It snowed overnight! As we opened the curtains we saw one older man fall down from a gust of wind, and two younger people slip on the ice. What a way to start the day... falling on your ass. So we decided to put on crampons, really "shoe grippers," right away. Picture of those tomorrow.
We proceeded into the lobby and were quickly scolded to remove our crampons/grippers because they would ruin the floor. So once we took them off and got mud and salt all over our hands, we sat down to a huge buffet filled with all kinds of jams, breads, homemade waffles and Nutella, meats, cheeses...enough to choke a horse. Oh sorry...that was yesterday's joke/dinner.
We then headed east to Skaftafell, Iceland's National Park, and the glacier covering 9% of the entire country.
On the way, we saw the lava field from the 2010 eruption...
We took a Super Jeep off roading for 30 minutes over terrain that looked like something out of a strange space movie. The driver even had to let most of the air out of the tires to gain traction.
We were suited up with helmets...
...and real crampons, for what was billed as an"easy ice cave tour."
Here's my expression once we got mom UPHILL over boulders and large stones to the entrance. Hooray! But it was hard, not easy, for her. She was a champ and our guide Dan was a saint for holding her other arm, sloshing through freezing water, and breaking up thin ice to clear a way for her. In the dark, at times. Whew. But what a view.
Then we ventured back toward our last stop before the hotel. Our trusty guide, Linus, was waiting for all of us to return.
Last stop for today was
Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon and black sand beach.
We are enjoying our evening including a room with a view...of the sea, the mountains, and the horses!
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