Day 18 – To Reykjavik and back

Hvammstangi -> Reykjavik -> Holmavik

I had noticed a few paint chips on the hood of my car in the past few days. I must have picked them up during my gravel-road drive on Rte955 through the eastern fjords.

My insurance deductible was 1500 Euros. My credit card covered the deductible, which would effectively bring my deductible down to 0, but I wasn’t happy.

I had to get them fixed.

I called up the Chevrolet car dealership in Reykjavik (the only one in Iceland). They didn’t have the paint-pen in stock. But they said if I drove in, they can point me to a paint shop that might have it. Also, they were closed on the weekends.

Looking at the map, I was ~200 kms from Reykjavik, the closest I would be before I headed out into the Western Fjords.

I decided to just do it. Drive in, pick up the paint-pen, and drive back. I had to, for my own peace of mind. It was a morning wasted, but I wouldn’t be thinking about it all week. I left around noon.

The drive was gorgeous. Definitely enjoyed it, even though I was veering off my regular course.

I made it there in the afternoon, picked up the paint-pen, ate KFC for lunch (after a week of freeze-dried food, who could resist?), and drove back. By the time I got back to where I had started from, it was 6pm.

Getting onto Rte68, I headed into the Fjords. Finally! I was only 48 hours behind schedule. Not that I have a schedule.

It was gravel roads the whole way in. Sure glad I picked up the pen.

The road leading into the fjords was isolated. I passed one car the whole way there, and maybe about 3 houses.

Apparently, only 14% of tourists to Iceland visit the West Fjords, due to their vastness and rugged setting. Not too many facilities or amenities out here.

I was exhausted by the time I got to Holmavik. 500 kms of driving was tiring. Retreating to campsite, I needed to stretch my legs out a little.

The campsite had a great view of the fjord. There were a few people there, and we made idle chitchat until we were all bored of each other.

I cooked dinner. It wasn’t a gourmet meal, but the view more than made up for it.