早餐后，我和大卫出发去Dettifoss，据说这是全欧洲最强大的瀑布。 

一路上我和大卫走走停停，停停走走，观看瀑布，因为沿途有许许多多的瀑布，爬上山坡可以看到大型宽长的瀑布的全景。遇到一群德国游客，带着许多大型塑料箱，看来他们在旅途中宁可随身带着重物件，也不愿放弃舒适的享受。 

观看Dettifoss瀑布之后，又看了Selfoss瀑布，整条河谷都是瀑布群，我和大卫在Selfoss吃了中饭。一边面临着气势磅礴的瀑布流水，一边享受着美味，一份舒畅从心底流淌，活着是如此的美丽。 

又回到了环岛公路，由于我们将进入无人烟的北部高地，越野车需要加满汽油，附近没有加油站，最近距离的一个加油站是在五十公里之外的 Myvatn Lake (莫法腾湖区)。往返一百公里，我们决定返回湖区，一来为了加油，二来为了那些我们还不曾观光过的美景。还算幸运，车上还有一些汽油，否则，难以想象了。 

我们去Krafla地区，见到地热发电厂。景区里有滚烫的泥浆池冒着热气，喷口处散发着硫磺味。经过一个被称为地狱口的火山湖，奶绿色的湖水很美，这么美丽的湖称它为“地狱”之湖，显然有失公道。不过，它确实记录了在火中爆发和诞生，如同地狱般的煎熬的历史。滚动的泥浆原来是由于冷水通过热的岩石时蒸发形成的硫酸，硫酸使岩石熔化形成矿沙和泥巴。不同的泥浆池有不同的密度，有的如同汤样，有的则厚如粥样。 

大卫去加油站加油，我则去商店买了明后几天的食物，尔后上路F88。F88沿着Jokulsa a Fjollum 冰川河去北部高地的Askja地区。这是一片火山沙漠，旷野无垠，绵延的高山一览无余，尽显眼前。见到一座平顶火山，是冰岛最有名，最雄伟壮观的Herdubreid山（高达1682米），火山口像一顶巨型的帐蓬。

车在高地行驶常常要经过河道和溪水，大卫把握方向盘，我则下车趟水探路，为大卫引路。河道的水很冷，水流很急，有的地方水比较深，没办法，用一根木棍探路，必须坚持。几个河道过下来，车胎磨损相当厉害。因为，地面到处都是火山岩的尖石。在过一个河道时，才几十米，车的前胎破了，大卫用千斤顶和工具熟练地换上了备用车胎。太阳在半空中悬着，虽然已失去了白天的能量（当时已是晚上九点多了），但感觉还是出奇的热，有不少蚊蝇围着我们转，不咬人，却很烦人。我们的心沉沉的，大卫很小心地驾着车往前，不能再爆胎了，否则，我们只能呆在这火山石的沙漠里了。 

驻营地在著名的Herdubreid山脚下，搭好帐蓬，我们到一简易的营房内避蝇。有两个女孩前来降下冰岛国旗，有意思的是这里的官方场所每天都升降国旗。驻地有几个帐蓬，属于一个团队的，因为他们都是清一色的帐蓬。我在简易房内做了晚饭，吃了前天做的烤肉，黄瓜和面包，这就是我们的晚餐了。 

营地有客人笔录的留言簿，多数为冰岛语，也有一些外国游客留言，其中有一位用英文留言，大意是说他妻子的胸罩丢在一个天然的厕所里了，望谁找到后归还失主。还有一个留言很滑稽，说他收集甜酒瓶箱子，望有人能给他送上几张照片。大卫也留了言：“风景宜人，蚊蝇特别喜欢我们。”短短两句，很风趣幽默。 

回到帐蓬，躺下来为以后几天的路程担忧，我们已经深入火山沙漠高地，往返有近五百多公里，前面究竟还有多少河道要过？会不会再爆胎？如果是这样我们就没治了。

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Dettifoss

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Selfoss

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Jokulsa a Fjollum 冰川河谷

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Krafla地热池

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地狱口的火山湖

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Krafla地热泥浆池

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Herdubreid山

Trip to Iceland – 6 Askja

After breakfast we headed towards Dettifoss, one of the most powerful waterfalls in Europe.

On the way we stopped at many places to have views of many waterfalls.  Climbing over a slope the entire scene of waterfalls was in front of us.  The river is fast running and suddenly the whole river was crashing down into a deep valley.  One can feel the power from the sound and spray of the waterfall, huge volume of water.  Among the visitors were a group of German tourists, carrying large plastic containers while sight seeing and having a picnic.  It looked very cumbersome.  They probably didn’t want to miss the home comfort while travelling. 

After Dettifoss we went to see Selfoss.  The whole valley is a waterfall as the river runs on the flat top of the valley and the water gushes down the columnar rocky wall in some places and trickles down in others, very pretty.  We had a picnic in front of these waterfalls, enjoying sliced cheese and bread.  It is wonderful to be in such a spectacular surrounding.

We joined the main road again.  Our next stop was the northern highlands.  There were no shops and petrol stations in the interior of Iceland, so we have to stock up all the essential things for the trip into the interior, including petrol.  However, there isn’t any petrol station nearby and the nearest one is fifty kilometres away at the Lake Myvatn area. So the return journey is one hundred kilometres.  We decided to go back to the area for petrol, and also as there were places we haven’t visited.  Luckily the car still had enough petrol left to last us the journey to the Lake area, otherwise…

We went to Krafla geothermal area.  It has a large geothermal power plant.  Steam comes out the ground all over the place, the air is full of sulphurous smells.  We saw an emerald green lake in an extinct volcano.  The lake is called Viti, which means hell in Icelandic language.  It is really not fair to call a beautiful, innocent lake, hell.  But the name does evoke its fiery past, hellish explosions and birth.  There are many mud pools with bubbling steel-grey mud and steams.  Cold water seeping through the hot volcanic lava forms the boiling mud pool and the residual sulphuric acid is distilled from the heated rock.  Sulphuric acid in turn dissolves the rock and forms the resultant clay and minerals.  The mud pools have different consistency and density, some thin like soup, some thick like porridge.

Dave went to fill the petrol and I did the food shopping to prepare for next few days.  We were on route F88 which runs along the glacier river, Jokulsa a Fjollum and heads towards its source in the northern highland Askja region.  This is an area of volcanic desert, vast and empty, dominated by mountain chains and glaciers.  An elegant, flat-topped mountain comes into view.  This is the famous Herdubreid, 1682 metres in height, shaped like a gigantic tent.

Along the way, we have to wade through many streams and rivers in the interior highland.  Dave does all the driving, as I can’t drive.  I get out of the car and feel around the water with my feet to guide Dave to drive through.  The water could be very cold at times and my feet get cold-shocked.  The water could be shallow and gentle, but sometimes the water is deep and the current is very fast running.  I have to use a stick to feel around and wade through the water to find a suitable route for the car to pass.  After a few crossings the wear and tear on the tyres had taken its toll, and the dirt tracks were full of sharp volcanic gravel stones. After passing a relatively shallow stream Dave stopped the car and I was puzzled.  It turned out the tyre of one of the front wheels was flat. Taking out the tools from the boot, Dave jacked up the front of the car.  There was one spare tyre and he changed it expertly. It was a little after nine o’clock in the evening, the Sun was still hanging high in the sky.  It was exceptionally hot although the Sun had lost some of its power.  We were surrounded by lots of flies and mosquitoes, buzzing and landing on our face.  They didn’t bite, but were very annoying.  Our heart was heavy, anxious about what to do next.  There was an absolute silence inside our car.  Dave was driving very carefully, staring closely at the track.  We can’t have another burst tyre, otherwise we have to stay in this desert of volcanic ashes, gravel stones and rocks…

The campsite was located in the foothills of Herdubreid.  After pitching our tent we went inside a simple wooden structure, the kitchen, to escape from the annoying flies.  We watched two girls who were performing a ceremony to lower the national flag of Iceland - it is interesting that there is a custom to raise and lower the flag every day in all official sites in Iceland.  There were a few tents in the campground belonging to one tour group.  I cooked something simple in the kitchen.  The supper was cucumber, bread and the left-over BBQ pork.

There was a guest book in the campsite, most of the messages were in Icelandic and a few other Europeans.  One of the English writings says ” My wife has lost a bra down the wigwag loo in Askja.  Could anybody find it to return to him?”  He also mentions that he collects port boxes from all over the world and appreciates a photo or two from people.  Dave also left a message saying ”Welcome to the scenery and the flies love us”.  Short and humorous.

Returning to our tent we lay down on our bed, thinking ahead and worried.  We are now deep in the heart of the desert, the return journey is about over five hundred kilometres.  How many rivers do we have to wade ahead?  Would a tyre burst again?  What are the alternatives?