Highlands, northeast, southeast and south coast
We decided that two weeks from 2 July to 16 July 2005 to explore with a rented camper Dodge RAM 1500, the island of fire and ice. The 4 × 4 is the only camper at budget, with which one must pass through the highlands. This gives us shone in the course of a journey, as it coarse gravel, lava fields and fords (streams, which run through the streets) are posted on the band. But that makes the whole course, even more adventurous. Iceland has, despite the far north near the Arctic Circle, is relatively mild temperatures in the summer. The summer, however, is about 3 months growing season is very short. It is never too dark at this time. The sun was so below the horizon around midnight and arrived a little later reappeared.
Iceland is located exactly on the zone where the Eurasian North American plate drift of the ocean. This means that, on the island always comes to volcanic eruptions and earthquakes. There are still about 30 active volcanoes that can erupt at any time again. Approximately one third of the world's lava in the last 500 years has emerged in Iceland. There is therefore the island is also almost entirely of rocks such as basalt, tuff and lava. The island has about 290,000 inhabitants, of which covered more than half to the Greater Reykjavik. As so often in the north, it is also expressed in Iceland for Swiss relations expensive. Cooking with yourself saves you a lot if you do not buy at a gas station. Even the petrol strikes over sFr. 2 - (and a 7.3 liter engine of 20 liters per 100 km) consumes a large hole in the wallet.
Iceland is also the land of trolls, elves and other nature spirits. In any case, it is the only country known to me that these phenomena recognized by the state. So also not just a planned new road through a green hill before is not clear, whether it elves live. If so, will be built around or encourages the elves, to find another dwelling. However, this may then take years. In Reykjavik there is even an elf school, where you can learn all that.
And now to our route:
We have landed in Keflavik and have received at the airport to our campers. Then went the route on the map as located. Keflavik - Reykjavik - Pingvellir - Strokkur - Gullfoss - Asolfsstadir - Sprengisandurroute - Laugafell - Laugar - Myvatn - Krafla - Husavik - Raufarhöfn - Herdubreid - Askja - Kverkjökull - Vopnafjörður - Egilsstadir - Eyjölfsstadir - Djupivogur - Höfn - Jökulsarlon - Skeiðarársandur - Lakagigar (Lakispalte) - Landmannalaugar - Selfoss - Grindavik (Blue Lagoon) - Reykjavik - Keflavik.
