Today we drove the rest of the south coast back to Reykjavik, stopping at another waterfall on the way (there are a lot in this country of melting ice!).
The south part of the Ring Road skirts the glaciers and the famous Eyjafjallajokull volcano that erupted in 2010 and wreaked havoc with European air traffic. Icelanders live with active volcanoes, and the threat of eruptions is constant. Because the volcanoes are mostly covered with ice, in an eruption the magma causes a huge meltdown of ice, resulting in a glacial flood. There are evacuation plans all over the country, and in 1986, the Westman Islands off the south coast evacuated all 2,000 people with their fishing fleet in time to avoid the flood. This is truly the land of fire and ice.
Another unique thing about the country is the moss covered lava fields. The one below is from an eruption over 1,000 years ago. I couldn't get great photos in the rain, but hope you can see how it makes for a fairyland landscape (although my guide says no fairies, only trolls and elves).
Tonight we have a farewell dinner even though tomorrow there is one last adventure before our flights home. I'll try to write more about the people on the trip with some farewell photos.
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