Day 2 - Reykjanes Peninsula Tour - Garoskagi Lighthouse, Hot Springs of Seltun/Krysuvik and the "Pearl"

Our morning started very early with a bus tour that lasted the majority of the day.  We were met by our tour guide, Earling. He is a pretty remarkable Icelander who has lived all over the world - London, Thailand, U.S..... you name it.  He talked about the history, culture and geography of Iceland.  Check out information on plate tectonics. Or, look here to learn more about geothermal energy.  Iceland is truly green; I don't mean the colors! They use the volcanic energy from beneath the surface of the earth to heat their homes and even their sidewalks! 

Here is our esteemed tour guide, Earling. Super smart and reads THREE books a week!

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Rolling Hills of Iceland

Rolling lands, some stony while others are fantastic greens.

To the right is a video of Earling giving us the explanation of how the lava got its name.

Our trip brought us down winding roads of lava fields that once were molten hot, spewing forth from the mantel below.  Centuries later we learn that these rolling hills, while cool and hard for a long time, show little signs of erosion.  Soil does not develop; without that, it is hard for trees and larger plant life too take root.  The result is still amazing - mounds and mounds of once churning earth now covered in green moss of every green you can name - mint, Christmas, evergreen... you name it.  The result is pure beauty. Earling explained that this kind of lava flow is the same as Hawaii.  It is called "ah-ah" lava.

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Garoskagi Lighthouse

We then made our way to Garoskagi Lighthouse.  This first stop was a nice next after about a 40 minute drive.  The air was cool and crisp.  There wasn't a sound to be heard - the waters were still with few birds in the sky.  There were many gulls in the distance taking a morning rest in the seaweed at the end of the shore.  In the middle of this peacefulness stood an old lighthouse rising from the ground providing a little reminder of what Iceland was like 100 years ago or so. 

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Crossing a Continental Divide!

I came back to the American continent for a few minutes!  Seriously folks! Our bus took a quick stop for our group to go and walk IN the place where Iceland is being ripped apart a few centimeters a year.  One side is the Eurasian continental plate and the other is the America plate holding North America!  The ravine was filled with a black fine sand that made me think back to my days in Antarctica slippy and sliding with every step.  What an experience to travel back and forth - for free! I am so glad I didn't get swallowed up and fall to the center of the earth!

Earling explains our location.

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Smelly, Stinky Encounter
of the "Hot Springs" kind!

Our next treat for the day was stop at the Hot Springs of Seltun/Krysuvik. Earling must have told us to NOT even think of getting off the path to see if the water was hot - it is!  As we walked up to the pathways, you suddenly were faced with this thick smell of rotten eggs.  There weren't any chickens.  It was the sulfur mixed with the vaporous steam coming out of the ground.  Walking further brought you to wooden planks that allowed you an overlooking view into the "bog of hot, smelly, bubbling stench.  Many people had to cover their noses as they made their way.  To the skin, you could feel the heat being released into the air.  Low sounds of percolating bubbles could be heard if you stood absolutely still.  Various mists of noxious fumes blew in the wind.  It was spectacular, beautiful and exceptionally stinky! 

A lone path bringing explorers back to the safety of our bus.

Explorers walking along the murky, steaming paths.

Mr. S. taking a quick sit along the mounding grounds by the hot springs.

More steam rising sending icky, rotten eggs smells into the atmosphere!

Above are the bubbling, smelly fields.  Beautiful, but stinky!

First bubbling fields I came across. 

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The Pearl - amazing that it is really the center of the geothermal use in this part of Iceland.

The view of Reykjavik from above! Stunning !

Some flora...

And more...

Sitting at the top of the World - well kind of!

Earling was in a bit of a hurry at this part of the journey.  We had lunch reservations and apparently dilly-dallied far too long and were an hour behind! We had to stop at "The Pearl" which is one of the plants that takes the heat from well below the earth's crust, brings it up and uses the steam to heat almost EVERYTHING.  It was remarkable to hear Earling explain how they even have outdoor heated pools in the winter.  They also don't have to ever shovel snow because they use this energy to melt the snow on the sidewalks. Going to The Pearl offered beautiful photos of Reykjavik.  The Pearl is called so because it has a mirror, rounded exterior - looking like a grey pearl shining in the sun. 

And fauna...

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A little treat... for Indigo Blu Gray and friends!
Fairy sighting and Santa remnants up North!

Here you have it! A fairy, a fairy! I was so excited. Though, she just ran off and disappeared in the blink of an eye! Also, I came across Santa's boots hanging out next to this mailbox. I might have put some of my love bugs names in the mailbox! Well, maybe it was a naught and nice list for next year. ;)