Fjörds forded

Here we are with another Icelandic milestone behind us! Earlier today we passed through the short 1.3km tunnel from Lónsöræfi and passed from the Eastfjörds to the south east coast.

Our trip south began with a tunnel as well: from Reyðarfjörður, we climbed a short way up the fjörd and into the forboding mouth of the 6km long tunnel that connects it to Fáskrúðsfjörður. What would await us? Trolls? Shelob? Or just a dark cold road with trucks threatening to flatten us? None of the above as it turns out, with the interior being a perfectly decent road, and even a pleasant ride, what with it being out of the wind for once and all.

Into the mouth of the beast.

Emergency exit options: front of tunnel, back of tunnel. Start moving.

After this, it was some winding fjörd roads, a pit stop in a small-town burger joint (Icelanders love their fast food.), and on to Breiðdalsvik, a small, pretty coastal town. We're doing shorter runs now. My knees feel alright (thanks Julie!), but only for about 60km or so, and Zack's epic, and also knee-busting ride through the gravel desert seemed to convince him that maybe 60-70km isn't too unrespectable when it's in Iceland.

The campsite was well maintained and free, and also freezing cold. It also has no grocery store, so after a somewhat unsucessful tuna-pasta experiment with what we could find in the local gas station, concocted on Hated Camp Stove (ask Zack about Hated Camp Stove), we spent a shivery evening at the lone exposed picnic table. We played chess (Zack won), and chatted with Franzi, another cycle tourist from Germany, who was completing the opposite circuit from ours a few fjörds north, where a ferry will take you to Denmark.

We also got rained on all during breakfast. The bathrooms were clean though.

Pretty even in crappy weather.

Next destination: Djúpivogur, 1 1/2 fjörds down. The upside to fjörds: super pretty. Downside: when you can see your destination on the opposite tip, probably fifteen minutes away if there were a bridge, but you've got three hours of riding up one side and back down the other before you get there.

View from the Djúpovogur campground. The sun is setting somewhere back there.

After Djúpivogur, we continue south. We're almost out of the Fjörds proper now, with just a few to go. It's sunny now, which is great, because we've had a week or more of clouds, rain, and chilly wind. The wind isn't going anywhere, but hey, nice to see that sun again.

Speaking of wind, our ride through the last few fjörds is turned into an exhilirating ride by 40 km winds screaming off the highlands and out to sea, gusting to 60 km. So riding inwards: a struggle to keep bikes on the road that was sending my stress levels through the roof. Riding outwards: basically as much fun as you can have on a bike. Best worst cycling day ever?

It ends at Stafafell, in the Lónsöræfi wilderness area. Here long gravel flats run out into the lagoons, and behind this we find a beautiful campground in among the grassy hills. We've neglected to properly supply for a totally store-less area, so it's oatmeal and plain noodles for dinner (lunch was peanut butter & chocolate chip cookie sandwiches), but the sun & view make up for it.

Actually, PB & cookie sandwiches are delicious.

Final descent.

Lagoon!

To be fair, we did have some garlic & herbs for the pasta, too.

Next morning, just a short 30km hop to Höfn! We're taking a mini-break for the afternoon here, before setting out to spend the next few days cycling past the imposing Vatnajökull - the largest ice cap outside of the polar regions!