Traveling in Reverse - The Golden Circle - Iceland Part 2

From atypically warm and sunny Brussels, it seems like my surreal road trip through Iceland last week was just a dream.  Iceland is certainly worthy of more than one blog post, and so here we go - covering day 2 of my journey.

Not a bad place to wake up!

I woke up at the serene Geysier Hestar after the best night's sleep I'd had in ages.  I felt a nudge of regret that I only booked one night here, but I was soon feeling the anticipation of what was to come on this second day of my solo road trip - especially now that I was fully rested and would not have to question whether or not I was hallucinating or if the scenes before me really were so out of this world!

The plan: "The Golden Circle" in reverse order from what the guidebooks all suggest (which assumes people are basing themselves out of Reykavik.  A short 6km drive up the road, and I found myself at Gulfoss, Iceland's most famous waterfall - and for good reason!  

Gulfoss

Gulfoss truly is a natural wonder, but what I really found myself marveling at was the story of how we nearly lost this beauty back in the 1920s when a bunch of foreign investors tried to push through a hydroelectric project that would have dammed the river and thus "killed" the waterfalls - much like what happened to Celilo Falls on the Columbia River when they built The Dalles Dam.  People had visited the falls since 1875, and the land owner, farmerTomas Tomasson refused to sell the land to the developersm saying "I will not sell my friends." Not surprisingly, the developers went behind his back and went directly to the government, gaining permission to move forward with the project. 

How many times have you heard that story?

Tomas's daughter Sigridur is credited with saving the waterfall, working day and night to challenge the project.  She even walked barefoot to Reykavik to protest the project, threatening to throw herself off the falls if the project went through. Luckily it did not come to that, and with the help of an attorney (much like one of my fine colleagues at Crag!), Gulfoss was saved. The government contract was nulled and the waterfalls became the property of the people of Iceland, forever protected. 

Because of her bold and selfless efforts to protect this special place, Sigridur is heralded as Iceland's first environmentalist.  And I gotta say, the story of Gulfoss made me feel pretty darn good about my life's work. 

Sigridur Tomasdottir

A lot of visitors come to Gulfoss, but it is pretty easy to enjoy the waterfall and escape the crowds.  I did find it pretty funny to people watch - so many folks from all over the world experiencing this beautiful place, primarily through selfie-sticks!  I stuck to taking a few shots with my trusty Pentax and wondered what Sigridur would think of all these people at her waterfall...

I turned back to the direction I had come, passing Geysir Hestar and heading on to Geysir - "The Great Geysir" for which all other geysers are named.  While Geysir itself has been active for around 800 years, it rarely erupts.  Its neighbor Strokkur, on the other hand, erupts quite reliably every 10 minutes. 

Again I found myself amused by people watching, especially the large groups who would pop off the bus, gather around Strokkur, wait for the eruption, never taking their eyes from their little mobile devices, and then waddle back onto the bus.  How many people experience the world primarily through tiny screens nowadays, I wonder?  I had to remind myself to take a couple of photos, because I was in such awe of this place and the fact that I was standing just a couple of feet from this powerful force of steam and water. Was I really standing so close to this boiling, steaming wonder?

From the moment I got on the plane in Portland, I've had moments where I am washed over with this overwhelming sense of contentment and appreciation for traveling solo - no set agenda, just me, a bunch of time and a lot of possible paths to follow. I felt this on the plane flying over Greenland, driving the backroads of SW Iceland, riding horses through the canyon, soaking at the Secret Lagoon, and walking home from the tiny little pub my first night.  And I especially felt this at Geysir.  

I stayed for at least three of Strokkur's shows - and for two out of the three I was there with only a handful of other people.  Geysir is a place worth slowing down and allowing yourself to give into wonder and awe.  If you take some time here, you get real feel for the geothermal activity that is happening underneath Iceland.

Strokkur

Onward to Pingvellir!  Iceland's most historical site and the location of the world's first democratic parliament, it is also quite remarkable for its beauty and geology - as it is the place where the North American and Eurasian Teutonic plates meet.  This is another place that can be a quick drop in on a fast tour, but I chose to spend several hours walking about and exploring all the trails.  I certainly was glad that I packed all my layers and brought my good waterproof boots - they are were well used this day, which included a hike through the snow.

Early Icelanders would meet here for their Parliment

Such great textures!

To the left is North America, on the right is Eurasia

A snowy hike between the plates!

I was also glad that I fixed up some warm food that morning and packed it up in a thermos. I enjoyed a late lunch picnic in a stunning setting.

The days are much longer in Iceland, and it is easy to loose track of time.  It was full light and past 5pm when I finally left Pingvellir and began making my way to my next Icelandic home in Borgannes.

The epic road trip continues...

Heading north to Borgannes

Another couple hours of driving through unbelievably beautiful scenery, and I landed at the home of artist Michelle Bird, where I was welcomed warmly to join in a home cooked meal and enjoy drinks and conversation with an international array of people - American, Italian, Swiss, British and French! While I enjoyed visiting with the lovely human folks, I was especially pleased to make friends with the three cats, who would be my bed mates for the next two nights.  I always sleep better with a cat curled up next to me - and two or three is even better. 

My room was decorated with my hostesses paintings.

One of my bed buddies.