I woke up early and it was nice and sunny. I hadn’t really realized in the dark that I had been camping under a glacier again! Once again, I’m now spoiled for where I stay. I was bundled up in my sleeping bag and shook some ice off of my tent. The night had been probably my coldest yet.

I was feeling much better about hiking to Svertifoss today. The weather was nice and I would beat the crowds.

I was alone as I enjoyed the early morning light and hiked uphill (of course). I finally reached the famous waterfall with its weird rock formations and briefly had it to myself before a few people got there too.

I knew there was some way you could take a different way back and see some turf houses, which I explored and found. Once again I was alone, enjoying the beautiful morning light.

I hiked back to my campsite. A big tour group nearby was also dissembling their gear into a large bus. I heard a group leader and the bus driver chatting about how the Northern Lights had been visible the previous night! I had been dead asleep. The bus driver saw me packing up my tent and said, “that is the smallest tent I’ve ever seen!” I told it was a one person. He was Icelandic and impressed by my solo adventure. I chatted with him and the German tour leader for a bit before setting off. He told me as I drove to Eyrarbakki I’d see a large building with a fence that was the prison.

I had a long driving day ahead of mostly going back the way I came. I thought I would take it easy on myself and make my goal the Secret Lagoon, another hot spring, and maybe try to see some of the Golden Circle sights before heading to Eyrarbakki for the night.

I realized that I needed to get gas and looked at the map on my phone. There was a whole lot of nothing going back east, but there had been a gas station west not to far from Skaftafell. So I turned back to get gas, wanting to play it safe.

The day was totally different than the previous; it was completely sunny and bright out. The same landscapes I’d already seen looked different too. I had lots of snacks for the drive, and thought I’d stop when I felt like it (and definitely for coffee), which is part of the fun, but try to also make decent time across the south of Iceland again.

I switched on Taylor Swift’s album Lover again. “And there’s a dazzling haze, a mysterious way about you, dear/Have I known you twenty seconds or twenty years?” This album will always remind me of driving in Iceland now, seeing sheep and horses and waterfalls and glaciers. When I went to Europe several years ago, I looped Taylor Swift’s album 1989 the entire trip, and it always reminds me of winter in Europe, riding trains and planes. Also at that time, this guy I really liked had “ghosted” me before I even knew that was a term right before the trip. The album fit the mood as I wandered around Paris alone, stood in line for tickets to the Seine river cruise, in which a man actually asked “what is the most romantic time to go on the cruise?” (I still remember how I rolled my eyes at that. it being sunset at that very moment). Anyways, now Taylor and I are a bit older, and I did feel like her album match the light and dark elements that Iceland was presenting me.

I decided to go back to Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon. It was a good stopping point and I was wondering if it would look really different in the sun. And it did. I tried to be fairly quick hiking to the viewpoints. It felt totally different – it was windy but everyone didn’t have to have their rain gear on.

I stopped for coffee at one of the same gas stations I’d stopped for a quick hot dog the previous day. It was kind of like re-living the same day in reverse and with opposite weather. I wish I’d had time to go to the hiking spot near Vik that my hostel worker had recommended, but I didn’t really.

I decided to stop briefly at Vik church as Taylor sang “Religion’s in your lips/Even if it’s a false god/We’d still worship/We might just get away with it/The altar is my hips” (appropriate or inappropriate? you decide).

Vik looked beautiful.

I stopped at a few more places along the way. I was loving my drive in the sun, the ocean shining at my side. There were some old, run-down turf houses, and I threw some money in the donations box, hoping they could be preserved.

I had seen a fence with a bunch of bras on the drive previously. I looked it up here; I don’t know if this is the true origin, but I like the idea that women continue to donate to the fence.

I stopped at a really cute coffee shop that does it’s “for here” coffee in all hand-painted mugs (sadly, I had to get to-go).

Finally, I turned off the Ring Road. It was afternoon by now, and I was heading toward the Secret Lagoon. I was excited for a nice relaxing hot spring soak. The hot spring is not fancy, but has nice facilities and a pretty rural setting. They instruct you to shower nude and wash well before you put on your swimsuit and get in the hot spring (in your gender-separated bathrooms), but after Japan, where you go into the hot spring fully nude, this was not a concern for me.

It was pretty busy at that time. Everyone floated on pool noodles and lots of people had drinks (there is a bar). Since I was driving I did not partake. It was really the perfect temperature.

You can also walk around the edge of the pool. There are parts in the back that are too hot to swim in and are fenced off, and even a mini geyser. There were also these cute mini turf houses leading you to believe that fairies or elves lived there (maybe they come out at night to enjoy the hot springs?).

I debated heading straight to Eyrarbakki or seeing Gulfoss and Geysir, two famous Golden Circle sites that were 30 minutes or so away. I decided to head to the sites and stop briefly at each. Luckily both did not require much walking to get to.

Geysir consists of Strokkur, pictured below. I waited for an eruption, felt satisfied, and moved on.

Gulfoss is impressive. I didn’t see a need to spend a long time hanging out there, so took a quick look and carried on.

These were both nice sites, but compared to everything else I’d seen, were not so jaw-dropping and very full of tourists. I was fine with not spending a ton of time, but it was good I got to see them.

I was ready to head to Eyrarbakki(a town of 550 people). I passed the prison (which looked kind of nice), and drove towards a charming town next to the ocean. I had picked Eyrarbakki for a few reasons: it was an hour’s drive from the Blue Lagoon, which was my activity for the next day before my flight. I also used points to book a really nice looking hostel next to the ocean. The photos really sold me online.

Bakki Hostel was one of the nicest hostels I’ve seen. The receptionist gave me a tour of a huge kitchen and common area. Then she told me I was the only person staying in the six-bed dorm I had booked. What a wonderful luxury for my last night in Iceland! My room had a view of the cute town and everything was clean and white. The bathroom was also huge, with big individual shower stalls and enormous rainfall showerheads. I didn’t see laundry – but I gave up at this point, having hand washed enough underwear. I’d wear my swimsuit most of tomorrow and then pick my least smelly plane clothes!

I asked if I had a chance of seeing the Northern Lights that night, and the receptionist said there was a really good forecast. She recommended heading to their restaurant at night, which was across a bridge over the ocean and would be dark.

I had been planning to cook my pasta again for dinner, but being my last night, and having a 10% off coupon to the restaurant owned by my hostel called Hafid Blaa. Paying $25-$30 for an entree maybe would get pricey every day, but I figured I could treat myself.

The sun was setting beautifully as I drove over the bridge to the restaurant. The restaurant has windows all around and 360 degree ocean views. I treated myself to fish and chips, which I’d been craving, and Icelandic crepes with rhubarb for dessert. I watched the sunset over the ocean right out my window.

I could continue watching the sun set right behind my hostel.

My next mission was to stay up to watch the Northern Lights, which could really happen at any time once it was dark. I took a luxurious shower and then sat in the common area. There were a few other people that seemed to work for the hostel that I met. It was obviously pretty empty since I had a room to myself.

One guy I had been talking to came in at around 10:30 pm and said to come outside, the Northern Lights were happening.

I really could not get many good photos and no videos of the lights. They lit up like a giant green rainbow across the sky, and danced and moved. I watched for a bit outside the hostel.

I bundled up, made some hot tea for my travel mug (which I’d burn my tongue on, of course), and headed to the restaurant. It was darker there. The whole sky was streaked with white light.

I watched the light come and fade, and green twists emerge. It was cold, so I’d sit in the car for a bit and then get out. I thought of the solo female traveler I’d read who’d watched the Northern Lights from a hot spring.

The lights are mesmerizing. Like so many things in Iceland, they seemed not real. I wished I had some way to capture the lights better. I’d later see these pictures someone who had a nice camera posted of seeing the lights on the Laugavegur Trail at places I had camped days earlier.

I drove back to my hostel and watched lights there until midnight. I thought I’d go to sleep and set an alarm for 3 am, and maybe run outside and see the lights again. I definitely woke up, but was far too exhausted to rouse myself from my bed. When I woke again, it was daylight and I was a bit sad that I would not see more lights.

But what a special treat on my last night in Iceland.