Our guide Dave describes the group's energy as the great train; that is, it starts slowly in the morning and picks up speed throughout the day.
This could definitely be applied to this morning as we boarded the bus for day two of ice features. After the excitement of the Northern Lights last night, it was a subdued breakfast, even though there was another waffle making machine....
Driving around the coastline,we drove through the Laki lavas, which are one of the must sees on a "what to see and do in Iceland" list. Continuing the theme of things being 'vast' in Iceland, these old bobbly lava fields, now covered in mosses were certainly that.
We were approximately 5km from the snouts of three large glaciers that flow down from the enormous Vatnajokull ice cap. (This vast ice cap covers approximately 9% of Iceland.) The first outlet glacier snout we drove past was around 18km wide.
As this was explained to the group, they sat silently listening to what we said, but not really 'getting it'. Despite the view in front if our very eyes, the sheer scale is hard to comprehend. Anyway, as the three adults in the group continued jumping around excitedly about these incredible features, the 'great train' started picking up speed. Questions started and the light bulbs started clicking on. Again, this is a precious privilege as a teacher!
At 10am we had a brief stop at the Skaftafell visitor centre. Here we watched another short video about the 1996 Grimsvotn eruption underneath the Vatnajokull ice cap. It was a clear depiction of the impact a sudden release of glacial meltwater has and it is easy to see why in 2013, the out wash plains are still utterly devoid of human inhabitants!
At 11am we pulled into a little lay by and started walking up and over a mound of moraine. In front of our eyes was the vast Jokarljuson ice lagoon, famously(?!) used for the James Bond film, Die Another Day. We were supposed to be sailing through the icebergs on a duck boat, but the winds from the north had blown all the icebergs together, which meant it was impossible to sail amongst them.
Fear not though, the appeal of all that moraine deposit was too good to resist and a huge stone skimming competition ensued. The sound of stones skittering across the ice was a sound similar to a boomerang being thrown. As we walked further round the lake, the stone throwing stopped and the group stood and took in the eery quiet as the noble icebergs drifted so slowly, it was barely noticeable.
After lunch we drove over the road and down to the beach where the icebergs from the ice lagoon eventually come out to sea. Now where else would you go to a beach with icebergs perched on the sands? Again, expending lots of energy, the group dashed around jumping on these unusual features and spent more time trying to see how much effort it takes to break down a large chunk of ice! Lexy Dalton showed the least fear as she lept out onto a precariously perched iceberg. As photos were taken, a wave came in and started to dislodge the berg. Worry not though, she jumped off as deftly as she jumped on!
Leaving behind the ice lagoon and beached icebergs, this was the furthest point of our trip. We turned around and drove back via the largest moraines in Iceland, Kriajokull and tried to show what could be seen there would have been similar to what the Lake District would have looked like 12000 years ago.
Carrying onto the Skaftafell visitor centre, once more, our guide Dave turned into a walking guide and we walked all the way up a truncated spur to view the Skaftafell
glacier from above. We have been lucky again with the weather today and the view from the top enabled us to once again get an appreciation of the sheer vastness of these features. We could also look all the way out to sea, which was about about 20km away. The air temperature was brisk and we all arrived back down rosey cheeked and ready for some more Icelandic lamb and homemade bread.
If you think that energy levels could have started to fall at this point, you'd be wrong. Today's songs of choice on the bus journey home were from Queen's Greatest Hits, Adele and Coldplay.
Tonight's Northern Light hunt will take place as ususal, however with a cloudy sky, the chances are slim. Thank goodness Mr Dalton was on the look out last night! Although we would like nothing more than to put pictures up of the Northern Lights, they were not bright enough for us to take photos of. Therefore, you will all have to come over here and hunt for them too!
AGJ
Thank you so much, Miss Jackson, for such a detailed account. For those left behind, it is as though we are there with you all. Well.......almost!!
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