Iceland: Day 3

Day three we left Reykjavik after breakfast with the plan to follow the Golden Circle bus trip path - with the addition of stopping in at a geothermal power plant as well.  We didn't quite follow that plan.  We missed our first exit off the main highway so went straight (and by straight I mean we took a really round about route) to the power plant which we learned no longer offered tours to the public, and they had closed their visitor centre.  

 We did get to see some really beautiful landscape along the way though.

 Following our failed attempt at the power plant we took our first gravel road short cut to Thingvellir.  Along the way we had our first of many encounters with livestock on the roads.  Over the course of our trip we saw sheep, cows, horses, and reindeer on the roads as we drove along.

We did however finally arrive at Thingvellir - which was the annual meeting place of the Althingi (aka their earliest form of parliament) until 1798.  It's rocky terrain is quite impressing and is once again proof that Iceland is being pulled apart as the continents drift apart.  It is also the sight of Iceland's largest natural lake.

After sufficiently touring Thingvellir, we made our way to the second stop in the Golden Circle: Haukadalur.  Haukadalur is an active geothermal area.  The smell of sulfur wasn't too strong because of the strong winds sweeping it away, thankfully.  While there we watched Litli Geyir bubble away nearly constantly.  And then we watch Strokkur erupt (considerably more impressive that Litli Geysir).

 Strokkur sitting calmly. 

 The water then begins to mound

 Then it explodes!

 And even bigger!! I had to zoom out to fit it all in the frame.

 Then, empty.  The waters from the surrounding pool flow back into the hole and everything returns to calm for another 5-10 minutes before it erupts again.

 And here's Josh smiling for the camera in front of one of the steaming pools.

Next it was on to the final stop in the Golden Circle: Gullfoss, which means Golden Falls.  To try to understand the magnitude of this water fall try to find the people on the rocky edge to the left of the upper part of the falls.  And notice the rainbow too!  

 And here I am braving the wind for the camera.

Our last stop of the day was supposed to be another waterfall, however we never did find it.  We found a hydroelectric station where a waterfall might once have been, but no waterfall.  We did happen across this recreation of a viking farm complete with sod roof.  Had we been there a month later we could have gone inside, but as it is, May apparently is not yet tourist season and everything was locked.

After all our adventures we spent the night in our first guest house.... it was on a sheep farm and it was lambing season.  The wife told us they had about 600 sheep, and they were right in the midst of lambing.