The long haul to Laugarvatn required an early start, heading east from Reykjavik along the route 36. Shortly before midday we arrived at Thingvellir, overlooking Thingvallavatn lake. It was here the worlds oldest parliament, the Althing, was established in 930AD. Thingvellir continued to be the meeting place for the parliament until it moved to Reykjavik in 1845. After a quick photo call, we descended down to the edge of Iceland's largest lake for our packed lunch.

Early in the afternoon we had our first experience of Iceland's 'interior' roads. Unmade roads constitute most of Iceland's interior road network and are akin to cycling over a stony beach. They're intended for 4WD off road trucks, of which there are no shortage. From a cyclists perspective, attempting these roads on anything other than a mountain bike is doomed to end in buckled wheels and punctures!

As we approached Laugarvatn, the rain came down to meet us. We soon found Laugarvatn hostel though, which is more like an English B&B than accommodation for back packers.