Swiss travel Day 5: Wed 18/5/11: Bernina route: Poschiavo and St Moritz & Schaffhausen:Rheinfall

It was my last day in Heidiland. Got into an early train to experience the Bernina Express route. It is much shorter than Glacier Express but this UNESCO world heritage has nonetheless 55 tunnels and 196 bridges with stunning view of Alp Grum, Mount Palu, Bernina peak and Morteratsch Glacier. I actually prefer this route than Glacier Express. The scenery around Alp Grum is particularly gorgeous.


I stopped at Poschiavo, a small Italian speaking town with lovely piazza and colourful buildings. I did not intend to stop initially but since I am not willing to pay extra to secure a seat in the Bernina Express, I had to wait nearly an hour for the normal train to arrive. It is really a small town with River Poschiavino running through it. There are Old Town Hall and few churches and museums.


Left Poschiavo via normal train to St Moritz, a well known resort for the rich. Lake St Moritz is quite impressive in size. I wandered around the posh street of St Moritz that is dotted with designer label shops. I did not have much time for sightseeing as I could not afford to miss the train to Zurich. Once reached Zurich, I changed train to go to Schaffhausen where I got into bus 1 to Rheinfall,  the largest waterfall in Europe. There is boat ride to the center of Rheinfall but I arrived too late and missed the last boat. On top of the waterfall is Schloss Laufen. I walked around the waterfall then along Rhine River to get to Neuhausen station. My train to Innsbruck from Zurich was near 10pm and I reached Innsbruck past midnight. Slept at Innsbruck train station that night and I managed to get some sleep on the chair before woken up by some drunk youths.

Rheinfall

Swiss travel Day 3: Mon 16/5/11: Bernise Oberland (Grindelwald,Jungfraujoch, Wengen, Lauterbrunnen, Murren, Interlaken)

Good weather alas!!! Just when I needed it most :) Extremely full day draining both my energy and my pocket. I started very early to catch the first train to Grindelwald but missed it due to some confusion. Thankfully, managed to get into the next train without too much delay.


Upon arrival at the Grindelwald station, there was already a huge crowd waiting to board mountain railway train to Kleine Schneidegg. I was tempted to join the crowd but went ahead with my initial plan instead. I wanted to see Oberer Gletscher which Grindelwald is famous for. The bus station is conveniently located next to the train station and the timing is such that train passengers have enough time to get onto the bus. The view along the bus journey to the glacier was amazing. The bus trip is free with Swiss Pass only until the glacier. Beyond that, tourists have to play discounted fee for the cable car to Pfingstegg and First. The bus stopped in front of the Hotel restaurant Wetterhorn facing the three famous mountains: Eiger(3970m), Monch(4107m) and Jungfrau (4158m) (The Ogre, Monk and Virgin). From there, I hiked for 15minutes before reaching the entrance to 890 steps log staircase that lead to viewing terrace of Oberer Glacier. One has to pay to climb the stairs but it was closed at that hour. Due to curiosity, I ignored the no entry sign and climbed the stairs. It was not an easy task. The staircase is steep at certain stretch and when reach midway, there was frost on the steps making the ascent dangerous. I went halfway up and was rewarded with wonderful view although it was a shame I did not reach the top to view Oberer upper glacier. I did not proceed further due to time and safety issue. Halfway through during the descent, a lady came up and scolded me for ignoring the no entry sign…well, serve me right. Hike back to the bus stop to catch the bus (hourly on schedule) back to train station. 


Boarded a train to Kleine Scheidegg, situated at Eiger mountain. It is a famous base for interchange to Jungfraujoch (Top of Europe) or to Grindelwald,  Wengen and Lauterbrunnen. Although it was Monday, the station was chock-a-block with tourists. I hopped into a cogwheel train to reach Jungfraujoch (fee 126 CHF after discount with Swiss pass...bleeding). There are viewing stops at Eigerwald and Eismeer along the way. The train weaved through Monch and Eiger mountain via tunnels with spectacular view along the way. But one really need a good pair sunglasses to appreciate the view without being blinded by the reflecting light from the glittering snow under the sun. Though wallet drilling and highly commercialized, it is nonetheless a MUST go place at least once in a lifetime.


Jungfraujoch (3454m) has a lot to offer but beware of altitude sickness. Due to the high altitude, tourists are advised to ascend slowly. One can become nauseous, dizzy or even breathless. I was fine but I saw some tourists becoming unwell. At Jungfraujoch there are Ice Palace, the Plateau, Ice Gateway (glacier between the Plateau and Ice Palace), Spinx Observation Terrace (with highest weather station in Europe), Ski and Snowboard Park, Aletsch Glacier and many restaurants. It is a popular destination for the Indians thanks to the Bollywood movies that were filmed here. There is even Bollywood restaurant here...yes, I am not kidding! The temperature was about -14*C or less. I did not mind the coldness but the wind was very harsh. I braved through the frozen coldness and lashing wind to take photos from the Plateau. It was also very slippery and my running shoes are not cut for snow walking for sure. I held on to the side rope to prevent fall. The view from the Sphinx was great too. Ice Palace has ice sculptures exhibits with slightly similar concept as Glacier Cave on Titlis mountain. The exit to Aletsch glacier was closed due to strong wind.


Left Jungfraujoch after an hour or so and returned to Kleine Scheidegg. While waiting for train to Wengen (car free resort), I was seduced by the smell of hot food in the restaurant. Bought fried potatoes for CHF 8...most expensive potatoes fries I ever had but what can I expect in such tourist hotspot...


It was still early in the season hence the cable car from Wengen to Mannlichen, a famous hiking ground  was closed. So I wandered aimlessly around Wengen while waiting for next train to Lauterbrunnen, a town with many waterfalls. As the train was approaching Lauterbrunnen, I could see many waterfalls from far , namely Staubbach, Spissbach and Buchenbach. I took a bus to Trummelbach falls (fee CHF11) with 10 tiers waterfalls. The thundering falls of Trummelbach (20000 litre per second!) are fed by glaciers of Monch, Eiger and Jungfrau. One can choose to go to the top with a lift or staircase. Sadly, I did not have time to visit the famous Staubbach and went to Murren instead. When Lonely Planet described Murren as Heidi heaven, I was intrigued. So although tired and it was already late evening, I persisted...and gladly so because the scenery was awesome. From Lauterbrunnen, I took a funicular to Grutschalp then changed to a train to Murren.


Took a train back to Interlaken and met a Malaysian couple from KL that I bumped into in the morning as well. I was officially broke (no more Swiss francs) and could not find a money changer that was still open at late hours. Thank God I was sensible enough to always store up some food while travel. So bread and cheese for dinner...as usual :( I swore I would eat like a pig once cross over to Austria ...he he he. Explored the lovely Interlaken town before walking back to my hostel. 

View at The Plateau, Jungfraujoch

View from Murren

Swiss travel Day 4: Tue 17/5/11: Zermatt, Gornegrat and Matterhorn

Caught an early train to Zermatt, a lovely village at the foothill of Matterhorn. The scenery en route from Interlaken to Zermatt is worth staying awake for. The view of Thunersee near Spiez is particularly amazing. I had one hour to explore the town before boarding a cogwheel train to Gornegrat  (fees CHF 39, after discount with Swiss pass). No car is allowed in Zermatt hence there are cute small taxis running around the village. The most poignant memory of Zermatt perhaps was the visit to the Mountaineer's Cemetery near the Anglican church of St Peter's. Here, one can read the epitaphs of lives lost from climbing the Matterhorn and Mount Rosa. Another interesting part of Zermatt is the Hinter Dorf area with wooden traditional Valais homes. There is even a 17th century storage barn with stone discs to keep out mice. Before boarding the train up to Gornegrat (highest cogwheel train station in Europe), I could not resist buying some chocolates from Laderach, a swiss chocolatier shop. The truffles with champagne filling and strawberry yoghurt chocolate tasted heavenly and shot me up to the sky even higher than Matterhorn ...he he he.

The view en route to Gornegrat (3090m) with a cogwheel train was spectacular (sit on the right side for best view). At the top, there is a weather station and panaroma terrace where one can get 360* view of the mountain range including Matterhorn (4478m), the highest mountain in Switzerland. There was quite a huge crowd mainly Japanese tourists. As I waited for the next train down, I signed on the graffiti wall near the gift shops.

Gornegrat weather station with Matterhorn at the background

Eye treat from Glacier Express Route

Back in Zermatt, I wasted no time and boarded a train to Chur. I could have taken the cable car up to Klein Matterhorn, the highest cable car station in Europe (3820m) but I wanted to travel the famous Glacier Express route with 91 tunnels and 291 bridges before sunset. Furthermore, I was broke after the trip to Jungfraujoch and decided to refrain from spending too much on the train or cable cars...


The Glacier Express Route is a long journey that lasted about 7.5 hours. I was struggling to stay awake...almost need to pry my eyelids open with toothpick...he he he. The most beautiful leg of the journey is between Andermatt and Oberalpass. Arrived at Chur near 8pm. Chur is a charming town with medieval buildings in the gated old town. I did not really explore the town as it was started to drizzle and I needed to do last minute planning for trip to Austria. I was lucky because in the hostel, I met a Japanese guy and Indian guy who gave me valuable information about Salzburg and Vienna. Slept at 3am...

Swiss travel Day2: Sun 15/5/11 Lucerne, Mount Titlis, Mount Pilatus, Golden Pass road

Weather was a major problem today. It started out fine but soon started raining in the evening. Quite depressing really.


The hostel that I stayed in is not very near the bahnhof and to make things worse, it does not have 24hr reception. Though I woke up early to go to Titlis, I could not check out and put my luggage in the train station as planned the night before. I started the day by exploring Lucerne. It is a charming medieval city and deifinitely more interesting than Zurich in my opinion. The main attraction is of course Lake Lucerne (Vierwaldstattersee) and Kapellbrucke (Chapel Bridge).As I walked along the bridge, my attention was drawn to the triangular painted roof panels along the ceiling that were painted in 1614 by Heinrich Wagman. Some of the paintings were damaged in fire hence the missing gaps.

Lucern

Sadly, I did not have much time to explore this lovely city as I have to board train to Engelberg to visit Mount Titlis. In the hind sight, I should have just stayed in the city and visit museums. Weather forecast already warned that weather would be bad. Instead, the stubborn me wasted all my money on the mountain railways...One painful lesson to learn indeed: always check the weather online before buying tickets, in fact the ticket counter staff can check for you but only if you ask and the staff is nice. There is a website with webcam photos of ongoing weather at the mountain: www.swisspanorama.com. But I only learnt about this after descent from Mt Titlis...


The train ride to Engleberg is of course scenic, as expected. I cannot imagine anywhere not scenic in Switzerland. Once reached the station, I bought the ticket (CHF 43 with Swiss pass) and was directed to walk to the gondola station (about 7 minutes walk). The path is well signposted and the walk itself is refreshing and pleasant. Green rolling field strewn with wild flowers in full bloom and snow capped mountains as backdrop and not to forget, crystalline river...phew..what can I say! Joy! The gondola goes all the way up to Trubsee (1800metres). I got out from the station to walk to the lake. Boy, it was tough. I was wearing normal running shoes since I already sold my waterproof hiking shoes. In no time, my shoes and socks got wet. The snow on the ground was more than 10cm thick but I am glad I went ahead stubbornly. The Trubsee Lake is mesmerizing. It reminded me of my experience in Glendalough. Nobody was around, it was just me and the lake. Perfect! It was the right timing because when I descended the same route, it was snowing heavily and the view of the lake was obscured.

Trusbsee

Once got back into the gondola, it continued until Stand station where I changed to board the Titlis Rotair, first rotating cable car in Europe. Sadly, after all the hype, it was an anticlimax due to bad weather. All I could see was WHITEness due to fog and snowfall. Bleeding, keep on bleeding...money into the drain...Once reached Titlis Mountain station at 3020m, I explored the Glacier Cave. It was okay but I enjoyed it more because my favourite Beethoven piece was playing at the background :) Despite the lousy weather, there was a huge crowd of tourists, mainly Indians. After that, I braved myself to venture out in the Glacier Park. It was cold! Temperature was -10*C. With 6 layers of clothes, gloves and hat, I survived :) Thankfully, there was no wind. I wandered around to look for Ice Flyer but could not seem to find it. Later, a Titlis staff laughed as she pointed straight ahead "Just walk into the fog". What? I could not see anything within 5 metre away. Well, what did I have to lose. So, the stubborn me stumbled my way forward and like a magic, the Ice Flyer sign board appeared. It was still very poor visibility but I found my way to the the station alas. Although I cannot see much, the open air chairlift ride was exhilarating especially when I was the only one person there (besides staffs). Very few people found the station that day...not surprisingly. With feet dangling few thousand feet above ground, the chairlift flew like a magic carpet to the lower part of Glacier Park where the Snow toys are. I tried the snow slide but ended up quite badly. Not only the snow kept on flying off to my face and mouth, I kept on tripping onto the thick snow as I made my way to the fun lift to reach the higher ground. 


Left Titlis to return to Lucerne. Unfortunately, I missed the train (scheduled hourly) and had to wait for the next available train. Chatted with a Singaporean family while waiting. Back in Luzerne, I walked back to the hostel to get my luggage. I did not know what got into me. Maybe because the weather in Lucerne was quite sunny, I was optimistic. So, I boarded the boat cruise (free with Swiss pass) from Luzerne gate 2 pier to Alpnachstad, gateway to Pilatus Mountain. The Lucerne lake is beautiful but as the 2 hour boat journey nearing the end, the weather got worse and it started raining :( Still, I did not learn my lesson, I hopped into the last cogwheel train up to Pilatus Kulm (CHF 33 with Swiss Pass).  According to myth, the crevices are haunt of dragon and spirits and the restless ghost of Pontius Pilate roamed around Lake Pilatus.To justify my stupidity/ impulsiveness, I told myself that I wanted to experience the ride on the world's steepest cogwheel train. But, it is money down the drain really. Not all lost as on the way up, there is panaromic view of Alpnachcher See (Lake Alpnachcher) and alpine flowers in full bloom. To my dismay, there was heavy snowfall hence poor visibility. The train weaved through 5 tunnels before reaching Pilatus Kulm (2132 m) that is famous with few trails that lead up to the top with 360 degree panorama view of Alpine range (Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau), Black Forest and Santis. But I guess it is just not for me to see :( I tried to walk to Echoloch but I had to back off as the path was getting too wet and slippery. There was no point of going to Esel (2148m) as well because with heavy snowfall, I cannot imagine what is there to see. Boarded the last cable car down. One can choose to go down by the cogwheel train or cable car. I recommend going down by cable cars because of fantastic view of Vierwalstattersee (a.k.a Lake Lucerne). The cable car decended to Frakmuntegg before continuing to Krienseregg. Once reached the Kriens town, I had to walk for 5 minutes to the bus stop to take bus no 1 to the Luzern bahnhof. I was tired hence skipping any more sightseeing for the day and boarded train to Interlaken instead.


The train ride to Interlaken was really worthwhile. It went through the Golden Pass road that is famous with view of several lakes and Brunig Pass. It passed by Alpnachersee, Sarnersee and Lungernsee before I changed to another train at Meiringen. After Meiringen, there is scenic Lake Brienz before reaching Interlaken OST.

Swiss travel Day 1: Sat 14/5/11: Zurich

I felt exceptionally tired on this day. Feeling very listless and apathetic, I slept through the flight and despite that, I still feel groggy. My thought process was slow and I felt I was tad stupid...must be brain cells 20% dead from chronic sleep deprivation. I was having problem deciphering the tube and tram network...usually I pick up the system very fast. Besides that,  I learnt some painful lessons today (as in bleeding from pocket)


1) Switzerland is a very expensive country and definitely need to prepare few months ahead to save travelling expenses. Should have bought Swiss pass online : much cheaper. I should have ordered via stc.co.uk , a swiss travel agency in UK...The price at the Swiss counter costs about 20 pound more. Bleeding, keep on bleeding. This Switzerland trip goes very well with Leona Lewis's song.


2) If want to go sightseeing with Scenic train like Glacier Express and Bernina Express, need to book at least 3 months ahead. It is already fully booked hence despite having Swiss pass, still have to go by normal regional train. But sometimes can try your luck and ask on the day itself. But need to pay for booking on spot for a seat for Bernina Express.


3) If bought ticketsaver for train journey, stick to the time. I bought a discounted ticket Zurich-Luzern online (www.sbb.ch) but arrived at bahnhof early. So the stupid me boarded the train earlier than I should. On board, I was forced to pay the full price of a new ticket. Bleeding bleeding keep on bleeding...*chorus*.


The weather was crappy. Synonymously with my bleeding pocket, the sky was raining cats and dogs. Left my luggage in the Zurich central train station at the cost of CHF5 (bigger storage costs CHF8). Boarded train S10 to Uetliberg. It is the highest point of Zurich and at the top where Uto Kulm panaroma terrace is, one gets to see the bird eye view of Zurich and Lake Zurich. There is also Planetenweg (Planetary Path) that leads to Uto Kulm but is not really impressive. After that, there is a choice to hike for 1.5 hour to Felsenegg and take cable car down from there. I skipped the hiking to return to Zurich.


As I said, I was utterly confused with the tram system for unknown reason..I think I am just plain stupid or my brain just had a mental trip. Roamed around River Limmat aimlessly and reached the shopping street, Bahnhofstrasse. I wanted to go to Kunsthaus but boarded a  wrong tram. Coincidentally, the tram leads to Museum Rietberg. This museum is unexpectedly a delight. It consists of a cluster of villas with a green park surrounding it. I really enjoy the permanent collection (free entrance with Zurich Card) that consists of large collection of antiquities from China, Japan, Africa, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Peru, Mexico, etc. I especially like the collection of masks and wooden statues from different countries. It started to drizzle by the time I exited the museum but the rain got heavier after I entered Kunsthaus (free for permanent exhibit with Zurich Card). This art gallery has good collection of Monet (the famous Water Lily painting is here), Picasso and Van Gogh. The free audio guide is really good. There is also a large corner dedicated to Joseph Beuys. Museums are always a good place to go if it is raining outside :)


I was wet and cold by the time I reach Paradeplatz. I wandered around to see Fraumunster and Grossmunster upclose but the rain got worse. I was not sure where to get a tram so ended up walking back to the bahnhof. Since I reached the station early, I boarded an earlier train to Lucerne, a mistake that really drill a big hole in the pocket. I have paid for the ticket saver online but had to buy a new ticket inside the train again. The train officer is like a Gestapo agent who is strict and unyielding. He could have overlook my mistake because I am a blur tourist but like a little Napolean, he was unforgiving :(


In Luzerne, heavy rain again. Very cold...Walked quite a distance before reaching my hostel. Not a cheap night stay but considerably cheaper than Zurich hostels. The price is really crazy in Switzerland. Even a simple currywurst in the bahnhof is triple the price of a currywurst in Germany...Thank God, I brought a lot of food from UK ( I only realize the "No food from outside EU" rule in the airport). In the hostel, there were a lot of Korean youths...I wonder whether it is spring break for them.

Zurich

Iceland Day3: Wed 4/5/11: Whale watching and Golden Circle tour

Today is a 2 in 1 tour with whale watching in the morning and golden circle tour in the afternoon. By 8am, I was picked up at my hostel and dropped off at the main office before being sent to the Old Harbour. It was colder but the sea was calmer than the day before. I forgot to pack my gloves and I felt that my fingers would drop off anytime. My hands were freezing and painful at the same time.


Despite the cold, I was excited. First, the boat sailed to Puffin Island to see puffins, also known as Penguin of the North or Sea Clown because they have small wings that make them appear clumsy during take off. It is interesting to watch how the birds take off, fluttering their wings ever so quickly that they leave trail of ripple in the water.  Next, it sailed to Faxafloi Bay to look for whales. There were a lot of porpoises (smallest whale species) and three Minke whales. But, I failed to get very close up shot of the whales due to limitation of my camera. It would be great if I have a binoculars.


After 3 hours of whale watching, I was back at the harbour. There is a small exhibition on whales inside the ship moored at the harbour. I grabbed light lunch before boarding the bus at 1pm for afternoon golden circle tour. Met Merita again in the same tour! She went to Blue Lagoon in the morning. The tour guide this time did not manage to capture my attention. Like a lullaby, every time he speaks, I dozed off within minutes. Sadly, I did not manage to absorp much information. I was reminded of the sleep inducing history lesson in school as he gave a summary of background history of Iceland. It is interesting to note that Iceland is a relatively "young" island, only 20million years old, formed by volcanic eruptions. Iceland was under Norwegian and Danish rule before attaining independence in 1944. One of the Icelanders' pride is the Icelandic Saga book which was one of the earliest book written in the world.

The first stop is Thingvellir national Park, site of the old parliament Alpingi (930AD) and the best place to view the Midatlantic fissure, the no man land , the European and North American tectonate plates. The lanscape is truly out of this world. The Alþingi is stated to be the world's oldest existing parliament. The assembly was held in the plain hence no buildings whatsoever. Later, the bus drove us to Gullfoss, a truly remarkable waterfall located in the canyon of Hvita river. Due to light lunch, I felt slightly hungry and bought skier (Iceland yoghurt) to eat. It is probably the most expensive yoghurt I ever tasted...(overpriced at 300 ISK, usual price is 185 ISK in other shops). Nearby are the famous hotsprings of Geysir and Strokkur. The Strokkur, a very unusual fountain geyser, erupts every 4-8 minutes as high as 25metre like a programmed musical fountain. When we first arrived, Strokkur erupted three times in succesion in a span of a minute which is very unusual. Truly fascinating. The temperature of the water is about 2-3 times boiling point! Visitors have to endure the rotten egg smell of sulphurs though...a small sacrifice to witness one of the nature's wonder. Lastly, we stopped at Hverageroi geothermal powered greenhouse before heading home to Reykjavik.

Thingvellir National Park with Alpingi (Old Parliament)

Gulfoss

Strokkur

At Reykjavik, I alighted at Hilton instead of KEX hostel to walk to the Reykjavik Botanical Garden. I was very curios to see whether Iceland can have full blooming flowers. The botanical garden is lovely but has mainly Icelandic plants, moss, lichen and low plants. Do not expect daffodils and tulips like in UK...the climate and earth in Iceland is really different and not easy to grow anything...To my delight, the garden is quite green. It took me another near 45 minutes to walk back to the hostel for check out. The hostel owner advised me to dine in Fish and Chips near the harbour but as expected, I could not find it being directionally handicapped. I wandered around the city centre looking for best deal. The cheap restaurants either out of fish and chips or kitchen closed. Frustrated, I just walked into Sjavargrillid restaurant on Skolavordustigur road. It is expensive but well worth it. I ordered fresh grill of the day (cost about £17) and I must say I have not tasted finer grilled cat fish than that. It was served with salmon sauce, sweet potatoes and asparagus. I can definitely feel the passion of the chef in preparing the dish. I was also served a free appetizer consist of pickled celery with cream cheese and bread with salted butter (on the house). I asked the waitress about the chef and was not suprised when she said the chef won best chef award last year. Wow! And I found the restaurant by chance...Thank you God!

After the meal, I walked to BSI bus terminal for my airport transfer via Flybus. It is slightly more expensive than Airport Express but is the only bus that goes to the airport at 11pm. I slept in the airport that night. Initially I planned to stay awake whole night to write my blog but since I was sleep deprived for days, I soon fell into deep slumber by 130 am. There is only metal bench in the airport but I managed to sleep quite well in a single seat cushioned sofa. Checked in by 630am and slept again at the boarding gate. With sometime to spare, I shopped for a pair of sunglasses for my upcoming trip to Switzerland :)

Iceland Day 2: Tue 3/5/11: Southcoast and Jokulsarlon day tour

I am usually against joining tour but due to short stay and the self guided tour with Grayline bus only starts in June, I had no choice. This 14 hour day tour by Iceland Excursion cost more than 120 pound because of long distance drive. Surprisingly, I really enjoyed myself. I met Merita, a bubbly girl from Latvia who is so friendly that I would have thought that I have known her for a long time. The tour guide is very informative and speaks clear English. He rattled on history of volcanic eruptions and general knowledge of Iceland including population, animals like Viking horses, polar fox and raindeer, green house and geothermal plants. I am surprised I was able to stay awake most time listening to his fascinating accounts of volcano eruptions.  Iceland is mainly treeless with sparse land covered with volcano lava. Midatlantic fissure runs across Iceland and it separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate. It moves 2cm apart every year generating seismic and volcanic activities.



By 730am, I waited outside the hostel for free pickup to join the tour. From Reykjavik, the bus passed by Hveragerdi geothermal green house, Selfoss, Iceland's largest dairy plan with glacial river flowing from Langjokull and famous Hekla volcano which has erupted 28 times in the past. Hekla sits on 25km volcanic fissure and erupts in 10 years cycle, last in 2000. 


The first stop is Skogafoss waterfall which is located near Eyjafjallajökull, the famous subglacial volcano that erupted last year causing major disruption in air travel in Europe. Next, there is Myrdalsjokull glacier, Iceland's 4th largest glacier with Katla volcano beneath it.  In between Myrdalsjokull  and Vatnajokull is Lakagigar (Laki Craters) that caused the deadliest volcano eruption in history. In 1783, a fissure with 130 craters opened leading to 8 months eruptions that wiped out 50% of Iceland livestocks besides causing crop failure in Europe and worldwide. Today, there is largest lava field of Eldhraun spanning 500km area as a reminder of the disaster.

Skogafoss

After short break for lunch, we stopped shortly to view Skaftafelljokul glacier and Svinnajokul glacier. Then, we passed by Oraefojokull, the highest volcanic crater with 5km diameter and full of ice. Along the crater is the highest peak in Iceland, Hvannadalshnukur.  Alas, we reached Vatnajokull, Iceland's largest glacier. The view from far of the ice cap and glacier lagoon, Jokulsarlon is spectacular. I think most tourists in the bus held their breath. At Jokulsarlon, there is boat ride at the lagoon for half an hour which is amazing. Here, I get to see floating icebergs of all shapes and sizes.

Jokulsarlon

On the way back to Reykjavik, there was very brief stop at Skaftafell National Park which was quite a waste because this national park has 25 glaciers originating from Vatnajokull with lots to do and see. We had dinner at Vik Village. Merita and me wandered along the beach before dining. Last attraction was Seljalanasfoss waterfall where one can walk behind the waterfall. I was half wet by the time I finished circling the waterfall. It was great! We reached Reykjavik very late, almost near 11pm. Tired...