Myvatn Hotel, Myvatn – Part 1

After a good night’s sleep I headed off for a quick walk to Lake Mývatn before breakfast. The lake wasn’t frozen in the area near the hotel but to my delight there was snow lying on the side of a nearby hill. The Queensland weather doesn’t lean towards snowy landscapes, so for me it was a special treat!

The birds were singing their little hearts out and, thankfully, the few midges around weren’t anxious to breakfast on my exposed flesh. The path was narrow and the only person venturing out was a good way ahead, with luck I’d avoid him! The dry grass crackled beneath my feet; large black chunks of lava lined the path topped by a collection of smaller chunks creating a lace edge against the cool sky. It looked artistic; someone definitely had a creative streak.

It didn’t take long to reach the lake where I proceeded to give my iPhone camera a workout, I was really appreciating the fact that it was small and always ready to hand, unlike previous cameras I’ve owned which came with heavy lenses and various other accessories packed away in a heavy backpack.

I loved the serenity of the lake and the solitude. The peace seeping into my soul certainly helped me to recover the equilibrium which I’d lost the previous evening. I was able to forget about my expensive dinner, treacherous bathroom floor and chocolate covered sheets and greet my travelling companions with a smile.

After another excellent breakfast we boarded the bus with our first stop the Dimmuborgir Lava Field, also known as the Dark Fortress. It seems this area was featured in Game of Thrones, a program I have to admit I have never watched, but after walking through the Dark Fortress I am tempted to check it out just for the pleasure of refreshing my memories.

Huge clumps of jagged grey lava filled the skyline, dwarfing us as we traversed the many paths that wound through the foreboding landscape. One can only imagine how terrifying the eruption would have been. Definitely not somewhere to be 2300 years ago!

Trivia: Dimmuborgir was created when the Prengslaborgir and Ludentsborgir crater row to the east of Myvatn erupted, spilled lava into the surrounding countryside and formed a fiery lake. At Dimmuborgir the lava flowed across the lake causing the water to boil and the resulting vapour to form lava into pillars. The dam creating the lava lake eventually broke and the molten lava drained out, the top crust then collapsed leaving the pillars of solid lava to form dark jagged rock formations and volcanic caves. The tall structures indicate that the lava lake must have been at least 10 metres deep.

It was the most fascinating landscape I’ve ever seen and been in. Snow lay white in the hollows and because it was early in the season the small native beech trees were devoid of leaves. Their white branches were stark against the dark rock. I think the size and majesty of the lava pillars would not have been quite so dramatic if they had been softened by green leaves of summer. But my constant desire to seek out new adventures made me wish I could be there for all seasons.

Being of an intrepid nature and determined not to let my age deprive me of any experience, I followed some of my young companions up to various viewpoints. Going up was fine but when I turned to descend, I have to admit I was grateful they generously lent a hand or two to stop my aging body from tumbling down to the bottom. Of course, this could’ve been avoided if I’d taken my walking pole out of its bag before I boarded the bus!

Before we climbed back on the bus we stopped to view lava fields in their entirety. The paths we had just left wound around the huge, jagged pieces of dark grey rock. In the distance smooth, grey slopes of ash formed Hverfjall, one of the world’s largest volcanic craters.

Trivia: Hverfjall, now 420m high, is a tephra volcano which erupted 2500 years ago. Tephra is composed of tiny, sharp glass particles which are small enough to infiltrate buildings and machinery and can be inhaled deeply into the lungs. During the eruption tephra was blown all over the Myvatn area. The crater, now dormant, is 1km in diameter and can be accessed only by two paths. Due to the fragility of the volcano, it is strictly forbidden to use other routes.

To me, Dimmuborgir was everything I imagined Iceland to be. Okay maybe there wasn’t much in the way of snow and ice, but the harshness and incredible beauty of the landscape is something which will stay with me forever.

Although one of the major tourist attractions in Iceland we were lucky enough to visit on a day when no one else was around. And there were lots more to come before we were able to reach our next hotel that evening.

Continue to » Iceland Tour, Day 4 (2)