Photography #16 - Creatures and storms (Iceland, Day 4)

We started day 4 eagerly, after the exhilaration of yesterday's sights (Day 3 Here and Here). The weather forecast wasn't good, so we got out early in the hope of beating the storm to our destination - Jokulsarlon (Glacier lake). We were in for some surprises today, we just didn't know it yet...

Dramatic cinematic landscapes greeted us all around...

Our first reindeer of the day!

The road to the ice giant - Vatnajokull glacier lies behind those hills somewhere...

Icelandic horses looking majestic against the scenery
as the light levels start to drop

The storm starts to push its way inland...

At about that moment on our journey we notice the fuel dropping alarmingly. We think there might be a blockage or a leak and it's touch and go whether we will reach the next fuel station. We decide to carry on as it's a shorter distance to refuel.

The storm is pushing in from the sea and most of the sky south of us is dark and brooding. The wind has picked up a lot and we can feel our Duster being rocked by gusts as we start watching the fuel gauge drop...

Admiring the mountains while we wait for a friendly farmer to save the day...

Further along our route it became clear we would not make it to the next fuel station. We decide to stop at a roadside hotel/shop. They are just opening for the morning and we ask for some help. They direct us to a local farmer who agrees to get us some fuel. We admire the amazing scenery while Carl disappears with the farmer to sort out our dilemma. A short while later we are continuing on our way again.

We get to Glacier Lake 20 minutes later. It is grey, wet and very cold. We are just by the coast, with waves battering Diamond Beach (which we will re-visit tomorrow). The wind cuts through our layers as we leave the car and head for the lakeside...

The glacier hiding in the rain clouds at Jokulsarlon

Rich vegetation hugging the slopes as the rain and wind move in...

The rain and cold start to bite but the darkness is defeated by the blue glow of the glacier

After 15 minutes in these conditions, my gloved fingers start to sting
from the cold. A few more shots and I think of turning back to the car...

...Then this guy turns up just as my fingers start going numb and
I struggle to take some decent photos before he disappears...

The seals (there were a couple) kept popping up and looking at us as we walked back up the shoreline. I've never been this close to seals in the wild before. My heart is pounding the whole time. After this amazing experience we all head back to the car to warm up (Later, I was to find that most of my photos of these seals were either blurry or obscured by raindrops on the camera lens).

Our next destination was the town of Hofn. We had been recommended that the best lobster soup in Iceland was to be found here and we (well, Carl and I at least) were determined to try it. Our Journey there held one more surprise...

The first (and only) reindeer herd we saw on our travels

Their camouflage is quite effective, even up close...

We found Kaffi hornid in the middle of Hofn. The staff were lovely, as was the restaurant. The food was amazing too! I would happily recommend this place to anyone visiting the area. Unfortunately, my camera was drying in the car, so I took no photos of this wonderful restaurant or food on this occasion.

We headed back to our cabin in stafafell. The storm continued for a while but we were full of good food and good experiences, and we had good company to share them with. Despite the greyness, cold and wet, we felt like we'd won...

Carl, taking yet another waterfall photo...