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The weather forecast today is dire! Rain all the way. Siggi suggests we just drive to the next hotel without stopping. We head south on the scenic coastal road edging the fjords and stop for photos at a couple of beautiful waterfalls. We stop at the small fishing village of Gledivik to see the outdoor artwork by Sigurdur Gudmundson. It consists of 34 eggs, each one representing a species of local bird. The eggs are all similar in size except for one, which is the largest one and belongs to the red-throated diver, the characteristic bird of Djupivogur. We are actually here on the anniversary of the day the eggs were revealed on 14th August 2009. We follow the coastline and stop at a dramatic little bay. Here the sky is blue and the sun is shining although we can see the clouds descending a nearby mountain but we enjoy it while we can. We enjoy watching the waves crash against the rugged shoreline. We continue along the coast until we come to the glacier lake, Jökulsárlón, where we plan to take a boat to see the icebergs. First we go down to the Atlantic Ocean to see the waves crashing against the icebergs on the beach. This lagoon is a recent one, the result of a warming climate. The surface is at sea level and sea water flows into the lagoon at high tide. Huge blocks of ice constantly break off the glacier, Breiðamerkurjökull, and large icebergs float on the lagoon. The lagoon is not very wide but it is up to 250 meters deep which makes it the deepest lake in Iceland. Breiðamerkurjökull is an outlet of the Vatnajökull glacier. We buy our tickets for the amphibian vehicle that will take us out on to the lake. By now, it is raining heavily and there is a biting wind. We watch the Arctic Tern excitedly swooping on the wind and even catch a few seals braving the icy waters. Dressed in our bright orange life jackets, we board the vehicle for the coldest, wettest journey this holiday! We see some spectacular icebergs that have broken away from the largest glacier in Iceland, Vatnajokull. Elham gets really cold and wet during our boat trip. Coming from Bahrain, I don't suppose she has much experience in enduring such low temperatures. Siggi springs into action with coats and blankets to warm her up as quickly as possible. When we pull in to the grounds of the Country Hotel Hali, I am full of dread as it looks like a hostel. However, fears were soon allayed and it turned out to be one of the nicest places we have stayed.
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