See a Seal!?!

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Today started a little later as our journey wasn't as long. Prior to leaving we had a good chat with Swany and Peter (our Airbnb hosts). Plus Mom fell in love with the region and had to leave Dad in their garden.

The interesting geographically speaking part of our day started when I programmed the next destination into the car's GPS navigation system. The journey that Swany said would take about 2-2 1/2 hours came up lasting from 10:30-5:30!!!! Needless to say the GPS felt it would be better to go north around the entire Trollaskagi peninsula and then a few more. Thus as we drove south towards the Ring Road (1) the GPS female voice with a more British accent kept telling us to turn around in every farm road we passed - some were fenced off and some were barely passable as a tractor path!! It took her halfway across the southern end of that peninsula for the computer to recalculate correctly. Additionally the Ring Road didn't even exist as a road on the GPS. Lesson for the day - know how to read maps and think over a computer!!! I can completely see how that guy got so lost in Iceland. Pretty funny article - http://nymag.com/selectall/2016/02/tourist-now-famous-for-getting-lost-in-iceland.html

During the first part of our trip today and one several previous trips, we thought it was raining as the plink of raindrops was hitting the windshield. Turned out to be BUGS!

We stopped at a rest area with trees, bathrooms, and picnic tables for lunch east of Blonduos. It was very windy and colder than it had been the last several days. We found after eating that there were picnic tables in the trees out of the wind.

From here we turned north to see seals and the landscape around the Vatnsnes Peninsula. At Hvitserkur we saw sea stacks that are supposed to be a troll who was coming to destroy the monastery when the sun turned him to rock.

Farther around at Illugastadir we stopped to see seals. On the narrow road we passed a red car. When we looked back the lady had gotten nervous and turned her wheel to the right and started sliding down the embankment. So Mike got out and a German army guy and they tried to push her out, but she got nervous and banked the car more. Another guy tried to help and the car was worse. Discussion ensued on whether to push her down the hill and try to drive across rocks - might tear the undercarriage or push her back - which only meant a small move as the underside had twisted and was now stuck on the side of the road. Finally the decision was made to call her car rental company for a tow.

At this point the kids and I had gone to see the seals. Very cool viewing platform with binoculars and a viewing house. Lots of seals and young ones and birds covered the rocks off the shore. While we were gone the lady sat in the car with mom. Mom fed her chocolate to help her calm down. As the German man has pointed out she was still alive and it's only a car.

When we returned the car company told the lady that the nearest tow truck was 100km away and 450 Euros. At that point the caretaker of the area had returned and he worked with her to use his backhoe and tow strap to get her out. She was quite grateful and so happy. We gave her one of our Cokes as mom felt she needed sugar to help off set the adrenaline.

Now on our way down to Hvammstangi to the Vinbudin (alcohol store) and groceries for dinner.

We arrived at our next house north of Bordeyri on 68 around 6pm. Cute house - we did have to learn how to put covers on the duvets and make the bed. Noah and I had the duvet cover thing down pat after the first mistrial.

Yummy dinner and now we are going to bed with plans to get up at 12:45 to see the midnight sunset. And hopefully the moon. Skies are completely clear now. We had to go through a major rainstorm just prior to our arrival. But those clouds have blown on.

Favorites -

Mary - helping the lady from Paris with her car - in her 20s

Emma - seeing the seals - her new favorite animals which unfortunately gets eaten by her other favorite animal (orca)

Sam - watching them try to get the car out

Noah - the opposite of traveling (me thinks Noah is tired of the car)

Mike - watching the seals - pretty cool

Judith - the fact that six different cultural background people came together to help a nervous young lady whose car was in a ditch - Icelandic, German, Mexican, American, French, and Spanish. It shows that humans can work together and have empathy for others. I'm surprised the entire parking lot didn't cheer as everyone was rooting for her.

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