May 9: Day 12, Vik to Hella
Bit of a shopping fail yesterday. I'm staying in a place an hour's ride beyond Vik, with a 10% climb and a 10% downhill. So I did the shopping when passing through. Unfortunately I didn't pick up anything for lunch today. Going back to the supermarket will add two hours and two climbs; so I'm not going back. There are no supermarkets along the way. Nevertheless: I have a plan.
From left to right: This is a shoe dryer, and I think I want one. There is a lot of water flowing here, given how small the catchment area is. This farm added eight cottages for tourists, and at least three were occupied. The open road. It’s probably chance, but the removal of the spoon icon does look deliberate…
First stop today is a fifty year old DC3 that crashlanded on a remote beach in 1973. All seven crew survived and were rescued by helicopter. The US Air Force decided the plane wasn't worth salvaging, so it was just left there.
For a while, the wreck quite inaccessible, and was something of a secret. Then 4x4 tours started visiting it. Then people would trek out there. Then an access road got built. When I arrived today, there was a bus shuttling along the access road. And a carpark by the ring road.
The carpark even had prices for buses and cars and motorbikes - but not for bikes. I was planning to walk down the access road like a normal person ... but since I have my bike with me, I might as well use it! So I innocently rolled through the gate and onto the sandy access road; not a nice surface but it was faster than walking. It's 3-4km each way so I was expecting the trip to take 2 hours, but with the bike it's going to be half that.
The wreck has been damaged by tourists - there's graffiti and stickers on it, and I'm sure stuff has been taken or torn off or there's other damage that isn't so visible. It's not what it used to be, and looks like it's degrading fast. I took a few photos and cycled back. I'm glad I went, and I'm especially glad I took the bike because it wasn't worth a two hour walk.
From left to right: Menu of carpark prices. The access road. The wreck, showing graffiti. The whole tail was removed. Most of the nose is gone. Where I parked my bike. Last happy selfie of the day.
Next stop is Skógafoss waterfall, and it’s now that the rain started. Nothing too serious, but definitely time for the raincoat. It's past 12. It's cold. I'm hungry.
So the next stop is not Skógafoss waterfall, but Mia's Fish and Chips for some lunch. This is a nearby food truck, which serves exactly one thing, and does it really, really well. It'd been recommended by a friend, but if you need to be persuaded: it's got a 4.9 star rating on Google Maps. That is more than most Michelin-starred restaurants. Apparently in summer, the queue is insane.
It was also disproportionately expensive, which I hadn't realized. Given the hype and the hunger and the fact there wasn't any other options around, I got some anyway.
It was still raining. So I ate at a picnic table, while being rained on, with my raincoat and gloves on, with a knife and fork. It was still very good! While I was there, a steady stream of customers came through.
I was feeling a bit more excited about the short trip to Skógafoss waterfall after that. Like before, there's a carpark with fees and I don't believe the bike qualifies. And like before, I might as well take the bike on the path. (I am careful to avoid people. Also, the horned helmet does change the dynamic in exciting ways...)
There's a surprising number of people out by the waterfall. It's a wet and cold and rainy day, it's weeks before things open in June, I wasn't expecting things to be busy. But it is, and I’m starting to think that maybe the time I’m here did find the right balance between cold weather and tourist traffic...
I get some photos with the waterfall but the weather's miserable and I'm getting cold and can't find a way to photograph the waterfall, the bicycle, myself, and/or a horned helmet in an interesting way. After a very honest effort I get out of there.
From left to right: Mia’s Fish And Chips. Lunch! What the rain looks like. Skógafoss waterfall. Skógafoss waterfall - and bike.
Back on the Ring road. The rain means there isn't much visibility, there's water on my sunglasses so I can’t see through them and have to peer over the top, there's also mist. I pass Drangurinn Rock, but I'm too cold and wet to stop and look. (It's got lore, and the lore involves elves and cows. I think I’m happy I missed this one.)
The road shoulder is about a foot wide. There's regular traffic going past, so I stay on the shoulder the whole time. The problem is that it's rough, sometimes so bad that I need to slow down or get off it. Because of the rain, the gouges and dips in the asphalt are puddles. So the water also hides the road surface, which I don't like - if there's a hole or ridge I'd like to know! There's also spray, which means my panniers and bags will be dirty, but that's not so bad.
Last waterfall of the day is Seljalandsfoss, which is 200ft high and quite something to see, even given the cold wet windy weather and the fact that in the last two weeks I've seen too many spectacular waterfalls to remember. Excitingly, you can walk behind it! The wind blasts spray in every direction so don't do this without a good raincoat. I head back and get some selfies, but I look as grumpy as a dwarf who's been back here guarding the waterfall's treasure for far too long without relief. I’m not posting those.
Afterwards I go into the gift shop afterwards to warm up. I meet a father/daughter who are cycling around, he’d like to camp overnight by the Seljalandsfoss waterfall like he did 30 years ago. I wish him luck, I guess if they wait until after the shops shut then nobody will notice.
It’s the final 40km now. The headwind is still here. It's not too strong; the forecast said about 20km/h which seems about right. But between it and the rough shoulder, it's really slowing me down.
I end up finishing at 1830. The trip was 100km, and was estimated to be 6h. It actually took 9h30, over 50% longer. (I have fond memories of zipping to Egilsstaðir at over 20km/h...)
There was some sightseeing but the weather was so awful I'm pretty sure I didn't stay long enough to really delay things.
From left to right: cattle outside their winter house. Upmarket cave. Seljalandsfoss waterfall. From behind! By now I was feeling normal and had forgiven everything.
Last day tomorrow! The forecast says the weather will be warmer, and will start raining in the afternoon. And almost no wind.
I do hope it's accurate. And that there’s a supermarket along the way so I can get a sandwich, and don’t have a repeat of today’s lunch problems: one exorbitant lunch was enough.
