March 31 & April 1

Very busy day yesterday.  I just hope I can remember it all including todays.  It was a lovely clear day again and we packed up and left our hotel.  It was a long day of driving and stopping to take photos. This is the last view of the some of the mountains near out hotel before we left.

Our first stop was on the side of the road to get some of the Icelandic horses.  They seem to be like goats and will try to eat anything.  I ended up getting a nibble on the cheek.  I think Sam, one of the women in my group, got a photo of it too.  I will need to get a copy of that one.

Another stop was at the side of the road for a waterfall.  It was an ok water fall but I was more interested in taking photos of the grasses on the other side of the road.  They look like wheat with the white wind blown snow behind them.

We found another stop where there were a lot more horses and we could get among them.  I was nibbled on the leg, the elbow and one went for my camera at one stage.  There was a time when I was patting one, that another back into me and I became a the filling between two rumps.  They are gorgeous animals.  Very friendly.  I was covered in horse hair by the end.

Our next stop was perfect timing.  It was a huge waterfall and the sun was in the right spot for a rainbow.  I took so many photos here.  After about 20 minutes the sun moved on and the rainbow went.  I jokingly said I could see the end of the rainbow so we should go look for gold.  I did not know that apparently someone buried a chest of gold at the bottom of the waterfall knowing that it would be safe due to the water pressure.  Apparently it is still there as no one has been able to get it.  Two guys tried as they could see the ringed handle of the chest but all they got was the ringed handle which is now a door handle on a church.

This photo is for my friends who wanted to see what I looked like all rugged up.  I have 5 layers on and there is a fur hat underneath the hood.

After the waterfall we went to a beach where there were really huge waves.  They can come in so fast as well that people have lost tripods with cameras on them.  Our guides showed us a photo of two guys, not connected to the group, trying to run away.  One had fallen oven in the water and another was madly trying to get out of it.  The tripods were about to head out to sea.  They lost everything.  The waves were spectacular.  I could have sat there all day.  Totally amazing.

From there it was on to our hotel where I happened to miss dinner because I was in the shower.  I am having problems with my phone keeping time (long story).  Anyway I think people thought I wasn't well even though I had told Stuart through the door what had happened when he came looking for me. They kept asking if I was ok. I wasn't really hungry anyway so that was fine.

We went out for Aurora watch and my camera started doing silly buggers on me.  Neither Stuart or I could get it to work on the correct settings.  I sat back freezing to death watching others get a hint of an Aurora that lasted for only 5 minutes and was rather pitiful.  

We only stayed at the hotel that night.  I set my alarm for 6am and it didn't go off, so yes I missed breakfast and only had half an hour to pack everything ready to leave by the time I woke at 8:30.  

This morning was another long drive with little stops along the way.  Again it was a perfectly clear day and very little wind which is the chill factor.  We stopped by the side of the road for another water fall that was had a lot of frozen icicles.  At one stage along the ridge of the cliff we saw a lot of icicles fall away.  Unfortunately I did not get that on camera.

Some of the areas we drove through were very flat and did have a lot of wind.  One section (like a band of wind) seemed to be blowing black dust through the air.  The snow was brown and if you didn't know better you would think it was solid ground to walk on.

We stopped again at a smaller waterfall that had some great ice formations in it.  I went crazy zooming in on the ice.  If I had known we were staying there for the amount of time that we did, I would have got some filters out of the van to get that slow motion water movement.

Further down the road we stopped at an old farm house that had some of the old turf buildings and a church.  There was lots of rusty stuff around too which I loved.  This is private property but the tour group has permission to enter.  I think I got some really good photos.

We crossed Icelands largest bridge.  Most bridges here appear to be one way and if they are long then there are various larger sections were you can wait to allow other cars to pass.  At the end of it there is the "sculpture." This is part of an old bridge that has been gratified on and now passes as modern art.  It is also the view of the highest point in Iceland apparently.

After lunch we went to a Glacier.  Don't ask me to tell you the name because I can not remember and I am sure I can not spell it.  The ground was soft and muddy and my shoes ended up so caked in mud that they lost all tread.  It was a glorious place.  Though I was told by Tim (part of our tour) that it was Bonza.  I had to say bonza because I am an Aussie so I told him it was 'bloody bonza mate.'

This is a small section of the glacier.  Trust me it really isn't small.  Photography wise I laid on the ground under beached chunks of ice to get the icicles.  I did some macro shots as well as wide angle.  I am very happy with how most of them turned out.

This photo was taken heading out of the carpark from the glacier.  I just love the relfections.

Heading to our next stop, the wind picked up.  I was in the 4wd today so this is a picture of our van in front of us with the wind blowing the snow across the road.

Our final destination before the hotel was the ice lagoon and beach.  The beach is all black volcanic sand with big waves coming in.  The lagoon comes out through a small channel and empties the ice on the sand.  While we were there a huge amount of ice pushed through.  It was amazing to watch.

This photo is where the channel meets the ocean.  The current is strong here but the waves were further round to my right.

We got to the hotel and had a few minutes to get ready and go to dinner.  After dinner we had 15 minutes to pile back in the car, to go back to the lagoon for Aurora watch.  My camera worked perfectly this time by the clouds came in and we saw nothing.

Well it is almost 1am and I have to be up at 6am (fingers crossed that the alarm will work).  We are heading back to the ice beach for different lighting and it will also be a lot different from this evening.