On Sunday morning we checked out of our hotel in Reykjavik and began the drive to the east to see more of the Icelandic coast. We drove out on Route 1, the primary highway that circles the island. Despite its prominence, the road is mostly one-lane each way with a speed limit of only 90km/h (55mph). We also encountered several single-lane bridges where traffic would backup with cars waiting their turn to cross.

It was interesting to see the terrain change so much and so quickly on the route. We’d move between lush green hills to lichen-covered rocks to barren volcanic ash fields, all within a few miles of each other.

Our destination was the tourist town of Vik, a village of less than 1,000 that hosts at least that many visitors every day (it has over 1,400 hotel rooms). Vik would be our base for the rest of our trip.

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