Showing posts with label 2018-06 Iceland. Show all posts
Showing posts with label 2018-06 Iceland. Show all posts

"Vivo Bare Foot" hiking boots


 "Vivo Bare Foot" hiking boots


I am very happy to have purchased this pair of boots for hiking in Iceland, from the only store in London. Super light, water proof, with thin, flexible, non-slip and durable sole, they are great for balancing on rocky paths, up and down sandy slopes, on muddy trails and through boggy fields.
On top, with hiking nearly everyday, my legs do not feel tired, my back do not ache, I am converted, truly belief that we should wear thin, flat, soft sole shoes.

Iceland - cooking in camping car



Simple and fast is the key. Generally the meals consist of fish or lamb, with a bowl of thick vegetable rice soup, this is a good way to warm up, to drink more fluid in cold weather.

lamb & mushroom on thick veg rice soup

To start, boil 2 bowls of water with a handful of rice or quinoa, then start to cut up vegetables, the type that is good for storage and easy to clean, like carrot, cauliflower, cabbage, khol rabi, mushroom, sweet potato etc, add to boiling rice soup, season with salt, pepper and ginger.

While simmering the veg rice soup, prepare to sear meat/fish, or to steam boil fish in a cm of water, or cut up meat and mushroom, season with salt and pepper and stir-fried to cook, serve with or on top of thick veg rice soup.

Northwest Iceland - trout


lake near Blonduos


On the return trip back to the airport, stopped at a lake near Blonduos, caught a trout. 

trout


poached trout

In 2 weeks we have seen, hiked and fished the western and northern half of Iceland, the rest of the country has to wait until the next travel. 

road view


road view

Northeast Iceland - hike 16 - Vesturdalur



esturdalur

Near Asbyrgir is this basalt rock formation dotted along the river. 

Vesturdalur

A good 3 hours walk up and down the rocky hills to admire the beauty of natural sculptures. 

Vesturdalur basalt rock


Vesturdalur basalt rock
  

Vesturdalur basalt rock

The hike ends at Red hill, a smooth sided volcanic cone formed by fine volcanic rocks. 

Vesturdalur red volcanic hill

The lava here is rich in iron, oxidized in exposure to air and turn from black to red. 

Vesturdalur red volcanic hill


Vesturdalur red volcanic stones

Northeast Iceland - hike 15 - Asbyrgi gorge



Asbyrgi gorge

North of Dettifoss is this unique gorge, with near vertical walls and flat tops, that form a giant U shape surrounding a straight sided rectangular rock island. 
Asbyrgi gorge


It is hard to describe the 'wow' feeling looking at the near perfect linear vertical and horizontal lines of this natural formation. 


Asbyrgi gorge island

The hour long hike started by walking across the bottom of the gorge, unique in being a flat plain, with lush vegetation, quite rare to see such diversity of green plants in Iceland. 

climb up Asbyrgi gorge

Followed by climbing up the near straight wall, via stairs and rocks with the help of ropes to get to the top, which turns out to be not that difficult. 

view from top of Asbyrgi gorge

The top is also full of herbs and low bushes, very easy walk along the length of the gorge to admire the view. 

view from Asbyrgi gorge

Northeast Iceland - hike 14 - Dettifoss and Selfoss


Dettifoss and Selfoss hike


North of Myvatn is this waterfall group, 2 hours to walk around them. 

Dettifoss waterfall


Dettifoss

The first is gigantic waterfall Dettifoss, the biggest in Europe, and nearby up stream is the smaller Selfoss waterfall.

Dettifoss  rainbow

It looks like a large river flowing along and suddenly the land dropped vertically, hence created Dettifoss waterfall, with huge quantity of water thundering down. 

Selfoss

Northeast Iceland - hike 13 -Leirhnjukur lava area


Leirhnjukur lava area Add caption


This spot is near Mt Krafla (north of Myvatn), has frequent volcanic activities and where the largest geothermal electricity production plant is based in Iceland.

Leirhnjukur lava area

A 2 hours return gentle up hill walk going pass a couple of boiling hot springs, sulphur fumaroles, lava rocks and view from high up, of the old and new lava flow in the surrounding area. 

Leirhnjukur lava area
Leirhnjukur lava area

NortheNortheast Iceland - Vogafjoss (cowshed) cafe, farm to table experience



Vogafjoss (cowshed) cafe
 
In Myvatn area, there is this fantastic restaurant at Voga, which started as a cow and sheep farm, and a cafe is added. The concept worked and a proper restaurant and barn unit is built, with the dinning room separated from the dairy cow barn by a window. 

Vogafjoss (cowshed) cafe

At 10 am and 6pm the cows are being milked, in front of dinners. Afterwards a cup of freshly squeezed raw milk is given to all customers. 
 

Vogafjoss (cowshed) cafe
Vogafjoss (cowshed) cafe



Milk produced is turned into skyr, yogurt, cheese and ice cream, available in the menu. Local specialties are sheep dung smoked raw lamb and Arctic char, and hot spring cooked dark rye bread, all delicious.

Northeast Iceland - Myvatn lake volcanic area 2


Hverfjall volcanic crater


At Hverfjall, hike 12, is a volcanic crater of 1km diameter, a short uphill walk followed by an hour walk around the rim. 

Hverfjall volcanic crater

Hverfjall volcanic crater
The view of the crater is amazing and scenery around is awesome. However, the wind at the top is really violent, and being a cold and drizzly day, it ends up as an exhausting hike.

view from Hverfjall volcanic crater

At Grjotagja, can see this lava fissure, with hot spring water inside, where in the old days locals used it as a bath.

fissure


hot spring water inside fissure

At Namafjall there are bubbling sulphurous pools and fumaroles scattered around, a truly strange looking and foul smelling landscape.

Namafjall


Namafjall


fumaroles


boiling mud pool

Northeast Iceland - Myvatn lake volcanic area 1



A number of unique geological features in this area, the views are truly unique and magical.

pseudo craters

The first is a walk around these pseudo craters, formed by steam bubbling through lava, at Skutustadir.

pseudo craters


pseudo craters

At Dimmuborgir, there is an hour's walk among a large field of lava rocks, of all sorts of shapes, some forms are fantastic like a cathedral dome. 

Dimmuborgir


Dimmuborgir

Driving from Northwest to Northeast Iceland - Godafoss waterfall


Godafoss waterfall


It is a short but very wide waterfall, and we can walk to the edge to hear and feel the roaring water pouring down.

Godafoss waterfall


road view


road view


road view