After a lovely buffet breakfast at our hotel, the group headed out of Reykjavik towards Thingvellir National Park.
The traffic thinned out considerably as we left the city and I thought we would be away from the touristy crowds. We were - at our first stop - the entrance to the park. We had a nice overview of Thingvellir Lake. People had made rock piles beyond the entrance sign. In Canada's Arctic they are called inukshuks. I shouldn't have been surprised to see them in Iceland as the terrain is similar.
Our next stop was very crowded with day trippers doing what is known as the Golden Circle. After we got a closer look at Thingvellir Lake, we headed over to Silfra fissure.
We met up with the Dive IS company. They explained how to suit up and got fitted for our gear. First came your layer of thermal underwear followed by a layer they called the teddy bear suit. It was like a sleeping bag with feet and arms. Neoprene socks were next. That was followed by the snorkel suit which fitted tightly around the wrists and neck, and had rubber boots already attached. Then came neoprene mitts and a skull cap. Flippers and the snorkel mask completed the ensemble.
It was very hot in all that gear but the water temperature was a cool 2 degrees Celsius. After a short walk over to the entry point, we descended down a metal staircase and got into the water. It was a weird feeling once you got in. The dry suit gave you extra buoyancy and it was impossible to keep your legs down in the water. Even though we were well suited up you could still feel the cold through all the layers. Once your face hit the water, you felt a natural urge to pull it out and keep it out. But eventually you got used to the numbing cold.
After adjusting our masks, we set off in 2 groups of 6. Our leader, Jill, was most patient and helpful and got me through some moments of panic when my mask started to fill with water.
The Silfra fissure is famous for it's incredible beauty and visibility. As you flow along with the current you are actually moving between the American and Erasian continents. It was quite an experience but I was more than glad to get out of the frigid water at the end of the route!
We headed over to Gullfoss which means Golden Waterfall. It is Iceland's most famous waterfall and one of the most visited sites as well.
I, along with a steady stream of tourists, walked along the path to get to the top of the waterfall. The spray was quite vigorous and it was impossible to stay dry. But my photos were so well worth it!
Our next stop was the Geysir thermal area. We saw the original inactive geysir after which all other geysirs have been named. Spellcheck tells me I'm spelling it wrong but that is the way they spell it here in Iceland.
One of the geysirs went off quite regularly, approximately every 2 to 5 minutes so we watched it for quite a while. Just just before it blew each time, it formed a great big round bubble - so cool to watch and so difficult to photograph!
Our last stop on the tour today was the Kerio Crater. It is an inactive volcano which has filled with glacier water. The water was such a beautiful blue and the rocks and vegetation were a brilliant red and green. It took us about 20 minutes to walk all the way around the top of it.
Our accommodation tonight is a beautiful little guesthouse beside the river. We have hot tubs just outside our door which are filled with natural hot water. I am too beat to enjoy them tonight but maybe tomorrow!
