Campervaning, Iceland and Puffins.
Campervaning and Iceland were
made for each other.
Although not quite as isolated or spectacular as Tibet, Iceland comes close in terms of impact. The combination of non-surfaced roads, long distances, very few people and spectacular geology combine to produce a similar feeling (at least on sunny days). But you don't need a visa or a guide! Like Tibet, Iceland has unlimited wild camping but unlike Tibet, Iceland has fuel stations that take credit cards, shops and wonderful semi-wild camp sites.
A good example of a semi-wild camp
site is the one where this page is being written; Dynjandi Falls (N65°
44.103 W23° 12.511). This campsite sits beneath a 100 metre high waterfall
that takes your breath away and at the end of a beautiful fiord. It is 35 Km
from the nearest "town" (Þingeyri population 344!) The site has room for
100s of tents but there are 7, it has room for 30 campervans, there are 3, it
has a small toilet block, water and a waste skip. It is clean, tidy and free.
Today is the longest day, a Saturday and it is sunny.
Highlights on the route from
Reykjavík to here include the 3.5km long lava tube at Surtshellir
(N64° 47.454 W20° 42.469).
To get an idea of the size of this lava tube note that the white and black blob in the centre of the picture is a person about to walk into the tube. In principle you can apparently walk the entire length of the tube but because the "floor" of the tube is jumble of metre sized boulders you soon give up.
