more+MYVATN

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 * = Lake Mývatn =

Today we awoke to find 10 more cms of snow covering the ground (and our car) – a winter wonderland that for we beach-side Aussies was quite an eye-opener!

Due to the state of the roads we opted out of traveling out on a gravel road to see yet another waterfall and a canyon (which probably wasn’t as brilliant as the brochures said anyway) and headed instead for the massive crater of Hverfell. Formed 2,500 – 2,900 years ago, the crater is 1km in diameter and 140m deep and quite easily climbed via a track in about 30 minutes. It is so huge that it is impossible to photograph the whole crater! || || From there we moved on to the lava maze at Dimmuborgir, a very peculiar formation of tall pillars, caves, crevasses and holes in the rocks. There are no other lava formations existing on dry land anywhere on Earth. It was an easy 30 minute walk through the quite weird and eerie rocks especially as they were covered with a coat of snow.
 * [[image:IMG_2853.jpg]] || [[image:IMG_2864.jpg caption="Road on way to crater"]] ||
 * [[image:IMG_2882.jpg caption="those 2 tiny spots just left of centre 1/3 up pic are cars - one is ours!"]] || [[image:IMG_2889.jpg caption="Gail made it back down!!!!"]] ||
 * [[image:IMG_2926.jpg]] || [[image:IMG_2933.jpg]] ||
 * [[image:IMG_2939.jpg]] || [[image:IMG_2942.jpg]] ||

These were created when lava encountered lakes and wetlands – the steam explosions formed craters. Such craters are called pseudo-craters as they are not outlets for lava but steam - could be handy knowing that at a Quiz night eh? || ||
 * We continued around the lake to see the lunar-like pseudo-craters at Skútustaðir.



Later in the afternoon we dived into the Mývatn Nature Baths – quite hot baths with water and steam rising from fissures 2,500 metres underground. They had a strong sulpher smell which Gail found very difficult to put up with but she did manage 15 minutes! I found them very warm and quite relaxing - rather strange sensation bathing in very warm water whilst light snow was falling on your head!
 * [[image:IMG_2994.jpg]] || [[image:IMG_2995.jpg]] ||