Myvatn, that is the spot where you should go when you are in Iceland. There is everything (well, not everything, but a lot of stuff which is really interesting). Myvatn is in the north - eastern part of Iceland (see the map, the red line was our track in the last days, at the right bottom you can see Djupivogur). It is about 100 km's away from Akureyri (the capital of the north), but that is not the interesting thing of Myvatn. Myvatn is a geotechnical active area. There is also a lot over geothermal stuff going on. Myvatn is a lake, but the hole area around is also called Myvatn. The next days we stayed there and went on volcanoes, into hot water caves, walked on solidified but still warm lava (from the last eruption which was only a few years ago), watched smoking brimstone fields and were delighted of bubbling mud holes.
First of all we had to get to the hot water caves. The way led us through a kind of bush (well, not really one but for Iceland it was one). This made a lot of fun.
We reached the hot water caves and wanted to jump in. We read in the guide book that there are two of this caves. One is about 60° degrees and the other one is about 40° degrees. The book said that it would be possible to go into the colder one. So we changed our cloth into a swim dress and put one foot in. Just in that moment a tourist bus arrived with about 50 older people. They watched us and thought this guys are crazy. Well, as soon as we put one foot in we put the foot out, it was DAMN HOT, too hot for a swim. Later on I read the reason therefore. Due to the fact that the earth beneath is still active the temperature is changing, so sometimes it is warmer and colder. I guess the author of the book was there when it was a little bit colder. Anyway, I felt a little bit stupid, especially because of the people who laugh about (or with) us.
After we changed our cloth again we went on the top of the cave. The cave is a big crater which is about 5 - 10 m deep (that is how far you can watch). Smoke is coming out, this stuff smells terrible (brimstone).
We enjoyed the area, we hadn't to a hundred km's that day, but still we wanted to bike (me jumping)
That is not me, that is Martin Wensel
that day was really relaxing and interesting ...