14.06 - Day 151 - Stokkseyri
Friday 14th June - Stokkseyri - incl. Kerid Crater and Geothermal Hot Springs (Day 151)
Sunrise not long after 3am which at least you can close your eyes to, but with the birds chirping too it’s very hard to guess the time when we wake (do the birds just sleep less in summer and more in winter?) But the day still starts the same - porridge in the large seating area, then schoolwork.
Have planned less driving for today which begins with a brief 30 minutes north post Selfoss to Kerid Crater; the final stop of the Golden Circle.
Whilst food and accommodation can be expensive, the natural sights come free or almost free - most of the parks we visit charge only 1,000 ISK per car ($11) like Thingvellir yesterday, but the geysers and Gulfoss were free. Kerid Crater is 500 ISK for Kate and I.
The car park is 30 seconds from the rim from which the crater drops down below us to a picture perfect lake. It’s a 15 minute walk around the sun glimpsing out from behind the shallow clouds and then stairs down to the lake for a shorter scramble around the edge of the lake, proving to be a hit with everyone.
Back in Selfoss we get sucked into Bokasafn Arborgar, the library of course, on the high street, a small English language section plenty good enough for the kids.
Their day gets better with hotdogs for lunch across the road at Pylsuvagninn - Iceland apparently known for their hotdogs - which they devour perched on the edge of some large lava bubbles next to the river. Kate and I each get one scored and then layered with melted cheese and Doritos which is surprisingly tasty.
The weather continues to get better as we drive 20 minutes north west to Hverageroi to park and walk to the Reykjadalar thermal pools. We knew it was a walk - which we played down to Sienna and Seb - especially at the sight of the hills we had to walk up to get there.
It may have only been 3km, but it took almost an hour and some good distracting pushing against the breeze. But the views on the way up were spectacular; down and across valleys, criss-crossing narrow streams.
At the point at which the stream is warm / hot / very hot, boardwalks have been installed and even some privacy screens for changing. We’re not on our own certainly, but we always have one of the porous makeshift dams to ourselves as we jump upstream.
Once we’ve had our fill of relaxing or adding to the dams and Sen and Sienna’s faces have turned bright red with heat we change and descend a lot faster than we’d come up.
By chance there’s a giant bouncing pillow next to our Fisherinn Hostel on which the kids burn the last of their energy before we all retire to bed after a successful day.
