The key to sleeping in a tent.

í´ve discovered the key to sleeping in a tent is to tire yourself out completely! Yesterday it was mission accomplished. I slept in because it was raining but rose around 10am to make it to the bus to dettifoss that left at 11am. Dettifoss is the largest and most powerful waterfall in europe. It was amazing. It was a long drive down a four wheel drive road to get there but as soon as we arrived the clouds opened up and it was beautiful and sunny and there were rainbows everywhere.

Rainbows were my favorite as a child but I´ve seen few since leaving the midwest. I kind of had forgotten about them. But here in iceland I´ve seen one almost every day and they are amazing the clearest rainbows you´ve ever seen. My favorite I actually don´t have a picture of but it was in landmannalauger. The sky was black the hills were painted and it was a brilliant rainbow stretching down to the painted hills. Amazing.

Anyhow, after my time at dettifoss which was much to short the bus took us back to the largest geothermal area here around myvatn-- Krafla. Which is a volcano, lava field, and geothermal plant. Faced with the decision to spend only 5 minutes there or walk back to town I decided to walk. I guess from my map it was about 9kms. Twice around greenlake, I could do that. But when I reached the trailhead I realized it was 13 kms! And I was starting at about 4:30 pm. Luckily it was flat and well worth it. I saw the newest lava field in iceland, steaming up from the ground still. I saw lava fields from the 17th century. I saw perfectly circular lava tubes and craters and the most unusual patterns in the lava. I didn´t see people. only passed 3 the whole 3 hours of hiking.

It was worth it. But i was exhausted when I got back so I treated myself to some meat stew and that lava beer and then passed out in my tent. I slept well. Now I am off to airport with two ladies I met from seattle. We´re going to see about chartering a plane for a sightseeing flight and possibly getting to grimsey. An island inside the artic circle. We´ll see. We won´t know if we can go until the weather report comes in at 11 and I need to be on the 3:30 bus to Akureyri. And I will make it to Akureyri because I have an actual room! In a guesthouse! For two nights! I can´t wait.