30 July
Another time change last night. An
hour less sleep. At 7am we began our approach. By 8am we were
securing to the wharf, bow in starboard side to wharf and city. That
gave us a beautiful view of water, an island, hills and mountains.
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| View from our cabin and deck |
Our plan was to get out into the
countryside for the day and avoid the modern city. With 4 others we
boarded a large Mercedes 4x4 overland vehicle and with out
guide/driver Inge of Icelandic Tours, headed NNE. Part of this drive
passed through a 5 km long tunnel. On through the countryside, past
inlets, farms, mountains, valleys, rock and great vistas. Not many
trees, though. There are many horses here and more sheep than people.
North on 1, NE on 50 and E on 518. Stopped to watch some waterfalls then off to lunch at Hraunfossar then a
short hop up to the glacier, passing lava fields on the way.
At the glacier office we were issued
one piece coveralls and for some, boots.
No ordinary vehicles could proceed
beyond this point but our vehicle was equipped for the terrain so we
climbed back aboard and drove up the glacier. Snowmobiles, skis or
other large snow crawlers are used to convey people up the slope.
Just before the top, at an altitude of some 3,000' we stopped and
climbed out for a panoramic view of the glacier and the countryside
below. Carved into the glacier was a tunnel leading downward which we
took with a guide. Once well below the surface we were issued
crampons for our boots, given a safety briefing and led down more
tunnels in the ice. Several rooms had been carved out of the ice
which made for classrooms for our groups to take in the guide's
information about the glacier. After wandering the tunnel loop and
seeing the inside of a glacier and becoming more informed of the slow
demise of such wonders, we emerged back to the surface. The tour took
about 70 minutes and in places was wet with water dripping from the
ceiling, though our coveralls with hoods kept us dry. Beware of
wetting your camera, though. I endorse the 5 star ratings of this
particular experience.
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| lava field |
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| on the glacier |
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| Entrance to Ice Cave on the glacier |
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| down into the glacier |
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| walls of the tunnel; note "ash" lines on the walls from volcanoes |
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| preaching in the chapel |
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| a large fissure |
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| back to the surface |
After driving back down the glacier
we returned our equipment and drove cross-country on a 1 lane
gravel/rock road through more lava fields, then onto 2 lane gravel
roads through more mossy and grassy areas and finally onto a highway
back to the city. Which led to
Thingvellir,
another UNESCO World Heritage site. Here the tectonic plates of North
America and Europe/Asia meet and have drifted a bit apart. Also here
is the site of the oldest parliament in the world.
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| another glacier |
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| crack in the earth at Thingviller |
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| typical farm scene |
The return trip was through more
settled area, farms, camping, horses, small communities and little
traffic. We were back aboard at 1810, worn out from a full day of
exploring and learning. We did not hit the town in the evening as we
have a full day of adventure again tomorrow.
Tourism is now a primary industry for
Iceland and the island is recovering, slowly, from the financial
collapse of 2008. There is much to see and experience here in nature
(such as volcanoes, waterfalls, glaciers, hot springs, vistas,
islands, ocean, northern lights and so on), food, nightlife, art and
customs. Many languages are heard here as the tourism is from all
over the world. English is widely spoken and taught in schools.
Prices are high by US standards. A rental car may be about $160 per
day. A cab from the ship terminal to the airport will run about $115.
Visitors should check prices; one went out for a hamburger, french
fries and a beer and the check came to $100. I bought a CD of
traditional Icelandic music at a cost of $32. (Glad I didn't pick up
the 4 disc set.) The climate, at least on the southern part, is
moderate as the gulf stream warms the area. The city, villages and
countryside were neat and clean wherever we looked. The
infrastructure of roads and water looked excellent. The people we met
were good natured and friendly. On holidays and weekends many locals
head to the hills for hiking, camping and outdoor activities, at
least during the summer season.
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