04.08.17
It's a cosy camp. The common house is with a toilet part in one side and kitchen/eating and livinf room in the other. You're asked to take off your shoes. It's rather normal in Iceland, specially in hostels. When you think of the weather it's no wonder.
There are sentences on the walls: it's believed that irish munks were living in Papey - an island at the coast - even before the vikings, german merchants got permission to trade in Djupivogur in 1589 and that the highest temperature ever meassured in Iceland is 30,5 degr. The last a bit ironic when you consider that the temperature this morning probably is 6 degr.
But it's a lovely TOTALLY quiet morning. Cloudy but....
When I arrived yesterday I quickly realised it was no use starting to cook, as everybody was cooking. So I got hold of the only small table in the living room and sat with my computer. When I had finished I could start a late dinner.
I was soon talking to an elderly french couple who had been here 30 years ago. There were not any rules then as for where to drive and where to sleep. Now they've got a fine of 300 € for parking and sleeping outside the road in the highland. They're going back with the same ferry as I. Driving a Pajero with snorkel and all.
While I talked to them I heard danish from the kitchen somewhere. At a point a young man came and asked me to put his charger in the outlet on the floor, and I heard from his accent that he was one of the danes. They showed to be two young men - on bicycles. We had a long chat about that.
Before I take off my neighbor starts asking if I speak german? Mjahh... They are swiss and I tell about my trip and we talk about Switzerland.
I have - unfortunately - found out what the problem with the brake is about. The rim has got a crack along the edge. And the pressure from the tyre has caused a bulge. I've experienced this once before. Then there was no reason for it. This time I helped it. The metal in the brakeshoe have caused a tiny groove in the rim, which was already worn from many years use of the brake.
I've let some air out to minimize the pressure on the rim. Now I'll have to watch it carefully. I decide to stop and check for every 10 km.
Then I take off.
The programme is simple: to the end of the south side of the fjord, out again on the north side, along the coast and in and a bit out of a new fjord. Then I'm in
Breiðdalsvik.The road on the south side toss and turn up and down and in and out. Pretty steep climbs.
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| Here's my tent and my swiss neighbors |
As if this wasn't enough the feared sign appears: "Meltin ändar". We're turning to gravel. I thought it was only the road via Öxi that was gravel. It's a shortcut to Egilsstaðir but not the officiel Road 1. Never the less the Ringroad misses 6-7 km in being asphalted all around.... Were they just going to finish it when the state collapsed not so long ago? What else could be the reason? 6 km out of more than 1000?
When I look closely at the map, I realise there's a good deal more without asphalt. 30 km I guess. But I'm not going there.
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| That's what it looked like |
My bike survive the gravel and I'm back on asphalt. The road on the north side is tossing and turning in a different way. Endless climbs and short descents repeat themselves. And the wind has started.
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| Back on gravel... |
Eventually I see Djupivogur on the other side of the fjord. Now, when I need a layby there are none, so I have to sit on a rock to have lunch.
Head wind, climbs, gravel, I think I've been through all the Icelandic plagues, but it turns out I miss one: light rain. And it starts. On the other hand it's more even here along the coast.
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| Fish farms | The gliding ferry |
I've been doing a countdown for the last 50 km. At last into the last fjord. And eventually at the damm and the bridge across the last part of the fjord and the town is just over there....
Then the wind comes from the sea and the damm is long....
Now I sit with my coffee in "The General Store", which is a traditional grocery shop combined with a caféteria. My tent is up at the campsite, which is VERY primitive, but with two heated toilets with hot water and an outdoor sink. No shower, no kitchen.
70,18 km