Days 3-7

Continued recap from the last 3 days:

Day 4:

We enjoyed our final morning in Reykjavik and departed to look at fjord terrain in the town of Borgarnes further North. From the Borgarnes water tower we viewed characteristic features of glacially shaped terrain like u-shaped valleys and rouche montane. We then headed further north and had lunch before tackling a hike up Eldborg Crater. Upon reaching the summit, we discussed the geological and biological factors that shape the slopes of the spatter cone. After hiking down, we then continued driving, taking quick stops to taste natural mineral water at Olkelda, then to view birds near the seaside, and then to explore the gorgeous pebble beach at Snaefellsjskull National Park. Lastly we drove to our beautiful Grandarfjurour.

Day 5:

Our first stop was a large geothermal spring in the scenic countryside of Deildqrtunguhver. It is the second largest thermal spring in the world, and is thought to be fed by groundwater from a glacier that is 1000 years old, based on oxygen isotope dating. From there we went to the ruins of the once regal home of a monk named Snorru Sturluson (1179 - 1241). We saw a reconstructed version of the elaborate bath house that he built to celebrate his wealth. The main event was our guided glacier tour of the Langjokull glacier, whose name means "long glacier," which is appropriate since it is the longest glacier in Iceland. We assailed the glacier in our modified military vehicle, whose original purpose had been to haul nuclear war heads ✊🏼🇺🇸. On our way up we drove through the protected Husafell forest, which was nearly wiped out during the 11th century settlement of the island. At around 500 meters, we left the forest line and entered the highlands, which cover 70% of Iceland. We
 saw interesting features like table top mountains, which are flat, layered basaltic monoliths created when volcanoes erupt under glaciers. Once at the peak, we decended into an artificial ice cave to see the inner workings of a textbook temperate glacier, including trapped air bubbles that provide climatic information that has been crucial evidence for global warming cycles. On our way back from the ice cave, we stopped at a magnificent waterfall, where we played a game casting stones into hole on the opposite bank. We returned to our hostel and enjoyed a much needed dinner, crashing like stones that night.

Day 6:

The main attraction was our tour of the Shark Museum just outside of Grandarfjurour. The farmstead which houses the museum was one of the first in Iceland to have a landline. More importantly, it is one of the only, and by far the largest and best, provider of Greenland Shark meat in Iceland (and by extension, the world). Our guide is the third generation to carry on with preparing the elusive sea monster, although he no longer hunts the Sharks like his grandfather did, as all hunting ceased in the 1950s. The Greenland Shark, though large (up to 21ft and 2500 lbs, making it the second largest predatory shark in the world) is rarely sighted and poorly understood by humans due its tenancy to live at depths of up to 3km and in waters hovering around 0 degree Celsius. The Sharks are now provided by large fishing boats that catch them by accident. The meat must be cured to be edible, because it is otherwise toxic due to the antifreeze-like urine that is filtered through the shark's tissue. After 2 months of fermenting in boxes and 4 months of drying, the toxins are broken down, and the shark is ready to eat. Whether or not you are ready to eat it is another story altogether. It certainly has a distinct taste and odor.

Day 7: We drove about 8 hours to the most beautiful place in Iceland, the West Fjords. We got to our hostel that night, so there was not much time for sight seeing, but we could tell already that we were in for a treat when we awoke the next day.