July 30, 2013
South Side: Genivik to Myvatn
There was a little sun this morning warming the tent. But, when I unzipped, all had gone grey. It was the same murky low clouds just like the day before. It was colder today and would get colder as the day went on. I passed an electronic sign which had the temperature nine degrees, and wind northwesterly five. The wind chilled to the bone. First I'd to stop and put on my rain stroke wind-proof jacket and llama wool hat I bought in Bolivia. Then my hands were cold so I stopped and put on my Goretex winter-cycling gloves, bought in Norway and usually worn in sub zero temperatures.
Leaving Grenivik at nine, the first thirty-one kilometres was on a quiet unpaved though smooth and clear of loose stones road back to the Ring Road. On this stretch, a sheep dog began following me, or more Is following the dog, as it ran pass me and ran ahead of the bike. I stopped to see what the dog would do. It immediately glanced back and turned running back where it came and lay at my feet panting and looking up at me as if to say "You're my new master". I shouted "Go home" and gestered with my arms, then picked up some gravel to make sure it got the message, as the dog reluctantly returned from whence it'd come.
AS the cloud closed in further down the hillside and fog came in, I reached Godafoss at one o'clock, had a picnic lunch rapped up warmly, followed by taking some awfull frozen waterfall photos. Then got in out of the wind in the warmth of Vossholl café and had coffee and carrot cake. The Wi-Fi was extremely slow and I waisted too much time trying unsuccesfully to upload photos to CGOAB, so many refills of coffee were required and it was approaching five o'clock before I decided to give up and get going again.
About five minutes before leaving, I saw another cyclist in bright yellow top ride by and begin the climb up across the hillside into the fog. I thought I could've caught him and as I began climbing myself could just about make him out in the fog ahead, then that was the last Is to see of the rider or much else for a while as visablity dropped down to a few hundred metres and Is sprayed with light rain as the climb levelled out upon open plateau until, the road descend down to the next valley.
Both fog and rain stayed away for the rest of the ride, with another longish climb, I got warmed up and was sweating inside the warm clothes. The road swept down and past a lake, then another climb to where the vista ahead was of Lake Myvatn. Then it was a long ride, though extremely scenic along the southern side of the lake in which I stopped to look at the puesdo craters formed when burning lava flowed into the wetlands and lake and exploded. I could've stayed longer but it was too cold so I'd to get back on the bike to warm up. It was like the Icelanders said the week before the nicer side of the lake as the road twisted and turned through the lava formations all the way round to the village of Reykjahild, where I turned off into a campsite.
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Icelandic coffee: isk350 (£1.95)
Carrot cake: isk650 (£3.60)
Campsite: isk1500 (£8.50)
Pizza: isk1100 (£6)
Today's ride: 101 km (63 miles)
Total: 3,495 km (2,170 miles)
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