Day 5: Vik - Hofn

Ice Day! And, it wasn't raining! We got a super-early start, leaving Vik at 7am to get the bulk of the days drive done and arrive at Skaftafell National Park in time for our early morning glacier hike. We got fitted up for crampons then driven over to Skaftafellsjökull (Pig Glacier - next to Pig Mountain!), where were given a pick axe and followed our guide for two hours hiking over the glacier. It was one of the most incredible things I've ever done. The sheer scale of the ice; a tongue of Vatnajökull- Europe's largest ice cap, was just awe inspiring. I felt so small walking across it. Our guide was really knowledgeable and funny, and pointed out all sorts of changes in the ice, and little ice-holes and caves. It was much warmer than I expected, and there were some sobering facts about how much the ice is retreating in recent years.

After some lunch in the Park café, we drove round to two incredible iceberg lagoons; Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlon. The first was much less touristy, and we spent a while walking along the shore, climbing on the washed up icebergs and eating the ice. The second was much bigger, and somehow bluer! The icebergs were incredible shades of blue, and we were lucky to see lots of seals swimming around! We got a boat through the icebergs, and seeing them up close, from water-level was just amazing. I could have stayed there for hours, watching how the ice changed, but we had to eventually tear ourselves away. We had a quick stop at the black sand beach where the iceburgs eventually wash up, then set off for Hofn. The drive was beautiful, and we saw a wild herd of reindeer running alongside the car, when they suddenly veered off and ran across the road right in front of us! Amazing!