Iceland Day 4: In and around Skogafoss

After returning to the trailhead from the Fimmvörðuháls hike, we were feeling wet, cold and very hungry. We proceeded to Skógasafn, the Skogar Folk Museum, where they serve lunch.

Skogar Folk Museum: http://www.skogasafn.is/

Skogar Folk Museum 

The Skogar Folk Museum is conveniently located in the same vicinity/turnout area as Skogafoss. Our first order of business was to fill our stomachs. We went to the cafe in the museum, and ordered their soup. I also had their cheesecake just to top it off.

Nothing like having mushroom soup and hot chocolate when you're feeling cold, wet and hungry.

After that, we checked out the museum attractions. There is an admission fee of 2000ISK to enter. To me, the main attraction of the museum were their iconic turf roof houses. I have never seen one before, and it was on my to see list. The area is like a mini community/town. There are old traditional houses, a church and a school. It's really interesting to see how the Icelandic community used to live. Indoors, they have a huge collection of traditional Iceland household items. They have some really old books, including a bible from the late 16th century. They also have sections dedicated to fisheries and agriculture. If you are into history and Icelandic culture, the museum is definitely worth checking out.

The iconic turf roof houses of Iceland. The turf provides great insulation. A good example of making use of the surrounding resources. In the background is the church.

More of the turf roof houses.

Information about the turf farm. All of the buildings were used up to end of the 19th century.

Inside the house. It felt claustrophobic at times.

Elf houses are pretty common in Iceland. These are tiny houses built for elves (Huldufólk).

While I was there at the Skogar Folk Museum, I had a fun chat with one of the museum staffs. He turns out to be an indie musician who has done tours in the US before. I asked him what his favorite US city was, and after some thinking, he said Portland. He found Portland to be unique in its culture (hipster central?). Switching topic, I asked him about the volcanoes in the area, considering the ongoing  eruption of Bárðarbunga at that time, and since Skogar is under the shadow of Eyjafjallajökull that erupted in 2010. He mentioned that his greatest fear is actually that of the overdue eruption of the much more powerful Katla, that is located not that far away from Eyjafjallajökull. Katla usually has a major eruption every 50-100 years. Katla has not had a major eruption in almost 100 years. Living in a seismically active region definitely has its risks and rewards. Even as a tourist, one has to be aware of the volcanic activity in Iceland. I will write a post about it in the future.

Skogafoss

We headed back to Skogafoss (Skógafoss) after touring the museum. Skogafoss is one of the top attractions along the Iceland Ring Road. It is definitely a must do if you are touring along the Ring Road. It is huge, powerful and like other attractions along the Ring Road, very easily accessible.

Skogafoss Information

Stick around long enough in the evening and you will see a rainbow formed by the mist.

We decided to take take shots of us venturing near the base of the falls. One thing is for sure, it is powerful, and you WILL get drenched. But it sure makes for a cool photo-op.

Since we had time to spare, I decided to climb back up to the viewing deck to take more photos. There were some love locks at the viewing deck. I sure hope it doesn't become a trend.

I started to take pictures of the sheep. Sheep in Iceland are just absolutely majestic.

Sheep grazing at the side of Skogafoss

Did I mention there were lots of sheep in Iceland? I guess it's something like New Zealand.

Even the sheep knows that it's freaking fabulous

Before leaving, I decided to take a long exposure shot of the falls.

Around Lambafell Hotel

After Skogafoss, we headed back the same hotel that we stayed at the night before, the Welcome Hotel Lambafell. It is located just under 10 minutes from Skogafoss.


When we reached the entrance of the area, the sun decided to come out to make a grand exit for the day. Warm sunlight burst through spotty clouds to illuminate the face of the cliffs behind the hotel. I immediately stopped and parked the car by the entrance to enjoy this scenery.

The setting sun started to illuminate the area. The building there is the hotel. Ridiculous isn't it? A random hotel located in the most stunning of landscapes.

There were some farm houses there too.

The scenery was just absolutely breathtaking.

The low clouds started to retreat a bit, revealing a glacier tongue form the Eyjafjallajökull ice cap.

Facing the other side towards the southern coast, we saw a flock of birds dancing in the golden hue of the evening.

Facing the same direction, I spotted a very interesting cliff. That is one hell of a drop.

After a magical evening of stunning scenery, we relaxed at the common area of the hotel. I love the wooden, rustic feel of the living area.

Like other affordable Iceland hotels (as we will soon find out), the rooms and bed were small, but manageable. I was thankful that we got a room with our own private bathroom. No guilt hogging the hot shower for a long time. It has been one tiring but amazing day.