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Iceland and Faroe Islands - Bridge Between Continents...

Magnificent journal and photos so far!! I love it.
Iceland has long been on the short list of overseas destinations I would love to ride, but am unlikely to ever do it. New Zealand is the other location on my list.
Please keep up the story! Thank you for the visual experience.

Thank you so much for the kind comments. Last year we never imagined having the chance to see Iceland either. This opportunity presented itself and we leapt head first.

Thanks for reading the report. More to follow...
 
Iceland
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Day 8 - Sun, 27 Aug 17:


Map of Day 8

Today's forecast shows more rain and winds. At least the temperature is not too cold - 50°F.

We got up late and enjoyed a breakfast provided by the hotel. The hotel did a great job of making us feel at home and had a lot of food options for a continental breakfast.

After breakfast we walked over to the Sea-monster Museum. It was small and the front desk lady was not very welcoming but the displays were professionally designed including the great lighting. It was interesting to learn about the stories of sea-monsters that had been recorded by those who witnessed them.


Cold and rainy day - a good day for checking out sea-monsters.


The entrance to the museum. Although small the museum did a good job displaying the various sea-monster sightings.


Just some of the monsters that were sighted in the cold waters of the Atlantic.


Old map of Islandia.


The extensive library of stories and sightings.

The rain was coming down thicker as we prepared the bikes for the next 12 miles of muddy road towards Samúel Jónsson’s Art Farm.


The ride out there was beautiful but wet and dirty. Once we arrived we were soaked.

The rain let up enough for me to take some pictures of this unique world created by Jónsson.


Samúel Jónsson’s made this church to house his artwork.


A replica of the The Patio de los Leones (Court of the Lions) located in Granada, Spain.


I think my favorite was the blue seahorse.


No wait... I think my favorite is the gray walrus.


The replica of the Indian temple.


A quite farm next to the ocean.


Exploring the incredible valley a bit more before heading back towards town.


Even if your not into the child-inspired art of Samúel Jónsson’s, the road out to his farm is worth the diversion.
 
We returned to Bíldudalur to wash off the bikes enough that we wouldn't be getting muddier every time we needed to get something from the packs.

Leaving the Fjords behind we climbed the high mountain passes where we felt the worst of the rain and wind. It was blowing us around the road and the visibility was reduced to about 100 ft. We made slow progress through the mountains.

Our goal was to make it to Látrabjarg where the cliffs rise from the sea and hopefully catch a sight of a puffin, but with the poor weather we decided to ride to catch the Stykkishólmur ferry.

We still had a few more sights to see first...


Garðar BA 64 was used or fishing herring in the waters off of Iceland until is was intentionally ran aground in 1981.







While riding towards the ferry I noticed a hot pool on my GPS so we took a quick detour to enjoy it. It turns out that the bathroom at the hot pools were all locked. Was is closed? The pool and hot tub were open but there was nobody around. We decided we were already wet and cold, why not at least be wet and warm?


It seems that if you want a hot tub to yourself in Iceland you just have to wait until the weather turns terrible.

Although the hot pool was an enjoyable experience - getting out and changing back into our wet gear was not. Once on the bikes, each mile felt like a challenge and I was starting to curse the weather. Perhaps, we should re-evaluate our rain liners that snap inside the jacket and pants. Maybe rain gear that we wear outside our riding gear would be better?


We found this postcard a few days later and made some digital alterations. This is about right and was my exactly feelings during this particular day.

We managed to ride another 15 miles to the ferry terminal and payed the very expensive rate of about $170 USD to ferry us and our two bikes to Stykkishólmu. It was either that our continue another three or more hours riding in the rain. Gotta wonder if some $50 USD raingear would have saved us the misery and cost?

We were grateful that the ferry terminal was warm inside and that they had hot food. We enjoyed a couple grilled ham and cheese sandwiches while we waited to the ferry to arrive and dock.


Riding the bikes onto the ferry.

The ferry crew gave us one strap per bike and showed where the screwdrivers were to pull up the rusted pad-eyes. Not much help. Fortunately we carry a bag of straps for each bike and managed to get them secure before the ferry got underway.


Mules strapped up for their journey to Stykkishólmur.

The three-hour ferry ride gave us a chance to dry off most of our riding and camping gear with towels and a heater from the bathrooms.

Just before 10PM we arrived in Stykkishólmur and rode over to the camp site. Great news; they had a clothes dryer that we could use! We ended up drying clothes well until after midnight.

Tomorrow morning looks like more rain... Not looking forward to that.
 
This is all very fun! Nice pictures! You're really quite handy with all the accent marks...that takes some doing! :thumb
 
This is all very fun! Nice pictures! You're really quite handy with all the accent marks...that takes some doing!
It was a lot of fun - rain, not as fun. Thanks for the comment. The accent marks are tricky - Once I find the Icelandic names online, cut and paste does a pretty good job.
 
Iceland
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Day 9 - Mon, 28 Aug 17:


Map of Day 9 covering the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.

What a difference one day can make!! Yesterday I was ready to park ourselves in a hotel until the rain ended. Today we experienced beautiful weather for most of the day...

We woke up late again - partly due to being up till after midnight, and partly due to hearing little rain drops on the tent every time we woke up. It was well after 10:30 that the rain stopped enough to take down all our sleeping gear and tent. We left the camp at about 11:30. The first stop was a bakery where we enjoyed brunch.


We explored the seaside town of Stykkishólmur...


... and the lighthouse, before hitting the road towards the west.


This part of Iceland is very lush and volcanic so the lush green moss grows thick over black lava rocks.


It was an incredible ride to the Snaefellsjoekull National Park where we enjoyed some hiking down to a few beaches.


A beautiful church in a sea of green.


Snaefellsjoekull National Park was full of beautiful scenery at nearly every turn.


Skarðsvík Beach


The hike down to Djúpalónssandur beach.




Rusted pieces of the British trawler, The Epine GY7, which was wrecked east of Dritvík cove on the night of 13 March 1948 still remain on the black beach.


Black lava rocks made smooth by the churning of the ocean waves.


The volcanic geology of Iceland.


One of the best shots was of a waterfall called Bjarnarfoss located on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula.


This waterfall sits high on a cliff face and without the drone you wouldn't be able to get close enough to see the detail.


After the falls we stopped to take some pictures of the famous black colored church in Buðir. It's a beautiful church that sits alone in a lava field.


Búðakirkja steeple

It was starting to get into the evening and we needed gas. The GPS showed gas at Rjúkanda restaurant but it turned out there was no gas. I'm actually glad that the GPS was wrong because we discovered a great place to eat dinner. Rjúkanda restaurant was also a favorite because I got to try something I've wanted to eat since arriving in Iceland - fillet of foal. Yes, you read correct... Horse meat. How did it taste? Much like a beef streak but with just a bit different taste. I thought it was really good!


Horse meat - "it's what's for dinner"

After dinner it was near dark so we searched on the map for the closest camping spot. Great news! - There was one only a few miles down the road. Bad news - It's not there any longer. We ended up searching for the place well until after 10PM before we finally settled on a flat area concealed behind a small hill just off of the side road. Good enough.

Until tomorrow...
 
Iceland
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Day 10: Tue, 29 Aug 17:


Map of Day 10

We got an early start, partly because we were camped just off the road and didn't want to arouse any more suspicion, and partly because we were excited for another day without rain.

Our first stop was Deildartunguhver hot springs but they were under a lot of construction making it difficult to see the boiling water coming from the depths of the Earth. The steam, on the other hand, was noticeable for miles around.


Hot stuff - in various languages.

As the morning progressed we realized that we were definitely within hours of the capital of Raykavik because the roads and tourist attractions were full of rentals and tour buses.


Our next stop of Barnafoss falls was not the most beautiful of Icelands falls but it did have a nice hike.

We wanted to explore a lava cave but many of them have become "touristized" and require a steep fee to have a guide walk you though. Not my thing; I'd rather explore at my own pace. Fortunately, for those adventurous enough there is Surtshellir cave. We parked well north of the parking area and walked south underground exploring each of the caves and entrances. The caves really are quite large some featured beautiful metallic looking stalactites.


Heading to the Surtshellir cave via a well traveled dirt road.


On our walk to the Surtshellir cave you see huge cube shaped rocks that were pushed upwards along the fault line.


The power of Mother Earth!


One of the cave entrances.


Inside it was cold and damp; kinda like you expect a cave to be. Once you were in the cave about 100 yards it was completely black.


This black. No kidding. Black so black you can't see anything. Not having a lamp would be death by a thousand tiny volcanic rock cuts.


Leaving in search of other sites...

On out way back from the caves we came across Fossatún Falls. This is a really relaxing area with a great walking trail that taught about trolls and the Icelandic folklore that surrounding them.


Tröllafossar or the Fall of the Trolls


The trail has many displays with the artwork from Steinar Berg who has written three books on trolls and has erected several trolls from his stories.


Troll head


This is Grýla, who is the mother of the Yulelads. She is not the nicest of the trolls because she eats naughty children and cooks them in her cauldron.

Maybe she's not so bad because she only cooks the naughty children
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Many cairns dot the landscape in Iceland because many people place their burdens or problems in the rocks and them put them in a pile like this one. How often do we let the burdens of our past keep us from progressing into the future?


It was really nice and relaxing at Fossatún. If we didn't have a schedule to keep, I would have stayed here for the night.
 
We continued south-west making our way to Reykjavik via the 1 but bypassed the tolled (not trolled, that's for bridges) tunnel to enjoy the ride around Hvalfjörður via the 47. This was some of my favorite pavement riding of the trip; beautiful views, twisty mountain roads, and minimal car traffic. Apparently other two-wheeled riders felt the same way because we saw more motorcycles on the 47 than we've seen the whole trip so far.


Crossing a single lane bridge on the 47.


Some of the best road riding of the trip so far.




One of the many churches that dot the landscape in Iceland. Many of them are the centerpiece of the town.


Caught the lighting on this one where the shadow of the cross reflects right on the roof.


Sunny, warm, and a perfect day for riding uncrowded roads with great scenery.


Beautiful!! This feeling should be able to be bottled so it can be shared with others.

Arriving in Reykjavik was a bit crazy with people and traffic all racing around. We managed the maze of congested roads and arrived at Hallgrimskirkja church without getting lost or going against the myriad of one-way roads. We seemed to have timed our arrival perfect because I was able to take some great pictures of the church with the late evening lighting.


No church in Iceland has the presence of the Hallgrimskirkja.


The statue of explorer Leif Eriksson stands proudly at the front of the Hallgrimskirkja.


At 74.5 metres (244 ft) high, it is the largest church in Iceland.

Since it was going to be dark soon, we pressed on to dinner at, of all places, Kentucky Fried Chicken. After another 30 minutes we stopped in Sandgerði where we camped for the night.
 
Iceland
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Day 11 - Wed, 30 Aug 17:


Map of Day 11

I no longer have that wet and clammy feeling after sliding my socks into my boots! They are finally dry after three days!

It was a fairly late start because we had to wait for the camp attendant to show up so we could pay for camping. Iceland has a much more relaxed vibe that the USA - even if money is involved.


Álög, a monument by the sculptor Steinunn Þórarinsdóttir.


Brightly colored hostels look like converted military barracks.

We left Sandgerði and headed south to Miðlína. This is a bridge that is laid over two continental plates - the America plate and the Europe plate. The distance expands about a few centimeters every year.


You are here - right between continental plates.


Standing between continental tectonic plates.


There were also a lot of custom engraved locks hanging from the railings of the bridge. I didn't know putting your lock on a place you've been was a thing. Guess it is.

We also stopped at Gunnuhver Hot Springs. It's quite impressive seeing Earth's hot water boil and froth above the surface. The steam rising from the springs can be seen for miles.


Waving to other motorcyclists. Little did I know, this African Twin would be parked right next to me a week later on the ferry.


The mules parked near the beach while we enjoy a short walk and drone flight. It was here that I almost had a bird strike while flying our drone to capture some shots of the beach.


Who takes pictures of candy bars? Folks from the USA who don't see this kind of candy bar - that's who. Anyhow, it's kinda like a 100 grand with a wafer.



A bit of fun on the way to Krisuvikurberg Cliffs


The drone captured some pretty incredible views of the Krisuvikurberg Cliffs showing a deep red layer of mineral within the cliff.


Stunning!




Chantil's mule 'Chocolate' - 'White Chocolate'.

 
By the time we reached the town of Hveragerði the sun was shining so we enjoyed lunch at the small, but fun, city park. The sculptures were fun to interact with. After lunch we enjoyed some ice-cream from the restaurant next to the park.


For just being some well placed 4x4s it's one of my favorite sculptures.




Myri (Swamp) by Steinunni Porarinsnottur. To me this sculpture shows how we litter our lives with possession and junk instead of letting them go and floating above them.


I love how the rusty chain contrasts against the rocks.


There was also some bird house sculptures. Fun stuff.


Kerið crater lake was a bit of a tourist trap but offered a nice hike around the crater rim. I considered launching the drone to capture the view from above but the winds were too high to safely fly it.


Highway 1 towards Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss.

Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss falls are just off the 1 and can be seen for miles as they cascade off the end of a large cliff. Iceland is FULL OF waterfalls. There are so many that we just pass by the lesser known ones with nothing more than a quick diversionary glance.


Seljalandsfoss captured from the Mavic drone.


A beautiful day for photography.

We decided to make it to the Skógafoss falls and camp there for the night. As we rolled into the rocky parking area I heard a POP and the clutch lever went slack. I knew almost immediately what had happened; the clutch cable from the clutch lever to the actuator broke. Unfortunately, I didn't pack a spare.

It was late so we made plans to have Chantil ride in the morning to Reykjavik where the BMW dealer will hopefully have parts or a solution. They open at 10AM and she'll plan on being there once the door opens. Meanwhile, I'll talk to bicyclists and off-roaders with the hopes that someone may have a spare cable that I may be able to make work.

Let's hope that all works out... Like all well laid-out plans...
 
Iceland
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Day 12 - Thu, 31 Aug 17:


Map of Day 12 - No progress.

We woke up early so that I could help Chantil get ready to ride the two hours to Reykjavik Motor Center - the BMW Motorrad dealer in Iceland.

Insult to injury... After crawling outside the tent I noticed that both of our mules were on their sides knocked over. You've got to be kidding me! What happened?

This is what I think happened - The rain last night caused the soft dirt under my center stand to shift and then my bike fell over to the right. Unfortunately, right into Chantil mule, knocking hers over to the right as well. My throttle and GPS cable were wrapped around her left foot peg. After unwrapping the cables and getting the bikes lifted we did an evaluation of the damage:
• Throttle cable housing was mangled including the aluminum channel that threads into the throttle.
• GPS cable was torn from behind the fairing but suffered no damage
• Multiple scratches on fairings (add these to a long list of scratches)
• Bent foot-peg (easily fixed)

I decided that it would be best to add a throttle cable to the list of things that we should pick up. With the words "ride safe!", a kiss, and a wave, Chantil was on her way.


At least Apache (my motorcyle) picked a pretty spot to break down.


#brokeinskogafoss



I went to the task of searching for a way to 'jurry-rig' a bicycle cable - if I could find the needed parts. I carry just a small assortment of screws, bolts, nuts, and washers. Miraculously I found what would be the perfect parts to lock down the cable free end. I just hoped that the bicycle cable, once found, would be thick enough to get us through the rest of the week and then to the BMW dealer in Denmark.

There were two groups of bicyclists at camp but since it was raining they seemed to stay inside all morning. I decided to ask them once they got up and started packing...

At 10 AM, I called Reykjavik Motor Center. I explained my problem but was met with no solution, just resistance. It turns out that Biking Viking and the associated repair center had finished the tourist season and were preparing for a week-long excursion vacation. I was told, "We can not order that until Wednesday (6 days away) because everyone is about to start their holiday vacation. There are no mechanics here and I'm not a mechanic." I tried to explain my predicament but she was not budging - she would not even start the order process until Wednesday. I'm actually surprised they even answered their phone!

Chantil also received the same discouraging words from BMW. She found a KTM dealer that was very generous with his time and assistance; even calling the BMW dealership and talking in Icelandic (even he was surprised by their lack of customer service). He offered some suggestions and provided a used KTM cable that might work.

Ultimately, everything we needed to fix the bike was located right here in camp. A little while later I talked to a bicycle couple from Poland. Without hesitation they pulled out a spare cable and offered it to me with a smile. I tried to offer some money as compensation but they graciously did not accept. I just hoped that they would not need it for their own journey. I thanked them and returned to my mule with a new sense of hope.


This bicyclist from Poland is a better Boy Scout that I am - he was prepared and had a spare cable.

Once Chantil returned with the clutch cable housing we had the clutch working within a short period of time. The larger problem was the throttle issues that were directly related to the throttle cable housing damage. This took us another hour of straightening out and ensuring the cable alignment was correct.


Adventure motorcycle touring is fixing your motorcycle in exotic places.


Close-up of the bolt, nylon nut, and washers used to hold the cable in place. Almost a perfect fit!!


All fixed!!! Would it last for the rest of the trip?...

Hindsight: Having a spare cable would have saved A LOT of wasted time and energy. A bike cable, bolt, nut, and washer doesn't hardy take any space. Besides, Murphy's Law says the part won't break if you have a spare :)

Add Iceland to the list of countries that I've needed to do some type of repairs to our mules: USA, Mexico, Canada, and now Iceland.

We enjoyed a dinner at the nearby restaurant and then retired to our cozy sleeping bags and tent. Tomorrow will be a better day...
 
Iceland
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Day 13 - Fri, 1 Sep 17:


Map of Day 13

We were excited to be on the road again and making good on our schedule to see as much of Iceland in our short 18 days.


Lighthouse at Dyrhólaey Nature Preserve where Chantil spotted a puffin.


A small section of unexpected dirt road on our way to/from Dyrhólaey Nature Preserve.


Basalt columns at Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.


Hálsanefshellir Cave.


Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach.


Viewpoint of Reynisfjara and Dyrhólaey.


As we continued north-east the glaciers got closer.


Skeiðará Bridge Monument


Skeiðará Bridge Monument with Svínafellsjökull Glacier in the background.


Some overly proud U.S. Navy Corpsmen decided to add his signature to the memorial. Hey, I get being proud of your profession but scribbling it onto a memorial in another country?


Although Highway 1 is the major route around Iceland many of the bridges are just single lane. They would be double lane if all the world only rode motorcycles.


Enjoying the warm day and green grass at one of the rest stops on the side of the road.




Svínafellsjökull Glacier.


Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon icebergs. I got this close-up of the iceberg by flying the drone above the lagoon.


Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is where icebergs are born and then float out to the ocean.


Our home for the night at Camping Höfn. A heated cabin and mattress for the night. Spoiled.


For dinner we walked to Pakkhús Restaurant. The dinner was well prepared but had small portions leaving us room for dessert. I'm glad because this deliciousness is known as a Skyr Volcano and it was simply amazing! A trip advisor reviewer said it best: "The mix of ingredients, the texture, the presentation, and the experience of enjoining a simple but well thought-out dessert doesn't have a price."

By the way, the clutch cable is working like a champ!
 
Iceland
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Day 14 - Sat, 02 Sep 17:


Map of Day 14: Another productive day and a decent amount of mileage (355 km) put under our tires.

We started with a buffet style breakfast as Z Bistro. Lots of choices to include beans? Not sure why beans is a popular breakfast item - I only eat beans when I'm camping.

Before we left Höfn, I asked the owner of Z Bistro if she knew anyone who would have a bicycle cable. She made a quick phone call and they talked for a bit in Icelandic. She handed me an address that was only a quick two-minute ride from the restaurant. When we got there, the door was already open. I described to a lady what I needed and she returned with a cable - cost about $5 USD. Now we have a spare - just in case.


Many towns have a digital sign letting you know your speed followed by a red frowny face or a green happy face. Safety award to Chantil for keeping her speed down!


Our first stop was an old Viking village. Apparently it was created to be a film set but was never used. The owners of the land now charge a small fee for tourists to experience the 'authentic' Viking life.

We got there early enough that we had the entire village to ourselves (minus the few grazing sheep). It was relaxing to walk around, explore, and snap pictures. It was also a bit disheartening to see all the work that was crafted but never used for the movie. At least we got to appreciate it before it falls into disrepair.


The village from the short road that must be walked - no vehicles.








The 'chiefs' home.


Close-up of the chief's door. Interesting how the bottom is taking on the reddish-brown color of the mud.


A lot of work was put into the set.


Same sheep shared the solitude village with us.

As we were leaving a few folks from a larger group was arriving. It pays to get to tourist sights early in Iceland.

We continued our adventure along the Ring Road to the north-east...
 

A little bit of rain today but nothing like we experienced in the West Fjords. Perhaps it was because I just bought myself a proper outer rain jacket from the Icewear outlet store.


Having a GPS with many of the places we wanted to see way-pointed takes a bit of the adventure out of a road trip. It's a balance between not missing anything on likely our only trip to Iceland versus the unexpected. This red chair, bolted to a rock on the side of the road, was the unexpected. This is the kind of weird and wacky art I like seeing on a road trip.


The lava sand beaches of eastern Iceland.

We stopped for a little while in the town of Djúpivogur and enjoyed a lunch of fish soup at Langabúð.


Another interesting side trip was to the Eggin í Gleðivík (The Eggs of Merry Bay). This outdoor sculpture made by Icelandic artist Sigurður Guðmundsson consists of 34 eggs that representing each of the species of local birds. We had some fun with the sculptures, as you can see.


My golden egg!


Route 939 provided a bit of a shortcut but climbs into the clouds where we experienced thick fog and misty rain.


After descending into the valley from Route 939 the rains dissipated revealing this beauty.


We stopped in Egilsstaðir for some gas and food supplies (chocolate). This horse was next door to the BONUS shopping area grazing on the "greener grass on the other side of the fence".


One of the nicest views to take in while relaxing in a well-made chair in the middle of nowhere.

Námafjall geothermal area is hard to miss. The geothermal steam rising from the ground can be seen for miles. Your eyes are not the only senses that can experience Námafjall - Your nose gets it's full share of the experience as well. Oh the smell!!


Bubbling mud with it's unique sound. So cool!


Try to imagine the smell of sulfur permeating the air as you look at these pictures.


Also imaging buzzing flies the size of mosquitoes swarming around your face. Cool place though, even with the flies and sulfur smell.

For camping we set up our tent in the grass field at Vogar Travel Service and had dinner next door at Daddi's Pizza.

Tomorrow looks like a relaxing day to explore around Lake Mývatn...

(Hindsight: It was supposed to be relaxing...)
 
Iceland
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Day 15 - Sun, 03 Sep 17:


Map of Day 15


We started our day by sheep herding. Hundreds of sheep were being herded down the road blocking traffic on both sides. Seems to be a regular thing here.

We wanted to experience one of the high-end hot pools. The Blue Lagoon is near Reykjavik and is a huge tourist trap that costs 6100 ISK ($57.63 USD) per person. We choose the further, less touristy, and less costly 4300 ISK ($40.63) option at the Mývatn Nature Baths.


Laser cut sign welcoming us to Jardbödin - Mývatn Nature Baths.


We arrived at 9AM and had the whole place to ourselves... for 10 minutes.


A little bit of relaxation made us feel like royalty. Life is good!


A sunny day with temperatures in the 60s - a hot day in Iceland.


I tried some mud from the side of the pool just for the photo op. I hope it was only mud
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One of the graphics on a various rental vehicle around Iceland. Pretty much describes our Iceland weather; mostly cloudy and rainy with some sun that peaks out every once in a while.


Leaving the camping stuff and tail bag at camp meant Apache felt more spirited.


Enjoying a lava sand section of the trail on our way to the next destination.


Hverfjall crater via drone. We didn't have time to hike the rim of this volcano but it looks like a nice hike.


The Dimmuborgir hike is where we were introduced to the story of the 13 yule lads. Google them. I think Askasleikir (Bowl-Licker) is my favorite.


Pretty fall leaves contrasted against dark volcanic hills.


A short but enjoyable diversion from riding motorcycles.


Some of the volcanic caves even had personal items used by the Yuke Lads. Didn't see any lads though. :dunno
 

A well timed jump.


Höfði hike was well forested and had plenty of trails to explore.




Höfði viewpoint was worth the short hike.


By the time we reached Skútustaðagígar craters we were a bit tired of hiking but walked around a little bit. I found this sign funny.


Goðafoss falls was a tourist meca. There were busses, tourists of all flavors, horses from a movie set, and drones flying around.

On our way back east towards Lake Mývatn, I felt the chain slip and I had no rear wheel pull when I used the throttle. I knew immediately... The weld we did in Canada to the front sprocket had broke and was freely spinning. We'll need to find another welder. :doh


Front sprocket connection to main drive busted. I coiled the chain away from the rear wheel so we could tow it to the garage.

Many of you might be wondering why on earth was my front sprocket welded to the main drive-train? I'll explain... During the cross-country trip from San Diego, California to Portland, Maine we traveled through Canada. While in New Liskeard, Ontario (which is 700 km (435 miles) from the nearest BMW motorcycle repair center) the teeth on my front sprocket and drive-train were shredded. Not sure how this happened; perhaps a poor aftermarket sprocket or perhaps the bolt holding the sprocket loosened causing enough vibration which damaged the teeth on both the sprocket and drive-shaft over the 5,000 miles since it was changed out. Don't really know...

This occurred on July 23rd and our bikes had to be at the loading dock in Portland, Maine on the 27th to get shipped to Iceland. We still had two days of travel with bad weather most likely adding another day. Our options were limited because getting the bikes towed or trucked to the BMW service center would have taken a day and then getting the parts and doing the required repair would have easily taken over a week. We only had four days. We didn't have the luxury of time on our hands. We decided to weld the sprocket to the drive-shaft and hoped that it would hold for the remaining 2,000 miles of our trip.

Unfortunately the weld only held for about 1,500 miles...


The place I broke down had a wide and safe area where we could work on the bikes but it had the worst amount of flying bugs you could imagine. They would fly into your eyes, ears, and sometimes your open mouth. Thousands of them (highlighted in photo with red dots)! I have never been in a place with so many annoying little flies. All part of the adventure, I suppose.


Being towed 23 km (14.3 miles) to the only mechanic in town.

The tow to the mechanic actually went surprisingly well. The traffic was light, and short of missing one turn, we delivered my mule to the garage. We showed the owner, Karl Vider, what we needed and he shook his head "No, no I will not guarantee this work!" I guess the desperation on our faces was enough to have him reconsider because he looked at it again and said that we could leave it in the garage and come back tomorrow morning. He was moody and very short with us. I did not want to give him my business because of the way he treated us but we had limited options.

We rode two-up on Chantil's mule back to camp and ordered another pizza at Daddi's.

Tomorrow we'll return to the shop at 10AM. I have high hopes that all will go well and then we'll ride the final 120 miles to the town of Seydisfjordur where our ferry/cruise ship will meet us to take us to the Faroe Islands. Wish us luck!...
 
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