Day Five - Exploring East Iceland

Where we drive from Stokksnes to Egilsstadir, and get our van stuck in black sands.

Exploring Vestrahorn Campsite at Stokksnes

We were told that the Viking Cafe has a good brunch, and true to form, it didn't disappoint.

After breakfast, we decided to drive out to the parking lots outside the campgrounds to explore the area. The black sands and Vestrahorn mountains created an ethereal backdrop that we couldn't wait to explore. However, things were not to be.

Unbeknownst to us, the winds had picked up and blown a thick mass of sand onto the parking lot. As we tried to drive over it, we felt the van sinking. Aman tried to accelerate out of the situation, but that only made us sink even further into the sand. Some of the other visitors tried to help us by pushing the van out of the sands, but to no avail. A group of women offered to drive me up to the guest centre, to ask for help, which was really nice of them. Unfortunately, the camp workers told me there was nothing they could do and no way to provide assistance. We had to call a tow company. Sadly, we had decided not to splurge on roadside assistance, so we would have to pay out of pocket for this little mishap. It ended up costing us $736 CAD. Service was swift and effective luckily, because we were quite near Hofn, with all communication done with the towing company over Whatsapp.

While we waited, we explored the area.

It would be so easy to get lost in the sands - because of the winds, the sand dunes disperse and new ones form without any form or formula.

On the road again:

The rest of our trip that day was spent on the road. The road from Hofn to Egilstaddir is not long, but it is filled with beautiful views you just have to stop for. The Ring Road drive is slightly longer and hugs the coast, but there is a short cut that takes you through inner highways that is often closed for weather.

The drive was so mesmerizing that we stopped frequently to take in the views. It helped that we were often the only ones on the road.

The first stop out of the campsite on the Ring Road was a random red chair, reminiscent of the Muskoka chairs that tend to dot landscapes in Canada. The story behind this chair is one I am unaware of, but it made for a fun stop regardless, with some brilliant views.

The Red chair is situated right before the Almannaskarðsgöng tunnel which opened in 2005 and was intended to make the journey safer through the Almannaskarð pass. In contrast to Iceland's South Coast, our drive into eastern Iceland brought us to increasingly snowy scenes.

Egilstaddir: We reached Egilstaddir in the evening. Egilstaddir appeared to be a bigger town and a central hub for the region, in contrast to the smaller and more picturesque towns we'd driven through on our drive here. It seemed utilitatarian, - a good base for sightseeing in the area, but not necessarily a tourist spot on its own. A good place to see Icelanders living their daily lives. Again, there was much more snow cover here than we had seen on our drive through southern Iceland.

Our first stop was to fill gas at the N1. We couldn't find a place to eat, so decided to grab a pizza at the N1. Best. Idea. Ever. It was a big vegetarian pizza and it really hit the spot. It cost equivalent to $30 CAD but one thing my dad has taught me about travelling is not to convert prices into your own currency - otherwise you're not going to enjoy anything!

Egilstaddir Camp: We checked into the campsite. There was a LOT of snow cover in the area, with only the main parking lot cleared; that became the camping spot for vans, which felt very odd for us coming from camping in national/provincial parks in Canada which are never located in major cities. Still, this campsite became my favourite one of our stay here.

What We skipped: Hvannagil, the golden valley hike, due to the condition of the dirt / gravel road leading to it.

For more on our Iceland Road Trip:

• An Overview of our Iceland Ring Road Drive with costs and a general itinerary
• Day 1 of our Ring Road Drive in Iceland
• Day 2 of our Ring Road Drive in Iceland
• Day 3 of our Ring Road Drive in Iceland
• Day 4 of our Ring Road Drive in Iceland