Day 22: Arnarstapi – Stykkishólmur

We slept well, even though there has been a lot of screeching of seagulls during the night that never truly turned dark.

We take our time making our way from viewpoint to viewpoint. The Rauðfeldsgjá gorge is impressive; you can’t go very far inside due to the high water levels, but it’s fantastic nonetheless.

A photo of the little black church (near Frambúðir) is a must – after all, one has a tourist checklist to tick off.

The seals at Ytri Tunga are also a lovely sight.

You don’t really need a guidebook; the clusters of cars show you the way to the attractions.

We’ve somehow grown accustomed to having to book museum tickets online well in advance and to cities being simply overrun with tourists. However, we still struggle to come to terms with landscapes being swamped by crowds.

And sadly, there aren't just too many of us; some of us don't exactly behave well, either. Drones are launched right in front of "no-fly" signs, toilet paper litters the landscape, and in the race to get the best shot, people trample the terrain and harass the seals.

But tourists bring a lot of money into the country. We were told it has become a primary source of revenue. And therein lies the ambivalence: given the prices and the volume of business, one might expect a bit more investment in infrastructure. Most campsites have inadequate sanitary facilities – cleaning them more than once a day would be nice, and windbreaks or shelters would be great ideas – public toilets are scarce, and so on.

It gives off a bit of that "cash cow" vibe we experienced in Africa...

We choose Route 55 back north over the mountains to enjoy a bit more of the scenery. We also delight in climbing a small volcanic cone featuring spectacular colors.

The circle closes; we spend the night in Stykkishólmur once again. It’s a 50 km detour each way, but the view today is beautiful.

We’re celebrating our 28th anniversary two days late with a delicious meal and reminiscing about how, a year ago, we were at Lake Tanganyika. Incredible.