With a day of sailing behind us we’ve reached Iceland!
All night the ship was shaking and vibrating something fierce. Turning on the tv this morning I see why. 40+mph winds to the side of the ship would certainly make it shimmy.
But what a view to wake up to. The rear corners of the ship are open for anyone to enjoy the views. Here’s starboard aft.
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If you recall from middle school geography, Iceland is actually very green while Greenland is covered in ice.
And green it is (and dang cold!)
In spite of the 40 degree morning the gentleman in the pool was doing his regular laps.
This waterfall struck me as odd. We’d find out later in the day why.
The second largest town in Iceland.
The church may look familiar as it was the same individual who created the larger version in Reykjavik.
9-hour bus tour today exploring the countryside. Leaving town you realize the red stoplights are hearts.
In 2008 when the global financial collapse hit the US, it hit Iceland super hard. While the US was finding bank after bank was over extended, Iceland went bankrupt in 3 days, mostly due to banks here buying international stocks to cover the fact they were 2–300% over extended on loans. Banks here were in such trouble there was no way to bail out the regular investor and everyone here lost everything. Since then, buying a home requires 20-25% deposits rather than the previous 3%.
While people were in deep depression on losing all the life savings, one woman started painting hearts around downtown to try to lighten the spirits of locals. That extended one day to a stop light. Spirits did begin to turn around and the red-heart stoplights have remained ever since.
Steps to the church are now heated so locals can run them in the middle of winter for exercise.
Winters here can be very hard. There are times it’s so cold, and with no sun for months at a time, your car might fully ice over and not thaw. Imagine what that would do to roads as you tried to head up and over mountain passes. As a result a tunnel was created through the hills. While tunneling the construction workers hit both cold and hot veins locked in the walls. Ironically, the warm was actually very hot. So hot that it naturally heats the tunnel to a year-round temperature of 80 degrees. Locals now head to the tunnel just to defrost their cars, often turning around in the middle after the built up ice has melted.
The hot water is still pouring out of the mountain, diverted into a stream that feeds into a waterfall, draining directly to the ocean (that one mentioned earlier).
15 minutes into the countryside and you see the results of all the glacial silt. This is a vibrant agricultural region, similar to the middle US. Even bananas are being gown locally.
Drive 45 more minutes and this smoke appears in the distance.
It’s their own Niagara Falls, called Waterfall of the Gods.
40 feet wide and 100 feet wide it is impressive.
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The soil in the river channel is so black and so gritty. No doubt just ground down volcanic rock.
Imagine if this was your home and view.
Icelandic horses are found all over the hillside. Once a horse leaves the country they’re not allowed to come back. Owners are forced to make the touch decision whether to go overseas to race them or keep them home. They do this to ensure the horse breed remains 100% Icelandic.
In the center of the country is this giant lake. In reality it’s a leftover volcano crater that’s filled with water over the decades.
Small sample of the different types of lava rocks round in the area.
Like with the tunnel boring project in the main center, it was only a few years ago they found hot water pools which resulted in the below coral rock being created.
Quick idea of where we started the day.
Lunch was at the visitor center / restaurant where, you guessed it, you got a slice of bread baked in a cave on-site, heated by the underground volcano. 24-hours after the ingredients are placed in the oven it’s ready for eating.
Arctic Char (a mix between salmon and trout), local potatoes, slice of the bread. Very delicious fish.
Post lunch we’re on a hike into the old volcanic fields. Down side to the hike, giant flies everywhere. Flies are great for the local fish and animals as it’s their source of protein. There are thousands on thousands circling you nonstop. Time for a net.
Quick explanation of the geography you’re about to see on this hike.
This is the continental divide. Earth pulls apart roughly 3cm each year, growing the country.
One final stop. Before us is where the nation goes to capture the thermal heat to power the towns.
Not everywhere in the region is ideal for the energy tapping. Just a little further up the hill the water is filled with extreme amounts of sulfur . Back in war days, the sulfur was extracted from the water and used to create gun powder.
Scorched earth is as far as you can see. Steam vents, mud pots and geothermic activities resembling Yellowstone can be found here.
The heat and new pockets of mud pits here has scientists believing there will be new volcanic activity very soon in the region.
Mud pots are boiling mud pits that
are found in geothermal areas. They are created when water seeps into
the ground and is heated by volcanic activity, causing it to rise back
up to the surface as steam. As the steam rises, it carries minerals and
other materials from deep within the Earth, solidifying and forming the
characteristic mud pots.
Mud pots can vary in size but are
typically small and bowl-shaped. They’re often surrounded by a rim of
solidified mud created as the water evaporates.
In spite of the very harsh terrain, nature still finds a way to exist.
And that’s the day. One more traffic signal as we return to downtown.
One final shot of the hot waterfall. In the warmer days of summer locals will paddleboard to the fall and take a shower in it. Not sure I believe it but its a good story.
