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ICLD day 6 Gullfoss, Geysir, Tomato greenhouses, horses, Pingvellir NP Tectonic Plates...
Monday October 18, 2021
ICLD day 6 Gullfoss, Geysir, Tomato greenhouses, horses, Pingvellir NP Tectonic Plates..
Transit day. This is the mid part of the Iceland trip. Heading back from the Ice Lagoon... the trip through the iceberg lagoon, now back up through the central part of Iceland to some more phenomenal geologic wonders. We're traveling from the Southeast coast... Hwy 1 heading west... to 300degrees to the center of Iceland.
On the warm bus we come to ... Skaftafell glacier tounge. about a 3/4 mile hike down to see.
Back on the bus travel through the wonderful Iceland landscape of grey overcast... pasture plains of sheep grazing... steep dark mountains lining the coastal flats. Glacier streams...
Onto Gullfoss, the most huge waterfall in Iceland.
Massive,... beyond spectacle... from the Helvita river...
38* and wind 40+ didn't allow much time for pix.
Gullfoss waterfall, mighty Hvita river glacial river melt...
This is a massive glacial melt river, central to Iceland...
The most massive falls of the glacial melt of the helvita river... the most iconic picturesque view/ symbol of Ieceland. Huge glaciers,... huge river melt runoff.
The tourist center was all about waterfall tourism... Tee shirts, and every thing possible junk to buy... refrigerator magnets, keychains,... ect... it was souvenir alley to walk through the "gift" shop. Time to head out.
30+ minute drive to Geysir.... similar gysyr to "Old Faithfull" gyser at Yellowstone.
Strokur Hot Springs They were somewhat near the geysir but i don't remember.
Every 8 to 12 minutes Will erupt with a 50' gyser of ater and steam.
Other adjacent bubbling pools were not as phenomenal but unique to the gyser themed setting.
Huge gift shop for tourists.
Next onto gyser.
Afternoon quiet nap on the way to Iceland horse exhibit and hot house tomato farm that supplies all of Iceland.
Next stop was the Icelandic horse display of how unique Iceland horses are. NO imports for cross breeding.
Iceland horse breed unique and NO horses are allowed to import and cross breed. Species is protected!!!
Unique horses, only horse breed w/ 5 gates.
Tomato soup and bread in hot house...
Tomato hot houses supply ALL of Iceland of tomatoes !!!
Next door was the Frioheimar Tomato Farm, greenhouse agriculture/ ICLD Horticulture, a mid day stop with a demonstration of
wonderful lunch of tomato soup grown in the hothouses... killer bread with it.
Another hour on the bus and come to Pingvellir National Park,
UNESCO world Heritage Site This the site of the Mid-Atlantic range of tectonic plates... the reason Iceland has so many volcanoes. The tectonic plates rub together producing magma/ lava underneath to top range.
The black lava canyon walls are 150' high in the canyon... about 200'+ apart... moving apart at 2 cm/ per year.
Tectonic Plate boundaries/ fault lines of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge- only above ground rifting- Canyon/ separation- of the earths crust. Hike down into 150' wall canyon. separates at 2mm/yr
AKA "Parlament Plains, 1st Parliament formed here/ met in 930AD
It is a geologic phenomenon and to be able to walk between the plates,... canyon walls 150' tall,... 100 yards wide... is wonderful,... sublime.
The tectonic plates of the earth,... between Europe,... and North America are right here... and you hike down into the canyon! Above ground!!!
This is a UNESCO site. The other tectonic plates are all underground. ie.. The Mariana Trench is 30,000'+ under water off of the Philippines.
This is right here,... we're walking through it! Once in a lifetime... Thank you for these abundant blessings to see this!!!
Then long afternoon drive to Hamar hotel... Borgarnes, Iceland.
Late afternoon... R&R time,... a long day. Tired...
Good dinner in hotel dining room & crash.
Next morning a few said they went out to the hot tub, didn't see the Northern lights.
A weather front has moved onto Iceland and the cloud cover has NOT been favorable to see The Northern Lights. disapointed,.. but maybe in the next few days will see the lights.
You never drink twice from the same stream.
Just because you wander doesn't mean you're lost.
Uncle Hargus: Last of the Independents
Have Bear,
Will Travel
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