The last video from our trip through East Iceland is ready to view! In this one, we travel the mountain pass going down, visit Vök Baths, stop at Askur Pizza, see a brilliant sunset, and end the day with Northern Lights. The thumbnail from the video is at our stop at the pizza restaurant. Check out that sunset captured in the reflection on their windows as we drive by. The reflection almost looks like an apocalypse situation is brewing in the background. I can imagine a movie starting this way…
We drove back down the mountain and decided to hit up Vök Baths, a lagoon just a few minutes away. I am really glad we did because it was my favorite lagoon of the whole trip. Yet, I have no photos of it. We had been in the car for about four hours at this point. I wanted to go lounge, relax, be away from my phone and electronics. Just…exist in hot water.
As with all lagoons in Iceland, you go in, take a totally nude shower to clean yourself, then put on your swimsuit and walk to the pools. This lagoon had a wonderful entrance that began indoors so by the time you get outside, you’re already submerged in the delightfully hot water. They had a swim up bar, free ice water, pools of varying degrees, and a cold bath. Here, the cold bath was the lake you can see in the video! You just hop over the side of the pool directly into the lake for a quick, icy plunge. I did not feel inclined to do this step, but my husband was brave and went swimming in this lake in Iceland in October. Everyone cheered. It was pretty cool.
We had the idea to visit the Vínbúðin for some wine or other libation, but it closed at 16:00. I am going to recommend again that if you like any alcohol on your trips, stop at the duty free shop before you leave the airport to stock up.
Instead, we went on to Askur for dinner. I immediately loved this place because of the Halloween decor outside. In fact, I entered with a hearty HAPPY HALLOWEEN for everyone in the restaurant. They had some really interesting pizza toppings, and we thoroughly enjoyed our dinner. Honestly, it was just as good or better than the ever popular Black Crust Pizza. They had vegan options, as well.
We ended our day at Hótel Eyvindará. I loved this accommodation for the location and views. We had a large window in our room and got the brilliant sunset that evening to enjoy. They have hot tubs and a happy hour with beers on tap right at the front desk.
That night was the only night clear enough on our trip to see the Northern Lights. There are at least two conditions you need to see the Aurora Borealis: darkness and clear skies. October in Iceland is often cloudy and rainy, but on this night, the clouds parted long enough for us to catch a glimpse of the lights. They weren’t very strong, and with our eyes, they appeared as white patches. But, with our phones, we could see the colors. It is important to note that not every image you see of Northern Lights is how it will look with your eyeballs! If you’re going to see the lights in Iceland, I recommend getting apps to help you know when the conditions are good for viewing.
I hope you’re enjoying these videos. While we mostly just make them for us, we hope that you find them fun too. Next time, we see more waterfalls, scenery that looks a lot like Mars, a lake, rain, and we take a trip to “Hell” and bubbling pits as we begin the trek north. Happy adventuring!