Tag: Europe

Cave of Seljalandsfoss and rainbowy SkÃ³gafoss
I bid farewell to Bitra Guesthouseâ€™s friendly owners after breakfast and set off to visit both Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss. The two waterfalls along the Southern Ring Road are among the most popular ones given their convenient locations. There are just so many beautiful waterfalls in Iceland that I had a hard time deciding on which to visit prior to the trip. I cherry-picked a few and hope to return and visit the remaining ones in the near future. I came to realize about Urridafoss waterfall on the map and decided to pay a visit, especially when itâ€™s situated near to Bitra Guesthouse.
Urridafoss and the salmons
Urridafoss (The Waterfall of the Salmon as the signage shows) has the highest volume of water of all waterfalls in Iceland. The impressive stats are well-matched by the water-gushing sound even though the waterfall is not tall at all. It kept me wondering how the salmons made the upstream swim with all those powerful currents.
Seljalandsfoss and the cave
Next up is the well-known Seljalandsfoss waterfall and it can already be seen from quite a distance away. The water originates from the nearby volcanic glacier of Eyjafjallajokull before plunging down a 60 metres cliff top.
Itâ€™s a beautiful waterfall and whatâ€™s even more amazing is the cave behind the waterfall which shows a completely different view. But be prepared to get really wet especially with all that spraying water. The water droplets also make it such a pain for using cameras at the cave.
Plus, the surrounding of Seljalandsfoss looks equally beautiful too.
Eyjafjallajokull Visitor Centre
I stopped by Eyjafjallajokull Visitor Centre after a splendid visit to Seljalandsfoss. The mighty Eyjafjallajokull Volcano blew up in 2010, amid considered as small eruptions. But yet, the ash clouds seriously disrupted all of Europeâ€™s air travels. A friendly Icelander whom I was chatting with, mentioned that some clueless people even blamed Iceland for causing those disruptions. What? I hope thatâ€™s a joke else I really donâ€™t know what to say. I gave the educational videos a miss and headed straight to Skogafoss instead.
Skogafoss and the rainbow
A busload of tourists was leaving while I arrived at the carpark and thatâ€™s definitely a boon, given how popular Skogafoss is. The powerful waterfall is yet another stunning sight in Iceland and it rewards visitors with plenty of mists and sprays LOL. A nice rainbow showed up readily right after I have set up my tripod as if both Skogafoss and the rainbow were posing for me, how nice!
Thereafter, I made the climb up the hundreds of steps to see Skogafoss in action from the top. Those stairs lead up to a viewing platform perched at the cliff edge, which offers a great panoramic view of the surrounding. But the platform vibrates whenever people walk around so I have to look for an alternative for placing my tripod. Anyhow, itâ€™s a totally different feel to see the waterfalls from atop and in close proximity.
And thereâ€™s the interesting-looking troll rock which faces the Skogafoss.
Black Sand Beaches and Skaftareldahraun
I stopped by to check out the famous black sand beaches along the southern coast before heading to my accommodation for the night. Both Kirkjufjara and Reynisfjara are known for the black sand and the rock formations near them. Itâ€™s best to keep a significant distance away from the ferocious waves! And the southernmost village of Vik along the Ring Road is one great place to refuel and stock up.
The moss-covered Lava field at Skaftareldahraun, which the Ring Road passes through, is some of the most unique-looking landscape. Its formation was the result of enormous eruptions which occurred 250 years ago. I followed the walking path around the Lava field to get up close with this bizarre environment and itâ€™s amazing!
STAY: Fosshotel Nupar
Fosshotel Nupar is like situated in the middle of nowhere of Southern Iceland. The container-style building looks quite out of place with its surroundings too. But its location serves as a great base for exploring the southern parts of Iceland. The room was comfortable enough for a good night rest. I particularly like the views from the room and the side door to the outside was a nice touch. The toilet is very basic but serves its purpose. The breakfast can do with a little more choices though. The overall experience for me was positive.
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What are your thoughts about the Seljalandsfoss and Skogafoss? Leave a comment and share it with me.
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September 3, 2019
Round and Round the Golden Circle
Round and round the golden circle like a tourist here. That seems to rhymes quite well instead of the Garden and the Teddy Bear in a particular nursery song LOL. Anyhow, the Golden Circle is Icelandâ€™s famed sightseeing route starting from Reykjavik which covers a distance of about 300km. The not-that-circular route takes the visitors to some popular natural attractions before making a loop back to Reykjavik. It showcases three major stops such as Ãžingvellir National Park (or Thingvellir in English), Haukadalur Geothermal Field and Gullfoss waterfall. Gullfoss which means Golden Falls in Icelandic was probably how the route has gotten its name.
There are plenty of tour packages where their buses will be doing the Golden Circle loop daily. Hence, I saw way more vehicles along this route than anywhere else in Iceland. My first stop was Ãžingvellir National Park which is the nearest to Reykjavik of the three.
Ãžingvellir/ Thingvellir National Park
There are two main reasons to be here and one being the only place on Earth where a mid-ocean ridge can be seen above ground. The crack which seemingly split the area in half is the result of Eurasian and the North American tectonic plates drifting apart from each other. Itâ€™s estimated that the plates are moving slowly but surely at around 2-3 cm each year. The movement created large cracks such as the AlmannagjÃ¡ gorge and itâ€™s amazing to be walking alongside the plates. Another crack like Silfra Fissure is an enormous gorge filled with crystal clear spring water that offers visitors the opportunity to snorkel or scuba in it.
The second reason to be here is that Ãžingvellir was where Icelandâ€™s parliament meeting used to take place in the past. It continues to be the site for judicial hearings and passing of laws until 1798. This UNESCO world heritage site holds an important piece of Icelandic history.
Not far away from Logberg is Drekkingarhylur aka the drowning pool with a dark history. Eighteen female convicts were being drowned here for the sentences of adultery or incestâ€¦
I followed the footpath to both Pingvallakirkja and Peningagja before taking a long stroll towards Oxararfoss. Pingvallakirkja is one of the first churches to be built in Iceland and Peningagja is a wishing pond. The coins can be seen under the crystal-clear water. Lastly, the Oxararfoss waterfall is quite a â€˜smallâ€™ one based on Icelandâ€™s standards.
Haukadalur Geothermal Field
The next stop was Haukadalur Geothermal Field and it took me an hourâ€™s drive from Ãžingvellir. The landscape along the way is just so beautiful that I found myself stopping by the roadâ€™s sides rather frequently, and safely of course. I received a â€˜warm welcomeâ€™ by the sight of smoke and the unmistakable stench of Sulfur upon nearing the public carpark. Thank you (Gey)Sir!
It’s wise to adhere to the rules and keep within the walking path as the grounds here are boiling.
I got to watch Strokkur in action and itâ€™s indeed very active. It did not take very long between each interval for the enormous boiling bubble to spout steaming water up in the air.
The other famous Geysir is said to be fairly dormant nowadays hence no luck for me. So, I spent the majority of my time admiring at Strokkur and the work of nature instead. In which, I probably overstayed and left me a little short on time for Gullfoss waterfall.
Gullfoss Waterfall
It was already late evening by the time I reached Gullfoss waterfall. The good thing was that most tour groups would have probably left, making it easier to admire the sheer power of the gushing waterfall. However, it was insanely windy that day and I had a hard time trying to take pictures with my lightweight tripod. The footpath was mostly covered with ice and very slippery so I kept a good safe distance from the majestic waterfall.
STAY: Bitra Guesthouse
The lovely Bitra Guesthouse is around an hour drive from Gullfoss waterfall. Itâ€™s a nice homely house located just off the SuÃ°urlandsvegur road. The welcoming and friendly owners made my stay a very pleasant one. The comfortable bedroom was nice and clean. I was told that itâ€™s possible to see the Northern Lights from where the guesthouse is located – it didnâ€™t happen that night though. The breakfast spread was simple but good enough for me.
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What are your thoughts about the Golden Circle? Leave a comment and share it with me.
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July 30, 2019