I wonder if I should drive all the way to Diamond Beach. Is it worth the drive? The pictures look interesting, and I’m intrigued so I think I’ll make that one of my destinations today.

Oh, and yay breakfast! It’s included so I’m super happy to see fresh farm hard boiled eggs, bread, butter, jam, tiny waffles, dandelion syrup, bananas, cereal, peanut butter, smoked fish, and coffee. What a spread! This totally makes up for my mishap in the hostel yesterday.

I take my time with breakfast because I don’t want to go back to the dorm. Why? One thing I hate about wandering a country is packing over and over. Ugh.

But, I have to get moving. I have a long drive to Diamond Beach, and then I’ll drive back through Vik and make my way to another hostel. I have no idea why I made the reservation at a hostel in Lagarvatn, but I did it months ago and I’ll keep it.

On My Way to Diamond Beach

I’m about an hour into the drive, I realize I really need a bathroom, and there we are, a building in the middle of nowhere that’s labeled WC (aka water closet). I run in to find it’s a pay bathroom – a credit card is required in order to get inside. It’s 200ISK or $1.64 and they’ve got me because I can’t wait. 

You’d think for a paid toilet there would be soap, but no. Luckily though, I have some paper soap in my pocket from Kind Lather that only requires a tiny bit of water. Whew!

As I drive to Diamond Beach, I only have what little bit of research I know. That it’s a beach with icebergs. I’m not sure where the icebergs come from and the photos online look cool. I wonder again if it’s worth the drive, or if I should have stayed in Vik and explored there?

Glacier sighting

I turn a corner on the road and ahead of me is the first glacier I’ve seen in Iceland. A massive wall of white ice. There, within sight. A glacier. So cool! 

I continue on to the next glacier, yep, more than one. and find a parking lot for Diamond Beach, instead of on my right at the beach, it’s on my left which I find weird. From the lot you can’t see much, only that there’s another glacier here. 

I get out of the car, thinking this is going to be a short visit. I walk over the hill from the parking lot where I see people exploring. 

Shock and Awe

I stop and take in the view, feeling my whole self smile. In front of me is a glacier lagoon with huge chunks of icebergs that have broken from the glacier. The icebergs are deep, dark blue from being hyper compressed under the weight of years of snow, some of it mixed with black sand. 

As I walk around the lagoon in awe, I notice a bird flying toward the back of the lagoon, then flying toward the beach every ten minutes or so. I get myself set to try and capture a picture of him as he flies by again. I think I caught him in frame, but I won’t know if he’s just a blur until I can check the photos on my computer. 

At the far end of the lagoon, there are red boats and kayaks taking off for a tour of the lagoon.

There are signs that say, ‘Don’t stand on the icebergs!’ Because of course, you know some idiot did just that. In fact, there are articles about someone almost losing their grandmother because she stepped out on one and was carried away from the shore. These things are also prone to flip as the ice melts underneath the surface. 

Once I’ve taken a million pictures along the lagoon I turn around and head the other direction. I cross under the bridge and head to the beach, and here is where icebergs from the lagoon land on the beach. 

Diamond Beach

It all makes sense now. I take photos, watch people climb on the icebergs while they’re sitting on the beach (way safer) and get photos taken. 

Then, there’s a photo exhibit at on the beach, large images on wooden stands and I explore them. There are no explanations but I want to know more! A few photos are of a bird shaped, giant crevasse in a glacier. There are clouds inside it! And there’s a group getting ready to go climb down into it. They’re using ladders at the top, throwing down red ropes into the icy hole. What are they doing there? What’s their purpose?

Theres only one photo with words on it, but no explanation.

I’m thinking this might be a great story for my character Leslie Kicklighter. She’s an avid explorer of frozen environments, where as I’m an avid explorer of warm climates! 

I walk back toward the lagoon and I wonder at the number of icebergs that have broken off of the glacier. There’s a photo under the bridge from some previous unknown year where the lagoon has only a few large icebergs in it. Right now it’s packed with pieces. Do we have a chance to turn back global warming or is it something that would have happened without us? This planet has been through several ice ages and thaws. But I’m not an environmental scientist, so I’ll shelve that question for now.

On to Laugarvatn

It’s time to head back the way I came. Tonight I’m staying in Laugarvatn at the hostel that I made reservations and I don’t know why. I could have canceled them, but I’m curious about this town that I know nothing about.

I’ll have to go back through Vik, and I’ve already decided I’m stopping at the brewery in Vik for my late dinner.

I stop at that WC in the middle of nowhere again. This sucker is well placed.

I arrive at the brewery and his friendly face and English accent is behind the bar again. He even recognizes me and that warms my heart. 

As I leave the restaurant I wonder if I should ask his name, or something, but I don’t want to seem weird, so I jump in the car and head out.

Rolling Green Hills

I turn off of highway 1 and there’s way less traffic, way less rental cars around me and I feel as if I’ve suddenly exited the touristy route. Of course, it’s also late in the day, and maybe that’s why there’s less traffic. What’s nice is I don’t have to worry about it getting dark and the scenery around me reminds me of rural Pennsylvania. 

Not much later, I make my turn toward the parking lot of the Heradsskolinn Historic Guesthouse. That spontaneous smile occurs. I love it when hostels are old buildings. A green tin roof, distinct peaks in the roofline, three floors that includes a basement. It’s huge.

I walk in and they have a sign – no shoes. I’m worried I might be cold, but I take off my shoes and my feet stay warm. This place is well heated, they probably have a geothermal heating here.

The receptionist tells me “We’re putting you in a private room for the same price as your dorm reservation.”

Spontaneous smile again!

“Why is that?” I ask.

“There is a yoga group that would like the dorm to themselves.”

Hurray for yoga!

Breakfast here is not included, but I’m happy to pay extra. That means I don’t have to go searching for food in the morning. 

And guess what! There’s an elevator! Obviously not original, it’s tucked inside a closet and I’m instructed to hold the floor button until it gets to the right floor. But it works, and I don’t have to carry my suitcase.

Exploring the Hostel

I get in my room and glance out my window. Below in the valley is a lake, a swimming pool, and steam is rising in the air so I know there’s some geothermal activity. 

After my long drive I’m looking forward to taking it easy tomorrow. This is the time that I would plan my next day, but I’ve already decided to stay another day, if they’ll let me do it for the same price, because I’m totally excited to sleep without roommates busting in in the night, without snoring, and without worrying about what I’m wearing or not wearing while sleeping.

I wander the halls of this huge building, apparently the first building ever built here in Laugarvatn. It was a school, the hallway lined with pictures of men and women who went here. I try to pick out the trouble makers. Everyone looks so sever. Frowning faces. Did the photographer ask them not to smile? The women all have their hair in perfect 40s poofs. 

There are mirrors everywhere. In fact, I’ve seen mirrors all over in the hostels I’ve been in. Appearances are important here perhaps?

It seems strange that someone would build a school here, maybe it was central to all the small towns in Iceland.

From Diamond Beach to this hostel, I’m so glad I kept my plans!

Do you want more information about travel to Iceland? You can sign up here to get The Single Woman’s Guide to Iceland – Post Covid Almost.

Or maybe you just need an adventurous novel for that long flight. You can nab the highly rated thriller/adventure, Toy of the Gods today!

Or check out day one of my Iceland trip or check out day 6 of my trip where I soak in my favorite hot springs.