Louisa is our guide for the next few days that are our ‘Hidden Powers and Northern Lights’ tour. There are about 22 in our group and we are on a full size bus so room to spread out. We are a mix of Aussies, Canadians, Yanks and a couple from South Africa, a single woman from Puerto Rico and a young guy from Brazil. He’s the only smoker in our group.
So we get underway with Simon as our driver. Louisa is a geologist so knows her stuff about volcanos and tectonic plates (apparently not even remotely connected to china plates).
There is a really strong wind today so even though the temperature is a2 degrees, it is a freezing arctic wind that chills to the core if you aren’t rugged up to within an inch of your life. Our first stop is Aurora Reykjavik which is a really interesting little place that explains the northern lights in simple terms. Interesting displays and fabulous video.
We then head out of Reykjavik and as soon as we are out of the city limits amazing snow scenes. There are mountains covered in snow and valleys covered in snow and snow photos don’t do the landscape justice.
We head to Thingvellir National Park which is UNESCO World Heritage listed. This is where the world’s oldest parliament met in about 990 AD until the 13th century, on the shores Iceland’s largest lake. We were also able to walk through the continental drift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Amazing. Having done this same walk 4 years ago without the snow, it was such a different experience.
That’s Louisa in the yellow parka. We then continue through snow covered farmland, often seeing the the sturdy little Icelandic horses in frills. There are usually no trees for them to shelter under, no water or feed troughs or shelters, but I’m assured they are well looked after and highly valued.
Next stop is the geothermal fields of Geysir where we have our late lunch stop. Louisa has issued us all with crampons which have come in handy. My set are in my bag and it was much easier to use hers than ferret mine out of my back pack. D, G and I head for the soup canteen where I had the Tex Mex soup which was lovely and spicy but could have been just that bit hotter. Then time to meet Louisa who takes us the short walk through the bubbling mud pools to the high sprouting Strokkur hit spring. Saw it blow three times. Still don’t understand how it happens and my eyes wil glaze over again if any tries to explain it tome. I figure I don’t need to know how it happens in order for me to appreciate it.
As the weather is bad, a planned visit to a cave where two Icelandic families had built a homestead and farm during the early 20th century but this was cancelled. Every time they tried to open the road it was snowed in again. We had already seen one little car olying deep in the snow at the side of the road after apparently being blown over! We instead made our way to the dramatic Gullfoss waterfall which was a spectacular sight with water frozen mid cascade.on my previous visit we were able to walk all around the lower levels to be withintouching distance of the waterfall itself. I remember Shiny Bright and I both commenting on the lack of safety barriers so close to the waterfall. No chance in getting to the lower levels today in the snow.
Our final stop was at Skalholt which was Iceland’s capital during the Middle Ages and is now a cultural centre with a beautiful church. The bishop (Lutheran) is a divorced single mother . Louisa tells is that parliament has about 40% women, and about 80% of women work full times. Both the Police chief and deputy are women. This sounds like my kind of country!
The mud and lichen hut was next to the church. Didn’t get a chance to explore it but was taken by its design.
Back on the coach and head to our hotel for the night. Not sure exactly where it is but it is a Stracta hotel and I’m hoping we don’t stay in any more of theirchain. Our rooms are like upmarket backpackers rooms and are accessed by walking an icy ‘path’ without lighting in the open air to ge5 to our roof rooms . Not happy about this at all as we had to lug our own suitcases through the icy winds and bloody dangerous slippery path to ge5 to our rooms, only to turn around shortly after fir a return trip to the main building for the dining room. Bugga! We have to do the same thing in the morning to get to breakfast. I’ll be taking my suitcase with me to breakfastasi won’t be on that damn path any more than absolutely necessary. However dinner was okay and met a lass from Tumut, NSW, a Canadian couple who admit that they are deaf and need hearing aids, plus an American couple I think they said are from Maine but I may have mis heard that. After a slippery slide (as my mum would say ‘treacherous ‘ walk back to our rooms I have time for a whiskey night cap, blog update and then bed.
