Iceland 2014 Day 9 ~~ Exploring Reykjanes Peninsula Part 1~~

On the 9th day I didnt do a lot due to circumstances. In the previous 8 days I took so many pictures that I didnt have any memory left and I needed to find a new SD card to not be disappointed for too less photos. I didnt take a lot, maybe just 8, photos today. It already felt miserable to me that I couldnt shoot and click unlimited. Also my ipad had problems with its memory, it had 12 of its 16 GB used in some mysterious matter. I had no clue in what as I barely had photo's on it, and deleted almost all of my apps, music and other memory killers. So my spare memory there was gone too.

But where do I find SD cards... I could not find photography stores on internet, I really had no idea, so I decided to go to Reykjavik, to be precise to Smaralind shopping mall to hopefully find a store there. And having to do this I decided also for a short tour back via Blue Lagoon and then go visit the Viking museum in Keflavik. I thought about being smart to see where it is beforehand, but without navigation I could not find it. The first time ever I noticed Iceland was not to clear with road directions to where to go. But I had time, plenty of time with no plans today as the weather forcast was quite windy and much better tomorrow. A day to take it easy and maybe go to Blue Lagoon after all, so I took my bathingsuit & slippers with me. However I was quite sure I wouldnt get there anyway. I just longed for the idea to soak in a hot tub. The one at Skjaldarvik I didnt use with their chlorine infested water. That can only mean some filthy scurfy tourists are prone to use it without cleaning themselves before hand. My first visit to Iceland was to Blue Lagoon and it was shocking to instantly in my first hour be confronted with the bathing rules of Iceland. But it was also life changing for me, because how completely different I look now to swimming pools, and how aware am I for all those people here that on a soarching hot day jump in with all their sweat, dirt and goodness knows what else still attached. No wonder a toxic chlorine cloud is always to be found on our swimmingpools. That terrible smell that lingers around you for days, a nose that hurts when you step outside and inhale fresh air. I am still not very much friends with the Icelandic swimming pool rules but for a clean swimm you have to 'suffer'. Well I do.

At the end of the morning I arrive in Smaralind, to find most shops still closed. What a bummer, but they had a wonderfull wool and handcraft store looking at me like a walhalla. But I wouldnt be me if something screwed the fun. I forgot my creditcard. At least I thought. And I only had about 6000 kronar with me. Oh nightmarish.... that should happen to me :-( So I skipped this store, searched for something that could buy a SD card. I ended up at Hagkaup. They had SD cards, but not the fast speed I looked for. Anything better than nothing, I bought one and put it in my pocket camera, moving some of my better high quality photo's to that card making some free space on my HD SD 400x card. And I bought a lot of wool, knitting needles until I had no more money. I tried using my other bank card but it was not activated for international use. How nice.... :-( But I had my card and wool and needles and some lunch, so I moved on to take a ride to somewhere. In my mind I had to go to Thingvellir, but no navigation.... I found my way to the ringroad (actually I landed on it before I knew it, the only chaos driving without navigation is in greater Reykjavik, outside the cities it is really not necesary to have navigation (but still easier). And instead of going to north, I ended up going south. Whatever Iceland wants me to do... then I go to Hveragerði on the south coast. At least I still wanted to see the area around Þorlákshöfn as it looked so beautifull in the mists when I returned from Thorsmork in 2012. 

As I said it was quite windy today, I followed my way over Hellisheiði where the road crosses the Hengil volcano ridge. It can be spooky there when stormy, but before I could really cross this ridge, the road lead me away to Þorlákshöf. I dont know if it was a smart idea, here it was also spooky, and I was driving alone but saw no way back. I just continued, a car with horse trailer passed me so I thought it was ok to continue. It was a beautifull area, with what I call 'muffin lava' because the formed lava looked like freshly baked muffins with a ridge in their top. In Þorlákshöfn I did some shopping for lunch again. Because my guesthouse has a kitchen I could go for a warm dinner and bought some deep frozen thai food. And my beloved cheese sandwich. The town itself didnt have much to offer, it is situated on a flat land next to the ocean. Windy and well at this point not for me to stay longer. I continued my way along the coast line towards Grindavik. Here winds had free play and not far away I see the coast changing from flat to the fjord like mountains. From this distance it looked like the road was on sealevel, and that looked like my worst nightmare, with this winds driving on such mountainpass like road. I felt like I sealed my fate right here. I thought Hvalfjordur was a nightmare, but this seems to top it. But I survived Hvalfjordur. So on I go, and when I reach this doom road, it was by far not what I expected. Instead a cozy road through yet another lavafield nothing to worry about, but awe and amaze of how beautifull it is and how blessed I feel to be here. Wind or no wind. 

I pass by the road to Krysuvik, it was an F road which made me sad, this toy car cannot and should not take F roads. And even if I had a 4x4 I wouldnt do it. So I had to let go my wish to see Krysuvik and Seltún. Luckily this area has so much beauty to explore tomorrow. Not today because it is too windy to go out (flying stones!) and I proceed my way to Grindavik, Blue Lagoon. It is too late for the Viking museum, and put it on the maybe list for tomorrow. So I drive to Blue Lagoon, not to go bath, but to take pictures outside. They have a park with also the blue waters, ice cold here so no you cant go bath for free. But you dont see that on pictures. Sadly there was a wedding photo shoot going on, and I could not really get to the best spots :-(  Lucky for them, but not for me. 

And then it was almost 18.00 and time for me to go to the guesthouse to have something to eat. Maybe weather would be ok to see northern lights tonight, but clouds appeared. And like it has been all days, I didnt really feel like going out to hunt them. I hunted them here in my own place, moving from one room to another, because my room might be the most beautifull, but it had no good looking out windows to spot the lights. And the neighbours hot tub was widely used and had a huge bright light spoiling any chance to take try out pictures to see if the lights are active. 

I prepared for tomorrow, a feeling of sadness because I have to leave beautifull Iceland so soon. It was my longest stay so far, and it felt like I have been here for ages. But the creepy feeling this might be my last visit for a while makes my heart bleed. Still I will make this promise tomorrow. I always will until that day comes I dont have to leave again.