Out to sea - the Eastern Fjords [Jokuldalur > Egilsstadir > Faskrudsfjordur-- 64mi

Began the day with an uneventful 30mi into Egilsstadir- a bigger town of over 2000 people and two grocery stores, and one of the only towns on the interior of Iceland. It also had a pharmacy where I was able to procure some relief for my ailing right Achilles tendon- with all the struggle against fierce winds those first few days and an improperly aligned cleat on my bike shoe, it had become inflamed and painful and wasn't getting any better in spite of easier riding conditions. An elastic ankle brace for added support, a tube of Ben Gay type cream and some ibuprofin would provide welcome aid.

Some drizzle began falling but I rolled out of town to climb 10mi up the Fagridalur Pass via HW92 out to the eastern sea coast. As usual, spending a few minutes donning rain gear is the surest way to will the rain to stop and this evening was luckily no different. The pass was just beautiful- hours of pedaling up a meandering canyon flanked on both sides by steep hillsides spotted with innumerable stair-step waterfalls cascading down from snowy peaks cloaked in whispy clouds. The sounds of gushing water was hypnotic and I finally descended to the seaside town of Reydarfjordur, quaintly tucked into the inside shore of the gorgeous fjord of the same name. 

Reydarfjordur harbor

Just outside town was my first tunnel ride (where bikes are fortunately permitted) and saved 28mi of pedaling along the coast. Well lit and warm inside, the tunnel was a fun shortcut. Being almost 1:00am, I only encountered a single car through the 7km tube... and it was headed the opposite direction no less.

tunnel on HW92

Riding at night has proven very inviting on this trip. It never gets dark, so visibility is not an issue, and for a nocturnal, sleep deprived loner like myself Iceland is like crack cocaine. Although it's never very busy on the roads, riding late into the night really lets you have the place all to yourself. And so I've gotten on a schedule of sleeping from ~3-4am until 9-10am, the only difficulty being that many of the towns I pass through are buttoned up for the night.

I set up my tent for free at the end of Faskrudsfjordur fjord, next to the aptly named village. The village was originally settled by the French, a bit of an anomaly here, and hence has a French theme that persists to this day including street names, flags flying and a French festival every summer.

Faskrudsfjordur

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Notes on camping in Iceland: Camping here is a different experience than I've had in the US. Most towns & villages have camping areas right in town for a fee of 1000-1200 Krona ($8-9) per person. They are usually just big grass fields with no assigned spots, so you pitch your tent wherever you please, plus there's normally electric hookups for RVs. Many but not all have free showers and a communal kitchen area that offers electric hotplates, tables and sometimes cookware to use. These are a great place to pick up freebie supplies left behind by fellow campers about to depart the island (especially at campsites near transportation hubs... not so much in the rural areas.)

Free camping is exceptionally easy and essentially legal in all but a few protected areas (ie national parks, 'geoparks' and wildlife protection zones.) As I understand it, you're allowed to camp wherever you please, even on private property, so long as you aren't disturbing livestock, trampling crops or encroaching on a residence. It's been great so far, just find a scenic and comfortable spot and settle in for the night. The only attention I've gotten is a friendly wave; the people here are extremely inclined to mind their own business so they couldn't care less what I'm doing.

I've only paid for camping about half the time, primarily when I'm in a city or protected area, and use those days to shower, cook up a fancier than normal dinner and mingle with other campers. It's been a pleasure to free-camp in plain view, unconcerned about being hassled by the police, land owners or thieves!