The last day in Iceland dawned, or must I say the last night in Iceland never came. Right through the so-called night it never became dark as we are used to in India. It is bright, brighter or brightest in this part of the world in summer. While in winter Iceland gets just 4 hours of sunlight, in summer the roles are reversed with daylight stretching to 21 hours and more. For a tourist, this is great. One can pack in a lot more activities in a day. However, museums and other attractions have fixed working hours.
I scheduled activities on the final day in such a way that I would be able to return the car to the rental company by 8 pm. As things turned out, I got to the rental company an hour earlier. I tried to fill up the tank before returning the car. But the station turned out to be automated. I decided to seek the assistance of the car rental company. At the counter I met Kante who went through the documentation online and said that since I had taken the platinum insurance, I could leave the car as is, without topping up the fuel.
I could not believe what I was hearing. I told him about the email I had received last evening in which I was specifically told to return the car with a full tank of fuel. He said he would take care of that, and I could leave the car at his disposal after unloading the luggage. Kante even got me a luggage trolley to ferry my stuff to the airport. The young man had just saved me over USD 70. Miracles continue to happen and in different ways. Kante turned out to be my Guardian Angel for the day.
To get back to the day's activities. After breakfast of bread and eggs, washed down with coffee, I left the Hostel for the Saxholl Crater, which is located in the Snaefellsjokull National Park. It´s an easy climb of 385 steps over a metal staircase. The staircase looks like a necklace on the slope of the crater. Once you get to the top of the crater you should be careful of each step you take there as round pebbles and lave debris is quite slippery. The view from the top is spectacular, to say the least. One is blessed with incredible views of the Atlantic Ocean and the expansive, dried lava fields of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula.
The Djupalonssandur black sand beach and bay is only 15 km from the Saxholl crater. In times past it was home to sixty fishing boats and was one of the most prolific fishing villages on the Saefellsnes peninsula. However, today the bay is uninhabited. As I walked down from the parking lot to the beach I came across an arch of weathered lava stones that invited me for a couple of photographs. As I stepped on to the beach I came across the four lifting stones that were used by the fishermen of Djupalonssandur to test their strength. The lifting stones varied in weight from 154 kgs to 23 kgs and were traditionally used to qualify men for work on the fishing boats.
On the beach there are remains of the Grimsby fishing trawler Epine that was wrecked there on March 13, 1948. The debris is spread over a fairly large area. Authorities have placed request at many places not to disturb the remains as a mark of respect. The Atlantic Ocean venting its fury on the stacks and cliffs is a sight to behold. The aquamarine waters against the greyish black rocks, one pushing and the other holding their own.
The lighthouse at Malarrif was built in 1917 close to the Londrangar. The newer lighthouse which stands tall at the site now at 20.2 meters also houses the keeper of the lighthouse. In 2003 the lighthouse, along with six others, were declared protected monuments to commemorate 125 years of the commissioning of the first lighthouse in Iceland. The visitor center at Malarrif is a treasure house of information. One can also buy souvenirs and gifts from the center. I walked around leisurely to admire the lighthouse and the imposing Londrangar.
The viewpoint of the Londrangar basalt cliffs is a must visit. They are amongst the many geological attractions of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. After millennia of ocean battering, all that remains of what was once a volcanic crater are two pillars upon a cliff, one 75 meters high and the other 61 meters. They are referred to as 'the rocky castle' considering their dramatic scale and incredible formation. The lands surrounding the Londrangar have never made use of by farmers in the area as elves are rumored to live there.
The Gatklettur or the "Hellnar Arch" is a famous, naturally formed stone arch found between the villages of Arnarstapi and Hellnar on the Snaefellsnes Peninsula. The cliffs, the arches the ocean and the birds nesting there provide a fertile ground for amateur and professional photographers. The strange, swirling patterns across the rock itself is a testament to the ocean's constant barrage. It is, without a doubt, one of the most fascinating places in Iceland.
A popular summer tourist attraction is the gorge at Raudfeldsgja. It is a natural formation that and the name Raudfeldsgja Gorge translates to Red-Cloak Rift. The name is inspired by the Saga of Bardur Saefellsas, half man and half troll. While the trek up the mountain is gradual, slippery pebbles warrant a careful step all along the way. The rift is not very big, and a steady stream of icy cold water makes you do multiple hops, steps and jumps on round, slippery boulders before getting to the central portion of the gorge. Skylight filters into the gorge from a large opening above.
The Budir black church is one of the three black churches in Iceland. The exterior wood of the church is painted with pitch, to protect it from the harsh Icelandic elements. The Budir church has been here since 1703, built by a Swedish merchant with his own money. When Budir reduced as a trading post, the hamlet was no longer a parish. Hence, the replacement church was not forthcoming from the church.
Steinunn Lárusdóttir, a widow, petitioned the Danish King and won his permission to build a new black church. When her church was completed in 1848, a plaque claimed that the Budir black church was built without the help of the “Fathers”, in other words, without any help from the Lutheran Church. She was buried in the cemetery adjoining the church and it stands witness to the steely determination of Icelandic women.
The Bjarnarfoss waterfall is a two-tiered waterfall that cascades on magnificent basalt columns. The waterfall is tucked into a picturesque valley of fields and is surrounded by tall mountains, which makes it a beautiful backdrop for photos. The dark basalt columns that form the high cliffs were formed millennia ago by lava flow and through the years, water has carved away at the basalt cliffs behind the waterfall. Intrepid visitors climb so close to the waterfall that they get sprayed by it.
I stayed on the viewing platform to take in the uniqueness of the waterfall and read up the legends connected to her. One legend tells the story that the Lady of the Mountain, Fjallkonan, stands at the waterfall's base, with the water crashing upon her shoulders. The Lady of the Mountain is a national symbol of Iceland. In fact, it is the female personification of the country itself.
Another Bjarnarfoss legend tells of a rich farmer Bjarni, who turned away a passing stranger who came to him for shelter. The stranger, in turn, cursed Bjarni and his farm, which resulted in his livestock and crops dying. Bjarni went mad and threw away his money into the waterfall's pool, where some say it remains. I was in no mood for a treasure hunt!
Gerduberg basalt columns cliff is hardly noticeable from the road when driving even though the cliff is around 500 meters long and quite close to the road. Hundreds of basalt column stacks stand like an army of pillars in a row. Like the cliff, the columns are also quite regular. Some are even leaning forward, giving the cliff a spectacular view as you walk by the cliff. I walked up a grassy incline to the foot of the basalt columns to enjoy and be super-awed by the magnificence of nature.
With that the activities scheduled for the day was over and all that was left was to return the car to the rental company. From the Gerduberg cliffs I had over 160 km to go for the Keflavik International Airport. When I reached the car rental drop off location I had logged 2490 km on the tour of this wonderful island nation.
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