Time to Go Home

My last day in Iceland.  Time to go home!

I woke up early, about 5 am.  I quick showered, packed up, and left the campsite.  I had one major location left I wanted to visit, Hraunofossar, and it was about a 2-1/4 hour drive.  I needed to drop my campervan off at the rental car agency at 2 pm, and since it was a 2+ hr drive from that location to the airport, I wanted to start early.  This should give me ample time at the location plus inevitable stops along the way.

But first, a quick detour to Strokkur Geyser, which was less than 10 minutes away.  I was there last time, but the lighting wasn't good, and I wasn't happy with my images.  Being this close, I couldn't pass up the opportunity.

I needed to stop for gas.  I never let the tank get much below half since it can be a long time before you see the next gas station, and I was now just above a quarter tank.  However, the pumps at the station near the geyser weren't taking my card for some reason (see more detail about gas stations below).  Yikes!  I Googled where the next closest station was, and fortunately it was not far away and on the way to Hraunofossar.  Phew!

About an hour away from Hraunofossar the road started to get narrower and a little rougher.  It was still paved, though, and considering I had been on worse roads thus far, I wasn't concerned.  Then I passed by this huge sign (see picture) along with some other ominous looking warning signs.  Out of the corner of my eye I saw that the sign said something about rental cars.  What was that?  I better back up and read it.

 

In essence, the sign said that I was about to be driving on an "F" road and that unless I had a 4x4 vehicle (I didn't), things could get pretty rough and that I could be in violation of my rental agreement, including possible penalties.  Normally F roads are preceded with the letter F on maps (duh) and are 3-digit numbers.  Everything I had indicated I was on (and would continue to be on) Road 52, with no F.*  That's strange!  Well, I wasn't going to risk it.  Last thing I needed was a flat tire or worse, especially when I had to catch a flight later!  Fortunately, there was another (and safer) way to get there, though it added about 30 minutes to the trip.  Oh well.

Hraunofossar did not disappoint.  Another fantastic location.  I would have liked to spend more time there and wait for the lighting to improve, but it was getting late.  So I hit the road for the airport.  I dropped the campervan off right on time and took the shuttle to the airport.  Goodbye Iceland.

Gas Stations in Iceland: There are two types of gas stations, full-service and self-service.  

• Full-service is really a misnomer because you still pump your own gas.  But, it has more amenities, such as a store where you can buy snacks, drinks and often gift items.  And, you can order hot food at full-service gas stations, but the food is a step above fast food.  In fact, it's quite tasty. Some even sell beer!  And of course they have hot dogs, which, oddly, is an Iceland staple.
• Self-service station are only gas pumps.  There's not even an attendant (how they monitor in case of emergencies, I don't know).  This means you must pay with a credits card.  But, only certain credit cards are accepted (American Express and Discover are not, for example) and you must know your PIN.  Otherwise, no gas for you!  The good news is that they are open 24 hours and sometimes located in remote locations far away from a town.
  

*The quality of Iceland's roads can be roughly ascertained by how many digits they contain in the designation.  Single digit roads, like the ring road, Highway 1, are highest quality, followed by two-digit roads and three-digit roads.  And, if it's preceded with an F, a 4x4 is required.  While this system is not always 100% accurate, it can be pretty helpful.

Editorial Note: Like previous post, I'm writing this from home.  I will have one more post, an Epilogue.

Time lapse of Strokker Geyser.  Not the tallest in the world, but still exciting when it erupts.

You simply can't plan for these kind of shots.  It's a right time, right moment thing (and being ready with the camera).

Similar to the previous shot, though I saw several rainbows.  This was the most vibrant by far.  If you look closely, you can see a second one above it.

Hraunofossar

Lighting not the best, but this is Barnafoss, just above Hraunofossar on same river.