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Dauntless sheep pose for a stranger near Barnaborg.

If we'd gone north at Gljúfrafos waterfall toward Thorsmok, we could've scaled Eyjafjallajökull and seen a whole lot of crazy cool things. Little did we know, so we pressed onward toward Vik.

If we'd gone north at Gljúfrafos waterfall toward Thorsmok, we could've scaled Eyjafjallajökull and seen a whole lot of crazy cool things. Little did we know, so we pressed onward toward Vik.

A bunch of lazy ducks on the cold, black beach of Dyrhólaey.

The road between Hálsanefshellir and Dyrholaey is not the place you want to be during a rainstorm.

Tiny "Kaffi" at the tiny restaurant, Halldorskaffi.

All Americans in this tiny restaurant, Halldorskaffi, in Vik. The blokes on the left were a hoot.

Halldorskaffi, Vik, Iceland.

Haoldukvisl: a nice place for a picnic.

Between Reykjavik & Grindavik.

Between Reykjavik & Grindavik.

Hlíðarvatn i Selvogi.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Somewhere along Selvogsbanki's cliff Krísuvíkurberg and a little past Engjahver springs with its renowned mudpots, is an abandoned farm with prodigious grain silos and an otherwise untold story.

Svartsengi Geothermal Power Plant, 4km north of Grindavik, Iceland.

Rio Tinto Alcan Aluminium smelter, near Hafnarfjordur.

South Reykjavik.

Reykjavik.

Reykjavik. It was late. We were delirious. I have no idea where this is.

Rhubarb soda ftw.

Reykjavik's snazzy murals.

Reykjavik's snazzy murals.

I don't have many complaints about Iceland, and I doubt that Iceland would care if I did. Nonetheless, it may be worth noting that coffee is expensive and mediocre, pot is still illegal (and expensive, if you wondered) and alcohol is managed/distributed exclusively by the government at a hefty sum. If you feel like embracing unfiltered RL for a bit, that's all chill. However, it's disappointing that what remains in wheezy plentitude is cigarettes. Reykjavik is a pulmonological Perdition. The streets are as thick with tobacco smoke as an 80's biker bar, and it seems like it sits on the ground in a thick, persistent fog of strangulation. Asthmatics, breathe with caution or gtfo of town.

Reykjavik Roasting Co. has about 4 tables and more than 4 regulars, and it was very nice to get a cozy seat when it was strangely uncrowded. For...~$4-5 (I forget) you get this bomb chia pudding cup with coconut/almond milk, and imo, that is a bargain. For the most part, all the cafes & restaurants in Reykjavik (actually, basically all of Iceland - including the rural bits) are insanely expensive by US standards and serve tiny portions. Reykjavik Roasting Co is less costly than most, and the quality is outstanding. The baristas are lovely, and they play vinyls records all day.

Reykjavik Roasting Co. has about 4 tables and more than 4 regulars, and it was very nice to get a cozy seat when it was strangely uncrowded.

Reykjavik Roasting Co. has about 4 tables and more than 4 regulars, and it was very nice to get a cozy seat when it was strangely uncrowded.

Reykjavik mural by Deih, inspired by XLF on Vesturgata street

Mural across the street from Freddi Arcade in Reykjavik, Iceland.

Arts & Crafts (mostly crafts) gallery in Keflavik, Iceland.

Fit Hostel, Keflavik.

A young couple push their stroller down a gravel road in Keflavik, Iceland.

Fit Hostel, Keflavik.

Fit Hostel, Keflavik.

Fit Hostel, Keflavik.

Fit Hostel, Keflavik.

KEF, albeit cramped, chaotic and overwhelmed, is an uncommonly stunning, futuristic-looking airport.

KEF, albeit cramped, chaotic and overwhelmed, is an uncommonly stunning, futuristic-looking airport.

KEF is in the process of expanding to accommodate Iceland's fast-booming tourism industry. In the mean time, construction is rampant, gates are always changing, and there is a noteworthy shortage of seats at terminals.

Equally or perhaps more interesting than the colossal waterfall wreathed with myriad tourists (as is the entirety of the Golden Circle) were the vermillion markings on rivets found at regular intervals on a staircase up the nearest cliff.

Skaftafellsjökull.

Skaftafellsjökull.

A black arion (Arion ater L.), a species whose pigmentation darkens in correlation with increasing latitude, appears to suckle some lichen. Adorable.

Skaftafellsjokull glacier, with Hofshrepper hill behind.

In south Iceland where Nupsa (stream) flows through Sandgígjur moraine.

In south Iceland where Nupsa (stream) flows through Sandgígjur moraine.

In south Iceland where Nupsa (stream) flows through Sandgígjur moraine.

South Iceland, Route 1.

South Iceland, Route 1.

Tjaldsvæðið Kirkjubæ II: the Best Campground Ever. So many sweet birds!

Large Excavators alongside a medium house in front of an impossibly huge mountain whose full height is lost in the clouds. South Iceland, Route 1.

Oystercatchers near Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Oystercatchers near Kirkjubæjarklaustur.

Olfusa estuary, Iceland.

In the suburbs of south Reykjavik, near Hafnarfjörður bay, there is a garden in partial shade where these strange bell-shaped flowers blossom. The plant is a species of columbine called 'Dorothy Rose' (Aquilegia vulgaris) .

Bed & Books B&B, Reykjavik, Iceland: Everything most anyone ever dreamt a B&B to be, ideally.

Just north of Mosfellsbaer, less than an hour northeast of Reykjavik.

Flying over Newfoundland en route to Keflavik.

Gomez the cat, Ambassador to Reykjavik. Bed & Books B&B, Reykjavik, Iceland: Everything most anyone ever dreamt a B&B to be, ideally.

Assailed by arctic terns.

Assailed by arctic terns.

Bjarnadalur valley, ~7km north of Bifrost University; on Road 60 due west of Baula (volcano)

Holmavik & Hunafloi Bay on the Greenland Sea

Holmavik & Hunafloi Bay on the Greenland Sea

Near Hrófbergsfjall, about 10 minutes west of Holmavik in the Westfjords.

A weathered old house corroding in the briney Arctic wind sighing over the rocks of Skutulsfjörður.

Ladder for boats banked in Skutulsfjörður. Seen from Isafjordur on a misty morning in June. On a clear day, you can see Snæfjöll across the bay.

Ísafjörður Church cemetery in the foreground; Ísafjörður Culture House in the background.

It was surprising to watch the shore in the morning and see no boats in the water - a far as I could tell, they remained in the harbor. There didn't seem to be anyone bringing fish in all day long. Perhaps the weather was bad for fish? I don't know boat types very well, but there appeared to be a mix of fishing boats and ferries docked in Polurinn harbor, with fishing boats appearing to outnumber the ferries by far - as expected. But from 5AM to 11AM, the harbor was quiet, and I only saw one man in the vicinity, repairing his boat.

Managisting Gisthus is architecturally majestic, yet its accommodations are hostel-grade minimal and its facilities could scarcely be more stark, and the cost of a shoebox in the basement, without towels or any general provisions, was $150, or 150,000 ISK. I recommend looking for a campsite instead.

Isafjordur, Westfjords.

Isafjordur is a surprisingly industrial town - hardly a 'quaint' village. There are a lot of large buildings, warehouses, odd landmarks. It is not a sensational destination, full of dazzling delights, but rather a placid, solemn northerly muncipality with more buildings than people.

Isafjordur shanty.

Isafjordur shanty.

An old police car in Isafjordur.

If you travel to the Westfjords, remember to be ever-vigilant of the sheep. Last June (2016), 44 sheep found dead, killed by motor vehicles. They are great little guys and weirdly intelligent. Please be careful.

If you travel to the Westfjords, remember to be ever-vigilant of the sheep. Last June (2016), 44 sheep found dead, killed by motor vehicles, although I'm pleased to note that we did not encounter any dead sheep on our travels and instead found them all alive, usually doing this.

The bridge from which this was shot spans a tributary of Stíflisdalsvatn lake. This fine little Volkswagen Golf (2016) was still sullied with volcano dust the rain had yet to wash away.

We camped, perhaps illicitly, under this bridge. It didn't appear to be anyone's property, since there were pull offs and no fences, but it was difficult to say for sure. The bridge spanned a tributary of Stíflisdalsvatn lake. Snow-capped, Stóra Sauðafell hill looms beyond.

Visitor center window selfie at Thingvellir.

A delicious apple, consumed just prior to shooting a few geysers and hotsprings

South Iceland, Route 1.

Seaside bluebell, Mertensia maritima, on the beach near Olfusa estuary, Iceland.

Sometimes the bird wins. Sometimes the crab wins.

Iceland is not a place that seems to embrace mind-altering substances. Coffee is expensive and mediocre, pot is still illegal (and expensive, if you wondered) and alcohol is a managed/distributed exclusively by the government at a hefty sum. The one thing there are plenty of? Cigarettes! AKA "The Safest Stimulant of All!" (Anyway, it's alright. Take a deep asthmatic breath outside of the city limits. Go hike through the mountains alone with just the frigidity of glacial air and the coldness of sobriety for company. You need no other escape. Think of it as an extremely lucid vision quest.)

Arts & Crafts (mostly crafts) gallery in Keflavik, Iceland.

Bonus in Selfoss, Iceland's Medford. This Bonus was like a K-Mart, and it was attached to a separate Abercrombie-like store. Unlike most of Iceland (outside of Reykjavik), it was full of legit corporate brands - Disney, Barbie, etc.

One of just a few shops past security at KEF, Keflavik International Airport sells little handpainted Icelandic birds whittled by Jon Olafsson. Sweet art situated between to a Mustangs Running decorative pillow and a horrifyingly real fox pelt begs the question, "What's a bird like you doing in a place like this?"

One of just a few shops past security at KEF, Keflavik International Airport. Predictably, it was full of overpriced trinkets, some of which were interesting. Less predictably and thoroughly tastelessly, they were also selling fox pelts, as though it were just another tourist gimmick. I didn't take a picture, since I was too busy vomitting in rage, but I did take this picture beforehand - look! Here are some nice sustainable, woolly figurines...adorned in the shorn locks of smiley, frolicking Icelandic sheep.

Iceland 2016

Seemingly uninhabited house near Margrjetarvatn (lake) in the Westfjords.

South Central Motel is technically within the municipal limits of Selfoss, but you wouldn't know it, because it's an awesome location.

Assailed by Arctic Terns Episode 2 of 3

Assailed by Arctic Terns Episode 2 of 3

Assailed by Arctic Terns Episode 2 of 3

Arngerðareyri was a happening scene in the 1890s: farms, post office, abattoir & community hall. Now it is inhabited by terns.

Just east of Hólmlátursvötn (lake) on Route 54.

Arctic thyme (Thymus praecox arcticus) blooming in Rauðhálsahraun lava area in West Iceland (Vesturland). on leafless stems sprouting from lichen & volcanic rock in the Rauðhálsahraun lava area of West Iceland (Vesturland).

Rauðháls is a hill within the Rauðhálsahraun lava area in West Iceland (Vesturland). From what I know of soil science, the red pigment of the earth comes either from rhyolite, a volcanic mineral, or the palagonitization of basalt (suggested also to be the cause of Mars' red surface).

Rauðháls is a hill within the Rauðhálsahraun lava area in West Iceland (Vesturland). From what I know of soil science, the red pigment of the earth comes either from rhyolite, a volcanic mineral, or the palagonitization of basalt (suggested also to be the cause of Mars' red surface).