Yesterday wee took the Golder Circle Tour, a guided bus tour to different parts of southern Iceland. First, we went to a geothermal plant to look at how the hot springs brings hot water and electricity to practically all of Iceland.
Next stop was the Gullfoss waterfall. Absolutely stunning! That was probably the most intense nature experience I’ve had, and is strongly recommended if you ever go here.
After that, we went to the geysir area, “where hot springs are in abundance, geysers explode and pools of mud bubble”. Cool experience – got some really nice photos as well.
Last stop was a visit to the Thingvellir National Park, the site of the oldest existing parliament in the world. It is located between two tactonic plates (North American and Eurasian), which has created a huge rift in the ground, still drifting apart with a few centimeters per year.
We got home to the hotel at about 17:00, where we met up with Fredde who had been diving in two degrees cold water (but with at least 60 meters of clear sight!) during the day. We went to a restaurant to have dinner, and did some barhopping after that.
Pictures and further updates will come when I have time, now we will do Reykjavik!
Update: Pictures!
Update 2: Captions!
Lots of bus window photos were taken
The landscape is very shifting
Car wrecks were placed along the road to remind peole to drive safely
Steam from geothermal plants
Entrance to a big geothermal plant
Inside we got a lecture about how the plant works
Nice view from inside the plant
Our busdriver who almost drove off the road
Icelandic horses
The hills are alive, with the sound of laavaaa!
Some river in Iceland
In the distance the active volcano Hekla can be seen
On the way to Gullfoss waterfall
Overview of Gullfoss waterfall
On the way to Gullfoss I had a staring contest with some dude I found. He won.
Marianne next to the massive waterfall
Gullfoss. Magnificent.
The hills next to the waterfall was quite climbable
Frank at Gullfoss waterfall, Iceland
I walk the line, right before the big fall
The rocks rocked
This image of Gullfoss gives absolutely no justice to the actual experience.
Hang on, baby!
Ice around the waterfall looked like cake frosting
Hot lamb soup after freezing at the waterfall
Cars are big in Iceland
Warning signs around hot springs at the gesir area
A small geyser (The little geyser)
The geyser Stokkur erupts [1/2]
The geyser Stokkur erupts [2/2]
Stokkur at close range
Everybody is photographing!
Blesi hot spring
Yes, it really was hot!
Blesi hot spring sign
Konungshver – means “the king’s hot spring”
Stokkur erupting in the background
The shallow water around the geysers looked amazing
Lots of small hot springs in this field
Information signs is da shit!
Viking troll, common in Icelandic souvenir shops
Thingvellir national park -this is the actual rift between two tactonic plates
Marianne lying on a grassy wall while chinese tourists take pictures
Inside the rift – under the small ledge I’m standing on is a 4 meter fall
Great view
Marianne at Thingvellir national park
A sun dial at the top of a hill
Relaxing inside the rift
Great example of how the ground has split when the tactonic plates drifted apart
Can you spot her?
Muahaha!
There are a lot of cracks here
It’s heroic pose time!
peekaboo
Thingvellir national park is Unesco protected
Fantastic mountains
I like the fact that many of the mountains in Iceland looks completely flat on the top
More fantastic mountains
Architecture in Iceland are sometimes beautiful, and sometimes just strange
