadrants. Coming from Rekyavik, the lagoon is on the left side, and the Diamond Beach (Breiðamerkursandur) on your right. The two sides are further divided by a river, so there’s the side before you cross the river and after. Most of the icebergs float onto the east side of the river, which is probably why the cafes and tourist shops all set up on the east side.
We pulled into the parking lot and Pokin made a mad dash for the shoreline, and joined basically every other photographer tourist in Iceland that had the same idea to line up here for sunset.
My bud and I? We actually checked out the area and walked around. We had fun watching all the tour busses pull out of the parking lot as the light got dimmer.
Eventually it was nearly dark.
“Perfect,” Pokin says. We now know where to go for sunrise photos.
Oh no.