Saturday, July 15, 2023

Next cruise port stop: Akureyri, Iceland. Long, but good day. Long, but (you decide) post.

Again I looked to see what we could do on our own vs. a ship excursion. In researching the area we decided we were most interested in seeing the Godafoss waterfall, and checking out the Myvatn Nature Baths. The ship offered an excursion that included the waterfall but nothing that included the nature baths. Local tour operators offered coach bus trips out to Myvatn but their cost didn’t include the admission to the nature baths.

Then I looked up local car rentals and was pleasantly surprised by how easy and (relatively) affordable that option would be. Alaska Airlines got us a discount via the local Akureyri Avis/Budget rentals office, and the local office was literally only a 5 minute walk from the cruise port. We failed to get a pic of our little chariot from the outside, but here’s a lovely little photo I like to call, “Why Did I Gain Weight On This Trip?” Did I crop the photo to remove my gut from view? ~~Maybe?~~ Absolutely yes.

Another bonus to this option is that we are considering doing a Ring Road trip in the future and this was a chance to check out driving in Iceland, and it was easy. Roads were fine, well-marked, etc.

First destination was Godafoss Waterfall, just a little over 30 miles away. We went this slightly longer route to avoid a toll road/tunnel and the car rental fella said it was more scenic anyway.

Scott took photos along our route but it was rainy and difficult to catch good shots. These two are pretty nice, though! They do a good job of capturing the scale of the land I think.

Godafoss itself was a great stop, and completely free! Well unless you buy candy in the extensive souvenir shop (ahem, Scott). But he earned it by being our official photographer for this stop, and doing a fantastic job. He especially enjoyed playing with the long exposure setting on his phone camera today.

Here’s a menagerie of other photos that he took of Godafoss today…

Then a few long exposure ones he crafted that are cool…

And here’s a little bonus video short for y’all…

The waterfall was gorgeous of course, but I was super enamored with the flora around the site.

As well as this old local guy who climbs down a very steep ladder to fish here just a bit downstream from the waterfall.

After some time here we jumped into the car and headed towards Myvatn. Along the way we stopped at a little fish & chips stand that was really good. Oddly it was called “Fish & Chips Lake Myvatn“. Recommended!

The area around Myvatn Lake was really gorgeous. At times a moonscape, and others really lushly green.

Then we made it to Myvatn Nature Baths which we had prebooked. Brace yourself for an unpopular opinion here: I didn’t love it. And my disappointment really had nothing to do with the facility itself, honestly. This was my first time ever in a geothermal hot springs environment, and while I had heard that they smell a bit like eggs, I didn’t realize how little I would love sitting in hot egg-smelling water. I really just couldn’t figure out how to relax and fully enjoy the experience feeling like I was becoming a hard boiled egg. Well, considering the deteriorating status of my waistline due to overeating on vacay, perhaps I should say a soft boiled egg. For other folks that enjoy it – more power to you! And for those that have never tried it before, definitely try it yourself and form your own opinion. I definitely feel like I’m in the minority with these feelings based on my internet perusings.

But then again, any time with my hun is a good experience. Sorry, I know, gag. But he’s just the cutest.

So, suffice it to say, we didn’t stay long. We had a lovely drive back down to return the vehicle – the entire rental process was easy peasy. The gas refill wasn’t bad either – the car was really gas efficient and we ended up paying around $28 to refill before we turned it back in.

We got back in plenty of time to wander around the town center. Unfortunately a couple of places we really wanted to go were closed, including a yarn shop and Einstok’s Brewers’ Lounge. The town was definitely appealing though and made for a great leg stretch before getting back on the boat.

A short walk back to the pier and we got back on board…

In the evening we tried a complimentary dining venue called Ginza that served “Asian” food. I had a decent dragon roll, and Scott enjoyed some sake that was included in our beverage package.

Then we went and enjoyed the cover band that played nearly daily – The Excell. They did a good job I thought, definitely a ship favorite based on attendance at their shows (especially after dinner).